Media Monday: Podcasts

What podcasts do you like, on any topic (history, science, history of science, law, politics, or whatever else)?

Comments

[Commenter_XY]

The Joe Rogan Experience
Timcast
Philosophical Economics
Bogleheads on Finance
A few others on assorted topics: Judaism, space exploration, Reason podcast (rarely now)

Now I really enjoy reading Short Circuit every Friday....and they have a podcast too!? Are they just as funny in the podcast? I must find out.

[Sarcastr0]

BBC’s Analysis (economic commentary; leans conservative but British conservative so more moderate)
BBC’s In Our Time (history and science)
History of Rick and Roll in 500 songs
Smithsonian’s Sidedoor
Welcome to Nightvale
Pop Culture Happy Hour
Slate’s Political Gabfest
PodCastle (fantasy short stories)
Radiolab (not every episode; can be a bit self indulgent)
Still Processing

Special mention for Will Baude’s Dissenting Opinion and Divided Opinion.

[Commenter_XY]

What makes Baude's podcasts worthwhile listening, Sarcastr0? I am curious, not being facetious. I might want to try 'em out.

[Sarcastr0]

They're deep, thoughtful, and civil.

Dissenting Opinions is all about nonstandard takes on seminal Supreme Court decisions. It may be more for law school grads, but it really challenged my understanding. Or, in some cases, reminded me of something I'd never quite understood in law school, like how to understand a fractured opinion.

Divided Opinion is a deeply nerdy discussion of the latest Supreme Court drama. But it's extremely respectful and nondramatic. It's got Baude and a more mainstream liberal scholar. You can smell the tweed, it's so rarified and geeky. But that renders even the spiciest political cases and leaks sterile and intellectual in a way that helps me access them conceptually.

[Alpheus W Drinkwater]

The "more mainstream liberal scholar" is Dan Epps, who I believe is the son of the well known constitutional scholar Garrett Epps. Dan Epps used to do an excellent podcast called First Mondays with Ian Samuel, until Prof. Samuel ran into his Title IX difficulties.

[Sarcastr0]

Dissenting Opinions also has 2 deep dives I found incredibly informative.

Originalism, with Will hisself, on the practice of academic originalism, and what motivates him.

Critical Race Theory, which talks to a practitioner about the history and current practice of CRT.

[Jett's Pop]

I believe it's called Divided Argument.

[Sarcastr0]

Dang it! You are correct.

[Alpheus W Drinkwater]

Since you enjoy Nightvale, have you tried any of their other podcasts? The only one I really like is Within the Wires, which is quite unusual and fantastic.

[Sarcastr0]

I have, and I don’t. I don’t like a lot of audio dramas. Nightvale has a rare mix.

[Ad Astra]

Freakinomics
Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History
Mike Rose’s The way I heard it
My history can beat up your politics.

[Jett's Pop]

Freakonomics is generally very good. There are other podcasts by the same producer (e.g., Freakonomics MD) which are also good.

[Archibald Tuttle]

Federalist Society Telecast
IJ Deep Dive
IJ Bound in Oath

The Bound in Oath one is particularly good. 5-6 episodes all about the history around the 14th amendment and about immunities.

[Frank Drackman]

https://warroom.org

Frank

[Dan Schiavetta]

Miracle Nutrition with Hearty White

[David Yashar]

The Rest is History with Tom Holland and Dominick Sandbrook. No other history podcast can have a three-parter on Australian prime ministers that leaves you laughing out loud.
Dan Snow's History Hit. Both of these are much shorter than Carlin
Commentary Magazine Podcast (politics)
GLoP podcast (on culture)

[Vaclav Matthess]

Thanks - I didn't realize Tom Holland had a podcast. I read his book, Dominion, and am still pondering it.

[Alpheus W Drinkwater]

The Rest Is History is absolutely fantastic!

[Doktormoo]

Rogan
Crimetown
Verdict (Ted Cruz)
Talk is Jericho
Ruthless
Quillette

[Jerry B.]

