Podcasts that are making you smarter

[LaRevolution]

What are your recs for enjoyable podcasts that you feel are also a good use of time, i.e. you're genuinely learning and absorbing interesting and useful info? (I know "useful" is all relative)

Not The Rest Is History, I find it annoying...also anything narrated by Melvyn Bragg I generally avoid.

I don't mind American as long as it's not bros talking about crypto etc.

Sliced Bread

Trevor Noah does a great podcast.
Also Pod save America and rest is politics US- I used to love the uk version but Alastair is just too smug.
Sentimental Garbage- about musicals but also novels, very engaging.

Talking Politics: The History of Ideas. A series of lectures on key ideas in political philosophy. Series 1 with Thomas Hobbes and goes all the way through to Catherine McKinnon and Francis Fukuyama. I used to listen to them on my daily lockdown walks, it was great to give my brain something to do!

I also like Conversations with Tyler. He's an economist, but interviews loads of fascinating people - covers politics, culture, tech, almost anything!

News agents and the Rest is Politics - learn all sorts about other countries and geopolitics. Today I was listening to the history behind the Pakistan/India conflict, very interesting.

I absolutely love this one.

It might not be 100 pc suitable for very young kids but it's not vulgar so the adult themes likely will go over their heads (or you may not mind).

It starts with a retelling of the myth and then digs in a bit.

It is really good though!

No such thing as a fish ( facts by the 'QI elves)

Evil genius (BBC podcast about the less talked about behaviour of famous people in history)

This week in virology and others from microbe.tv

Try 'Who did what now?' for a history podcast thats not presented by a middle aged white man.

Gone Medieval (history)
Radio Lab.
Ologies.
Double Jeopardy.
Backlisted.
History of English Podcast.
Natalie Haynes Stands Up For The Classics.
The Shakespeare Sessions.

I'm enjoying The Rest is Classified at the moment, lots of historical cases but they also look into modern conflicts.

@LBOCS2doing some jobs round the house and listening to your recommendation on statistics - really interesting, great podcast!

Any of the other “The Rest Is” podcasts - I listen to all of them except the football one!

Also agree with You’re Dead To Me for history.

The Infinite Monkey Cage (BBC) for science (Prof Brian Cox & Robin Ince)

Evil Genius (BBC again) is a fun way to learn about historical figures (occasionally they do a fictional character) and often challenges preconceptions about people who are considered as “good” or “bad”.

If you like psychology, Shrink The Box is an interesting listen - they analyse the psychology of tv/film characters.

Also stand alone short series on BBC Sounds:

The Coming Storm - about QAnon, January 6th, etc

The Lazarus Heist - the hacking activities of the North Korean government

Just seen @OddBoots had already recommended Evil Genius!

But you gave much better detail @CaveMum 😊

I like The Rest Is Politics but I do find Rory's voice sends me to sleep as he is almost whispering.

The Bulwark podcast (American) insightful and funny.

Uncanny on BBC iPlayer, supernatural stuff but Danny Robins voice is dramatic and suits the material he's discussing. Tbh I have sort of gone off politics and this is escapism so probably not what you are looking for.

I have enjoyed Intrigue, on BBC Sounds: there are 10 short series, going into slightly strange stories, but always with an eye on the times and the characters. Sometimes a bit of dramatic licence is used but not overly so. The ones I found particularly informative were the series about the White Helmets, and the one about misogyny in South Korea (trigger warning for that one in particular though).

Also on BBC Sounds: The Missing Cryptoqueen was a wild ride

STEM talk, a good range of (scienceyish) topics and with actual researchers and experts.

https://www.ihmc.us/stemtalks/

I find the general Uncanny podcast disappointing, having enjoyed The Battersea Poltergeist, and to a lesser extent, The Witch Farm. The American episodes particularly — Danny is oohing and aching about ghosts, when my mind is boggling at the frequency with which the people supposedly experiencing something ‘supernatural’ shoot at it!

If Books Could Kill presented by Michael Hobbes and Peter Shamshiri. They critique best selling non fiction books like Freakanomics, The Rules, The Better Angels of Our Nature, Hillbilly Elegy etc.

They are incredibly sharp and hysterically funny. Definitely to the left though which some won't like.

Michael Hobbes co-presents Maintenance Phase with Aubrey Gordon which I also love.

That's so funny, these are probably two of my most-listened-to! Michael Hobbes is so smart but I do lose a bit of patience with Shamshiri.

Too many recs to thank everyone individually but I am really grateful, thank you!

That's funny, I really liked the American episode about Big Foot but I think that is because I found it amusing the way that the guest kept using his name when telling Danny about his experience, that isn't anything to do with the actual content though! I enjoyed 'The Evil in room 611' the most though which as you probably know was about the poltergeist at Belfast Uni.

not just a safe target, a trendy target. Nothing more trendy than being anti-white-middle-aged-men.

Huberman Lab
Modern Wisdom
Rich Roll