So I'm going to pause my normal book reviews, although I am behind on them right now to write about the podcasts that I listen to. I actually had this idea last year while listening to a podcast mini-series, The Message, while waiting for a audiobook to become available from the library. This month, many of my favorite podcasts are encouraging me to recommend my favorites and frequently have asked for likes and reviews, so I figured I'd kill two birds with one stone and finally get around to leaving reviews for all of them. Before we dive in, a fair warning and some basic statistics. First, I do not have any podcast that is my absolute favorite. Next, I subscribe to about 92 podcasts currently (up from 60 or so at the beginning of last year); here they are organized by frequency of updates, then by day(s) of the week they broadcast. It is my estimate that I listen to more than 13 hours of podcasts per week (this estimate only includes podcasts that update weekly and not those the update bi-weekly, monthly, or seasonally, nor does it include podcasts that I don't listen to on a regular basis). Having said that I listen to almost everything at 2x speed, so it only takes up 6.5 or so hours per week. At least once a month, I browse the top podcasts chart for all podcasts and for science (and sometimes education and technology).
Hourly
NPR News Headlines
Length: 4.5 minutes
Updated: Hourly every day
Rating: 5 stars
I have listened to NPR News for some time. A long time ago, I decided to listen to more audiobooks and less radio when driving in the car, but I still make a point of tuning into the News Headlines on my local public radio station if I am driving at the top of the hour. Beyond that, I let my children, or wife, be radio-nazis. A few years ago, a study found that listeners of NPR News as their primary news source were most well informed on global news, followed by
The Daily Show and
The Colbert Report before other news agencies, including the 24 hour news channels. NPR News Headlines is the first thing I listen to in the morning, sometimes before I shutoff my alarm and is the first thing I listen to when laying down at night. NPR News is well balanced in its focus on global news and does not suffer from too heavy of an American-centrism. They also rarely, if ever, have fluff pieces in the headlines and only focus on major sporting events. The only minor criticism I have is that they always do station identification at the 3 minute mark [because local radio sometimes switches to local news at that point] and that right before that there is always a stock market update on weekdays. They delete the backlog, so there is rarely more than one episode at a time available. This is one of the few podcasts, that I don't have my device check automatically, but rather when I tell it to update, since the news headlines don't change much hour-to-hour. I listen to this podcasts a minimum of 2 times a day and sometimes 3 or 4.
AP Update
Length: 3 minutes, 1 minute, & 1 minute
Updated: Hourly on Weekdays
Rating: 3.5 stars
This podcast has three distinct broadcasts. I only listen to the "News Headlines" which is 3 minutes long, although they also publish a "One Minute Headlines" and used to publish a "One Minute Update". After NPR News Headlines this is the second thing I listen to in the morning, and is the second thing I listen to when laying down at night. They delete the backlog, so there is rarely more than three episodes at a time available, although sometimes there is more than 1 of a particular type (the backlog seems to be deleted more slowly overnight). This is one of the few podcasts, that I don't have my device check automatically, but rather when I tell it to update, since the news headlines don't change much hour-to-hour.
Fox Radio News
Length: 4 minutes
Updated: Hourly
Rating: 3 stars
I just started listening to this podcast this week, although I have caught the 2 minute version on the radio many times because when my local NPR affiliates aren't broadcasting talk radio I tune into the only other Talk Radio station in my area which is all Fox News. I was searching for an hourly news podcast that I used to get from the BBC [or maybe PRI]. I figured I could sacrifice 2 minutes [at x2 speed] to try to get more balance or perspective on the news. I haven't found it to be too biased yet, but there is some of that there. Because the broadcast is made for radio there is an identification tagline at the 2 minute mark, and it is the only one of several news headline summaries that has a slogan "fair and balanced" and it kind of makes you wonder why they emphasize this. Anyway, the tagline is so that stations can cut away before the news continues, but the tagline and music fanfare seem unnecessary additions. They delete the backlog and so there are not a lot of old episodes sitting around. This is one of the few podcasts, that I don't have my device check automatically, but rather when I tell it to update, since the news headlines don't change much hour-to-hour.
Daily:
AP Audio Wire
Length: 0.5-2.5 minutes
Updated: Sporadically throughout the working day on weekdays
Rating: 3 stars
This podcasts is a series of headline news articles that goes a little more in-depth than basic headlines do. The pieces focus on a lot of pop culture, sports, and fluff, but sometimes hits important national and international headlines. I have this podcast update automatically, but not download automatically, except for the "10 Headlines in 1 Minute" feature. There can be as few as 5 articles in a day, and as many as 30, but the normal amount is around a dozen. I am appreciative of the fact that they let the news of the day dictate the release frequency. I am disappointed that the AP takes a break on the weekend with this, because I know that they are still creating and releasing material. My two big criticisms of this one are that for such a short podcast it usually begins and ends with a 30 second ad, and like most US news is guilty of focusing on local news, sports, and sometimes fluff pieces.
StarDate
Length: 2.5 minutes
Update: Daily, overnight (around 2-3 am)- the day following radio broadcast.
Rating: 5 stars
This podcast gives daily astronomy news or history and ties it to events that can be observed in the night sky. The only downside, is that unless you listen to it on the radio or pay for the "premium audio content", the broadcast is 1 day later than on radio. This means that sometimes the event has passed. A transcript of the audio is available the day of the radio broadcast. I used to listen to this broadcast on the radio, but frequently missed it and this is the podcast I have been listening to the longest, since 2006 when I would download it on my computer instead of on a portable device.
Today's Creation Moment
Length: 2 minutes
Update: Weekdays
Rating: 2 stars
I was raised in a church that believed in a literal young Earth 6 day creation, and attended a university that taught the same. In the end, I have come to interpret that part of Genesis as figurative and the origin of the Universe and life following what modern science tells. I still am Christian and have faith, and there are some questions that remain with the scientific explanation of things. I listen to this podcast to try to keep an open mind, but rarely are the things discussed actually relevant to Creationism, and when they are the jump to get there usually goes through some logical fallacy. In a year of listening I have heard one article that made me stop and think. Beyond that, the other complaint I have is that the theme music (a trumpet fanfare) is too loud at the beginning and the first few words after the intro are always hard to hear.
Answers with Ken Ham
Length: 1 minute
Update: Weekdays
Rating: 1 star
This is a podcast I have only recently started listening to, but it is not good. For the same reasons that I listen to
Today's Creation Moments I listen to
Answers [I was raised in a church that believed in a literal young Earth 6 day creation, and attended a university that taught the same. In the end, I have come to interpret that part of Genesis as figurative and the origin of the Universe and life following what modern science tells. I still am Christian and have faith, and there are some questions that remain with the scientific explanation of things. I listen to this podcast to try to keep an open mind, but rarely are the things discussed actually relevant to Creationism, and when they are the jump to get there usually goes through some logical fallacy. In a year of listening I have heard one article that made me stop and think]. This podcast is not only bad about its illogical connections and leaps of faith, but also in its logical fallacies and specifically the straw man fallacy. Frequently ideas that scientists abandoned a century or more ago are promoted as what is currently believed and then that is torn down. Or the podcast straight out ignores contradictory evidences and fails to address or acknowledge its existence. The first 8 seconds and the last few of the 60 second podcasts are self-promotional or introductory and so it makes this short podcast even shorter and less relevant. Lastly, I believe that Ken Ham, and others like him, teach a new heresy that the Bible does not teach; specifically that to be a Christian is to believe in Creationism, and there is reason to doubt your faith if you doubt Creationism. There is nowhere in the Bible where faith is equated with Creation in this way. Still I try to keep an open mind, but most days I listen and scoff or even grumble out loud.
BirdNote
Length: 2 minutes
Update: Daily
Rating: 4 stars
This podcast is information about birds and birding, sometimes news and history, but mostly calls and facts. This podcast does not work well at high speed because the calls get distorted too much. My biggest complaint is that frequently the listener is directed to their webpage for more information or pictures, but the webpage is not updated as frequently as the podcast and sometimes doesn't match even upon a search.
60-Second Science
Length: 2-2.5 minutes
Update: Weekdays
Rating: 3 stars
This podcast is misnamed. The 60-Second Science podcasts used to be that short, but have gotten longer over time. Also, Scientific American used to run five sub-topics for their 60 Second podcasts (mind, earth, space, health, tech), but they decided to move from an approximately weekly format to a combined format that runs daily, in Feb 2015. Personally, preferred the specialization and the shorter podcasts, but frequently they are interviewing scientists directly about their work, which is nice. I also use the defunct podcasts as a guide when searching popularity charts, since I know those podcasts haven't updated in 2 years, any podcast that is less popular is obviously not popular enough for me to consider listening to.
Marketplace Tech
Length: 7 minutes
Update: Weekdays
Rating: 5 stars
I don't love economics news, but Marketplace really is the economic program for "the rest of us". This daily feature is one of several Marketplace programs and focuses in on technology news. My favorite feature is the weekly game on Friday's "Silicon Tally" which has the host and a guess trying to "stump each others with numbers from the week's tech news". Most episodes feature three short segments. My only complaint is that for about a quarter of the year, they play clips once a week from a spin-off podcast, Codebreaker, but I listen to Codebreaker already, so it is repetitive (and self-promotional) when it does not need to be.
