# James Gaynor and the Race to Watch Electrons Move

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/nanoscape-exploring-the-frontiers-ahead-6988860/james-gaynor-and-the-race-to-watch-electrons-move
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/nanoscape-exploring-the-frontiers-ahead-6988860/james-gaynor-and-the-race-to-watch-electrons-move.md
Podcast: [Nanoscape: Exploring the Frontiers Ahead](https://stenobird.com/podcast/nanoscape-exploring-the-frontiers-ahead-6988860)
Published: 2026-06-15T06:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://4f9db048-11ae-4a1c-b59d-b1dfaf60b492.libsyn.com/james-gaynor-and-the-race-to-watch-electrons-move
Audio file: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/4f9db048-11ae-4a1c-b59d-b1dfaf60b492/James_Gaynor_and_the_Race_to_Watch_Electrons_Move.mp3?dest-id=4592637
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/nanoscape-exploring-the-frontiers-ahead-6988860/episodes/james-gaynor-and-the-race-to-watch-electrons-move
Duration seconds: 1494

## Resource

Electrons move so quickly that, until recently, their motion was impossible to observe. In this episode, James Gaynor , an assistant professor of chemistry at Northwestern University and member of the International Institute for Nanotechnology, takes listeners inside the race to watch electrons move in real time. Using ultrafast laser tools that capture events lasting mere attoseconds, Gaynor's lab is uncovering the earliest moments of how light interacts with matter. He explains how this fundamental research could one day help scientists design faster electronics, more efficient energy technologies, and advanced bioelectronic devices by understanding chemistry at its beginning. Guest: James D. Gaynor, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry Hosts: Seth Zimmerman, Associate Director of Marketing and Communications, IIN and Erin Spain, MS, Podcaster and Science Communicator

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## Transcript

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