Podcast recommendations?

[Gogf]

My new job requires me to sit in front of a computer doing mindless tasks for hours at a time. I figure the best way to remain sane, and use that time productively, is to listen to podcasts and audiobooks. Since we already have plenty of threads to discuss books, and I have a pretty good idea of what's worth reading/hearing, I figured I should start a thread about podcasts.

What podcasts do you recommend? Why? And what are they about?

 

[Cutlass]

You could listen to quite a few things on NPR.

 

[mech654]

If you have an interest in History then Dan Carlin's Hardcore History is a good series http://dancarlin.com/disp.php/hharchive

Or if have an interest in science then astronomy cast is a good pick.http://www.astronomycast.com/

Polycast is good if you have a interest in Civilization games.http://civcomm.weplayciv.com/polycast/

 

[Neonanocyborgasm]

There's a Freakanomics podcast, a continuing saga on the hidden side of everything. I also watch Fareed Zakaria's "GPS" in video podcast form. I have a podcast called iCritical Care, which is, as you can imagine, about critical care. Ok, that last one might be a bit over your head.

 

[Smellincoffee]

My favorites:
- The Skeptic's Guide to the Universe, featuring science and technology news, plus plenty of skeptical criticism of homeopathy, anti-vaccination scares, UFOs, and the like. Panel of five or six, depending on the week. There's usually a visitor and a "Science or Fiction" news quiz game I particularly like.
- Wait, Wait! -- Don't Tell Me, the NPR news quiz. Very funny, though probably too sexy and liberal for Palin's crowd.
- This Week in Science, a science news program hosted by a perky red-headed PhD and her sidekick Justin, who is sort of a dork. Usually fun.
- The BBC world news does a twice-daily recap every 12 hours.

I've also been getting into AstronomyCast recently. Currently I am enjoying their series on the history of astronomy.

 

[downtown]

My long car trips are full of This American Life, and Stuff You Should Know

 

[Skwink]

Mine are full of "News from Lake Wobegon". Get lots.

 

[Cashie]

Depends on what you're into.

Comedy:
WTF with Marc Maron
TOFOP with Wil Anderson & Charlie Clausen
Walking the Room with Dave Anthony & Greg Behrendt
Hollywood Babble-On with Kevin Smith and Ralph Garman (I love most of the [http://smodcast.com]SModcast podcasts[/url])
The Pod F. Topkast with Mr Paul F. Topkins
Doug Loves Movies with Doug Benson
Sklarbro Country with Jason & Randy Sklar (comedy + sport)

Others
The History of Rome is good
Skeptoid

I could list a couple more, but whatever. I think you find out about other podcasts through podcasters having guests on. Some of these might leave you cold. Some probably won't

 

[Shekwan]

"Doug Loves Movies" is an good comedy/movies podcast. He gets excellent guest, Jon Lithgow and Michael Rooker being some highlights.

A more serious movie podcast is KCRW's "The Treatment" which is usually short interviews of successful people in the American movie/TV industry.

Dan Carlin also does an American politics show called "Common Sense", and he is quite sensible relative to most American pundits. His history show is better, but less frequently updated.

If you're interested in football, then theres a good Irish football podcast called "Off The Ball". Its quite Premiership centred, but they also discuss La Liga often enough.

 

[soul_warrior]

R_co: DJ sets, mostly club recorded. from brand new to 30 year old sets. magic!

Funky16corners: a blog dedicated to soul/funk/etc

 

[schlaufuchs]

You could listen to quite a few things on NPR.

This. All Things Considered is definitely something worth listening to on a regular basis.

 

[El_Machinae]

Econtalk is hosted by Russ Roberts, a Hayekian economist. Episodes are weekly and an hour long. I've enjoyed many of them.

FORA.tv is full of talks by the authors of the 'important book of the month', and the talks tend to be an hour long.

London School of Economics has two podcasts I think. One I like, one I don't like. The one I like is actually economics professors giving talks about their research field to other LSE members. It's much more boring, but I like it quite a bit, since I like listening to professors talk within their fields.

The Royal Society for the Arts is like Fora.tv, but slightly worse audio

Quirks & Quarks is one hour per week, and is science discussion for the layman. It does some of the 'science stories of the week', but also longer interviews in different fields.

Both top-tier science journal Science and Nature have their own weekly podcasts. They're a bit less for the layman. I highly recommend them, but only if you're fond of science.


edit: for most lecturers/intellectual speakers, I'd recommend using the 2x setting for your playspeed. A lot of speakers enunciate, and this enunciation allows us to listen to them at faster rates.

 

[LucyDuke]

NPR is an absolute goldmine. I'll second all those suggestions.

Depending on whether you can use headphones/be alone, the Savage Love podcast is great. Wildly NSFW.

Don't forget audiobooks! I "read" a few books last time I was stuck sitting around all the time.

 

[Boundless]

I don't know if you'll be able to get it because it's UK, but The Today Show is brilliant, comedy gold!

 

[Monsterzuma]

look up a program named "Guns and Butter" on KPFA radio, especially the ones by Michael Hudson. not saying he's right about everything, he's just extremely thought provoking.

i personally also listen to Webster Tarpley's recent World Crisis Radio broadcasts, but i'm not sure i should be recommending that.

Financial Sense Newshour, Frisby's Bulls and Bears and King World News can be very interesting, though it's a good thing to check the credentials of the analysts involved.

 

[Perfection]

Philosophy Bites!

 

[aelf]

Not really giving a suggestion, but how mindless is mindless? I've had to do something that I consider mindless for days on end (writing timings and descriptions for all the video clips in a documentary production assembly). If I were to be listening to podcasts, I would either not have been really listening or would have been doing the work way too slowly. How do you multitask this?

 

[deanej]

No Agenda is good for a deconstruction of the media and news stories that the government and big business don't want you to know about.