This ends the podcasts that I always listen to daily. All of the ones I listen to daily are short, and generally part of my morning routine. However, there are some podcast that update daily, but I don't religiously listen to. Many, if not all, of these are radio broadcasts that have been turned into podcasts.
Marketplace All-in-One
Length: Tech 7 minutes, Morning 7 minutes, MP 25 minutes, Weekend 55 minutes, Make Me Smart 25 minutes, Codebreaker 30 minutes
Update: daily for all except Weekend Report and Make Me Smart (weekly Fri & Mon respectively), and Codebreaker (weekly on Thursdays seasonally)
Rating: 4 stars
I don't love economics news, but Marketplace really is the economic program for "the rest of us". I like the All-in-One podcast because it allows me to check all of their feeds at once, rather than checking multiple podcasts that I might be interested in listening too, but do not dedicate time to daily. I listen to Tech everyday and I probably listen to Marketplace and Morning report twice a week. I listen to Weekend maybe once every other week to once a month. Codebreaker I subscribe to separately, and I've listened to 2 of about 8 episodes of Make Me Smart so far, but don't love it. I like this kind of one-stop-shopping for a podcast that I love to see what I have missed, but don't want to download or listen to every episode. Not that I listen to the others, but I am surprised that with this many separate programs that they still fail to include Mid-Day Update and Corner Office. There are also a few other APM Marketplace spin-offs that are either paused or defunct now and so may or may not be included. My only complaint is that they have stopped titling episode by program and so some of the filters I have setup don't work the best and so I end up having to manually download Tech or subscribe to the independent feed separately.
Fresh Air
Length: 50 minutes
Update: Weekdays, with an additional "Best Of..." the week episode on Fridays
Rating: 5 stars
I don't listen to every episode of this podcast, but instead only to the ones that interest me. However, Terry Gross is everything an interviewer should be. She expertly cuts to the chase and through the BS to get to the heart of a matter. No one prepares more or asks better questions than her. She touches on so many different things in pop culture from books, to movies, to TV shows, to music, to current events, and the celebrities themselves. The interviews are always poignant and interesting and I learn something new every time.
Favorite Episode:
'Hillbilly Elegy' Recalls A Childhood Where Poverty Was 'The Family Tradition' August 17,2016, a good interview that shows a mix of media review and interview along with branching out into other [relevant] topics (in this case the 2016 election)
Weekly- these podcasts are organized by the day of the week they are generally released [Sun-Sat], although many of them are released at midnight Eastern and so I catch them at bedtime the night before. I start with the ones that I always listen to, then I move into ones that I check when they are released, but only listen to if the episode interests me. Some of the ones that I check are not in order by release day, but instead in order by when I subscribed to them.
This American Life
Length: 50 minutes
Update: Sundays
Rating: 5 stars
This is one of many radio programs that I never appreciated as a kid when my dad would listen to it during a long drive. It also never really registered with me that part of why we drove with such long silences was that, he was focused on listening to the story. I rediscovered it shortly before I got into podcasts on a device [rather than downloading them to a computer as I used to] and found excused to drive on Saturday afternoons or Sunday evenings to try and catch it on the radio. Unlike the title, the focus is not always on America and recently it seems that there have a been a lot more political stories. Also, maybe I have selective memories, but it seems like it has become a little less "family friendly" either with sexual references or with mild language. The stories are always intriguing and the podcast has also introduced me to several other podcasts to try [three I think, though I only stuck with one of them] and quite a few story tellers (including David Sedaris). Biggest downside is that they delete their backlog and sell it online instead. I understand that this works as a funding method for a public radio program, but still it is disappointing. It also makes it impossible for me to recommend a favorite episode.
Favorite Episode: They delete the backlog (or charge for its access) so just listen to the most recent one, it is probably engaging and entertaining enough
This is a short broadcast made for radio that has been turned into a podcast. Like StarDate above, they frequently point out an astronomical event to watch for and the focus is for the local, Southern Colorado, audience. None-the-less, most of the phenomena they mention can be viewed across the US and most of them are not momentary or one-time events, like a conjunction between a planet and a star rather than focusing in on an eclipse, so that you can reasonably see it within the week. It isn't quality enough that I would listen to it if it was much longer, but I can give up 1 minute [at x2 speed] once a week for this one.
Skytalk
Length: 6 minutes
Update: Mondays
Rating: 4 stars
This is another short radio broadcast turned into podcast. From WHYY in Philedelphia it usually focuses on space science news and an astronomical event to go observe. The format is in an interview style with one host tossing questions to an expert who responds. I don't love the format, but the information is good.
This is a newer podcast for me to tune in to and I'm not totally sold on it yet. The host is unashamedly political in most of her posts, but tries to keep it grounded in good science. The tagline is "quick and dirty tips", but it seems to be more middle-level detail on a science concept or political policy that will affect science. There are frequently action points at the end. I could live without this podcast, but it isn't bad.
Favorite Episode: I've not been listen to this one that long, not have I listened to the backlog, but of recent episodes, this one is probably the best:
6 Things You Should Know About the New Planet Discovery February 28, 2017
I discovered I was a Nerd Fighter in 2011 and watched every video through 2014 and much of the backlog. However, as I have gotten busy in life and behind on watching YouTube, the Vlogbrothers is a guilty pleasure (or channel that I mostly watch for entertainment purposes only) that I have mostly had to let go. The pod on the other hand, has allowed me to reconnect with the Brothers Green and to see a lot of the vibrancy that was around in the Brotherhood 2.0 era, with a lot of new inside jokes and memes being created. It is mostly a comedy podcast about death, but follows a pretty regular format: intro, short poem from John, questions from fans with dubious advise and answers from Hank and John, fake sponsor jokes, more questions and dubious advice, news from Mars with Hank, news from AFC Wimbeldon with John, what we learned today summary and jokes, outro and credits. The way fan questions are picked and answered is somewhat dubious and some of the inside jokes seem overused already, but overall I love this community and enjoy getting to be a part of it again in a different way.
NPR Politics
Length: 25-50 minutes
Update: beginning [Monday] & end of the week [Thursday or Friday] (sometimes more often)
Rating: 5 stars
I was originally upset when this podcast which was supposed to be a weekly podcast started, from the beginning, broadcasting more than one episode per week because I sometimes feel I listen to too many podcasts and that they are taking over. However, I am not sure that I would have made it through this election season without the NPR Politics podcast team to walk me through the news that I was not keeping up on. Now my only complaints are that my wife likes to listen to it with me which makes me slow to listen to it and I have to listen to it close to normal [instead of x2 speed, although I am training her and have her up to x1.3 already] and also that Sam Sanders has left the podcast. I understand that assignments are temporary things in the field of journalism, but Sam led the podcast and always brought a very grounded perspective to the broadcast. [He is working on making a new podcast and I'm sure I'll have to tune in when it comes out].
Favorite Episode: I probably don't have a favorite, especially one that isn't dated quickly because it is reactionary to the news cycle, but there are a few that aren't too dated because they broke the normal format and so I would recommend one of those, like "
Inside HBO's 'Confirmation': When NPR Broke the Anita Hill Story" April 13, 2016.
Planet Money
Length: 20 minutes
Update: Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays
Rating: 4 stars
I don't love economics news, but in the summer of 2016 all of my NPR podcasts were advertising Planet Money's five part series where they bought 100 barrels of oil, and curiosity got the best of me. I tuned in for that series and learned so much that I gave the next several episodes a chance. After that I was hooked. It isn't really economics news as much as it is interesting stories or how economics news actually affects you. There have been a few episodes that I haven't loved, but usually I look forward to this podcast and will bump it up the playlist if a new one has been released.
Favorite Episodes:
Episode 627: The Miracle Apple, May 27, 2015;
Oil #1-5, August 2016; &
Episode 724: Cat Scam, September 14, 2016
Hidden Brain
Length: 30 minutes
Update: Tuesdays
Rating: 4 stars
Shankar Vedantam always brings interesting stories to NPR's Morning Edition and eventually started a spin-off podcast. The format has changed since its inception, and I honestly prefer the original format better. Originally a topic or theme was picked for the podcast and then several short psychology phenomena were discussed around it. There was also a 60 seconds to explain research studies segment in the middle that he did with a co-host. Eventually the podcast started focusing more on interviews of psychology researches or specific stories related to human psychology [usually bias]. These longer format stories and interviews seems more serious and less casual and entertaining than the original format. I still enjoy and love the podcast, but I miss some of the levity and humor of the earlier episodes when they were still figuring things out.
Favorite Episode:
Episode 1: Trying to Change, or Changing the Subject? How Feedback Gets Derailed, September 22, 2015
Note to Self
Length: 15 minutes
Update: Wednesdays
Rating: 4 stars
I don't recall whether I stumbled across this podcast because I regularly check the top charts in science, education, and technology or if I was pointed there by WNYC's Radiolab, but either way it is one of three technology podcasts that I listen to on a regular basis. I started listening to it about 2 years ago in the summer I remember and I went back and listened to a handful of articles from the backlog because they felt applicable to me or because they were just interesting. Each year they do a week-long series that challenges listeners to reevaluate how they relate to and interact with technology- of the three of these that I have been through I enjoyed the "Bored and Brilliant", really enjoyed the "Infomagical" series, and did not enjoy the more recent "Privacy Paradox". Recently, the podcast (like much of the news cycle) has seemed very pessimistic and leans very political and to a lesser extent feminist and so I've had more trouble relating. Still the podcast is always thought provoking, even if the answers are frequently unclear because our relationship with our technology is complicated.
