Looking for some good nerdy podcasts
March 21, 2022 11:53 AM Subscribe
I'm looking for recommendations for some good nerdy podcasts. Enjoys : science, history, economics, music. Doesn't enjoy : "comedians" laughing at each others' jokes. Sometimes enjoys : current events, interviews
Even though I listen to a ridiculous number of podcasts, I somehow always seem to need more. As mentioned, my top interests are science, history, economics, and music. My favorites are usually scripted, but don't sound scripted — I can't stand it when the host sounds stilted. I strongly dislike podcasts where it's 2 or more people just BSing around and laughing at each others' jokes, particularly when the hosts are comedians. It's fine if there are some improvisational elements — like interviews or some limited riffing — as long as there is actual informational being presented.
Podcasts I love : 99% Invisible, Hardcore History, Planet Money, Radiolab, Science Vs., Throughline, Cocaine and Rhinestones, A History of Rock n' Roll in 500 Songs, Decoder Ring, Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford, The Experiment, Tipsy Tolstoy, Against the Rules With Michael Lewis, Ologies with Alie Ward, Our Fake History
Podcasts I love (but don't really seem to fit the pattern) : Omnibus, Alice Isn't Dead, Stuff They Don't Want you to Know, Every Little Thing
Podcasts I like : The Ezra Klein Show, Vox Conversations, The Daily, The Indicator, Psychoactive, Fresh Air
Podcasts I liked at one point but don't like anymore (for various reasons): Invisibilia, Reply All, You are Not So Smart, Hidden Brain, You're Wrong About, This American Life, Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend, You Must Remember This, Flash Forward, Behind the Bastards
Some special requests :
* I usually only read fiction (as opposed to audiobooks/podcasts), but for whatever reason, I loved Alice Isn't Dead. Would be interested in any other podcast which might scratch that particular itch
* One of my favorites is Cocaine and Rhinestones — a podcast that goes super deep on Country music. I'd never really listened to Country before, and this podcast effectively introduced me to the genre — and now I'm a huge fan! Would love to find a podcast that might do the same for Rap
Even though I listen to a ridiculous number of podcasts, I somehow always seem to need more. As mentioned, my top interests are science, history, economics, and music. My favorites are usually scripted, but don't sound scripted — I can't stand it when the host sounds stilted. I strongly dislike podcasts where it's 2 or more people just BSing around and laughing at each others' jokes, particularly when the hosts are comedians. It's fine if there are some improvisational elements — like interviews or some limited riffing — as long as there is actual informational being presented.
Podcasts I love : 99% Invisible, Hardcore History, Planet Money, Radiolab, Science Vs., Throughline, Cocaine and Rhinestones, A History of Rock n' Roll in 500 Songs, Decoder Ring, Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford, The Experiment, Tipsy Tolstoy, Against the Rules With Michael Lewis, Ologies with Alie Ward, Our Fake History
Podcasts I love (but don't really seem to fit the pattern) : Omnibus, Alice Isn't Dead, Stuff They Don't Want you to Know, Every Little Thing
Podcasts I like : The Ezra Klein Show, Vox Conversations, The Daily, The Indicator, Psychoactive, Fresh Air
Podcasts I liked at one point but don't like anymore (for various reasons): Invisibilia, Reply All, You are Not So Smart, Hidden Brain, You're Wrong About, This American Life, Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend, You Must Remember This, Flash Forward, Behind the Bastards
Some special requests :
* I usually only read fiction (as opposed to audiobooks/podcasts), but for whatever reason, I loved Alice Isn't Dead. Would be interested in any other podcast which might scratch that particular itch
* One of my favorites is Cocaine and Rhinestones — a podcast that goes super deep on Country music. I'd never really listened to Country before, and this podcast effectively introduced me to the genre — and now I'm a huge fan! Would love to find a podcast that might do the same for Rap
Not Just the Tudors, In Our Time, Strong Songs, The Allusionist, The Retrospectors
posted by PussKillian at 12:02 PM on March 21, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by PussKillian at 12:02 PM on March 21, 2022 [2 favorites]
You're Dead to Me - one topic or person from history examined every episode. The host is a public historian. He has two guests every episode - one academic historian, one comedian. It's funny, but it's not comedy.
