Episode 31: Physicist Returns to First Love: Science Writing

The Quantum Spin

At university, Kirsty McGhee studied physics but always liked writing a paper a little more than conducting an experiment. She worked at several industry-leading publications before landing at Qruise, a quantum machine learning startup. Now she is learning Python and writing the company’s experiment catalog. She and Veronica Combs, host of The Quantum Spin by HKA, talked about how collaborating with colleagues and using clear language are key to effective communication.

00:00 Introduction to Quantum Spin Season Four

00:29 Interview with Kirsty McGhee: Journey into Quantum Industry

02:15 Explaining Complex Topics to a Broader Audience

04:01 Challenges in Writing and Audience Engagement

05:52 Learning and Adapting in the Quantum Field

14:03 Future of Quantum Computing and Global Impact

15:51 Conclusion and Podcast Information

Kirsty is the Scientific and Technical Writer at Qruise, a software company using physics-based machine learning to accelerate R&D in quantum computing and beyond. During her PhD, which focused on strong-light matter coupling in microcavities, she realized her true passion lay in science communication. This inspired her to pursue various science writing roles, where she developed her skills and enthusiasm further. This ultimately lead her to Qruise and the quantum community.

Host Veronica Combs is a quantum tech editor, writer and PR professional. She manages public relations for quantum computing clients as an account manager with HKA Marketing Communications, the #1 agency in quantum tech PR. Veronica joined HKA from TechRepublic and has covered technology, healthcare and business strategy for more than 10 years.

Connect with Veronica on LinkedIn:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/veronicacombs/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Connect with HKA Marketing Communications on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/hka-inc--public-relations/ or on our website at ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://hkamarcom.