The day before Henrik Pedersen was to participate again as an expert in SVT's Nobel Studio in 2025, he had to cancel. Due to a rally accident, he temporarily lacked a so-called TV-friendly face.
鈥淭hanks to the G-forces, I had bloodshot eyes and a swollen face. We rolled over multiple times. Afterwards I took a selfie and sent it to SVT who quickly chose someone else. Apparently, it would take too much TV time to explain why I looked like I was possessed by a demon,鈥� says Henrik Pedersen with a laugh.
Popular science book
When not a co-driver in a rally car, he researches chemical processes used in the manufacture of microelectronic components that form the basis of all modern electronics 鈥� semiconductor chips. They can be found in everything from microwave ovens, washing machines and cars to computers, TVs and mobile phones. But it takes atomic level precision for them to work. How humanity managed this is explained in his popular science book Halvledar氓ldern (The Age of Semiconductors), published in 2025.
Olov Planthaber
鈥淚t started during the pandemic as a side project in evenings and at weekends. It was so much fun and also liberating to write a book compared to an academic text. But there was also a lot of self-doubt at times. But now it鈥檚 almost sold out and seeing it in a book shop or library is a huge ego boost.鈥�
Halvledar氓ldern is Henrik Pedersen鈥檚 first, but perhaps not last, book. He has a special ability to explain advanced research in an easily accessible and interesting way that he has practised for a long time, both as a university teacher and giving lectures to school classes.
Inspire people outside the university
And it is precisely this ability that makes SVT鈥檚 guest booker so eager for him to return to the Nobel Studio as soon as in 2026 to guide viewers between atoms and molecules.
鈥淚鈥檝e always enjoyed explaining things, and maybe that鈥檚 why I find being a university teacher incredibly fun. But if we want new students and to inspire more people outside the university, that鈥檚 not enough,鈥� says Henrik Pedersen.
By visiting everything from elementary schools to upper secondary schools and talking about his research, he hopes that more people will discover that university can be an alternative even for those who did not consider it from the beginning. But different audiences require different approaches. He says it鈥檚 about looking at those in front of him and trying to feel the room.
Olov Planthaber
鈥淚 always have the same story to tell but I do it in very different ways. You can increase the difficulty in upper secondary schools and talk about atoms and electrons. But elementary school pupils on the other hand, they hang on my every word, they鈥檙e so interested! They raise their hands so much that you think they鈥檒l put their shoulders out of joint.鈥�
Fighting fact resistance
According to Henrik Pedersen, it鈥檚 important that scientists get out of university and talk about science and scientists鈥� everyday life.
鈥淲e need to demystify the scientist. People often think that if you鈥檙e a professor, you鈥檙e some oldish, half-crazy person who can鈥檛 be among people. This could be quite dangerous and create a distance to the research world. So it鈥檚 fun to get out there and show people that I鈥檓 a scientist and an ordinary person 鈥� with a very exciting job.鈥�
Because to Henrik Pedersen, his commitment to science communication is not just about giving inspiring and fascinating talks. He believes that it is crucial that the public understand what university scientists do and how it can be of benefit to society.
鈥淲e live in times where it鈥檚 not just okay to not understand, it鈥檚 almost highly regarded 鈥� 鈥榮cientists can鈥檛 be right about everything, blah blah blah.鈥� Fighting this fact resistance is also one reason why I鈥檓 happy to communicate my research.鈥�
"So damn fun!"
Communication with the surrounding community is sometimes called 鈥榯he third task鈥� or 鈥榯he collaboration task鈥�. According to Henrik Pedersen, there unfortunately seems to be an established perception among many scientists that it steals time from research and is therefore not good for their career. He believes that it has rather been imperative for continued joy at work and something that has helped him drive his own research forward.
鈥淎ll of us working in academia could do with a 150-hour work week to feel that we are on track. This has prompted me to do things that I think give me energy. Giving talks in schools and engaging in research communication for example 鈥� it鈥檚 so damn fun!