Don't care for podcasts. I can read a transcription faster, and can skip over stuff I'm not interested in more quickly, and without having to fast-forward and rewind to find the start of the next segment.

[Mr. Bumble]

Agreed. Much prefer the written word.

[Eugene Volokh]

I generally agree, but I like them for the car and while exercising.

[Jett's Pop]

And walking the dog.

[David Nieporent]

Exactly. Commuting — which I do pretty rarely nowadays — is pretty much the only place I do podcasts.

[David Bremer]

The trick is to listen to podcasts at 2x speed. It takes a little getting used to, but in no time you don't even notice the pace.

A few years ago, the WSJ did a story about how some people listen up to 5x speed. That's a bit quick for me. I've gone to 3x if I really want to peel through them, but usually cap it at about 2.5x. I really don't know how people listen to them at standard pace.

[Sarcastr0]

What do you use to listen to them? I peffer a dedicated device to a phone.
My iPod only goes up to 2x, but I think I could do more for the non-music ones.

Plus the iPod is now obsolete tech…

[David Bremer]

I use the app Downcast. Since I plug my phone into the car and have it with me even when working out, it works fine.

It automatically updates podcasts I subscribe to throughout the day, allows me to create playlists, and plays up to 3x with no discernible loss in audio quality. You can also set (globally or by podcast) helpful defaults, like skipping the first so many seconds of each episode (good for skipping ads). It's also easy to jump ahead of back with a quick swipe (again, good for skipping ads).

[Dr. Ed 2]

I detest podcasts for that very reason -- I would much prefer reading the text than listening to someone saying it -- the human brain can decode text a lot faster than it can process auditory input -- and it can do that a lot faster than most people can *clearly* speak.

If it is something that I do not understand or which I have a particular interest in, then podcast slow is good. Otherwise it is, PLEASE PLEASE send me a transcript...

[Jordan Brown]

Yep.

But I have to give a shout out to https://historyofenglishpodcast.com/ . It's kind of overwhelming, 163 episodes at ~45m each and so I've only listened to the first two, but I keep wanting to listen to more. Pronunciation is key, so the audio aspect adds value. (But some kind of text with audio segments might be better.)

[Alphonse Tomato]

This. Podcasts probably take less time to make than written text but I can read and understand written text far faster than listening to a podcast. I don't follow any podcasts because of this. (Also, I don't take my phone everywhere I go.) Podcasts with written transcripts are ok, but that's got to be a lot of work on the producer. In the car, I try to devote my attention to operating that potentially lethal ton-and-a-half piece of moving machinery.

[Vaclav Matthess]

Honestly - Bari Weiss
History of Rock in 500 Songs
Amarica's Constitution - Akhil Reed Amar
History Unplugged
The McCarthy Report - Andrew McCarthy
Political Beats (Rock Artists/Groups)
The Bible in a Year - Fr. Mike Schmitz (I'm not Catholic, but still find this interesting - mostly Bible readings, with some light commentary at the end).

[Jett's Pop]

Akhil Amar's podcast can be quite good, but it is generally too long and has too many digressions.

[letters2mary]

Did not know he has a podcast. Very much enjoyed his lectures on the Constitution.

[Ed Grinberg]

- Dennis Prager Show
- Radio Derb

[Pereours]

EconTalk – Mr. Rogers exploring the world of work, and especially of work for others, but for adults
Anglican Unscripted – not my church, but wide-ranging look at developments in a church that exists all around the world

Others have come and gone, or get revisited sporadically. So thanks for the chance to learn what other VC readers listen to!

[backbencher]

Any of Mike Duncan's history podcasts, beginning with History of Rome, then moving on to separate podcasts on various revolutions, English, French, Russian, etc. Each episode is reasonably brief, his delivery is smooth and down-to-earth.

[ah....Clem]

I don't listen to a lot of podcasts, but here's two I'd recommend:

Ken White, AKA Popehat, is always entertaining. His "Serious Trouble" is worth a listen.

Peabody-award-winning "Throughline" has some very interesting takes on history and how it affects current affairs.

https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510333/throughline

[Aunt Teefah]

Call Her Daddy.

