5 Podcasts you can learn something from
Sometimes we mistake “school” for “education” and forget that there are SO many ways to learn new things OUT of the classroom! Once you’re out of school for awhile, it’s easy to stop acquiring knowledge - but learning is one of those things that we should never really stop doing. Podcasts are one of the easiest, cheapest, and most convenient ways you can gain some new and awesome information (without even having to read!) Here are 5 podcasts we recommend you give a listen to.
P.S. We love to have these downloaded and ready to go poolside, lakeside or for summer road-trips and drives to the cottage!
1. TED Radio hour
You're probably familiar with TED Talks, and might even have watched these videos in one of your social science or english classes. Typically, TED talks (which stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design) are done by experts in a given field who present their subjects in a 20-30 minute talk. The TED radio hour podcast compiles recorded TED Talks and groups them by theme into 1-hour long episodes. There are hundreds of episodes on a wide range of themes, including happiness, consumer branding, the effects of tech screens, and our connection to food.
2. Radiolab
Radiolab is without a doubt one of our favourite podcasts. Every episode blends a narrative story with scientific or historical information. The episodes range in topics from political scandals, to scientific discoveries, to stories surrounding social causes that you probably haven’t heard about. The best part about Radiolab is how engaging it is. One of the co-hosts is also a composer, so every episode features amazing audio effects that really enhance the story. We guarantee that time will fly when you’re listening to Radiolab, and you’ll def walk away with some serious new wisdom.
3. Math Therapy (Our podcast!)
You heard us right, our founder, Vanessa Vakharia, has her very own podcast called Math Therapy and it’s alllll about helping adults work through their math trauma, one problem at a time! If you want a relatable, funny, very real podcast to help you feel less alone in your math-phobia, Math Therapy is for YOU!
4. Stuff you should know
This podcast is exactly what it sounds like- an entire show dedicated to going deep on topics you should know about! It’s produced by the creators of howstuffworks.com, but tbh when we’re feeling lazy we prefer the podcasts, since we don’t have to actually read anything. There are hundreds of episodes available for download on pretty much any topic you can think of. Seriously anything. Porta-potties? Yes. Quinoa? Yup. Frostbite? Yeah. Breast-implants? We wish we were joking but we aren’t. Anyway you get the idea...
5. Freakonomics
Ever wondered how to win a Nobel Prize? Consider what it would mean for the restaurant industry if tipping were banned? Is China actually stealing American jobs? Do people who get better sleep earn higher incomes? These and so many more topics are all addressed on the super popular freakonomics podcast. Hosted by an economist and a journalist, the show claims to “explore the hidden side of everything.” What we love about Freakonomics is that it combines popular culture with economic information, so you feel like you’re learning tons. As a fun bonus, some episodes are dedicated entirely to interviews with some pretty cool peeps, like Master of None star Aziz Ansari and Daily Show Host Trevor Noah.