My Favorite Podcasts: 2014 Edition
After learning that a dear friend of mine just discovered the existence of podcasts and considering my own passionate devotion to them, I decided they were the perfect topic to break my writer’s block (post forthcoming). All can be easily downloaded for free from iTunes or your preferred podcast player. Please let me know what podcasts you enjoy listening to in the comments.
My Favorites
I highly recommend checking these out:
- Inquiring Minds: This podcast describes itself as an “in-depth exploration of the place where science, politics, and society collide.” It is an entertaining and intellectual show, highlighting the latest research on trending topics. A couple episodes I found particularly interesting were: Daniel Levitin, author of The Organized Mind and Anthony Ingraffea on The Science of Fracking.
- NPR: Intelligence Squared U.S. Debates Podcast: Too often we are only presented with one side of a topic. The debate format is an engaging and informative means of processing both sides of a controversial issue. The episode that Ryan and I are still talking about is Is Death Final. I also loved their coverage of the Common Core.
Crowd Pleasers
Popular Podcasts That Rarely Disappoint:
Economics
Entertaining and educational:
- NPR Planet Money: The recently rebroadcast The North Korea Files is pretty fascinating.
- Freakonomics: One of my favorite episodes is The Economist’s Guide to Parenting
Serious Economics
Economists talk about their work:
- EconTalk: Check out the episode with Chris Blattman to learn about his research supporting unconditional cash transfers as means of reducing global poverty.
Tech
Apple products and productivity:
Science
Entertaining Discovery:
- StarTalk Radio, hosted by the fascinating Neil deGrasse Tyson
- NPR: TED Radio Hour Podcast
Friendly Promotion
Listen to my friend Rupa, who interviews guests for the below podcast. You don’t need to be an anthropologist to enjoy.
- AntroPod: Rupa’s most recent interview is with Laura Moran on Symbolic Ethnic Capital in Australia