I've listened to "StarTalk" with Neil deGrasse Tyson for several years now, but in the last year there have been two spin-off shows and this is one of them. Generally speaking, the All-Stars podcast does not feature NdGT himself, but instead is hosted by one of several other people who have been his recurring guests in the past. In addition to the host, there is a comedian side-kick [everyone's favorite being Chuck Nice]. The show occasionally follows an interview format, but usually is just a segment they call "Cosmic Queries" where fans write in questions and they are answered. The biggest downsides are that recently Chuck Nice isn't co-hosting as often and like all StarTalk Family podcasts, the music selections at the beginning, end, and before and after ads can be very grating. Sometimes the guest hosts don't quite have the experience or the format down and so the program does not flow as well, but overall I enjoy All-Stars more than original podcast.
Favorite Episode:
Science and Art, with Carolyn Porco, Octboer 8, 2016 [I love this in part because I was impressed by Sean Ono Lennon and because I love Saturn; see StarTalk Favorites for more episodes featuring them].
Chemistry in its Element
Length: 6 minutes
Update: Wednesdays
Rating: 5 stars
Every week the Royal Society of Chemistry in the UK does a short episode about a chemical compound. The podcast originally started out as going through an element on the periodic table each week until they did the whole table after about 2.25 years. The compounds they pick each week are random, but always unique and interesting. The podcast is hosted by several chemists and so different perspecitives are given. The two big complains I have about this podcast is that the theme music is pretty terrible [and worse at x2 speed] and that if you listen to the backlog the 30 second or so preview of next week's episode gets in the way of just listening to the episodes all in a row [in other words, I could do without the preview]. I also didn't love that they went through the periodic table in a random order, rather than just marching through by atomic number or some kind of logical grouping.
Length: 50 minutes
Update: Wednesday nights (7:00 PM Eastern)
Rating: 3 stars
I've listened to "StarTalk" with Neil deGrasse Tyson for several years now, but in the last year there have been two spin-off shows and this is one of them. It is a fairly new podcast [started late January 2017] and is hosted by Chuck Nice [a comedian and everyone's favorite co-host on StarTalk] and Gary O’Reilly [a former footballer (soccer)]. In reality, Chuck really shines here as a host; a combination of his natural interest in science, his relationship with Neil deGrasse Tyson, and what he has learned from co-hosting the other StarTalk podcasts have allowed him to stand out as really the main host of this show. The format usually follows a single sport each week and interviews a player or coach, and some other expert in the sport itself. Negatives for the podcast include that sports is a very visual phenomena and sometimes they are trying to describe plays and then explain the science there and it just falls short of capturing the full picture. Another downside, is that it seems Chuck is co-hosting the other StarTalk podcasts less often now that he has taken on this role here. Additionally, the science is sometimes not there, or not explained. Lastly, like most StarTalk family podcasts the music selection is not great. I keep listening to the podcast hoping that I'll find an episode that teaches me a significant amount or that I could find enough usefulness in it to use it in my classroom, but I haven't heard that yet, and am not convinced that I will stick with this one in the long term. One great thing about this podcast is that Neil deGrasse Tyson has described it with the tagline, "Playing with fire will get you burned, but playing with science will get you learned," which I used on the back of my Science Olympiad team's T-shirts this year.
I enjoy TEDTalks. I have a lengthy playlist of TEDTalks that I want to watch when I can find the time. Back when I was more addicted to YouTube than I currently am [mostly because my mobile device has made it easier to be addicted to podcasts and audiobooks] I watched at least one each day. What I like about TEDTalks Radio Hour is that it collects several talks along one theme and then goes back and digs deeper into the talk by reinterviewing the original speaker and interlacing clips of the Talk. The Radio Hour does not shy away from occasionally using TEDx Talks. Something the originally drew me to the show is the sound editing, which just enhances the story and original talk. It is a small flourish that is easy to overlook, but really helps draw, if not suck and immerse, you into the story. There have been several times where I have listened to clips of a Talk on the Radio Hour, and then I go back to listen to the full TEDTalk, only to find that it wasn't as good because it lacked the extras that the sound editing makes. The only complaint I have about the podcast is that because it is based on a weekly radio program and the show must go on, there are plenty of weeks where there is a rebroadcast/rerun; this podcast would benefit from being a seasonal, rather than weekly one, but because of radio [whatever the equivalent of syndication on public radio is] they are forced to air reruns.
Favorite Episodes: there are two that stand out as great and both of them are great examples of the sound editing enhancing the story (in fact, I encourage you to go listen to the original talks associated with each to see what I mean).
Peering Into Space, March 8, 2013 &
What is Original? June 27, 2014
Science Friday
Length: 50 minutes x2 episodes
Update: Fridays
Rating: 4 stars
I don't know how I didn't learn of Science Friday for as long as I was in the dark about it, but I stumbled across it about 6 years ago and have been a regular listener since. The show has gone through some recent changes because it was originally a special weekly edition of the radio program Face the Nation and eventually spun-off into its own show, before later losing the connection as Face the Nation went under. One change that I dislike is that the podcast used to be available on the website on a segment-by-segment basis so I could pick and choose which parts of the nearly 2 hour broadcast [1.5-1.75 without ads] I wanted to listen to or skip. Now it is broken down into the two, one hour segments and you can fast-forward through a segment, but with no precision. Hour one of the program always has a round-up of this week in science news for the first 10-15 minutes. Then there are several interviews or discussions with experts or researchers in the field about their topic. Hour two lacks the intro material, but otherwise follows the same format. The complaints I have about this podcast (other than the lack of segments) are that the editing is sloppy and so even through I might choose to skip credits or the outro they frequently are cut off abruptly anyway, and on occasion ad placement is right in the middle of a segment, if not a sentence. Furthermore, even though I enjoy the program, I don't love Ira Flatow. I know that he is adored by many who might consider this sacrilege, but he is an engineer and journalist by training and although he is a good host he is not a good scientist. There are often times when his questions are way off base, or where he is so focused on all of the responsibilities of hosting he won't actually be catching all of a guest's answers and will follow up an answer with a question that was just answered. Other times he tried to make connections that just aren't there, rather than just probing and asking good questions or facilitating the conversation. Don't get me wrong, he is a great host- great at time management, great at radio announcer voice and presence, and pretty good at interviewing- just not great at science. I proudly wore Science Friday pocket protectors that I got as a Christmas gift for several years until I wore out the three-pack I had. I also am glad to see them reaching out to support teachers and education, which unfortunately was lacking for many years. Lastly, I love the regular book club feature and also the annual review of best books and biggest discoveries of the year in science.
Length: 50 minutes
Update: Fridays
Rating: 3 stars
This podcast has changed its format several times over the years that I have been listening to it. Also, when I originally started listening to it Neil deGrasse Tyson had not yet reached the superstar status that he seems to occupy now. Anymore there are three basic formats for the show. The first is a live stage panel that will include Tyson, a comedian guest host, and two other people who provide commentary on segments from a pre-recorded interview that Neil did with some celebrity where he tries to make connections between what they do and science. The next is a similar format, but only involves Neil and one guest host in a radio studio without a live audience. The third is the "Cosmic Queries" format where Neil answers questions with a guest host asking them and sometimes a guest expert about the day's sub-topic or focus. Frequently other hosts, specifically Bill Nye, are given the responsibility of taking over "Cosmic Queries format or even the middle format where Tyson did the original interview, but others are in the studio commenting on it. I still learn new stories or facts on occasion while listening and I enjoy hearing the questions that are asked, but there are many complaints I have about this podcast. First, Tyson is kind of arrogant and at times very full of himself. Part of why I originally liked him so much was his humility or willingness to admit "I don't know", and although he claims that he will answer "I don't know" and talks about how much of science is about figuring out what you do not know, he rarely ever admits it rather than taking a stab at some question he is apparently unfamiliar with. This is not to say that he doesn't defer to experts if they are there, or that he has lost the joy of figuring things out- I just see cockiness there where I didn't before. Next, like all of the StarTalk family of podcasts the music is terrible [especially the intro and outro theme songs]. Also, there are many times in the interview format where Neil seems to be grasping at straws to make science connections with the people he is interviewing. Finally, although I love Chuck Nice and usually enjoy Bill Nye and there are many other guest hosts who are regulars (many of whom now host the "StarTalk All-Stars" podcast) sometimes the guest hosts (especially some of the comedians like Eugene Mirman) are terrible and can really ruin a show.
