There are many great science and technology podcasts
Yuna Park
There are so many science podcasts out there that it can be overwhelming to choose just one. We’ve searched the internet for classics and little-known gems, covering a range of topics from space to food to cybercrime. Here are our top picks.
Should You Switch to a Gluten-Free Diet? Is artificial intelligence really out of control? This podcast explores news trends and hot topics by uncovering the science behind them, separating fact from fiction. In a typical episode, science journalist Wendy Zuckerman, producer and host, talks to scientists and experts and cites research in this field in an upbeat and engaging style. The idea for the show came about in 2015 when actor Gwyneth Paltrow suggested that women steam their vaginas to increase energy, balance hormones and stay clean. Zuckerman felt compelled to bust the myth and has since been fact-checking it on her show.
You’ve probably heard of RadioLab. Launched in 2002, the award-winning podcast, currently co-hosted by science journalists Lulu Miller and Latif Nassar, tells a different science or technology-related story each week, often exploring different angles. The show incorporates interviews with experts and first-person accounts of guests into captivating narratives. Recent episodes discuss a strange internet law that exempts tech companies from activities on their platforms, cause of the mysterious Tunguska impact that hit Siberia in 1908 And whether people with disabilities really can be ideal astronauts. Highly recommended for curious people with diverse interests.
This might just be the best podcast name ever. With weekly episodes, the official podcast from NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas features in-depth conversations with astronauts, scientists and engineers about the latest developments in human space flight. The show recently celebrated its 300th birthdayth Recorded in front of a live audience, with special guests talking about what the future holds for humans going into low Earth orbit. Earlier, the show discussed NASA’s near-term goal of establishing a permanent human presence on the lunar surface. It often focuses on different aspects of this plan, such as the new lunar spacesuit and the first space station to orbit the Moon developed by NASA, called the Gateway, aimed at long-term human voyages as well as deep space exploration. have to support. Each installment is typically about an hour long, covering topics in great detail.
Do you want to delve deeper into a specific branch of science? The podcast’s name originates from the suffix ‘ology’ – the study of something – and consists of lengthy conversations between host Ellie Ward and experts on various and often obscure subjects, ranging from sciuridology (the study of squirrels) to diabetology (the research and treatment). diabetes). Ward asks questions that bring out little-known aspects of each region, while also touching on personal aspects, such as how the guests chose their specialties, which often lead to interesting stories. The idea for the podcast came from the term Curiology – writing with pictures. Ward recently devoted two episodes to this area, shedding light on emoji, from the origins of smiley faces to the behind-the-scenes drama and statistics on usage and trends. I give it a thumbs up.
A generation of youth is now grappling with climate crisis It is often considered to be the most serious problem that humanity is currently facing. This podcast, which is in its third season, is created by and for young people and aims to bring their stories to light. Whereas Early episodes focused on the experiences of young climate activists, The scope of the show has now become wider. In the latest episode, storyteller Reece Whitmore imagines a world in which buildings are conceived in collaboration with nature, not man-made materials dominate city landscapes, and talks to biomaterial designers, scientists and engineers who are working towards achieving this goal. being solution-oriented, Inherited from Tackles a difficult subject in a hopeful way.
Food collides with science and history in this bi-weekly podcast co-hosted by journalist Cynthia Grabar and author Nicola Twilley. In the most recent episode, the pair join microbiologists and bakers in an experiment in Belgium to investigate where the fungi and bacteria in sourdough starter come from. The show also sheds light on farming, for example by looking at how human faeces could save agriculture and the planet, and new developments, such as lab-grown meat, which debuted at a US restaurant in July. The show is often inspired by listener requests and is sure to appeal to inquisitive food-lovers.
Calls for efforts to reduce human-induced damage to wildlife by allowing nature to take control again rebuild, has progressed in recent years. In this podcast hosted by photographer and filmmaker, James Shooter, listeners are taken behind the scenes of various reconstruction initiatives across Europe as he visits them during a year-long trip. Monthly episodes tell the stories of people trying to reclaim nature, for example experts from the Greater Côa Valley in Portugal who are trying to improve the coexistence of animal species such as rabbits, Iberian wolves and dung beetles. Are. The host’s passion for conservation makes the show informative and engaging.
For centuries, people have often tried to treat medical problems in strange, disgusting, or ineffective ways. Hosts Sydney and Justin McElroy, married physicians, were therefore inspired to create a podcast that dug into the annals of medical history to uncover some of these proposed treatments. With new episodes every Friday, the show also takes a look at the latest medical trends, such as the resin of a pungent plant called asafoetida, which some claim may have many medical benefits, and an egg-shaped Sound-therapy room called Harmonic. Egg. The latest installment examines Florida’s sudden spike in leprosy cases, looking at the history of the disease and current treatments. May not be suitable for irritable people.
A true crime show for techies. Hosted by Jack Rysider, formerly a network security engineer, the podcast features stories about the dark side of the Internet as told by hackers and those who have been hacked. In a recent episode, a member of the Dominican Republic’s cybersecurity incident response team explained the process they went through when they investigated a major cyberattack targeting their country’s government. The second installment follows the story of a man who breaks into buildings to make a living to check whether they are safe or not. This show is compelling and highly-watchable.
This is shameless self-promotion, but you might also enjoy our podcast. New Scientist WeeklyOur flagship show, hosted by Timothy Revell and Christy Taylor, takes a closer look at the most engaging science news stories of the week. If you’re looking for something out-of-the-box, dead planet society Explores crazy ideas like how can we punch a hole in a planet or can we destroy the Sun – from a physics perspective, of course. and we’ve also got culturelab, a podcast that might interview the world’s most exciting authors about fascinating books one week and shed light on the science behind a movie or TV show another week. All are available on the main New Scientist podcast feed.
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