‘So... what is it that you actually do?’ It’s a question most PhD students have faced at some time during their study, and one which can be surprisingly difficult to answer. It’s with this question in mind that Cambridge researchers Richard Blakemore and John Gallagher came up with the idea for the Cambridge PhDcasts, a new project undertaken in collaboration with CRASSH.  The format is simple: every week, a PhD student sits down with our presenter, John Gallagher, and over copious amounts of tea we have a conversation about the work they do and why it matters. The PhDcasts are available as videos or podcasts and last about half an hour each. We’ve tried to aim each at an audience that’s intelligent and interested, but with no prior experience in the speaker’s field. To find out more, go to http://www.crassh.cam.ac.uk/phdcasts