My 5 New Favorite Podcasts
Any of you who have engaged in more than a three minute conversation with me over the past few months will attest that I start most stories with, “I heard on one of my podcasts yesterday that…[insert curious fact/weird story]…”. And if I wasn’t already obsessed with podcasts enough, working from home has made me downright addicted. On an average work day, I listen to somewhere between three and five hours of podcasts. Sometimes more.
Five reasons I love podcasts:
1. They keep me company without distracting. If anything, I think I focus better when I have a podcast going because it helps my mind zero in on two things: listening and working. Otherwise, I’m wondering how many hours I have left to work, what I’ll eat for lunch, whether I should go for a run later, whether I would work better if I had some caffeine in me, whether I should move to New York, etc.
2. They make time fly. Usually, the programs that I listen to are so good that instead of wishing time would pass faster, I’m dreading the moment the podcast will be over. Yep, that’s right. Sometimes I wish my workday would go by more slowly.
3. They teach me things all the time. As a recent college graduate, I was afraid I wouldn’t have access to the same amount of academic stimulation that I used to. But whenever I turn on Freakonomics, or Radio Lab, or Ted Talks, it’s like listening to the most mind-blowing college lecture every day of my life.
4. They’re free. With no commercials. And download in under 60 seconds (usually).
5. They inspire deep thinking, creativity, and running. It’s true. I’ve never been more pumped to work out than after listening to an episode of Running Times. Each of my podcasts inspires a different part of my interests and gives me new ideas to ponder every day.
Five Podcasts I have been listening to lately:
1. Radio Lab: In depth explorations on science, philosophy, history, and ethics. Plus, a healthy mix of random stories about weird shit that you can totally retell at dinner parties.
2. Ted Radio Hour: A mash-up of two or three related Ted Talks with further interviews from the speakers. I find them better than the original Ted Talks downloads.
3. New Yorker Fiction: Writer interviews, plus readings of classic fiction. It’s like English class, but with conversation that’s actually interesting.
4. Planet Money: Even though it’s about money, it’s not nearly as boring as I expected. It’s like all the most fun and interesting bits of economics, explained.
5. Freakonomics Radio: Crazy ideas on just about everything. One of those programs where you drastically change your opinion on a topic about three times per episode, because the debate is so awesome.
You can visit Things We Love to read the whole list of podcasts I enjoy, but these five are definitely a solid start if you’re looking for something fresh to listen to.
-Rachel