For a legal podcast, ALAB is pretty good.

[John F. Carr]

Mindscape, by physicist Sean Carroll. "Sean Carroll hosts conversations with the world's most interesting thinkers. Science, society, philosophy, culture, arts, and ideas." https://www.preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/

[swood1000]

Sean Carroll recently responded to the statement by Colin Wright that “Biological sex is real, immutable, and binary” by tweeting that “Actual science would like a word,” and citing an infographic from a Scientific American article titled “Visualizing Sex as a Spectrum.” According to Carroll, the correct scientific view is that sex (as distinct from gender) is a spectrum and is not a binary. Jerry Coyne replied:

“Actual science” done by biologists shows 2 sexes, one with small mobile gametes and the other with large, immobile ones. There is no third sex. Disorders of sex development are not new sexes, and biological sex is binary. Let’s not conflate sex, gender & developmental anomalies.

Carroll seems to let his politics dominate his science.

[John F. Carr]

He is a liberal and admits to being one, but for the most part that does not make his interviews unlistenable. (Skip his "ask me anything" segments, I don't count those as part of the podcast, and read his blog or tweets at your own risk.) He can interview conservative or libertarian people without getting argumentative. His atheism may be a bigger problem than his politics. An episode about hell didn't really go anywhere because he was so sure hell was a made up fiction to scare people. That's a defensible position, but two atheists agreeing about hell did not result in a compelling interview.

Most episodes of Mindscape fill the time while driving and a significant minority are worth recommending as individual episodes. Only a few have me bail out early. For example, the guy who was certain that there must be an objective morality compatible with contemporary Western values.

(Of the few audio programs about hell I have heard, the most interesting was a Catholic radio show where the segment about hell was surprisingly skeptical. We have a cultural tradition about what Christian hell might be or ought to be in a just world, but the primary source has little to say beyond that it exists.)

[AvikGupta]

Divided Argument (Will Baude)
Goodfellows (John Cochrane, Niall Ferguson, HR McMaster)
Amarica’s Constitution (Akhil Amar)
The Libertarian (Richard Epstein)
Dissed (Pacific Legal Foundation)

[John F. Carr]

Ottoman History Podcast. "A podcast about the Ottoman Empire, the modern Middle East, and the Islamic world." https://www.ottomanhistorypodcast.com

Spacepod, by a planetary scientist. https://www.listentospacepod.com

[Bob from Ohio]

None. Listen to music instead.

[princess jasmine]

Very bad wizards

[swood1000]

• The Fifth Column - amusing commentary on current events by Kmele Foster, Michael Moynihan, and Matt Welch
• The Reason Interview - Nick Gillespie does great interviews (he actually has read the book by the author being interviewed)
• Honestly with Bari Weiss
• Advisory Opinions - pretty good commentary by David French and Sarah Isgur on Supreme Court cases and other legal cases in the news
• The Glenn Show - Glenn Loury has a viewpoint on racial matters at odds with leftist received wisdom - every two weeks has John McWhorter on to discuss current events
• War on the Rocks – good commentary on the war in Ukraine - Michael Kofman is on regularly
• Law Talk - Epstein and Yoo have an entertaining take on legal cases and current events

[Bored Dad Is Bored]

Daniel & Jorge Explain the Universe

[Drue]

I have three that I never miss:
No Such Thing as a Fish
The Infinite Monkey Cage
History of Rock and Roll in 500 Songs

[Sarcastr0]

How could I forget More or Less behind the Stats from BBC.

I like it more than Freakinomics in tone, myself. I also think I learn a bit more.

[dunlop212]

Fall of Civilizations. There are 16 of these up now. The latest is two hours re the Bagan Empire of Burma. High production values and excellent content, a step above typical youtube historians.

[Ridgeway]

I like Stuff You Should Know, esp on longer car trips

[Duck916]

Sam Harris's Making Sense podcast has thoughtful discussions with experts in a variety of fields. I really like how, even when he disagrees with his guest, Sam tries to get his guest's best arguments presented.

