Published on June 28, 2016.
I'm a huge podcast nerd. Whether I'm walking, riding a bus, or doing laundry, podcasts are my go-to form of entertainment. Needless to say, I have a lot of favorites. Here's what I'm listening to:
99% Invisible
design, narrative, educational.
A superb podcast about the design of everything, from architecture and urban planning to flag design and the history of neon signs. Host Roman Mars brings a design eye to all corners of our world. Listen to the backlog, even old episodes are great!
The Vergecast
tech, conversational.
Round table tech commentary from the folks at The Verge. Great insight on the latest tech news in a casual environment. Depending on the week, you could get a rant about Apple's latest product annoncements, a debate about apps vs. the web, or Tesla self-driving cars.
Reply All
tech, narrative.
Stories about the internet. Reply all brings interesting stories about the internet, people on the internet, and how the internet influences society. Hear stories about the creator of the pop up ad, a Hasidic Jew who used the internet in secret and got caught, and a whitehat hacker.
Intelligence Squared U.S. Debates
politics, educational.
Two teams of two face off in an Oxford-style debate over motions like "Is Free Speech Threatened on Campus?", "Are China and the U.S. Long-Term Enemies?", and "Is Death Final?" Whatever your viewpoint, these expert debaters will make you see both sides of the motion.
The Moth
narrative.
The Moth is true stories told live around the country at open mic-style events, without notes. It provides a unique window into the lives of people of all kinds. From heartwarming to deeply sad, funny or just strange, definitely give the Moth a listen.
The Memory Palace
history, narrative, educational.
Get transported to an esoteric corner of history with this extremely well-made podcast about history. With an elegant combination of researched history and artistic liberty, host Nate DiMeo tells stories about people who would otherwise go forgotten.
Radio Diaries
history, narrative.
Radio Diaries tells stories about people throughout history, by giving them microphones and letting them speak. Hear diaries from historical figures like Nelson Mandela, and George Wallace, or interesting average people, like prison guards or the ski troops of WWII.
The Broad Experience
gender, educational, interviews.
The Broad Experience is a podcast about women, the workplace and success. It takes a look at topics related to women and their careers. The host, Ashley Milne-Tyte, brings in guests to discuss how different aspects of the workplace in 2016 are challenging for women.
Tomorrow with Joshua Topolsky
tech, conversational, interviews.
Tomorrow is a podcast hosted by The Verge and Vox Media founder Joshua Topolsky. Previously editor in chief of Bloomberg, The Verge, and Engadget, Josh has great insight on technology. He brings on a guest each week to discuss topics like politics, culture, and technology.
Serial
narrative.
Serial is the award-winning podcast that tells one well-reported story per season, week by week. The first season famously told the story of Adnan Syed who is in jail for the murder he says that he did not commit. The story went viral, and the podcast deserves all the hype.
Startup
tech, startups, narrative.
What is it really like to start a startup? This podcast puts microphones inside the lives of startup founders, to get an unfiltered view of the process. The first season features the founding of Gimlet Media, the podcast network that produces Startup, Reply All, and more.
Invisibilia
psychology, educational, narrative.
Learn about the invisible forces that influence our brain and behavior. One episode explores dark thoughts that everyone has, like what it would be like to jump in front of a train. Another interviews a man who teaches blind children to climb trees, ride bicycles, and more.
FiveThirtyEight Elections
politics, data, conversational.
This podcast discusses the 2016 election cycle with a round table of FiveThirtyEight editors including Nate Silver. Each week, they give an example of good and bad uses of polling, discuss the election news, and bring a data journalism angle.
Death Sex, & Money
narrative, interviews.
A podcast about the things we think about a lot, but need to talk about more. The host has a unique ability to ask extremely uncomfortable questions and get real answers in her interviews. I love the mini-series "In New Orleans," which profiles five people and their lives after Katrina.
2 Dope Queens
race, gender, comedy, stand up.
2 Dope Queens is a comedy podcast featuring Jessica Williams and Phoebe Robinson, with a focus on race and gender. Recorded in front of a live studio audience, the duo perform comedy, and also bring on three guest comedians to perform standup.
Kinda Funny Gamescast
video games, conversational.
A lighthearted round table conversation about topics related to video games and the industry, Colin Moriarty and Greg Miller, formerly of IGN's PlayStation team, have unique insight into the industry from years of experience, especially when it comes to Sony.
Polygon Longform
video games, narrative.
The latest longform articles posted on Polygon, a video games website. Episodes dive deep into the inner workings of a game studio, the making of a video game, or other industry topics. As someone who always seems to miss these articles online, it's a great way to keep up.
Cool Games Inc
video games, comedy, conversational.
The worst video game development studio that you'll fall in love with. Each week, Polygon editors Griffin McElroy and Nick Robinson take game idea suggestions from Twitter and imagine them into reality. The ideas are hilarious, and the duo have great comedic chemistry.
Limetown
fiction, narrative.
Ten years ago, over three hundred men, women, and children disappeared from a small down in Tennessee, never to be heard from again. This is the premise of this fictional story which follows an investigative reporter who discovers a lead on the mysterious disappearance.
Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality
fan fiction, narrative.
What if Petunia Evans had married a Princeton professor instead of Vernon Dursley? That's the premise of this crowdsourced reading of the award-winning Harry Potter fan fiction by the same name. It's pretty ridiculous, but very well made and great for Potter nerds like me.