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 12:07 PM on March 21, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 12:07 PM on March 21, 2022 [2 favorites]
Came here to say BBC In Our Time!!!!! Seconding evilmomlady.
posted by gregr at 12:08 PM on March 21, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by gregr at 12:08 PM on March 21, 2022 [1 favorite]
I think you'd love Let's Learn Everything - they pick three or so science topics to discuss every episode, and all the hosts have science degrees in varying fields, so they're usually explaining things to each other.
posted by tautological at 12:12 PM on March 21, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by tautological at 12:12 PM on March 21, 2022 [2 favorites]
This Podcast Will Kill You, epidemiology podcast with a big long backlog!
posted by mskyle at 12:14 PM on March 21, 2022 [8 favorites]
posted by mskyle at 12:14 PM on March 21, 2022 [8 favorites]
Common Descent! A podcast about evolution and paleontology and just how living things got to be the way they are.
posted by Zalzidrax at 12:21 PM on March 21, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by Zalzidrax at 12:21 PM on March 21, 2022 [3 favorites]
You might like Freakonomics Radio which is by one of the authors of the Freakonomics books, Dubner. The other one does People I Mostly Admire by Levitt.
(Levitt said something short-sighted last year and apologised, he's not as universally liked as Dubner, but he does have some interesting people on and some really interesting ideas.)
This ended in 2020, but the older episodes of Backstory with the American History Guys were pretty good. Around 2015 or 2016 maybe?
posted by Ms. Moonlight at 12:24 PM on March 21, 2022 [2 favorites]
(Levitt said something short-sighted last year and apologised, he's not as universally liked as Dubner, but he does have some interesting people on and some really interesting ideas.)
This ended in 2020, but the older episodes of Backstory with the American History Guys were pretty good. Around 2015 or 2016 maybe?
posted by Ms. Moonlight at 12:24 PM on March 21, 2022 [2 favorites]
What Roman Mars Can Learn About Con Law since you like 99% Invisible.
posted by Akhu at 12:28 PM on March 21, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by Akhu at 12:28 PM on March 21, 2022 [4 favorites]
Black Box Down is one of my new favourites. It's a little... macabre, as each episode is a deep dive into a plane crash -- how it happened, why, etc. It goes quite into the weeds regarding aviation details, but not so much the average person can't follow it - one of the hosts is very very knowledgable about all things aviation, and the other one is learning as they go, so first host needs to explain in ways his co-host can understand as well.
+1 This Podcast will Kill You, such a great podcast.
Also in my podcast feed that seem like they might fit:
* Overheard at National Geographic
* The Weirdest Thing I Learned this Week
* Sawbones
* Short Wave
* Underunderstood
* Unexplainable
* Freakonomics
* Freakonomics MD
* No Stupid Questions
posted by cgg at 12:28 PM on March 21, 2022 [2 favorites]
+1 This Podcast will Kill You, such a great podcast.
Also in my podcast feed that seem like they might fit:
* Overheard at National Geographic
* The Weirdest Thing I Learned this Week
* Sawbones
* Short Wave
* Underunderstood
* Unexplainable
* Freakonomics
* Freakonomics MD
* No Stupid Questions
posted by cgg at 12:28 PM on March 21, 2022 [2 favorites]
You might like A Flatpack History of Sweden. The presenters describe it as "light-hearted"; I'd say it's more earnest than that implies, and certainly not comedic, though I'm only about ten episodes in.
posted by paduasoy at 1:02 PM on March 21, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by paduasoy at 1:02 PM on March 21, 2022 [1 favorite]
Drafting the Past is a relatively new podcast that interviews historians about the craft of writing history. They're three episodes in, and all three have been really fantastic (even if the historian doesn't focus on periods/topics I'm personally interested in).
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 1:13 PM on March 21, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 1:13 PM on March 21, 2022 [2 favorites]
A few that might be worth trying:
- Side Door (the Smithsonian one) - specific, diverse topics from the museum collection, discussed by experts
- The Constant - "a history of getting things wrong," often with a science bent
- The Long Now Foundations seminars (SALT, the Inverval) - experts talking about history and the future.
If psuedoscience, discussed by skeptics, is of interest:
- ArchyFantasies - debunking junk archeology, and also sometimes enjoying real archeology
- Squaring the Strange - experts discussing paranormal skepticism
- Oh No Ross and Carrie - hands-on paranormal skepticism
(In the past, I would have recommended Econtalk. I can't listen to it any longer; my patience for libertarians pretending their ideas don't hurt people is very limited. But, the guests were often quite thoughtful.)
posted by eotvos at 1:22 PM on March 21, 2022 [2 favorites]
- Side Door (the Smithsonian one) - specific, diverse topics from the museum collection, discussed by experts
- The Constant - "a history of getting things wrong," often with a science bent
- The Long Now Foundations seminars (SALT, the Inverval) - experts talking about history and the future.
