Podhero Picks: The Streamed Syllabus
August marks the return to school for families after a long summer. And whether school means packing a backpack and waiting for the bus or carpool; or it means settling into a comfy chair with headphones for a day of virtual classes, it’s about getting back to the business of learning.
As you might expect, we think podcasts can play a part in that.
So whether you queue up these shows between classes, or use them as an interlude of learning years after leaving formalized school behind, these podcasts promise to deliver upon Kevin Hart’s sternly delivered warning: “you gon’ learn today!!”
Science
With a title that’s somehow both highly predictable and endlessly delightful, NASA presents its official podcast of Houston, TX’s Johnson Space Center. Listen for updates on what’s going on at the center, from ongoing space missions to the countless other jobs (photographers, underwater divers, literal rocket scientists) that make up this long-revered US government agency.
REACH: A Space Podcast for Kids
If the littlest podcast listeners in your house are fans of space, we’d recommend REACH: A Space Podcast for Kids. Hosted by Brian Holden and Meredith Stepien, the show blends interviews with experts, produced segments, and answers to questions submitted by curious children.
Now a part of the TED family, Twenty Thousand Hertz is a playful and insightful exploration of the science of sound. Host and skilled sound designer Dallas Taylor applies his expertise to the sound behind the Disney parks and Broadway’s Hamilton, as well as conditions like misophonia and the art of audio description. Listen up to learn something new every week!
Talk Nerdy with Cara Santa Maria
Cara Santa Maria is a science communicator and journalist who applies her professional curiosity to exploring all corners of the scientific world. She brings an accessibility and conversational nature to topics in science, journalism, and religion that makes the show a joy to listen to.
Best friends and scientists Titi and Zakiya bring the world of science to these biweekly hangs — and yeah, each episode feels like a hang! From going over the latest in fintech for that friend who keeps talking about getting their money right, or the psychology of being a good friend in an age of social distancing…you’ll come away with that feeling that comes with a great chat, and new knowledge to boot.
When we first started talking about science podcasts, The Naked Scientist came up several times. And we’re not a bit surprised. The UK-based weekly show can go high-concept when the situation calls for it (electrons, dark matter), or cover science that’s a bit more accessible to the everyday listener — like the science of grilling, or why your fridge is harder than ever to open juuuust after you’ve closed it. Look to the Naked Scientists for a fun, wide-reaching, and informative listen on the world around us.
Just before the bell rings, we’re giving a nod to Alie Ward’s Ologies podcast, which spends each episode diving into an -ology, or a study of something. Shows can cover familiar sciences like genealogy, mixology, or paleontology, but is at its best when it introduces studies that we’ve likely never thought much about — like chenoliology (the study of sea turtles), corvid thanatology (the study of crow funerals, which…WOW), and ferroequinology (the study of trains).
History
After over 300 insightful looks into the history of the United States, BackStory relegated itself to the history books. But they leave behind a rich archive of conversations that tie current events to their historical origins. Those who wait for a podcast to have a deep back catalog before diving in…you’re clear here. So jump in for fun and fascinating takes on topics like virtual learning, the history of the state of Florida, and even the history of Sesame Street in America and the world.
Totalus Rankium: Roman Emperors
Well, someone had to rank Roman Emperors on a variety of criteria with the goal of naming the most and least effective of these ancient leaders. Why not Jamie and Rob? It is comprehensive, it is engaging, and it gave them the structure by which they formatted their US-centric equivalent, American Presidents: Totalus Rankium!
The Smithsonian Institution is a collection of US-based museums dedicated to preserving artifacts from all corners of history. Each episode of their podcast dives into the history of an item in their collection, ranging from a lost picture of Harriet Tubman to a once-buried Atari cartridge. Every object has a story that transcends the placard from its museum display, and this show tells them.
Flashback: History’s Unintended Consequences
We’re typically taught the subject of history on a single timeline: this led to this, which led to this, and brings us here. Flashback makes the case for history as more of a web, with one set of events having an unexpected impact in a seemingly unrelated area. The stories in the show’s inaugural season are intricate and deeply fascinating. Give it a listen to rethink the way you consider history.
If you like your history with a few laughs, Earios’ The Alarmist is the show for you. Developed to answer the question, “whose fault is this?” the show’s team brings on a guest to get to the bottom of historical disasters as tragic as the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, the murder of the Romanoffs, and the Halifax explosion; as well as less lethal events like the breakup of the Beatles, Kevin McAllister’s circumstances in Home Alone, or the Taylor Swift/Kanye West feud.
If the most enthusiastic historians in your family are also the youngest, The Past and the Curious is right up your alley. This show pairs stories of historical figures from all over the world, with engaging music to share new stories with young and curious listeners. We love this one, and we think the inquisitive kids in your life will too.
And Nothing Less: The Untold Stories of Women’s Fight for the Vote
History is, in its simplest form, a collection of stories. These stories are valuable for learning and creating perspective, but they’re also subject to erasure at the expense of a tidy narrative. And Nothing Less seeks to confound some of this editing, specifically as it coincides with the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment. Not all women earned the right to vote — or even got to participate meaningfully in the fight — despite how we talk about the milestone. So hosts Rosario Dawson (Jane the Virgin, Rent) and Retta (Parks and Recreation, Good Girls) use this seven-part series to highlight the stories you were never told.
Language Arts
What Should I Read Next? with Anne Bogel
For those who wish for a personal book concierge to help guide their reading, this podcast may help fill that void for you. Host Anne Bogel features interviews with readers about what books they’ve read, loved, and hated…and then makes recommendations for future reads based on what they share. If you’re big on books but feeling lost about what to pick up next? Let Anne help.
