Listen and learn: the five best podcasts for the curious-minded
Would you like to know why we scream, what’s wrong with the body mass index or why people laugh at Kenny G? There’s a podcast for that
Ologies With Alie Ward
Alie Ward “asks smart people stupid questions” with humour and curiosity, grilling scientists on everything from “procyonology” (raccoons) to “genicular traumatology” (bad knees). The joy of this podcast is sitting in on a conversation between a smart layperson and a passionate expert. Ward’s enthusiasm is infectious and interviewees light up under the beam of her interest. A recent episode explores screaming with input from the world’s only “screamologist”: which animals scream? What distinguishes a scream from a yell? Why do we scream when we’re happy, or asleep? And how do screamologists soundproof their offices? As Ward warns, it is “absolutely not soothing whatsoever” – but it’s typically fascinating.Curiosity Daily, with episodes of about 15 minutes, offers more bite-size science.
EconTalk
Economist Russ Roberts, of Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, hosts this long-running (since 2006: geriatric, in podcast years) “conversation for the curious”, distinguished by its magpie-minded scope. In any given month, Roberts might turn his attention to astrophysics, reforming government and underground fungi, often but not always through an economics lens. A recent interview with the film-maker Penny Lane about her documentary on the smooth-jazz saxophonist Kenny G is fascinating as an insight into what art we value and what we deride. You’ll end each hour-long episode with a smart take on a subject you might previously have thought little about. If you enjoy EconTalk, try Freakonomics Radio and The Ezra Klein Show, which are similarly expert-led and horizon-broadening.
Travels Through Time
A leading historian or knowledgable guest is asked: if they could travel back through time, which year would they visit? Billed as a blend of “serious history and playful parlour game”, the strength of this podcast is in the narrow slice of the past it presents, from the Athens of 450BC to London in AD62, India in 1837 and the moon in 1969. Often these stories shed light on an unsung historical figure, and still have resonance today. As co-host Artemis Irvine says of the episode about the “hidden case” of trans man Ewan Forbes half a century ago, Travels Through Time is a reminder of “why studying history is so important for understanding the present”. Also recommended are Dan Snow’s History Hit (broader in scope, with less storytelling) and, from across the pond, Revolutions (detailed play-by-plays of historical uprisings – now: the French revoluti).
Maintenance Phase
Michael Hobbes and Aubrey Gordon hold this lively conversation pod debunking the junk science “behind health fads, wellness scams and nonsensical nutrition advice”. The hour-long episodes are fastidiously researched but lightly delivered, with careful attention to the scientific literature and inclusivity. The recent episodes on the fallacies underpinning the reported “sleep loss epidemic”, the contemporary culture of protein and the “scientif-ish” body mass index will open your mind to the hollow basis of much conventional wellness wisdom. Listening to Maintenance Phase is like hearing your smart, straight-talking friend respond to you idly wondering if you should try a keto diet. Another pod, No Stupid Questions from the makers of Freakonomics, takes a similar conversational format to a broader range of topics, in a more compact format.
More or Less: Behind the Stats
Amid everyday chaos, there’s something anchoring about turning to the numbers. From Radio 4, More Or Less takes a sober, succinct view of instances of “statistical bother” in the news – including, sometimes, the BBC’s own output. A recent episode reviewed Boris Johnson’s repeated claims to parliament about less crime and more jobs and found them to be, uh, lacking. Or, as the mild-mannered and often drily funny host Tim Harford put it: “Crikey, that’s a big number to overlook.” Other episodes explore the five-second rule when dropping food, falling fertility rates and the placebo effect. (Harford’s other, similarly edifying podcast, Cautionary Tales – stories to “delight you, scare you, but also make you wiser” – is returning soon.) If you find yourself easily overwhelmed by the news cycle, Tortoise Media’s daily Sensemaker presents an episode “to make sense of the world” in under 10 minutes.