If psuedoscience, discussed by skeptics, is of interest:
- ArchyFantasies - debunking junk archeology, and also sometimes enjoying real archeology
- Squaring the Strange - experts discussing paranormal skepticism
- Oh No Ross and Carrie - hands-on paranormal skepticism
(In the past, I would have recommended Econtalk. I can't listen to it any longer; my patience for libertarians pretending their ideas don't hurt people is very limited. But, the guests were often quite thoughtful.)
posted by eotvos at 1:22 PM on March 21, 2022 [2 favorites]
I have some overlap with the podcasts you love (as well as the podcasts you used to like but don't anymore), and one of my current favorites is The Constant, "a history of getting things wrong." I first heard about it on the blue in 2020, and I think that five-part series of episodes about submarine pioneers is still a good place to start the show.
ah, jinx, eotvos!
posted by icebergs at 1:25 PM on March 21, 2022 [1 favorite]
ah, jinx, eotvos!
posted by icebergs at 1:25 PM on March 21, 2022 [1 favorite]
One Year (at least in the RSS feed I have, there are seasons of another podcast that preceded One Year, all those are good too)
Slow Burn (all the seasons of this are good too)
Revisionist History
The Trojan Horse Affair
Origins with James Andrew Miller
posted by deezil at 1:41 PM on March 21, 2022 [1 favorite]
Slow Burn (all the seasons of this are good too)
Revisionist History
The Trojan Horse Affair
Origins with James Andrew Miller
posted by deezil at 1:41 PM on March 21, 2022 [1 favorite]
Seconding What Roman Mars can learn about Con Law.
I too am a Cocaine & Rhinestones fan, and found Dolly Parton's America excellent in looking at some of the same subject matter from a different, and possibly more modern, lens.
On music generally, I fill the space in between : Song Exploder, Strong Songs, Switched on Pop, and a little less focused but still good for the occasional hit, How I Make Music, in which audio drama composers and sound designers talk about their process.
And the "Sepia Tones" 6 part series on the Smoky Mountain Air podcast has been worth a listen, the latest episode was a great look into gospel and spiritual music.
posted by straw at 1:56 PM on March 21, 2022 [2 favorites]
I too am a Cocaine & Rhinestones fan, and found Dolly Parton's America excellent in looking at some of the same subject matter from a different, and possibly more modern, lens.
On music generally, I fill the space in between : Song Exploder, Strong Songs, Switched on Pop, and a little less focused but still good for the occasional hit, How I Make Music, in which audio drama composers and sound designers talk about their process.
And the "Sepia Tones" 6 part series on the Smoky Mountain Air podcast has been worth a listen, the latest episode was a great look into gospel and spiritual music.
posted by straw at 1:56 PM on March 21, 2022 [2 favorites]
I'd very much recommend Omega Tau.
posted by fake at 1:58 PM on March 21, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by fake at 1:58 PM on March 21, 2022 [2 favorites]
For history I think the best two in my feed right now are Revolutions and Tides of History.
Revolutions is by Mike Duncan, it covers everything from the first, the English Revolution, up to the most recent which is the Russian Revolution. They're all pretty great though, and he was behind the behemoth History of Rome, so even his earliest version is polished.
Tides of History is by Patrick Wyman, it covers a bunch of different topics, started with late antiquity, moved to the early modern, and now is covering a whole bunch on pre-history. He's a former academic so it's well sourced, but I definitely don't think it's dry and he's quite engaging.
posted by Carillon at 2:38 PM on March 21, 2022 [3 favorites]
Revolutions is by Mike Duncan, it covers everything from the first, the English Revolution, up to the most recent which is the Russian Revolution. They're all pretty great though, and he was behind the behemoth History of Rome, so even his earliest version is polished.
Tides of History is by Patrick Wyman, it covers a bunch of different topics, started with late antiquity, moved to the early modern, and now is covering a whole bunch on pre-history. He's a former academic so it's well sourced, but I definitely don't think it's dry and he's quite engaging.
posted by Carillon at 2:38 PM on March 21, 2022 [3 favorites]
Sean Carroll's Mindscapes available on YouTube or Apple Podcasts
Carroll has an introductory course on Physics which is on YouTube called "Biggest Ideas in the Universe" where he begins very simple and transitions though about twenty episodes to very complex. I love his teaching style; it's very cogent, approachable and sophisticated and mindbendingly challenging to follow the concepts.
