7 Podcasts That’ll Make You Smarter
Most studio days you’ll find us cycling between our Spotify studio playlist and eps of podcasts that push our brains out a bit and give us something new to chat about. We don’t have a water-cooler, but we do have a tea kettle, and these are our favorite podcasts for new conversation fodder.
by Michael Hobbes & Sarah Marshall
Ever wondered how general public opinion about an event can be so strong, and then a decade later have such a completely different perspective? You’re Wrong About looks into misunderstood moments in history and wrestles with how we got it wrong.
by Malcolm Gladwell
Revisionist History begins with the guise of re-examining historical figures. Really it’s a platform for the magnificent, free-form mind of Malcolm Gladwell to run wild from topic to topic, leaving magical nuggets of wisdom in his wake. Whatever it is he’s talking about that day, it will be inspiring and mentally stimulating.
by Gimlet
ELT keeps a 24 hour hotline open for you to call in, day or night, with the pressing questions which keep you up at night. Urgent matters like ‘can dogs be left-handed?’ and ‘are black holes really holes?’ They’re doing the lord’s work.
by Alie Ward
Ologies is my own personal obsession. This pod is not exactly under the radar, but Alie Ward is the friend you’ve always wanted to drink whiskey and talk about fruit flies with. Didn’t know that was something you’d want to do? You will now. I genuinely can’t tell you how entertaining her deep dives into incredibly specific scientific fields are, and how much knowledge you will legitimately walk away with.
by iHeartRadio
This rec isn’t exactly ground-breaking, but Stuff You Should Know is the benchmark repository of random nerdy knowledge for a reason. Sometimes when I find myself with a bit of extra time I will blindly pick an ep at random and learn something odd to tuck away for my next pub trivia session.
by Helen Zaltzman
Helen Zaltzman is what I imagine Miss Frizzle to be like in real life. The etymologist, linguist, and world-adventurer released wonderfully bite-sized, 15-minute explorations into the history behind common words and phrases we take for granted. Each episode is just short enough to fit into the nooks and crannies of your day and leaves you feeling enriched, and maybe just a little bit smug with your new linguistic prowess.
by Josh Hugel
Yes, this is shameless nepotism, as this pod is created by my husband, Josh Hugel. It is also unbiasedly fantastic. Each episode looks at the national anthem of the country, the story behind how it was created, and what it says about the soul of the nation. It becomes a really interesting lens through which to learn world history, and I am continually fascinated by what I learn about countries I thought I knew plenty about. I can’t recommend it enough.
by Bill Nye
Did you ever wish you had a direct line to ask Bill Nye weird science questions and have him actually tackle them? God bless the internet, your wish has been granted.
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