We’ve all got a few (or more!) books that we’re…embarrassed to admit we haven’t gotten around to. But no need to feel ashamed anymore: Overdue’s Andrew and Craig have got you. Each week, they walk you through a book — either wildly popular or upheld as a classic — that is considered “essential reading.” You’ll end each episode caught up and entertained!
Moving just beyond reading, we also have to address the “language” piece of language arts. And as lingustics podcasts go, Helen Zaltzman’s The Allusionist, billed as a podcast for “adventures in language” is among the best and most fun. Her enthusiasm for words is expressed in biweekly episodes about topics in language like LGBTQ+ lexicon, people with nouns for names, a story project told in tattoos, and much much more.
More lexical exploration is on the menu with Lexicon Valley, featuring academic linguist John McWhorter. Etymology is on the menu, yes, but McWhorter also dives into our pet peeviest of words, how languages have and continue to evolve, and even touches on how languages die. If you consider yourself a word nerd, this pick is not to be missed.
This twice monthly dive into “Black chick lit” by two Black women explores the increasingly widening world of books for Black folks, and the many facets of the Black experience. They feature guests and dive into books, but they also talk more widely about the book industry — and Black women’s role in it. Whether you know these books well, or are curious about what the genre entails, there’s something here for you!
We love the experiment behind Story Seeds: a young and imaginative storyteller is paired with a professional author, and they create a story together! Bonus episodes talk in more detail with these professional authors, who offer insight into their careers and inspiration for the kids who see writing in their future. If your children are embracing language arts with enthusiasm, listen to this show with them- they’ll love it!
Theater + Drama
We love a musical! And in three parts, this podcast carries you through the noted relationship questions as its leads (Jessie Shelton and Jonathan Groff) work — and sing — to save their marriage.
We’ve recommended this one before, and we stand by it! In thirteen episodes, this audio drama outlines the stranger than fiction political machinations that followed Lincoln’s assassination, led largely by Lincoln’s Secretary of War Edwin Stanton. Stick around for the three episodes from Booth’s perspective, plus exhaustive and fascinating coverage of the behind-the-scenes production process.
For those missing live theater, we recommend these back episodes of TodayTix’s podcast, with each episode sharing the origin story of some of your favorite Broadway shows. They’ve covered smash hits like Hamilton and Fun Home, innovation’s like Deaf West’s production of Spring Awakening, and even the controversial Pierre, Natasha, and the Comet of 1812. It won’t bring the stages back to life, but it will hold you over with new stories about some of your timeless favorites.
Who wouldn’t want a career like Childish Gambino’s? And how far would you go to make that dream come true? For Dante, the dream starts at the very beginning: by becoming an RA in college, just like Donald Glover (“that’s true, by the way.”). Would you believe it doesn’t turn out the way he expected?
Morgan Givens’ literally fantastic anthology series follows the adventures of a “storykeeper” selected by a mystical book. Think this isn’t for you? Consider how they describe it: “I use immersive sound design and beautiful writing to bring back to life the kid in all of us.” Who couldn’t use a bit of that these days?
Twice a month, Greater Boston shares a full-cast audio drama with interconnected stories from a fictionalized version of the City on a Hill. Real, unreal, historical, fantastical…and those on the fence should consider its onetime comparison to a Mike Schur show (The Office, Parks and Rec, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Good Place). Trust us, you’ll dig this.
Want another short but significant podcast? We can’t feature highlights of audio drama without highlighting James Kim’s six-part story about conversations across generations — and across language barriers. In total, the podcast is about three hours; trust us, it is three hours well and beautifully spent.
As audio drama goes, we promise you this is far sillier. The Thrilling Adventure Hour is written in the style of the radio dramas of a prior era, and features some profoundly funny people you already know: Paul F. Tompkins, Marc Evan Jackson, Joshua Malina, Janet Varney, Paget Brewster, and so many more! Follow along for a giggle! (Or hundreds, their back catalog is quite deep)
Naptime
If you’re in need of a sleep story where, as the title of this podcast implies, “nothing much happens,” yoga and meditation instruction Kathryn Nicolai has collected uneventful stories to lull you just right. You get two reads: the second slower and a little calmer than the first.
If bedtime stories are the move for you, Sleep with Me has over 900 in their feed, all cultivated and read with the goal of getting you to sleep. And with a promise like “progressively gets more boring until you fall to sleep,” how can you not give it a try?
If you like a little more suspense to your stories, there’s a sleep podcast for horror fans! Kristen Zaza’s On a Dark, Cold Night lets her step into the role of the friend at the sleepover with the collection of scary stories to tell. We’re climbing into our sleeping bags with eyes wide, ready to hear what she’s “scaring up” for us!
ASMR is more than a little polarizing as a concept. The people who love it, love it; the ones that don’t, hate it. But there’s really something here for everyone. Yes, there’s whispering and some brush bristles being caressed. But there are also episodes with nature sounds, coffee shop ambiance, and even the quiet hum of a university library.
This one was new to us. People fall asleep to white noise, to ASMR, to bedtime stories…but Ts and Zzz introduces a new category of lulling sounds: terms and conditions of your favorite companies. And…it works. Terms and conditions are by nature dry and uninteresting, which makes them perfect for sleep. Give this unusual offering a try!
Sleep Success with Dr. Michael Breus
Less of a tool to help you sleep and more to learn about how to improve your sleep, Dr. Breus’ Sleep Success podcast interviews sleep experts and celebrities about the importance and ritual of sleep. In a moment where lots of us are having trouble sleeping in a timely or restorative fashion, we recommend this show as part of a “resetting your rest routine.”
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