I also listen to Matt O'Dowd, host of PBS SpaceTime (YouTube). Matt's explanations and graphics are also mindbendingly difficult to comprehend and follow, and from listening to Sean's lectures I can actually follow a lot of the lecture.
Mindscape is a huge library of very different scholars that Sean interviews for an hour or so. His Ask Me Anything series fields questions from Patreon contributors. It's very enjoyable to listen to him grapple with all sorts of topics.
posted by effluvia at 4:16 PM on March 21, 2022 [2 favorites]
Carroll has an introductory course on Physics which is on YouTube called "Biggest Ideas in the Universe" where he begins very simple and transitions though about twenty episodes to very complex. I love his teaching style; it's very cogent, approachable and sophisticated and mindbendingly challenging to follow the concepts.
I also listen to Matt O'Dowd, host of PBS SpaceTime (YouTube). Matt's explanations and graphics are also mindbendingly difficult to comprehend and follow, and from listening to Sean's lectures I can actually follow a lot of the lecture.
Mindscape is a huge library of very different scholars that Sean interviews for an hour or so. His Ask Me Anything series fields questions from Patreon contributors. It's very enjoyable to listen to him grapple with all sorts of topics.
posted by effluvia at 4:16 PM on March 21, 2022 [2 favorites]
Best answer: In alphabetical order b/c that’s how they’re listed in my podcast app:
Bad Blood : The final Chapter (about the whole Theranos thing)
Decoder Ring (investigations & history of common cultural objects or themes, slightly dramatic narration style.)
Dig: A History Podcast (a bit of chatting, no comedic riffing)
Gastropod (“food with a side of science and history,” also has some chatting but no comedic riffing)
History of English Podcast (about both the language and, through the language, the people who speak it)
Rough Translation (“How are the things we’re talking about being talked about somewhere else in the world?” We = US; this is from NPR)
Scene on Radio (US history)
Your Most Obedient & Humble Servant (“18th and 19th century women’s letters that don’t always make it into the history books”)
We share the Same Sky (7 episodes from 2019, not ongoing - a woman who retraces her grandmother’s steps as a refugee escaping the Nazis)
I’m curious why you don’t like Hidden Brain anymore. I’ve had a similar change of heart but can’t really articulate why. I do feel like he asks a lot of very leading questions, but so do some other hosts that don’t bother me.
posted by 2 cats in the yard at 4:19 PM on March 21, 2022 [1 favorite]
Bad Blood : The final Chapter (about the whole Theranos thing)
Decoder Ring (investigations & history of common cultural objects or themes, slightly dramatic narration style.)
Dig: A History Podcast (a bit of chatting, no comedic riffing)
Gastropod (“food with a side of science and history,” also has some chatting but no comedic riffing)
History of English Podcast (about both the language and, through the language, the people who speak it)
Rough Translation (“How are the things we’re talking about being talked about somewhere else in the world?” We = US; this is from NPR)
Scene on Radio (US history)
Your Most Obedient & Humble Servant (“18th and 19th century women’s letters that don’t always make it into the history books”)
We share the Same Sky (7 episodes from 2019, not ongoing - a woman who retraces her grandmother’s steps as a refugee escaping the Nazis)
I’m curious why you don’t like Hidden Brain anymore. I’ve had a similar change of heart but can’t really articulate why. I do feel like he asks a lot of very leading questions, but so do some other hosts that don’t bother me.
posted by 2 cats in the yard at 4:19 PM on March 21, 2022 [1 favorite]
Similar to You're Wrong About is Maintenance Phase, which debunks trends in the diet industry, wellness influencers, diet culture, etc. It's got one of the (former) co-hosts of You're Wrong About but has a different tone. It's funny and fun to listen to and they are very big into research and science.
For music nerdery, I second Switched on Pop and Song Exploder, and will throw in Hit Parade. There's also Twenty Thousand Hertz which is basically 99PI for sound.
If you are into language at all, Word Matters is literally three Merriam-Webster employees talking about the dictionary and the English language. It's very interesting and charming and I am always learning fun facts.
posted by radioamy at 7:11 PM on March 21, 2022 [2 favorites]
For music nerdery, I second Switched on Pop and Song Exploder, and will throw in Hit Parade. There's also Twenty Thousand Hertz which is basically 99PI for sound.
