It is an amazing golden age of podcasts. By some estimates, there are over 660,000 shows, and 28 million episodes. (Ironically, iPods themselves are fading away, with only the 6th gen iPod Touch left.) There's a lot of content to choose from, and I definitely have my favourites.
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Far and away, the best podcast out there is Freakonomics Radio. It's a podcast, it's a radio show, it's a blog, it's books--all about the hidden side of everything. Yes, it's about economics, but it's not boring. Topics frequently intersect with psychology (think behavioural economics). Okay, sometimes the business-centred episodes drag a bit. I just listen to them at 2x speed. |
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Next, the Jim Hill Media Network. The man himself is a walking encyclopedia of Disney/theme park/media history--his knowledge is astounding. Reflective of that, he does six regular podcasts: - Disney Dish (fantastic podcast with Len Testa, the algorithmic wizard behind TouringPlans.com) - Universal Joint (all things Universal Studios theme park-related) - Fine Tooning (on animation media) - Marvel Us Disney (an uneven-quality podcast on the Marvel Cinematic Universe, due to Hill's often ill-prepared co-host) - Looking at Lucasfilm (pretty mediocre look at Star Wars and Indiana Jones, again mostly due to a sub-par co-host) - I Want That (on Disney merch, which I am not into) |
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Binge Mode: Harry Potter is a podcast that has been going through the HP books, movies, and other media in excruciating detail--just the way I like it. The co-hosts Mallory and Jason are entertaining and emotional (in a good way). This isn't just another boring podcast of a couple of people chatting aimlessly; they are literate and have done a stunning amount of research. Re-reading the books? This is your perfect companion. I have not been binging on it--the sheer volume of information requires some time to think about. They've finished with Harry Potter now, and have returned back to being about Game of Thrones, if that's your thing. |
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Gastropod is a podcast about food through the lens of science and history. Although I'm not super-interested in history, if it's about food, I'm in. (I've even read some of their suggested books on food and history, OMG!) Plus, of course, the science. Kudos to Cynthia and Nicola on their meticulous research. Wouldn't you want to read about The Secret History of the Slave Behind Jack Daniel’s Whiskey, or The Truth is in the Tooth: Braces, Cavities, and the Paleo Diet? How about Who Invented Mac and Cheese? Yes, please--I'm having seconds! |
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Podcasts are obviously about sound, so how about a podcast all about...sounds? Twenty Thousand Hertz is about the sounds that surround us; the ones that we probably don't think a lot about. From the Emergency Alert signal to the THX Deep Note (a two-parter!) these short episodes will make you think more about your everyday soundscape (although it would be kind of ironic if you're listen to this podcast walking around with earbuds in). |
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Did I mention that I'm not really into history? I'm not. But I am a big fan of journalist Malcolm Gladwell's Revisionist History podcast. What that means is that I am into entertaining stories, told well. Gladwell is a consummate storyteller, so this series on overlooked stories-behind-the-stories plays to his strengths (as opposed to his frequent mangling of science in his books). Some of the stories he deconstructs are familiar, some are obscure, but all are worth a listen. |
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Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to listen to Light the Fuse, a podcast dedicated to all things Mission: Impossible. I've written before about my fondness for the James Bond movies, but a lot of them haven't exactly aged well. There are many cringeworthy moments of cultural and sexist inappropriateness. So M:I fills the void nicely. I loved the 60s and 80s TV shows (not to mention the movies), and this podcast has rekindled that. The hosts are a journalist and a director whose enthusiasm is contagious. Plus, they've managed to get interviews with some amazing guests, like Brad Bird (director of M:I - Ghost Protocol. |
What are your favourite podcasts?
Why aren't you studying?
