We’re going to drive back from Norway to Northumberland for Christmas next week so I’m looking for some new podcasts to listen to on the journey. I find there’s a lot of crap out there and it seems difficult to find something decent so hopefully you can help.

My girlfriend likes true crime a lot so she’s got that covered. (Teacher’s Pet, Serial, etc.)

I would quite like some educational, political, historical, social type podcasts. For an idea about what I like I often watch videos on youtube about things such as…

– Political events or theories in history (I get enough of current affairs through the news)
– Anthropology and sociology
– Educational videos about historical events such as wars or cultural shifts or natural disasters
– Economics, general workings of country’s economies
– Videos about ‘how stuff works’

I’m just generally keen to learn more about how the world works and how we got to where we are now I suppose, mostly driven by a much greater interest in politics since the Brexit referendum.

So, any suggestions?

Dan Carlin Hardcore History
Radiolab
Revisionist history
Freakonomics
Drilled
Jocko Podcasts where he reviews specific events

I’ll second Revisionist History, it is fantastic.

Infinite Monkey Chain might almost fit as well

Cage not chain ffs

BBC’s beyond today podcasts are worth routing through, lots of topics covered

Might be worth grabbing a month of audible subscription. I have had some good books off of there. A friend has recommended Marr’s history of the world but there will be books on my subject.

99% invisible and the allusionist are both worth a shot. Former is very wide ranging on design topics from around the world, latter is about words and language.

J

Reply All has some gems of a kind of investigative journalist nature including phone hacking, call centre scams and google map review oddities.

One of the blokes has a right odd voice though.

No Such thing as Fish (comedy based facts)
My Dad wrote a porno (wildcard, very wildcard, hilarious and cringy)

Videos about ‘how stuff works’

Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsXVk37bltHxD1rDPwtNM8Q

A lot is sciencey stuff which it doesn’t sound like you’re too interested in, but you’ll see on that page linked above there are categories. The Humans one contains videos about early civilisations etc. There are also things about general topics like how the immune system works, do aliens really exist, is GMO safe, what is consciousness, etc.

Freakonomics highly recommended, very approachable but usually very insightful too.

I do listen to Revisionist History, but does anyone else find MG a bit smug?

BBC’s All in the mind is very good if you’re interested in mental health & related issues.

Well thank you, there is plenty to look through there and I’m sure we’ll find something worth listening to.

I’ll second the Infinity Monkey Cage – Good popular science podcast, covering a range of subjects, from a fish’s ability to count, to climate change, and the periodic table, with Brian Cox. There’s a good bit of humour in there, so it’s really easy to listen to.

Recently been listening to The European Union in the New Millennium, which is a series of lectures providing a complete overview on the history, structure, and future of the EU. All recorded well before Brexit, mainly featuring a Slovakian (I think) professor, well balanced and fairly critical.

Butcher, that sounds right up my street.

Do you like words? I can recommend The Allusionist if so, a fun and interesting take on etymology. [EDIT: as someone already suggested, darn.]

On your politics point, if you like stuff like The Last Leg or Last Week Tonight, then The Bugle is in a similar vein and is great.

(Fun trivia fact 1: John Oliver of LWT used to co-host The Bugle until he went to America and got famous. Fun Trivia Fact 2: the hosts of the two podcasts I’ve just mentioned are brother and sister.)

This is an area where the Beeb, especially R4, are brilliant. I listen to this lot, er, a lot:

Infinite Monkey Cage, as above
More or Less – Looks at the stats in the news (and says whey they’re generally bollocks)
From Our own Correspondent – Short pieces about ordinary people all around the world
The Bottom Line – Discussions of business-related goings on

Tonnes of other stuff available too

Desert island disk archives, some of the really old ones. Brilliant.

Surely you just described In Our Time?

You’re dead to me – BBC historical/humour mix and 30 animals that made us smarter – BBC science/engineering/natural world have been good.

I do listen to R4 a lot and enjoy quite a lot of their programs but my Swedish girlfriend doesn’t tolerate The Archers (she doesn’t know what she’s missing!) and other R4 dramas enough to listen to R4 all day to get to the good stuff, hence why I’m looking for some podcasts.

Can’t stand In Our Time any more, I listened to quite a lot maybe 5 yrs ago and tried again recently but Melvin Brag is too annoying and they are just way too specific, so much so that I just zone out, I feel like I want for them to ‘zoom out’ one step and give me a bit more of an overview.

Can’t stand In Our Time any more, I listened to quite a lot maybe 5 yrs ago and tried again recently but Melvin Brag is too annoying and they are just way too specific

I pick and choose the ones I’m interested in – mostly historical and science. The nice thing is that there are sooo many of them there’s still loads of material even if you are choosy. Normally the science ones are details of say someone’s life but with lots of overview too.

If you have even a passing interest in ww2 al Murray and James Holland’s we have ways of making you talk is well worth a listen .

Intelligence squared might be up your street to , interviews with politicians,scientists,business people etc .

Atomic hobo is short 20 min episodes narrated by a Scottish lady about what would of happened in a nuclear war , a bit specific but totally absorbing