If you are into language at all, Word Matters is literally three Merriam-Webster employees talking about the dictionary and the English language. It's very interesting and charming and I am always learning fun facts.
posted by radioamy at 7:11 PM on March 21, 2022 [2 favorites]
They’re both limited series but I really liked Winds of Change about the rock band Scorpions and their maybe links to the CIA and Welcome to Your Fantasy about the Chippendales dancers.
posted by jeoc at 9:21 PM on March 21, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by jeoc at 9:21 PM on March 21, 2022 [1 favorite]
Welcome to Night Vale, by the creators of Alice Isn't Dead
The Orbiting Human Circus, also from the Night Vale studio
The Message (found footage sci fi horror)
Deep Dish on Global Affairs
The CGD Podcast (Center for Global Development)
LSE: Public Lectures and Events (London School of Economics)
Weekly Economics Podcast (UK, leftie)
Brain Science with Dr. Ginger Campbell
Ear Hustle (about life in prison, initially recorded on the inside)
On Being (interviews with scientists, artists, activists, etc. I have described it as "secular church." Host comes from public radio)
I share eotvos's ambivalence about EconTalk, but there are many good episodes, especially if the guest has a different perspective than the libertarian host. My complaints are his soft-pedaling on climate and the tendency of some economists to think they are experts in other fields.
posted by Comet Bug at 9:58 PM on March 21, 2022 [1 favorite]
The Orbiting Human Circus, also from the Night Vale studio
The Message (found footage sci fi horror)
Deep Dish on Global Affairs
The CGD Podcast (Center for Global Development)
LSE: Public Lectures and Events (London School of Economics)
Weekly Economics Podcast (UK, leftie)
Brain Science with Dr. Ginger Campbell
Ear Hustle (about life in prison, initially recorded on the inside)
On Being (interviews with scientists, artists, activists, etc. I have described it as "secular church." Host comes from public radio)
I share eotvos's ambivalence about EconTalk, but there are many good episodes, especially if the guest has a different perspective than the libertarian host. My complaints are his soft-pedaling on climate and the tendency of some economists to think they are experts in other fields.
posted by Comet Bug at 9:58 PM on March 21, 2022 [1 favorite]
The only podcast I listen to, due to lack of podcast-listening time, is The History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps which seems to fit your requirements.
posted by fabius at 6:23 AM on March 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by fabius at 6:23 AM on March 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
The informational ones I know and like have already been mentioned in other comments, but here are some spooky-ish fiction, spooky-ish non-fiction, and informative folklore podcasts I've liked.
Spooky-ish Fictional Podcasts:
-Limetown
-Old Gods of Appalachia
-Archive 81
-The Black Tapes / Tanis (same production group)
-Rabbits
Non-Fictional/Folklore Podcasts:
-Lore
-Myths and Legends (I particularly like this one—very informative deep dives on mythological figures)
-Radio Rental (real stories, fictional environment)
-Astonishing Legends
-Unexplained
-The UFO Rabbit Hole Podcast
posted by helloimjennsco at 6:59 AM on March 22, 2022 [3 favorites]
Spooky-ish Fictional Podcasts:
-Limetown
-Old Gods of Appalachia
-Archive 81
-The Black Tapes / Tanis (same production group)
-Rabbits
Non-Fictional/Folklore Podcasts:
-Lore
-Myths and Legends (I particularly like this one—very informative deep dives on mythological figures)
-Radio Rental (real stories, fictional environment)
-Astonishing Legends
-Unexplained
-The UFO Rabbit Hole Podcast
posted by helloimjennsco at 6:59 AM on March 22, 2022 [3 favorites]
There's the whole family of podcasts on microbe.tv by Vincent Racaniello.
Seconding Maintenance Phase and This Podcast Will Kill You.
posted by kathrynm at 7:03 AM on March 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
Seconding Maintenance Phase and This Podcast Will Kill You.
posted by kathrynm at 7:03 AM on March 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
Seconding the rec for Song Exploder, particularly Ep. 176: Semisonic, which is about the band's hit song "Closing Time" and is unexpectedly very moving.
posted by panther of the pyrenees at 12:00 PM on March 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by panther of the pyrenees at 12:00 PM on March 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
The Curious Cases of Rutherford and Fry.
