I’m looking to refresh my podcast subscriptions with thoughtful, insightful, non politics stuff (enough of that already in my subscriptions). I’d love some recommendations for:
- Techie stuff for a luddite like me
- Long form explorations of a single topic
- Video gaming (loved the video game historian but he stopped)
- TTRPGs and game design
- Reading and Writing
- Absolutely no interest in art, finance, crypto, cars, sports, aliens, murder/horror/crime, or influencer style conversation casts (Rogan or Piker)
My current subscriptions are to:
- Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History
- Disasters Deconstructed (though I’m not liking the academic tone anymore since I left this career, so stopped listening as much)
- Ralph Nader Radio Hour
- CBC podcasts, a wide variety on politics
- Autocracy in America
- NPR Shortwave and Planet Money
- John Stewart
- Trevor Noah
hi! I have the suggestion of Ludonarrative Dissidents for TTRPG content. I haven’t personally gotten a chance to listen to them, unfortunately, but I’ve heard good things!
on writing, my partner really loves Worldbuilding For Masochists which I’ve listened to and enjoyed, I just didn’t get very far into it.
hope you find some good ones! I’m trying to get back into podcasts myself.
Ear Hustle is fantastic, also, Behind the Bastards
Not sure these recommendations fit neatly into those categories, but here are some:
- Tech: EFFector, How to Fix the Internet, Tech Won’t Save Us - these mostly deal with the issues surrounding tech as opposed to the tech itself
- Long form explanation: Let’s Learn Everything - the topics are mostly science related with most of the research coming directly from scientific papers, but they also do miscellaneous topics
Gastropod is pretty great if you like food science!
I never got into podcasts. Are you open to suggestions about YouTube channels?
(also, how’d my print recommendations a few months back end up working out for you?)
Print recommendations were stellar. I thank you! I’m glad, too, as some of the magazines you mentioned were available through my library via e-magazine. Otherwise, I go and read when I can. But I did subscribe to Macleans.
Pertaining to 80,000 hours it struck me as a new variety of affective altruism/morale ambition. Very AI bro feel to their career advice and work.
I am open to YouTube as well.
So, I’m going to open with the obvious: Nader, Stewart and Noah are scarcely apolitical.
I enjoy Seth Meyers’ A Closer Look segments but rarely care for much more. I’m also going to violently reject your prohibition on finance by suggesting Patrick Boyle, just because he knows enough to keep me abreast of underlying trends internationally. Miniminuteman is usually a good time, but he can be a bit hit-or-miss. I like Mentour Now/Mentour Pilot to learn about aviation. For video games, I like The Geek Cupboard, OrbitalPotato and Real Civil Engineer. Tom Scott, GamersNexus are also at the top of my subscriptions. And if you like watching middle-aged men solve sudokus, Cracking the Cryptic is perfect for a certain mood.
I like QanonAnonymous for deep dives on weird conspiracy nutters
Too Many Tabs - A comedy history podcast. Every week they pick a topic to deep dive on, usually a horrible person that influenced how the US is today.
Even More News - Comedy news podcast that does a good overview of news for the week. From the same folks that do Some More News, bit not scripted and out of character
Over several years scholars and I put together Academic podcasts and University lectures on Judaism, Christianity and ANE Religion
You might find something interesting in there.
That’s nice and all, but don’t you have anything longer? 🤣