Favorite Episodes: StarTalk Live! at the Beacon: Searching for Life in the Universe (Season 8, Episode 5) Part 1, February 17, 2017 and (Season 8, Episode 6) Part 2, February 24, 2017 [see also my favorite episode on StarTalk All-Stars]
Car Talk (Classics)
Length: 50 minutes
Update: Saturdays
Rating: 4 stars
My father has always loved and enjoyed Car Talk and locally there are two (sometimes 3) NPR stations we can pick up and so we could listen on Saturday mornings at 10 or Sunday evenings at 6 in the past. I remember many long drives where we listened to Tom and Ray laugh and sometimes give dubious car advice. As a kid it was a frequent occurrence that I had trouble following the conversation, but I have always enjoyed the show and the brother's infectious laughter. As a college student, I checked out several "Best of" Car Talk cassettes and CDs from local libraries and listened to them and as an adult I tried to find ways to time my errands on the weekend to catch their show. Now with a smartphone I listen to the podcast every week. Unfortunately recently the elder brother Tom passed away. The tribute episode was one of the hardest to listen to, but funniest episodes I ever heard. It was like a wake that tries to celebrate a life and yet there is still deep sorrow of all involved for the loss. In addition to the advice and jokes there is a weekly puzzler that is always a fun challenge during the non-summer months [the puzzler goes on vacation in the summer] and the credits at the end are silly, but frequently involve a lot of inside jokes and bad puns. With the loss of Tom the show has been forced into rerun mode, and I've noticed a few episodes that were on those best of CDs that I checked out in the early 2000s of calls from the 90s about cars from the 80s and it is obvious that they won't be able to continue this forever. Still the humor is infectious and listening to this podcast late on Saturday or early on Sunday is a highlight of my weekend.
Favorite Episodes:
#1705- Book This, Dad, February 4, 2017 and
#1707- Book This, Rebecca, February 18, 2017
Wait Wait Don't Tell Me!
Length: 50 minutes
Update: Wednesdays
Rating: 4 stars
Wait, Wait is an NPR news quiz that involves a host [Peter Segel], an announcer [Bill Kurtis, formerly Carl Kassel], and three guest panelists (all of whom are comedians and most of whom are hilarious). The contestants are fans who call in and the show is done on Friday nights in front of a live audience. The show has several regular segments: Quotes from this Week's News [recently the first answer or quote is always from The Donald], next is Bluff the Listener where the panelists read two fake and one real news story and the contestant has to guess which is true, after that comes the Interview with a minor (or major) celebrity [my least favorite part] and then the celeb plays a game of three questions in some topic that is roughly the opposite of what they are experts in or plays on words about what they do or their name [e.g. a Swedish chef who was asked questions about Muppets], then there is the Listener Limerick Challenge where poems about the news are read with the last word missing, and lastly is the lightening round where the game is still anyone's for the taking which asks questions about the week's news in 1 minute and the points are doubled. If time allows (and because the live show is 2 hours cut down to 1 hour for radio) there are sometimes random news questions asked in-between segments. Also, contestants are always playing for the prize of scorekeeper emeritus Carl Kassel's voice on their voicemail. However, not being a long-time listener [I do remember catching snippets of it on car rides in the past, but I was not a regular listener until I was married] I don't remember Carl Kassel and when I am a call-in contestant someday I would like to compete for Bill Kurtis to do my voicemail instead because he is the scorekeeper I know an love. There are two downsides of this podcast, but I feel that they might be specific to me. First is that my wife loves it to so I don't get to listen to it on schedule always or at x2 speed. Second is that when they take weeks off because the news is dated the only segment they can really reuse for broadcasts is my least favorite- the interviews [and they do a best of where they feature several interviews in a row]- I normally skip these episodes, but miss their humor and commentary on the news.
Favorite Episode: If you are not a Trump supporter then any episode since the inauguration is great, but seriously listen to the most recent "non-best of" broadcast, bonus if Paula Poundstone is one of the panelists.
Weekly- These are the ones I check, but only listen to choice episodes rather than everything.
I don't need more podcasts to listen to, but love almost everything the NPR does so I at least check this one on a weekly basis to see if I am interested in hearing more, however the downside of this podcast is that unlike the other podcasts I check if I check and like this one I might find myself subscribed to a new podcast because this one is a podcast [or broadcast] about podcasts.
How I Built This
Length: 40 minutes
Update: Mondays
Rating: 2 stars
I enjoy Guy Raz when he hosts TED Talks Radio Hour and this project feels like his baby- like he established himself as a good, enjoyable host with TEDTalks Radio and then told NPR, this is my dream podcast. He interviews business founders and asks them about how they got their start. Listen when I am interested in the business maybe once every 6-8 weeks. My biggest complaint, other than this being a business and economics podcast that I have no interest in, is that it succumbs to the "strong man" fallacy [it is even in the title] that somehow the reason for an individuals success is all about what they did on their own and not about the circumstances and situations they were presented with [Malcolm Gladwell has argued against this kind of thinking for sometime and I tend to agree with him].
Favorite Episode:
Melissa and Doug, December 19, 2016
Bulleye with Jesse Thorne
Length: 60 minutes
Update: Mondays
Rating: 2 stars
Jesse Thorne is no Terry Gross and frequently tends to interview more obscure stars and musicians. I listen if I am a fan of the person he is interviewing, not because I am a fan of him or the podcast in general. Jesse Thorne is not a bad interviewer and is sometimes insightful, but frequently is just a humble fanboy.
Favorite Episode:
Keegan-Michael Key & Tituss Burgess, July 25, 2016
Length: 30-90 minutes
Update: Fridays
Rating: 3 stars
This podcast is in its infancy and is hosted by Destin Sandlin from
Smarter Every Day and Matt Whitman who also had a YouTube channel and is a friend of Destin's. The format of the show is very much just a conversation between friends about a loosely defined topic and so far they are still playing with format and structure trying to find their swing. It reminds me a lot of "Hello Internet" and since Destin is also friends with Brady and Grey, this isn't surprising. The first couple of episodes were short and the next couple were long. I don't love long podcasts because I don't have enough time to listen to all of them and I've not figured out a good way to balance consuming some versus everything. So far, I haven't loved the show, but I really like the hosts and so I'm hoping they will get in a groove and that it will continue to improve. Also, they approach topics from different angles and seem to agree a lot and I am curious how well that will work, because I am used to podcasts of this kind of discussion format being slightly adversarial.
Length: generally around 40 minutes
Update: Fridays
Rating: 2 stars
The "NPR Politics" podcast cites this podcast as their main inspiration for their format. I avoided listening to it for a while because I got it confused with another podcast from NPR that I had tried, but disliked. In the end, because I am not big on following pop culture, I listen an episode once every 4-8 weeks when the cover some movie, or other media, that I am interested in learning more about before I invest time into it.
Length: 52 minutes
Update: Fridays
Rating: 2 stars
I had a student I taught ask me what podcasts I listened to when she found out that I listened to a lot of podcasts and talk radio. She herself was a fan of most things NPR, except "Car Talk" and she asked me if I listened to this podcast. I told her that I had tried it, but didn't enjoy it anywhere near as much as "Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me". Although she agreed with that, she thought the trivia was better since it was true trivia and not just current news. I told her I'd give it a chance again and it took me almost a year, but I have. Since I am not great at broad topics in trivia, I'm not great at the game and so didn't enjoy that. Ironically, I dislike the interviews on "Wait, Wait", but enjoy them on this podcast; so I don't listen to every episode, but instead when I am interested in the guest.
Favorite Episode:
Mike Rowe And NASA Scientists: Dirty Jobs In Spaaace!, May 20, 2016
Bi-weekly (or Twice a Monthly)
Lab Out Loud
Length: 25 minutes
Update: Mondays
Rating: 4 stars
This is one of the oldest podcasts that I listen to that isn't just a radio show turned into a podcast. The hosts have been doing this for over 10 years now. The podcast is supported by the National Science Teacher's Association and I think is an underutilized resource. I don't listen to absolutely every episode, but instead the ones that I think will be useful to my teaching situation. Over the decade the two hosts have changed their roles in education and so they've branched out a bit, but originally they were both high school science teachers and so sometimes the focus was biology and I was uninterested and other times the focus was more on the physical sciences and so I tuned in. The biggest complaint I have is that the audio quality is usually pretty poor because the interviews are done over the phone or a video messaging service (like Skype). Additionally, while I have this podcast listed as bi-weekly, that is only during the school year [they take summers off], which I understand, but it disappoints me because summer is where I do a lot of planning for the upcoming year and all too often I take an idea that they present and hold onto it until the summer when I can invest time in maybe picking it up and then integrating it into my classroom. Beyond that the only other minor complaint that I have is that they are from Minnesota and so sometimes has a Minnestoa focus, especially because Minnesota has not NGSS [nor has my state] and so they are less focused on some across the board applications.
Favorite Episode:
Googling and MacGyvering, November 28, 2016;
Episode 77- Gaming for Science, March 19, 2012; &
Episode 64- A Visit with Science Olympiad, May 9, 2011.
The Show About Science
Length: 15 minutes
Update: Mondays
Rating: 3 stars
This is a cute podcast hosted by the now 6 year old Nate who loves science and who interviews scientists. I think that it is great that his parents are encouraging him to reach out to professionals and to invest in learning what he is interested in. I don't listen to absolutely every episode and a lot of times the scientists he is interviewing are ones that he has watched on YouTube and so he is just asking them about things they have already covered in more detail elsewhere. Still it is interesting to hear scientists trying to make sure that they can explain the topics they love to a six year old who has a pretty good understanding for someone his age.