A light-hearted look at the world via math and science.
posted by SemiSalt at 1:22 PM on March 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
A light-hearted look at the world via math and science.
posted by SemiSalt at 1:22 PM on March 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
Sadly it's over now, but Futility Closet was a glorious weird history podcast. You can still listen to the 365 episodes in the archive, though. https://www.futilitycloset.com/podcast/
posted by dgr8bob at 3:08 PM on March 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by dgr8bob at 3:08 PM on March 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Science:
For the Wild (interview-based podcast, maybe more on the nature-slightly woo end of the spectrum, but the host often interviews scientists who are concerned with social justice and I have learned so much from this podcast)
Current events:
On The Media (mostly interviewed based very NPR-style podcast without being overproduced, each episode has 3-4 well-produced segments on current events and the role of the media in how those events are understood/portrayed in the discourse)
History:
Know Your Enemy (mostly interview based podcast in which two leftists review major milestones of conservative history, and often bring on guests who have done things like writing a biography of William Buckley or writing a history of conservative women in the John Birch Society. It's FASCINATING, it puts so much about the right-wing ecosystem into context, and I'm obsessed with it. The two hosts are buddies who do occasionally joke around, but it's not bro-humor and the whole series has a great deal of gravitas)
Past Present (a podcast hosted by 3 historians adding contextual history to whatever larger topic is in the news - one episode in my queue is "Gas Prices and the History of Energy Shocks." They are all clearly friends but there isn't much extended riffing, and most episodes are only ~45 minutes which is nice.)
Irish History (I've mainly been listening to this for the Revolutions-podcast style approach to the Great Famine, which was a loooong multi-episode series the host did a few years ago. I haven't really listened outside that particular series, but he's also done additional series like the Irish Revolution and one-off episodes on niche bits of Irish history)
posted by mostly vowels at 6:46 PM on March 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
For the Wild (interview-based podcast, maybe more on the nature-slightly woo end of the spectrum, but the host often interviews scientists who are concerned with social justice and I have learned so much from this podcast)
Current events:
On The Media (mostly interviewed based very NPR-style podcast without being overproduced, each episode has 3-4 well-produced segments on current events and the role of the media in how those events are understood/portrayed in the discourse)
History:
Know Your Enemy (mostly interview based podcast in which two leftists review major milestones of conservative history, and often bring on guests who have done things like writing a biography of William Buckley or writing a history of conservative women in the John Birch Society. It's FASCINATING, it puts so much about the right-wing ecosystem into context, and I'm obsessed with it. The two hosts are buddies who do occasionally joke around, but it's not bro-humor and the whole series has a great deal of gravitas)
Past Present (a podcast hosted by 3 historians adding contextual history to whatever larger topic is in the news - one episode in my queue is "Gas Prices and the History of Energy Shocks." They are all clearly friends but there isn't much extended riffing, and most episodes are only ~45 minutes which is nice.)
Irish History (I've mainly been listening to this for the Revolutions-podcast style approach to the Great Famine, which was a loooong multi-episode series the host did a few years ago. I haven't really listened outside that particular series, but he's also done additional series like the Irish Revolution and one-off episodes on niche bits of Irish history)
posted by mostly vowels at 6:46 PM on March 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thank you all for the awesome suggestions! This ought to keep me busy for a good long while. You all probably deserve a "best answer," but I refrained from doing that for entirely aesthetic reasons. Instead, you all got a favorite for being so awesome and suggesting podcasts that fit pretty well within my Venn Diagram of interests. Will probably mark some more best answers as time goes on and I try out more of your suggestions.
I will say that, on your recommendations, I've started listening to Gastropod and Know Your Enemy. These podcasts are exactly my thing. Thank you all so much!
I’m curious why you don’t like Hidden Brain anymore. I’ve had a similar change of heart but can’t really articulate why. I do feel like he asks a lot of very leading questions, but so do some other hosts that don’t bother me.
You know, it's really hard to say. There's something about his tone that I just don't love. Kinda has a "know-it-all" vibe. It was something a friend mentioned to me, and once I noticed it, I couldn't un-notice it.
posted by panama joe at 7:40 AM on April 20, 2022
I will say that, on your recommendations, I've started listening to Gastropod and Know Your Enemy. These podcasts are exactly my thing. Thank you all so much!
I’m curious why you don’t like Hidden Brain anymore. I’ve had a similar change of heart but can’t really articulate why. I do feel like he asks a lot of very leading questions, but so do some other hosts that don’t bother me.
You know, it's really hard to say. There's something about his tone that I just don't love. Kinda has a "know-it-all" vibe. It was something a friend mentioned to me, and once I noticed it, I couldn't un-notice it.
posted by panama joe at 7:40 AM on April 20, 2022
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by evilmomlady at 12:01 PM on March 21, 2022 [11 favorites]