[Doug Sundseth]

For pure podcasts
*John McWhorter's "Lexicon Valley" - Linguistics and language history.
* Ken and Robin Talk About Stuff - Mostly roleplaying game design, historical weirdness, and literature.

I also quite like several YouTube channels that basically consist of long-form slide presentations (which seem close enough to appeal to the same audiences as podcasts):
* Perun - In-depth economics analyses of the current Russian invastion of Ukraine.
* Military History Visualized

[letters2mary]

I would love to say that all of my listening is high minded.

It is not.

I like Conversations with Tyler and Honestly (Bari Weiss) but have no shame in admitting to a fondness for Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend as well as Armchair Expert.

I miss the not-long-ago departed Gilbert Gottfried and his Amazing and Colossal Podcast.

For the middle of the road, there is Reasonable Doubt, which is part legal and part social and humorous commentary.

Hoping to find some new listening material among these responses.

[MoreCurious]

"Don't Blame Me, I Didn't Appoint These People." Justice Roberts.
"Leaks, What Leaks?" Justice Alito.
"Is the Keg Here Yet?" Justice Kavanaugh.
"Ginni Thomas? Never Met Her." Justice Thomas.
"What Would the Founders Do?" Justice Gorsuch.
"Were the Apostles Armed?" Justice Barrett.

[Frank Drackman]

You Started it, I'm ending it. Who does your material? Paul Reubens?
"Is Jackson Brown a man? I can't tell" Justice Jackson
"Each of my chins should get a vote" Justice Wise Latina
"I love eating at the Y" Justice Kagan
now, thats some comedy, Whoa!!!

Frank "Dice" Drackman

[Lady Dada]

So many great suggestions, and these may have already been mentioned, but obviously the Reason Roundtable is a favorite. Also love:

The Political Orphanage
You Are Not So Smart
Sword and Scale (cheesy true crime to pass the time)

[Caphon]

Regular:
In Our Time (BBC)
The History of the Americans
Uncommon Knowledge

Occassional:
Joe Rogan
Lex Friedman

Rare:
Meateater
Bill Burr
Jordan Pederson

Lamenting the Lack Of:
Hardcore History

[Alpheus W Drinkwater]

A lot of good podcasts recommended already, in particular I love A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs. Another constitutional podcast I enjoy is Eric Segall's Supreme Myths. A few others:

The Memory Palace
The Bugle
Literature and History

Also, there are a ton of fiction podcasts, which are basically stories told like the old radio shows. Too many to mention, but my favorite is probably Limetown.

[jorgyusa]

Scott Adams
Gun Talk
Tulsi Gabbard

[questioner7]

This American Life
Nature Podcast (by Nature, top science magazine)

[A nerdy Fred]

"Sleep With Me", the insomnia cure podcast. The guy tells rambling stories. They can be kind of interesting but soon the novelty wears off and his voice hits you like a phaser stun.

[Sims]

* All In for engaging talk about a variety of topics by smart, tech-successful friends. https://www.allinpodcast.co

* The locally hosted Cyberlaw Podcast for the very latest in, you guessed it, cyberlaw.

* And let's not forget books on tape, which are also great for car listening. My current favorite: Flights of Fancy by Richard Dawkins, narrated charmingly by the author.

[Vaclav Matthess]

I would like to note that I love the Overcast podcasting app. It allows me to listen to a podcast chronologically. This is good for a podcast that builds upon previous episodes (as opposed to those discussing current events).
For example, many of us listen to the History of Rock in 500 Songs, and you can do so by listening to the current episodes, but I find it more helpful to listen to the History in order.
The only drawback is that it's a Apple-only app - not available for Android. 🙁
https://overcast.fm/

[CEF]

1865 . It's a largely historical, but somewhat embellished, retelling of the events after the assassination of Lincoln. They're upfront about what we actually know from history and where they may have filled in some gaps or departed from the historical record. Gives a great feel for what a much smaller, and much younger, Washington must have been like.