Favorite Episode:
018- Physics with Dianna Cowern, June 27, 2016;
004- Gross Science with Anna Rothschild, October 18, 2015; &
010: Bees, Mosquitos, and Dragons with Joe Hanson, February 12, 2016- obviously any episode Nate has done with a PBS Digital Studios host.
Intelligence Squared Debates
Length: 50-55 minutes
Update: Wednesdays
Rating: 4 stars
This podcast is generally a twice a month podcast. The debates follow the Oxford style/format, which I really like. The debates are held in front of a live audience who is polled before the debate (for, against, or undecided on the motion). The motion is always given as a specific statement and is usually very well defined. Although the podcast title is frequently in the form of a question, the motion is always a statement. There are four debates (two for and two against the motion) who are introduced by the moderator and then they take turns (for, against, for, against) giving their 3 or 5 minute opening statements. Then the moderator summarizes their positions and prompts debate with questions for each side and additional questions are asked by the audience. The live debates are 2 hours long and so this is the segment that frequently gets whittled down in the podcast. After that the debaters take turns again with closing statements that are also restricted to a limited time (3 or 5 minutes). The rules of the debate are very clear and the moderator does a great job of keeping the debate on focus, asking probing questions (often times based directly off of debaters' statements or challenges) and forces an answer, and the debates are always civil and genial. Debate winners are decided by the change from initial to final vote and not by the vote itself. I have seen amazing swings with some debates and have even seen sides lose points from before and after voting. I don't listen to absolutely every podcast, but probably 3 out of every 4. If I have any complaints it is that introductions of the speakers and their positions are given too often and that the podcast can be dry and the middle part of the argument (which I suspect is the part that is cut) of questions and answers is too short.
Favorite Episode: I don't know so much that this is a favorite, as much as it just sticks in m memory as a very well done debate
Should We Abolish the Death Penalty?, April 22, 2015
Radiolab
Length: 25 minutes
Updated: Fridays
Rating: 5 stars
Generally this podcast comes out twice a month. I love both of the hosts Robert Krulwich and Jad Abumrad and have followed Robert Krulwich and his insatiable curiosity for many years now. The podcast is frequently science based, but not always and sometimes too frequently features other podcasts that they found interesting and wanted to bring to a wider audience. Radiolab seems to be an experiment in how to do a radio show and so the format varies widely, the topics range all over the place, and frequently you are left hanging or to draw your own conclusions. The only thing I dislike about the podcast is that it doesn't feature everything from the [I think weekly] radio show because I have more than once caught clips on the radio and been anxiously awaiting the updates to hit the podcast and they don't. I literally cannot get enough.
Favorite Episodes: There are almost too many to list
Double Blasted, July 16, 2012;
CRISPR (Update), February 24, 2017;
Elements, August 23, 2015;
Lithium; and rather than listing more of my favorite science episodes I'll include two nonscience ones
Smile My Ass, October 6, 2015; &
The Cathedral, January 7, 2016.
Monthly
Chemistry World
Length: 22 or 47 minutes
Update: irregular days
Rating: 4 stars
This is one of several podcasts by the Royal Society of Chemistry, but because they have changed format and switched up feeds recently, there were two versions of the feed out there. Furthermore, although there is a separate Book Club podcast, this one seems to be news when they have it and book reviews when they don't. It is usually a panel discussion of news and books with occasional interviews and is always informative and entertaining despite its irregularities and inconsistencies in its update schedule.
Favorite Episode: none to recommend that aren't book reviews that overlap with their other podcast (following)
Chemistry World Book Club
Length: 20-25 minutes
Update: irregular days
Rating: 4 stars
This is one of several podcasts by the Royal Society of Chemistry, but because they have changed format and switched up feeds recently, there were two versions of the feed out there. Furthermore, although there is a lot of overlap with the Chemistry World podcast. It is usually a panel discussion of news and books with occasional interviews and is always informative and entertaining despite its irregularities and inconsistencies in its update schedule. Despite being a chemistry podcast there aren't a lot of non-technical or textbooks on chemistry that are published and so the book reviews are of a more general science nature, which I enjoy.
Favorite Episode:
Homo deus and the Best books of 2016, December 16, 2016.
Naked Astronomy
Length: 30 minutes ± 10 minutes
Update: on (or sometimes around) the 9th or 24th of a month [sometimes both]
Rating: 4 stars
There is a whole host of Naked Science podcasts which is like the British equivalent of "Science Friday". Since there is a lot of repetition and since the show is generally a panel discussion mixed with interview format, I feel that they don't get to the point all that quickly and so I stopped listening to it on a regular basis. However, I have remain subscribed to their "Kitchen Science" and "Quickfire Science" sub-podcasts which seem to be defunct and this Astronomy podcast because it is a good way to keep up on space news, especially ESA news since my news sources are very NASA biased.
Favorite Episode:
All Systems Go- NASA's new giant rocket, March 9, 2015
Physics World
Length: 20 minutes ± 10 minutes
Update: irrgular weekdays
Rating: 3 stars
As much as I love physics I probably only listen to 3 out of every 4 or 5 podcasts from this program. I love their annual December review of science books episodes. The news is very niche and the focus can get deep or technical. Still with it coming out as rarely [and irregularly] as it does I can invest some time into it.
Favorite Episode:
Book of the Year 2016, December 14, 2016
Orbital Path
Length: 15 minutes
Updated: normally on Fridays, but if not then Mondays
Rating: 4 stars
There are probably too many space science podcasts was my original thought when I gave this one a chance, but I've come to enjoy the down-to-earth, and even the frequent earth observing, focus of the podcast. The host isn't stellar, but she is passionate and loves her field. I enjoy this short podcast, especially since each episode is well-crafted over a month rather than coming out more frequently at lower quality.
Favorite Episode:
How the World Came Together to Avoid Ozone Disaster, January 23, 2017
Seasonally
Lean & Hungry
Length: 30 minutes
Status: I think this is a radio program turned into a podcast because they talked about other productions, but those are not featured on this feed (and as far as I can tell, not on other feeds either), return status unknown and even though I enjoyed Romeo and Juliet I won't be totally heartbroken if this was just a one time thing
Update: Tuesdays
Rating: 4 stars
The program made it sound like they had done other broadcasts maybe on the radio, but the podcast has only had one season. Season 1 was a retelling of Romeo and Juliet in a condensed format. They kept a lot of the original language, but updated the setting much like the Leonardo DiCaprio version from the mid-90s Romeo+Juliet. Each Act was condensed down into 1 week's broadcast and interspersed with audio commentary to help with the language or scene setting, much like footnotes and annotations do in many modern reprints of Shakespeare's plays. I enjoyed the series while it lasted and hope that it continues in the future. It certainly helped fuel my desire to read or re-read all of Shakespeare's plays which I have not yet done.
Favorite Episode: Start at the beginning [for now of Season 1].
Science vs (Gimlet)
Length: 40 minutes
Status: Season 3 currently airing
Update: Wednesdays
Rating: 4 stars
This podcast is a continuation of another podcast. Gimlet media took over the podcast and so the original feed went defunct and this one was setup in its place. Each episode focuses on a controversial topic and pits scientific evidence against the topic [gun violence legislation, ghosts, vaping and e-cigarettes, etc.]. The puns are like bad dad jokes and there are plenty of topics that have been brought up for this battle only to find that there isn't enough evidence either way to draw firm conclusions, which is disappointing. I don't want to see obvious topics discussed like "Is Smoking Bad for Your Health", but at the same time not being able to draw firm conclusions is dissatisfactory.
Favorite Episode:
Guns (Part 1), August 4, 2016 &
Gun Control (Part 2), August 11, 2016- takes a very heated and controversial political issue and handles it as balanced and scientifically as possible.
This podcast really belongs under finished because it is no longer airing, but since it is the original incarnation of the above podcast I figured I'd put the two of them together. I don't have anything to add to my above review, but doing this one allows me to a) make sure that you consult the correct podcast, and b) allows me to recommend a second favorite episode.
Favorite Episode: E Cigarettes
Invisibilia
Length: 60 minutes
Status: Seasons 1 & 2 done, presumably returning
Updated: Wednesdays
Rating: 4 stars
When NPR released this one I thought to myself that I couldn't add any more to my list, but I gave it a chance and the first two episodes were gripping and gave me chills. Unfortunately, those have probably been the best episodes, not to say that others are bad, but those others are what cause me to give it 4 instead of 5 stars. The hosts often joke about how hard it is to tell them apart by their voices and this was not helped in Season 2 when they came back later (summer rather than late winter) that one year, but added a third host. Presumably this should have enabled them to do more, but the season was about equally short and unfortunately that is my big complaint the seasons are too short.
