Favorite Podcasts That I Always Bring Along

I love listening to a half hour of good science before I go to bed, and most times I remember enough of what was said to talk about it, either with friends, colleagues, or with others I meet in our travels.

These podcasts enrich me with knowledge about nature, science, technology, the universe, and anything and everything in between. If nothing else, they do a great job helping me fall asleep, especially in the backcountry.

A huge thanks goes to the crews that put them together and share them with the world. And folks, they're absolutely free!

So, here are my top podcasts.

BBC Radio 5 Live Science

I have been listening to Dr. Karl, Dr. Rhod, Dr. Chris Smith, and crew for a long time now. They talk mostly about latest research and science, but also take listener questions like 'Why is the sky blue?', 'What's the density of a neutron star?', 'Can I get hit by lightning in a swimming pool?', etc.

Everybody on this show is called "doctor", including the presenter, Dr. Rhod, their guests, and, of course, us the listeners. We're all doctors even if we're not actual physicians or have an advanced degree. They call everybody like that, I believe, to make us all feel welcome and on the same level, even though, obviously, my knowlege is far inferior.

This is such a nice and easy podcast, recommended by me, Dr. Daniel.

Direct link to iTunes

NPR TED Radio Hour

Guy Raz and the folks at NPR do a wonderful job bringing TED talks to radio. They don't just cut bits and pieces of the actual TED talks, but rather combine them into a show that's fascinating to listen to. They interview authors and guests to round the topic into a 45 minute piece that is just surprisingly good.

All episodes have something that I'm glad I learn about, and most bring those a-ha moments that truly enrich my view of nature or life in general.

Two recent favorites are 'The Food We Eat' show from November 18, 2016 and 'How We Love' from October 7, 2016.

Two thumbs up for TED Radio Hour.

Direct link to iTunes

Science Friday

When you're after the very latest in science and technology, play the most recent episode of Science Friday with Ira Flatow. He is the long time host and executive producer of the show, a one of a kind radio personality.

Their topics are as diverse as they can be, ranging from outer space, to medical research, the internet, technology and nature. Latest research breakthroughs find their way first on Science Friday.

They post a couple of hours worth of new episodes every week, right after their show airs on public radio.

Science Friday is a classic.

Direct link to iTunes

With the above 3 being my all time favorites, here are two more:

Shirtloads of Science

This is a podcast that I've just started following this fall. It is hosted by no other than Dr. Karl Kruszelnicki all the way from down-under at the University of Sidney studios.

So far I have listened to a few very good episodes that I heartily recommend. One of them is 'The Quest for Longitude', an outstanding story about the history of maritime navigation from back in the 16th century, or Dr. Karl's interview with NASA Ames research astrophysicist Dr. Natalie Batalha, the Kepler Mission Scientist.

Give those two a listen and add this podcast to your list if you like them. I bet the doctor will have more interesting science in his shirt for the months and years to come.

Direct link to iTunes

Astronomy Cast

Astronomy Cast is one of my oldest and dearest podcasts. I listened to more than a hundred episodes of Astronomy Cast and I highly recommend it if you're even a little bit into astronomy.

Black holes, neutron stars, white dwarfs, red giants, galaxies, globular clusters, exo-plannets, light, dark matter, dark energy, the cosmos, and every other little detail about astronomy and space are the topics of this beloved podcast, hosted by long time astronomy producer Fraser Cain of Universe Today and astronomy professor and writer Dr. Pamela Gay.

I bet you're going to love the warm way they unwind every episode into an engaging educational piece that will make you want to listen more.

Why not start with one of the early episodes like 'Measuring Distance in the Universe' or 'Where Do Baby Stars Come From?'.

Direct link to iTunes

Let me know if you're a fan of any of them, or if there's something else I should try myself.

Thanks for reading!