Even though most of us walk around with tiny supercomputers in our pockets , and possess the corporate noesis of all world at our fingertips , lease ’s be literal for a second : our scientific literacy story are severely deficient . Just ask the goofballs who got tricked intocampaigning against water system .
Of of course , not everyone can save the time to take night classes at The Learning Annex , so we ’ve got the next best thing : the good damn skill podcasts around , ripe and ready to download . full of all , unlike your tenth - grade interpersonal chemistry teacher , these lessons wo n’t put you to sleep .
The Infinite Monkey Cage
If you ’re fine cranking the Britishness spirit level up to 11,Infinite Monkey Cageis your jamming / Marmite . The show ’s host by Robin Ince ( a comedian ) and Brian Cox ( a physicist ) , and generally features three guests ( two scientist and a comedian ) who take part in a roundtable - style discussion on a particular topic , range frommysticismandthe science of soundtoparallel universesandclimate variety . The outcome is simultaneously funny and thought - provoking , with non - scientist node often spinning topics into directions they otherwise might not have gone . in the beginning spread on BBC ’s Radio 4 , the podcast version of the show is broadly speaking a bit longer and features coarser speech – both unspoiled things .
Science VS
In an geezerhood when talking head regularly fuzz opinion and fact , having someone to sift through the " woo woo " is more important than ever . EnterScience VS , a comparatively new show that take on contentious theme – likeorganic nutrient , einsteinium - fag , andthe mysterious distaff g - spot– in an attempt to separate the fads from the fact . attender will face some uncomfortable accuracy , but host Wendy Zukerman ’s low-cal - hearted Aussie narration avail preventScience VSfrom feeling overly confrontational . consider of it as a sort of audio version ofPenn & Teller : Bullshit ! , but with less f - turkey / wizardly tricks .
Radiolab
We single outRadiolab ’s " The Rhino Hunter " show one of thebest podcast installment of 2015 , but truth be told , all ofthe series ' fascinating scientific deep divesare well worth your attention . In addition to its thorough test of topic range from single - celled organisms to the Periodic Table of Elements , Radiolab ’s title to renown is its immersive production style , which incorporates thematic euphony and sound result to establish tone throughout each installment . This signature vogue can be fairly polarizing , in that you ’ll either love it or it ’ll labor you crazy . If you ’re in the latter camp , do n’t care : there are plenty more show on this list .
Naked Scientists
Despite the sexy title , this show has less to do with scantily clad brainiacs than the stripping down of complex scientific topics for the non - PhD nominee among us . Whether they ’re answering outside - the - box enquiry from listeners ( Do fish fart?How old is the middling particle ? ) or interview guest scientists on the nature of medicine , the rotate Naked Scientists hosts do a bam - up line of teasing out the interest of the earth around us . There ’s also a recurring " Kitchen Science " section that features experiments hearer can do at home ( like building a screen background trebucket ) , as well as ones that might be a bit slippery ( like test how much fat it ’d take to stop a bullet ) .
Stuff to Blow Your Mind
Whether it ’s GMO mosquito factories , the enigma of Saturn ’s ring , or the ancient Chinese practice of ghost married couple , Stuff to Blow Your Mindregularly turns out prolonged podcasts on heady topic you ’d never think to inquiry . host Robert Lamb , Joe McCormick , and/or Christian Sager ( the latter two shift off sometimes ) get the clod rolling lento , and then before you eff it , you ’ve intermit three times in 10 minutes just to Google the madness they ’re spouting . It ’s all true , of class – or at least factually accurate – and if your psyche has n’t been blown at least once by the metre the installment ’s over , you distinctly were n’t pay attention .
Stuff You Should Know
While not quite as science - prevalent as the aforementionedStuff to Blow Your idea , SYSK ’s broad mission statement frequently take the show in investigatory territory , incubate subject likenight terrors , topsy-turvydom theory , radiation sickness , steadicams , andbody language . The easy chemistry between host Josh Clark and Charles W. " Chuck " ( aka “ Chuckers ” ) Bryant , coupled with the thorough enquiry done on each topic , form this show feel less like a talking to than sitting in on a conversation between one-time protagonist – friend who occur to have good researched a issue .
StarTalk
host by renowned science communicator , astrophysicist , and all - around nerd hero Neil deGrasse Tyson , StarTalkstands at the intersection of science and soda civilization , with particular care pay to the world beyond planet Earth . Most shows see Tyson and his co - host Chuck Nice either addressing " Cosmic Queries " from listeners or discussing a issue in between clips of an interview between Tyson and a special node ( ranging from rockstars of the science community to crossover star like Al Gore ) . If you ’ve ever listen Tyson speak before , you know what you ’re in for here : deep scientific revelations , fork up in a resonant voice that could make Uranus flush .
Science Friday
What began in 1991 as a radio show has develop into a multi - armed scientific discipline education political program , including digital TV , web articles , and of course , a super - enlightening podcast . host by Ira Flatow , theSciFrishow tackles a smattering of topics each hebdomad , including a abbreviated " this hebdomad in science " news segment followed by several more in - depth segments on topics like canine communicating , the relationship between neuroscience and abstractionist artistry , and the waysa wine ’s color can bear upon your perceptual experience of it .
notice : Although podcasts are unremarkably downloaded and consumed on the go , theScience Fridaywebsite actually offer a superior experience to mobile hearing . EachSciFriepisodeis broken down into its component segments , which include brief endorsement and full transcripts , allowing you to piece and select the bits that interest you most .
The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe
With nearly 600 episodes , spanning all the way back to the heady days of 2005,SGUis one of the more prolific series on this list . Each workweek , Dr. Steven Novella hosts a new 80 - minute episode featuring the show ’s unconstipated venire ( including Novella ’s two blood brother and neuroscientist Cara Santa Maria ) plus a special guest , search recent scientific developments and interviewing notable figure in the skill / skeptic community . Do n’t let the backlog deter you : the good path to start is to plunk in headfirst .
Of of course , this being askepticspodcast , there ’s a fair bit of time devote to deconstruct pseudoscience , conspiracy possibility , and the paranormal . Squatchersneed not implement !
Talk Nerdy
If you heard Cara Santa Maria on theSkeptics ' Guideand thought " Man , I wish she had her own podcast , " then you ’re in luck – she altogether does . Each installment , Santa Maria sits down for an hour - long discussion with people from a wide-eyed motley of fields and disciplines – from NASA astrophysicist and artists to philosopher and YouTubers – for an in - depth discussion into their opt field . The conversation can ( and often does ) coil outward into unrelated topic , but through it all , one theme remain constant : the importance of down - to - earth , well - inform science communicating .
Bad Science
Bad Science preserve things fresh by demand fun games like “ Carl Say - Again ” , in which expert explain fit that are filled with scientific jargon . If you love clowning , moving-picture show , or scientific discipline , this show is for you .
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ESA/Hubble & NASA
The Infinite Monkey Cage/Youtube
Stuff You Should Know - HowStuffWorks/Youtube
Bad Science - Seeker/Youtube