Favorite Episode: Season 1, Episode 1
The Secret History of Thoughts, January 8, 2015
Codebreaker
Length: 30 minutes
Status: Seasons 1 & 2 completed, presumably coming back
Update: Wednesdays
Rating: 4 stars
This podcast belongs to the Marketplace family of podcasts and is a spin-off of the Technology podcast hosted by Ben Brock Johnson. Each season asks a question and then interviews people and experts about the question and the specific sub-set of technology. For Season 1 the question was "Is It Evil?" and for Season 2 the question was "Can It Save Us?". In addition, each broadcast has a code hidden in it that if broken will allow you to access the next episode online- I've managed to figure out a few and have had fun doing it, but for convenience sake I just wait for the weekly post. Although I enjoy the podcast, my biggest complaint is that there isn't really a firm conclusion about the question because the question seems to be too broad [spoiler alert (highlight to reveal): for Season 1 the answer was always No and for Season 2 the answer was essentially yes every time].
Favorite Episode: Season 1, Episode 7 Data Tracking, December 23, 2015
Revisionist History
Length: 40 minutes
Status: It had better be returning, because I love it, unless somehow it is a detriment to his books
Update: Thursdays
Rating: 5 stars
I like Malcolm Gladwell a lot. I think that he is able to cut through a lot of BS and pop psychology to get at the true underlying cause or crux of a situation is. The podcast was like listening to a shorter version of one of his books, most of which I have loved. I respect his opinion on many thing. This is also a podcast where I shared about half of the episodes with my wife. There was no direct mention that there would be a future season, but I hope that there will be. I just hope that we aren't stealing all of the good material that he is gathering for a book instead, or that this somehow gets in the way of him writing more articles or books. I was introduced to the podcast by "This American Life" when they played episode 3 "
The Big Man Can't Shoot", but that was easily in the bottom half of the episodes they did. Also, having listened to this podcast at x1, x1.5, and x2 speeds I can assert that the theme music is great at all speeds, but best and most exciting and engaging at x2 speed.
Favorite Episode: Season 1, Episode 7
Hallelujah. The three part series on Education (Season 1, Episodes 4-6) were also very good.
Length: 50 minutes
Status: Seasons 1-2 done, Season 3 returns summer 2017
Updated: usually Thursdays [Season 1 weekly, Season 2 bi-weekly]
Rating: 4.5 stars
I saw "Serial" sitting on the top charts for a while and even that it was a "This American Life" spin-off, but I wasn't interested in it, until my sister recommended it to me over the holidays after Season 1 had finished. Season 1 was great. For anyone who has watched the Netflix series "Making a Murderer" this podcast is like an audio version of that, but better. They also succeeded in getting the case put up for review, even though the appeals window had passed. It is still a mystery how the murder happened, but it does seem that it is probably a wrongful conviction. I finished it in less than 36 hours. Season 2 looked at the much more high profile case, of Bo Bergdahl. I did not enjoy the second season as much, but it was still good. Season 2 was not helped by the fact that the case was getting ready to go to court, and so they were trying to give background while also covering some of what was going on in the case at the time. Season 3 is a little overdue, but coming out this summer and I am looking forward to it. Also, the theme song was different for each season, I think, but I enjoyed the season 1 theme song more and it sounds better at x2 speed. My only complaint is that a lot of the interviews were done on the phone and the audio quality was lacking in Season 1; for Season 2 my complaint is that it seems that Sarah Koenig (the host) was stealing someone else's story since she never interviewed Bo himself, but instead interviewed an documentarian.
Length: 20 minutes
Status: Season 1 done, probably coming back
Updated: Thursdays
Rating: 4 stars
This podcast by Panoply and TIME spent Season 1 touring our Solar System, pretty much in order, over the course of 12 episodes. Having studied space as much as I have I can't say that I learned a lot from the podcast, but still it was interesting and they promised to come back this year and to look out further. I could see future seasons covering exoplanets, stars, our galaxy, other galaxies, and eventually large cosmic structures and cosmology. My biggest complaint is that I'm not sure why the hiatus is necessary. Still I enjoyed it and hope that it does return.
Favorite Episode: Season 1, Episode 1,
Why We Explore
Length: ~30-40 minutes
Status: Season 2 in progress
Updated: Thursdays
Rating: 3 stars
This podcast was over-advertised on NPR podcasts when it was about to come out. Not only that, but I didn't need a new podcast to listen to. However, as Season 2 was getting ready to come out I was interested in the focus of police shootings. Furthermore, my wife heard an ad while we were listening to an NPR podcast and she said she was interested so I went ahead and subscribed. While I was at it, I skimmed the back episodes from Season 1 and found a few that interested me, so I went ahead and listened to them. They are not bad, but not all of the stories they do interest me. This is probably continue to be a podcast that I check, but only listen to occasionally.
Favorite Episode:
The Arctic, June 2, 2016
Length: 50 minutes
Status: Season 1 done, presumably coming back
Updated: usually Fridays
Rating: 5 stars
I love Radiolab and I did not think I would enjoy a spin-off show that focused on Supreme Court cases rather than the more general (and frequently science) focus that the main show has. However, the whole program has been gripping and interesting. They take more obscure cases that have had a large impact. The program usually does not leave you hanging the way that Radiolab does, but still has the curiosity and intrigue that the main show does have.
Length: 20 minutes
Status: Seasons 1 & 2 done, presumably coming back
Updated: Season 1 Saturdays for 8 episodes, Season 2 daily for 10 episodes
Rating: 4 stars
I heard about this podcast (The Message) from ads on other podcasts (Science Friday and StarTalk) and eventually gave it a chance while between audiobooks one weekend after all of Season 1 came out. I certainly preferred to listen to it in a all-at-once format. These podcasts are prompted as part of GE's Broadcast Theater, and I don't know of any others that they do, but it reminds me a lot of old-time radio shows. They certainly aren't the first group to use a podcast for this purpose, but they do a good job of reviving that format in a new medium. Listening to a lot of audiobooks and a few dramas, I have found that I prefer ones with some narration which these tend to lack and so they can be a little clunky at times. "The Message" was a series about Earth receiving and trying to decode and alien message and handled fairly accurately, somewhat similar to the movie and book "Contact". There is a good plot twist at the end and I won't give it away, but middle spoiler alert (highlight to reveal):
the alien message isn't new and this isn't the first time that we have tried to decipher the message. There is a pretty good and optimistic message with Season 1. Rather than establishing a new feed as I thought they would, Season 2 was just released on the same feed. Season 2 was a little longer and the story covered more settings, which without a narrator made it a little harder to follow, but was way more pessimistic about businesses and out relation to technology. This mixed messaging disappointed me, especially because even though I tend to be pessimistic, I lean towards the idea that technology will continue to improve our lives and be the solution to many of our problems. After two successful seasons, I assume they will come back and after the season is released in full, I'll listen to it.
Favorite Episode:
The Message Episode 1
Finished, Irregular, or Schedule Unknown
Science Underground
Length: 2 minutes
Updated: Sundays
Status: Abruptly stopped Summer of 2016
Rating: 5 stars
This short podcast appeared and disappeared suddeny in 2016 after regularly releasing episodes every Sunday for about 6 months. It was short, usually informative [although teaching science I knew a lot of these facts already], and entertaining. I miss it.
Favorite Episode:
The Science of Fireworks
S-Town (S---Town)
Length: 2 minutes
Status: 1 season realsed all 7 episodes in 1 day (2017-03-28), no hints at future episodes, but it will be surprising if they do continue
Rating: 2 stars
Like "Serial", this podcast is a spin-off from "This American Life". After previewing it for several weeks on "This American Life" and also the "Serial" feed, I decided to subscribe to it before it was released. All of the episodes were released in one day, and I happened to be caught up on other podcasts and in-between audiobooks so I listened to the first 6 of 7 episodes the day it was released. I was disappointed after two episodes when the murder that was being investigated that was advertised in the trailers quite heavily was solved, and wondered what they would do for the next 5 episodes. It took longer to get going, but the surprise at the end of episode 3 made me thing we had hit the conflict and were going to be drawn into something really interesting, but it continued to just plod along and never really make any real process. The show was edited in such a way to leave some things as surprises, but it became clear that most of the things that we meant to be surprises for the listeners/audience were revealed pretty early on (although maybe not that in-depth) to the reporter. So instead of it playing like a real mystery, I was left feeling like evidence had been withheld from me to draw out the story and to make it seem more interesting than it was. I remember I went grocery shopping the day it was released and so I had plenty of time to listen to lots of it [especially at x2 speed]. When I was putting away groceries, I texted my sister, wh had originally recommended "Serial" to me, and told her I was through 5 episodes and wouldn't bother with it if she hadn't started it yet. She told me she was on episode 3 already, but wasn't loving it like "Serial". We then recommended other podcasts to each other [me to her- "Missing Richard Simmons" and her to me- "Accused" by the Cincinnati Inquirer]. I finished episodes 6 and 7 that night, and overall felt kind of 'meh' about the whole thing.
Favorite Episode: none really, but it would be hard to start this one in the middle, so I guess episode 1 [episode 2 was probably the most interesting that left you hanging].
The Adaptors
Length: 7-15 minutes
Updated: Thursdays
Status: Finished Season 1 in December of 2015, hasn't returned.
