Neutron scattering has emerged as a mainstream scientific endeavour over the last 20–30 years. Having previously been the preserve of researchers studying superconductivity and magnetism, neutron scattering is now opening up new areas such as investigating archaeological artefacts or studying star formation. In this podcast Physics World news editor Michael Banks travels to the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source in Oxfordshire, UK, to find out how scientists are using neutrons in their research and how the lab is looking to attract more users from industry