What kind of journalist wins Science Writer of the Year, writes for WIRED and the BBC, then walks away to study physics?

Katia Moskvitch did exactly that. Author of Neutron Stars: The Quest to Understand the Zombies of the Cosmos, she joins Mark and Jeremy to Think on Paper about why explaining the universe wasn’t enough, not without understanding it.

They get into neutron stars, general relativity, quantum computing, and why most science writing breaks the moment it stops asking questions.

From chasing pulsars in the Australian desert and breaking down superposition and qubits for Wired, to writing for The BBC (and leaving the BBC), Katia’s career is built on resisting surface-level knowledge, pushing the boundaries of technology writing and the pursuit of understanding.

The conversation asks what it really takes to write honestly about the universe, technology and our place in it.

You'll get first hand accounts of:

- Jocelyn Bell Burnell and the Nobel that wasn’t

- What quantum computers actually are, and what most reporting gets wrong

- Why the best technology writing is by those who really understand

- Why neutron stars break your brain (and should)

- What happens when science writing becomes content

- The future of women in astrophysics, and what still hasn't changed

This isn't about making science accessible. It's about keeping it honest.

Please enjoy the show. And share with a curious friend.

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Links

Katia: https://www.quantamagazine.org/authors/katiamoskvitch/

Neutron Stars: The Quest for the Zombies of The Cosmos: https://www.amazon.com/Neutron-Stars-Understand-Zombies-Cosmos/dp/0674919351

Follow Thinking On Paper

Thinking On Paper: www.thinkingonpaper.xyz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thinkingonpaperpodcast/

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Former Guests:

IBM, D-Wave, Kevin Kelly, Don Norman, Coinbase, Starcloud, David Bianchi, IONQ

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Chapters

(00:09) Why Curiosity Still Matters in Science Communication

(01:52) What Makes a Great Science Journalist

(04:56) Katia’s Journey from BBC to Nature to Wired

(09:20) Reporting Science from the Field (and Under Solar Panels)

(11:26) When Awards Don’t Mean Understanding

(14:42) Quantum Computing Without the Hype

(17:31) What Most People Misunderstand About Qubits

(21:21) The Women Erased from Scientific Discovery

(22:23) Neutron Stars: Why One Spoon Weighs More Than Earth

(26:33) Jocelyn Bell Burnell and the Pulsar That Changed Everything

(30:28) Astrophysics, Gender, and the Fight for Recognition

(32:09) Quantum Weirdness and the Future of Technology

(40:13) Space, AI, and What Comes After Us