Rating: 4 stars
This podcast was hosted by Flora Lichtman, formerly of Science Friday. She filled in for Ira Flatow several times and although she demeaned herself and definitely lacked some experience, she was good and personally I think better than Ira. When she left Science Friday it was to do this podcast and to take on other projects as well. The podcast spent a few episodes finding its groove, but really brought to light the complex issues around privileged versus global climate change. It was hopeful that we could find ways to adapt to the future, but pessimistic about what that future would entail. There were times where the episode ended with the doom and gloom of what is to come being foreboding, but without concrete solutions around it and occasionally that pessimism would ruin my day. Still the program was good and I miss it and vainly hope that it will return. Additionally, there was an episode that became a recurring segment that was my favorite called "Climate Confessions" where fans and listeners would call in and say what they did that they knew was contributing to the climate change problem, but were unwilling to give up to contribute to the solution- it was dirty, and gritty, and real and is something that everyone concerned about the environment and the future wrestles with and it was nice to hear it acknowledged, even if it wasn't fixed.
Favorite Episodes:
Born in the Anthropocene, August 27, 2015 &
Climate Confessions, April 23, 2015. The pair of buying water episodes were interesting also [
How Water is Bought and Sold and
He Bought the Water].
Chemical Dependence
Length: 5 minutes
Status: unknown, abruptly stopped in August 2016, then reappeared during National Chemistry week apologizing for absence and promising daily episodes, but stopped after only 2
Updated: Saturdays
Rating: 5 stars
This is a short podcast is a spin-off from The Collapsed Wavefunction and takes aim at chemophobia without being belligerent to people with valid concerns [of course everything is made of chemicals, but when people say they are worried about chemicals we know what they mean]. A short chemistry podcast that is quite enjoyable, but is unfortunately on an unexplained hiatus- I hope it comes back.
Favorite Episode:
Chemical Dependence and Chemistry's Trivial Solution, August 13, 2016
PhysicsCentral
Length: 15 minutes
Status: weekly posts came to a stop in 2015 and now we are lucky if the posts are even monthly, but still seem to come on occasion
Updated: around Wednesdays
Rating: 5 stars
PhysicsCentral is a news and blog site that I have followed for almost a decade now and I have listened to the podcast since its inception. The articles have always been enjoyable and about niche physics topics, sometimes serious and sometimes playful, but always informative. In the interim, I feel like the blog has become more serious and very technical at times. Unfortunately, the podcast posts have become very sporadic and random. I miss this one and hopes it becomes a regular again.
Favorite Episode:
"Game of Thrones" Weather, July 24, 2013
Squirrel Stories
Length: 15 minutes
Status: airing, but with a less regular schedule than the host would like
Updated: Fridays (or weekends)
Rating: 5 stars
This is probably the most obscure podcast that I listen to, but the host Sean C. Davis is a friend of my sisters. Squirrel Stories are those embarrassing stories that are the opposite of Swan Stories that everyone has. Anymore most of the stories come from open (semi-open?) mic nights that
The Overlook Lodge in Cincinnati. Not only is my sister a friend with the host, but she has been featured in about 4 episodes [Episode 14 and thee below in my favorites list] and my brother-in-law has been featured in 2 [Episode 14 also and 05 (which is the better of his two)]. I'm reminded of a shorter, and more embarrassing version of "The Moth" broadcast/podcast. This is not a show for little ones as there is adult content and language, but my sides have hurt way too many times after listening to this podcast. Hopefully someday, my dad and I will make it down to an event to share our own stories, but at the very least these stories make you think.
Favorite Episodes:
Episode 10- Casual Racism;
Episode 07- Lawn Turds; &
Episode 02- Ham. All three of these feature my sister, but that is not the only reason I like them. They are truly hilarious and it seems that my sister may have been part of the inspiration for starting this podcast. My sister certainly has my dad's gift of storytelling. I'd also like to point out that
I am the brother that got blamed for the Ham incident! If you want an episode not featuring my family Episode
04 and
06 are both good.
plus.maths.org
Length: varies widely
Status: continuing, but posts very irregularly. Ignoring conference specials 2-3 times per year.
Updated: ?
Rating: 2 stars
To be honest I think the only reason I subscribe to this podcast is because I used to get podcast notifications on their blog feed back when I listened to podcasts on the computer or downloaded them to a computer and synced them to an MP3 player. They did use to post a little more frequently, but recently interviews they do are becoming articles and YouTube posts and they don't seem to double-dip between different forms of media- even though most of the interviews (if not all) do not need to visual. Anyway, the audio quality is really low and the information can be very dry or technical, but I've put up with it because occasionally I learn something or there is a science connection.
Favorite Episode:
What are sigma levels? December 16, 2015
The Collapsed Wavefunction
Length: varies widely (15-60 min)
Status: unknown, used to update approximately monthly, but only posted twice in 2016
Updated: random
Rating: 3 stars
I didn't stumble across this podcast until sometime in later 2015 or 2016. I listened to a descent amount of the backlog and enjoyed many of the interviews or discussions. Generally speaking there are lots of space, biology, physics, and general science podcasts, but very few in chemistry. This podcast goes a long way to overcoming that. The hosts also spun-off to do a different podcast that is short that I loved for the 6-9 months it was active called "Chemical Dependence". Right now neither have posted in since October 2016. I would love for them to return, but this one is not my top pick if they can only bring one back.
Favorite Episode:
Good Science in Movies, February 2, 2016
Relatively Prime
Length: 50-70 minutes
Status: the host claims this is a seasonal podcast, but the update schedule is so irregular I'm not sure I believe that
Updated: random
Rating: 2 stars
This is a math podcast that was funded through Kickstarter. I have listened only to a few episodes that have interested me, mostly interviews with Matt Parker.
Favorite Episode:
Your Daily Recommended Math, January 13, 2016
QuickFire Science
Length: 5 minutes
Status: probably finished, no posts since 2014
Updated: unknown
Rating: ?
I gave up on following Naked Science because it was too long of a time commitment and I felt that it was just the British version of Science Friday. However, I have remained subscribed to the sub-podcasts "Naked Astronomy" which is still being updated and this one which has never updated since I subscribed to it. Additionally, I follow an RSS feed of their Kitchen Science segment, but can't find it in podcast form, but again I think it is defunct like this one.
Favorite Episode: none to recommend
Length: 5-15 minutes
Status: probably finished, only one post since 2013 [in Fall 2015]
Updated: unknown
Rating: 4
I really liked this podcast when it was around. I follow almost all things NASA through NASA's RSS feeds and YouTube channels. This is the only podcast that I know of from NASA. I miss it.
Length: 4 minutes
Status: probably finished, no posts since July 2013
Updated: weekly to bi-weekly on Thursdays
Rating: 3
This podcast was from the Space Telescope Science Institute and covered space news and Hubble Space Telescope news and discoveries. It always sounded like it was a brief radio broadcast that was posted as a podcast.
Favorite Episode: none to recommend
Length: 4-7 minutes
Status: probably finished, no posts since May 2014
Updated: monthly on irregular dates
Rating: 4
The PBS podcasts were around before podcasts became as popular as they have recently. In fact, many early podcasts were not only short but also included vodcasts [video podcasts] which were uploaded through podcast streams and other sites like YouTube. Fortunately, PBS is one of the few media companies to figure out how to do YouTube well. Unfortunately, their podcasts have went by the wayside, possibly because they were before their time. This one was always a nice enhancement to the show.
Favorite Episode: none to recommend
Length: 5-15 minutes
Status: probably finished, no posts since Feb 2012
Updated: unknown
Rating: 4
The PBS podcasts were around before podcasts became as popular as they have recently. In fact, many early podcasts were not only short but also included vodcasts [video podcasts] which were uploaded through podcast streams and other sites like YouTube. Fortunately, PBS is one of the few media companies to figure out how to do YouTube well. Unfortunately, their podcasts have went by the wayside, possibly because they were before their time. This one was always a nice behind the scenes look at the episodes.
Favorite Episode: none to recommend
Length: 1 minute
Status: finished, 10 & 11 episode series respectively.
Rating: 4
This pair of podcasts were produced to accompany NOVA episodes. This was a short podcast to accompany the show Einstein's Big Idea and asked 10 physicists to explain Einstein's famous equation. The other was a podcast to accompany "Monster of the Milky Way" and asked 11 physicists to explain what a black hole is. These were short series before this was a common thing.
Favorite Episode: none to recommend
Length: 5 minutes
Status: probably finished, only one post since 2013 [in Fall 2015]
Updated: unknown
Rating: 4
The PBS podcasts were around before podcasts became as popular as they have recently. In fact, many early podcasts were not only short but also included vodcasts [video podcasts] which were uploaded through podcast streams and other sites like YouTube. Fortunately, PBS is one of the few media companies to figure out how to do YouTube well. Unfortunately, their podcasts have went by the wayside, possibly because they were before their time. This one was always a nice enhancement to the show.
Favorite Episode: none to recommend
Length: 1 minutes
Status: finished
Updated: unknown
Rating: 1
This was a very short podcast series by NASA featuring 10 one minute interviews with all sorts of NASA employees to honor the 50th anniversary of the formation of NASA.
Favorite Episode: none to recommend
Length: 5-10 minutes
Status: probably finished, no posts since 2012
Updated: weekly on Wednesdays
Rating: 5
This podcast was hosted by NPR reporter Ari Daniel Shapiro. This podcast was done by the
Encyclopedia of Life and highlighted unique animals from around the world with interesting facts and stories. It stopped abruptly and I miss it.
