These are the best shows for being a better conversationalist.
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If you’re looking to boost your knowledge of history, science,
current events, or a wide range of other subjects, these shows offer
some quick aural intelligence. And for more ways to challenge yourself
to be better, here are 7 Ways to Boost Brain Power After 40.
Hidden Brain
As its name implies, this podcast explores how we make decisions and
get into behavior patterns often without realizing what we are doing or
why. Host and NPR social science correspondent Shankar Vedantam
draws on the latest psychology and sociology research to explore what
drives human behavior, how it is impacting your own life, and how you
might be able to change it for the better. A good episode for newbies: “In Praise of Mess: Why Disorder May Be Good for Us.”
99% Invisible
Just has Hidden Brain encourages you to examine the often-overlooked
elements driving human behavior, 99% Invisible spotlights the things
that are right in front of our face that you pass perhaps daily—works of
architecture or design that shape our lives in ways we don’t think
about. Taking its name from Buckminister Fuller’s
quote, “99 percent of who you are is invisible and untouchable,” it
shines a light on everything from baseball stadiums, to stethoscopes, to
athletic bras. Hosted by Roman Mars, it’s hard not to
come away from an episode seeing the world in a slightly different,
better-informed light. And for more ways to be smarter, here are 10 Ways to Develop a Photographic Memory.
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Planet Money
Launched in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, this show
tackles big, complicated questions about the economy, explaining them in
everyday, easily comprehendible language. It delves into issues and how
they affect the wider world in surprising ways, from the price of college to an obscure chicken tax in California. Whether you read John Maynard Keynes in your free time or if you’re someone who zoned out during Econ 101, you’re going to find plenty to like and learn here.
Freakonomics Radio
Speaking of accessible economics Stephen J. Dubner, journalist and co-author of the massively successful Freakonomics
books, hosts the highly entertaining Freakonomics Radio. The show not
only tackles big topics while keeping things fun, but frames them in
surprisingly insightful ways. One recent episode asked, “Why Don’t We All Speak the Same Language?” while another looked at our weird obsession with lawns.
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Presidential
At a time when presidential politics can be a bit depressing, this show from the Washington Post provides
some fun and insightful context into the history of the executive
branch. In forty-four episodes that led to Election Day 2016, the podcast dove into the personality and legacy of each man who took on America’s highest office, with input from Pulitzer Prize-winning historians such as David McCullough and journalists such as Bob Woodward. It’s a great one both to learn some surprising things about figures as familiar as George Washington or obscure as Millard Fillmore. And for more great aural assistance, know that Bill Murray’s Secret Spotify Playlist Will Boost Your Productivity.
Startalk
Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson is everywhere
these days, from late-night shows to cameos in major movies, and a
listen to his podcast makes it easy to understand why. He can explain
the complexities of space and science topics from climate change to
solar eclipses, while also delving into such quirky subjects as the
physics of basketball or science behind Game of Thrones. While Tyson is pretty funny himself, he gets help from comedian and celebrity cohosts that make this a really fun listen.
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Hardcore History
It’s not called “hardcore” for nothing. More in-depth books than one-off episodes, Dan Carlin takes several months to create each of his installments, often taking years to cover topics such as the empire of Genghis Khan
and the Eastern Front of World War II. He approaches these topics
through a number of angles, always emphasizing its relevance to current
debates.
The Naked Scientists
This show’s panel of scientists discuss science-related news of the
day while also opening up the conversation to a live studio audience,
who can ask the panelists about everything from whether science can
reverse the aging process to how memory works. The tone is lively,
interactive, and accessible, making it a great option for those who
might otherwise be intimidated by such left-brained topics.
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Radiolab
This podcast from WNYC has been a must-listen show for those
interested in science and philosophical questions for years, not just
for the interesting topics it tackles, but how it tackles them.
It incorporates innovative sound design and editing with its interviews
and stories, creating an unusual aural landscape into which hosts Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich explore the week’s topic.
The Tim Ferris Show
While many of the shows on this list focus on deconstructing
complicated topics, this show from the man behind the 4-Hour Work Week
aims to deconstruct the most successful people in the world. Tim Ferris offers practical life hacks through interviews with people like Richard Branson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tony Robbins,
and many more, challenging listeners’ assumptions about figures they
think they know, all with an eye toward enhancing their own lives.
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Reply All
Rather than ancient history or curiosities of design, this show
delves into something familiar to anyone who knows how to download a
podcast: the internet. Hosts PJ Vogt and Alex Goldman
look at how the internet is shaping and changing the world and the
people who are shaping the internet, from how conspiracy theories can go
viral to how we compromise our privacy without realizing it—all told in
engaging, funny ways.
All in the Mind
This BBC Radio show explores “the limits and potential of the human mind,” with host Claudia Hammond
walking listeners through strange and fascinating topics such as sleep
paralysis, the psychology of self-driving cars, and other odd pockets of
the human brain. You’ll come away understanding your own thinking, and
others’, much more clearly.
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How to Do Everything
This show is something like a more complicated take on an advice column: Hosts Mike Danforth and Ian Chillag
take a listener’s quirky or urgent question (“How do I train a
jellyfish?” “How do I find the best seat on an airplane?”) and find
equally quirky and entertaining ways of answering them, usually
recruiting the help of experts to help provide a solution.
Sawbones
Those who have a morbid curiosity about how doctors used to help
treat and “heal” people should give this show a listen. Produced by Dr. Sydnee McElroy
and her husband Justin, it dives into weird chapters of medical
history, looking at all the odd and misguided ways medical professionals
have attempted to help people in previous decades and centuries—often
doing just the opposite.
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Lexicon Valley
If you’re a fan of Eats, Shoots & Leaves or enjoy learning the odd origins of idioms, this show will give you plenty to chew on. Hosted by linguist John McWhorter,
each episode dives into a grammatical or etymological topic, finding
some surprising stories along the way. Recent episodes have tackled
whether languages simplify over time, and where the term “Baby Mama”
came from. And for more ways to keep boosting your brain, here are the 15 Over-the-Counter Drugs That Will Make You Smarter.
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