Discovering Podcasts: Part 2 — My Favorite
In case you missed it, I’m doing a multi-part series about podcasts. 2015 has seen an explosion and mainstream-ing of podcasts — a platform for audio storytelling, exploring, and learning. Check out Part 1 of this series.
Whether it’s a movie, a song, or a book, your “favorite” is probably something you can pick up in any mood, in any place, at any time and be able to enjoy, connect with, and feel refreshed by. Where “the best” is (supposed to be) more objective, and maybe even requires certain conditions or just-the-right mindset to enjoy it, “favorite” is more of a go-to whenever and wherever you’d like.
My favorite podcasts are, at their core, always about curiosity and discovery. Learning. My favorite show (I know, I know…I’ll name it in a minute) is at once funny and a release for the usual perspectives, while also being able to enter into deep, challenging areas of life and admit the mysteries of existence we may never be able to reconcile. But don’t think that this is stuffy, academic talking heads. The production quality is off the charts and the variety of topics they cover is impressive, without suffering from feeling discombobulated. It feels like a very intentionally curated deep-dive into experiencing and understanding the world around us.
It’s a show about exploration. It’s entertaining, honest, and it is always, always fascinating. The hosts are real, willing to admit their personal inclinations and to engage in authentic dialogue from differing perspectives.
My favorite podcast is Radiolab. Co-hosts Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich started Radiolab in 2005 at WNYC (one of, if not the most prolific public radio stations when it comes to successful shows and podcasts). It is available on over 450 public radio stations around the U.S. I’ve never actually listened to it live on the radio, only by podcast. And as best as I can remember, I’ve been listening to Radiolab for about seven years.
In their own words:
Radiolab is a show about curiosity. Where sound illuminates ideas, and the boundaries blur between science, philosophy, and human experience.
If you haven’t heard Radiolab before, I made three handpicked lists to help you start exploring on your own. With more than 84 full-length episodes to-date (and many more “shorts”, episodes that are podcast-only and never play on the radio), you’re almost certain to find something that will spark your interest in listening more.
My Top Ten Favorite Episodes
In no particular order. Based on purely remembering how much I loved the episode, the impression it left, etc. This is full episodes only, so not including “shorts” (that list is next).
- Stochasticity — this was the first episode I fell in love with, maybe even the first one I heard
- Colors — wait, what? Humans didn’t use to have the color blue?!
- War of the Worlds — a great listen for this time of the year
- 60 Words — politics aside, this is a riveting listen that should be a part of every history class talking about September 11, 2001
- 23 Weeks 6 Days — not an easy listen, but powerful story about the miracle of birth, modern science, and the human experience
- Lucy, Emergence, Talking to Machines, Worth, Animal Minds
My Top Ten Favorite “Shorts”
In no particular order. Some of these are twenty minutes, others closer to an hour. Often, these “shorts” are extensions of a full episode — providing either a deeper dive into a particular story from the episode, or giving you entirely new stories that didn’t make the cut. (Honestly, some of these shorts would land in the Top Ten if I didn’t separate them out from full episodes.)
- Earworms — want to know why songs get stuck in your head?
- An Ice-Cold Case — mind-boggling, a pre-historic CSI case
- Strangers in the Mirror — Oliver Sacks was a contributor to and beloved friend of the show. An amazing mind, no doubt. Also, I can’t imagine having this disorder.
- Gray’s Donation — holy moly, what a powerful story. Bring kleenex.
- Fu-Go — I have a degree in history, live in the U.S., and had never heard of this!
- Unraveling Bolero, Neither Confirm Nor Deny, Sight Unseen, Mau Mau, The Rhino Hunter
Topical: Other Great Places to Start
Sometimes we just need a hook that starts with a subject/topic we already know and love. Finding others who think about or enjoy something we do can be the spark to exploring and learning more.
- Patient Zero — if you like science and thinking about the big picture. Also, the “controversial” origins of the high-five.
- Words — if you like language
- Dark Side of the Earth (Short) — if you like space
- Cut and Run (Short) — if you’re a runner or athlete
- Poop Train (Short) —if you like gross science and want to think about where “it” all goes
- A 4-Track Mind (Short) — if you like music and the way it impacts people
- ≤ kg (Short) — if you like science and weights and minutia
Coming in the next post: more great podcast recommendations and how to find more shows than you’ll ever be able to listen to