Length: 20-40 minutes
Status: finished
Updated: weekly on Sundays
Rating: 4
I was browsing top charts when I got my first smart device and stumbled across this podcast. It had just finished, but seeing how long it was I decided to wait on it. Finally this year (2017), I decided to take a break from audiobooks to catch up on some podcasts and I listened to this one in full. Over the course of 3 weeks I listened to all 189 episodes. I learned a lot and enjoyed the series quite a bit. I've also heard it recommended on two other podcasts since ["NPR Politics" and "No Dumb Questions"]. There are a few complaints I have about it though. First, it would have been possible to go back and edit out mistakes, but this was not done. Next, the sound quality wasn't the greatest. The host admitted this one, that for a while in the middle it focused too much on emperors and not enough on Rome as a whole [although he didn't go rectify that]. Lastly, the end kind of drug on- this is in part because there are more historical records about recent versus ancient Rome, but the rest of it was because he chose to go more in-depth and move at a slower pace. Still I learned a lot, enjoyed the series immensely, and am anxious to start the Revolutions podcast that he also hosts.
Length: 15 minutes
Status: finished, 10 episode series
Updated: 06/13-24/2010
Rating: 3
Not a bad overview of the history of math, but the later episodes did not lend themselves to audio only explanations. The end also seemed to focus on some niche/pet areas of mathematics, rather than maths as a whole or focusing on other mathematicians. I listened to the whole series in a little over an hour [x2 speed] in one afternoon.
Length: 11-25 minutes
Status: finished Nov 2016
Updated: Fridays
Rating: 5
I may need to go back and listen to the backlog of this podcast. I happened to catch a bad episode or two when it originally came out. I gave it a chance again sometime later and found that I really liked the humor in the show. It was hosted by Mike Danforth & Ian Chillag of "Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me" and they found answers to random questions, although not always the answer that was being looked for. This show ended this past Fall (and kind of abruptly) and I was in disbelief when they made the announcement. I also think they copped out because they have not explained how to do everything yet.
Length: 30-45 minutes
Status: finished, although considering a spin-off
Updated: Sundays
Rating: 4
This podcast was a great idea. A podcast about each president, one per week, from January 2016 until election day. The stories were told with an understanding that we might be interpreting their histories to help us with modern situations. Unfortunately, I found out about the podcast on Inauguration Day by listening to NPR's "The Big Listen". The upside was that I got to listen to them all at once. There was an amazing number of times when I thought to myself, "That is exactly what we have going on today with...." My only complaint is that the episodes were researched and produced on a weekly basis so there were times where the podcast felt more prepared and times where that preparation felt lacking. Still I learned a lot and am excited to see if they are going to do any spin-offs.
Length: 30-40 minutes
Status: Finished after 1 Season of 8 episodes
Updated: Monday
Rating: 3
I heard about this podcast on ads from several other podcasts and decided to give it a chance about the time the second or third episode came out. I thought that it was kind of "This American Life" light. Their tagline/claim was that they go behind the headlines or pickup the story where the news cycle dropped it, but not every episode did this for followed that theme/format. There were a few good episodes and a few total duds. Then at the end of Season 1 they decided this wasn't working and Gimlet dropped it and they are moving on. It was an interesting idea while it lasted and there were a few good episodes, but I can't say I'm sad to see it go.
To Listen To
Philosophize This!
Reason why I'm interested: I've always enjoyed dabbling in philosophy and theology. This is aided by the fact that my best friend was a philosophy major [actually double major with mathematics]. I actually recently started listening to this podcast and could probably do a review of it, but I'd prefer to wait until I have made it through the backlog. In about 10 days [really just two weekends because I didn't listen much in the middle of the week, especially with "S-Town" coming out on Tuesday] I have listened through Episodes 1-43. I intend to take a break after episode 50 which will be the halfway mark after the next episode comes out. Each episode, updated roughly weekly [or maybe bi-weekly] on Sunday nights focuses on a philosopher and the system of through he [so far all males] promoted. Some take a few episodes to cover in proper detail. There are a few minor complaints I have about the podcast. First, he dropped the "Philosophize This!" question of the week that encouraged you to think about the episode's application(s) to your life as the close to the episode. Next, episodes 39-44, 50, and a few others are not named after the philosopher being discussed- this makes it harder to review or to grasp the main focus. Lastly, and this one is very minor, the close of an episode is sometimes very abrupt.
Favorite Episode:
025- A Scientific Method for Your Life! June 9, 2014
Revolutions
Reason why I'm interested: I finally got around to listening to the "History of Rome" podcast earlier this year, and this is the next one that host Mike Duncan has done and I've been looking forward to it for a while. In fact, I got my first smart device and started subscribing to podcasts on it right as "The History of Rome" podcast feed announced the start of this podcast. As a side note, I am a little disappointed that he didn't stick with the other idea he previewed as the next step, and that was a look at American History through the lens of the pairs of political parties in power at the time- hopefully that comes in the future. Finally, I think I will listen to this podcast one season at a time instead of all in one go.
Missing Richard Simmons
Reason why I'm interested: If the title doesn't tell you all, then I'm not sure you need to know
Accused
Reason why I'm interested: My sister recommended "Serial" to me and as we texted back and forth on the day "S-Town" was released about how it wasn't as good we made a few recommendations to each other. I recommended "Missing Richard Simmons" her and she recommended this one to me, comparing it to "Serial" and pointing out that it is by the Cincinnati Enquirer, and so is in my state and local to her.
In Our Time: Science
Reason why I'm interested: I like the BBC and at least want to give a rapidly rising on the top science charts a chance.
BBC Space
Reason why I'm interested: I like the BBC and at least want to give a rapidly rising on the top science charts a chance.
Dear Mr. Potter: A Harry Potter Seminar
Reason why I'm interested: StoryWonk who did the "Story and Star Wars" podcast did this one, which is more than enough reason for me. The podcast is going through the books again and trying to pull morals from them. I'm waiting to re-read the books before I listen to the podcast.
Binge
Reason why I'm interested: Season 1 covered the Harry Potter movies and I'm waiting to re-watch the with my daughter after she reads the books for the first time and possibly after I re-listen to the books for "Dear Mr. Potter". I have no interest in Season 2 (Friday Night Lights TV Show), but am curious about what they will do in the future.
Welcome to Night Vale;
Alice Isn't Dead; &
The Orbiting Human Circus
Reason why I'm interested:
PBS Idea Channel and Mike Rugnetta originally made me curious. I started listening to it here in 2017 while taking a break from audiobooks to catch up on podcasts, but decided my wife would enjoy this one and so we're going to try to listen to it together over the summer and if she doesn't like it I will binge it then.
Hello Internet &
Cortex
Reason why I'm interested: I like
Brady Haran and
CGPGrey and miss watching all of Brady's channels on YouTube [I've managed to keep up on
Grey's videos]. I listened to the first few episodes of HI, but they are all so long and I really disapprove of long podcasts and don't know that I have the patience for them, or that the I would rather listen to them rant about their opinions, rather than catch up on TV, movies, audiobooks, or YouTube.
History of the World in 100 Objects
Reason why I'm interested: I'm actually about 1/4-1/3 of the way through this one, but since it is completed I don't want to review it in full until I have finished it. I used to fall asleep listening to audiobooks and would lose my place nightly. Sleep timers and digital bookmarks now help with this, but I instead tend to fall asleep listening to podcasts. If I don't have any to listen to when I'm going to sleep at night I stream this one. The downside is that some nights I'm not very tired and I make it through 4-6 episodes and other nights I listen to one over and over again each night of the week. My biggest complaint is that they use the podcast icon for every episode, rather than using the item they are discussing as the episode image.
If You've Actually Made It This Far
If you've made it this far I'm going to just toss out a lot of other random thoughts I have on this, maybe these will be future posts.
I listen to as many podcasts as I do in part because I don't have enough audiobooks to fill the void, in part because I always want to be learning new things, and in part because I like to keep up on news and find current events to tie into my classroom.
I've tried a lot of other podcasts and abandoned them.
There are no good podcasts in the areas of Earth Science, Paleontology [except a few sad ones on dinosaurs], high school education.
I prefer short-form podcasts that update weekly at most.
I am not a fan of the default podcast app on iOS, but could fine no other iOS apps I liked better. Now that I have an Android smartphone I've tried about a half dozen and hands-down the best and most customizable is
Podcast Republic [although I preferred the old icon before its recent update]. If you want an app to do everything for you r to give you no control Podcast Addict isn't too bad.
I trained myself to listen to audiobooks, YouTube videos, and podcasts at the faster x2 rate. It took time and you have to pause when you are unfocused, but it helps with getting through more faster.
I'm trying to figure out why podcasts have become so popular recently when they've been around for a long time [the hipster in me wants to shout out that I was into podcasts before they were cool]. My guess is that it simply has to do with hitting some threshold of smartphone users. Still this makes me a little sad because I've seen a few good podcasts die simply because they were before their time, and I've seen a lot of bad podcasts come and go [or worse come to stay].
I have a somewhat addictive personality and I have a hard time not being overwhelmed by media. I haven't hit that breaking point yet, but I could.
Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff