When I go for walks at the moment, I often listen to podcasts or audiobooks. Looking to find podcasts which would be both interesting in their own right, but also develop my own hinterland knowledge of the science I teach, I put out a request for suggestions on Twitter. This got far more responses than I anticipated and I know I will forget most of the suggestions within a few hours, so I thought I’d collate a list to go back to when I’m looking for something new to listen to. Here’s the list (in no particular order) as recommended by helpful EduTwitter folk – please enjoy the podcasts and let me know if you have any other suggestions or would especially recommend any episodes.
Podcasts with descriptions taken from their websites:
Infinite Monkey Cage – Witty, irreverent look at the world through scientists’ eyes. With Brian Cox and Robin Ince.
The Life Scientific – Professor Jim Al-Khalili talks to leading scientists about their life and work, finding out what inspires and motivates them and asking what their discoveries might do for us in the future.
In Our Time, Science – Scientific principles, theory, and the role of key figures in the advancement of science.
The Curious Cases of Rutherford and Fry – Science sleuths Dr Adam Rutherford and Dr Hannah Fry investigate everyday mysteries sent by listeners.
Inside Science – Dr Adam Rutherford and guests illuminate the mysteries and challenge the controversies behind the science that’s changing our world.
Looking Glass – Looking Glass is a new podcast from the Institute of Physics. In this first series, author and journalist Angela Saini hosts challenging conversations about our society, exploring ideas and innovations across disciplines to create a blueprint for a future world.
The Physics Teaching Podcast – A Podcast for Teachers of Physics made by Physics Teachers
Mindscape – Sean Carroll hosts conversations with the world’s most interesting thinkers. Science, society, philosophy, culture, arts, and ideas.
Medical Mysteries – Medical Mysteries brings high-stakes story-telling and intrepid investigation to the hospital, in a medical procedural for the podcast space. Every week, we follow desperate patients battling mysterious symptoms–from the bizarre to the terrifying–as determined doctors race against the clock for a diagnosis.
Whatever Next – Who knows what the 5G future holds? The truth is, nobody does. But from smart cows to gaming with your mind, 5G is already changing what’s possible today. Dr Hannah Fry and comedian Suzi Ruffell are on a mission to speak to the extraordinary people using 5G to supercharge the tech world. Together, they’ll uncover the weird and wonderful stories that throw light on how our everyday lives are transforming.
The Disappearing Spoon – A science history podcast.
Distillations – Using stories from science’s past to understand our world.
Discovery – Explorations in the world of science.
Ologies – Volcanoes. Trees. Drunk butterflies. Mars missions. Slug sex. Death. Beauty standards. Anxiety busters. Beer science. Bee drama. Take away a pocket full of science knowledge and charming, bizarre stories about what fuels these professional -ologists’ obsessions. Humorist and science correspondent Alie Ward asks smart people stupid questions and the answers might change your life.
Quirks and Quarks – CBC Radio’s Quirks and Quarks covers the quirks of the expanding universe to the quarks within a single atom… and everything in between.
Genetics Unzipped – The Genetics Society podcast
The Naked Scientists – Science podcasts
Made of Stronger Stuff – Our bodies reflect change in the world around us. Psychologist Kimberley Wilson and Dr Xand van Tulleken ask – one body part at a time – how much control do we have?
Living Planet – Every Thursday, a new episode of Living Planet brings you environment stories from around the world, digging deeper into topics that touch our lives every day.
This Podcast Will Kill You – This podcast might not actually kill you, but it covers so many things that can. Each episode tackles a different disease, from its history, to its biology, and finally, how scared you need to be. Ecologists and epidemiologists Erin Welsh and Erin Allmann Updyke make infectious diseases acceptable fodder for dinner party conversation and provide the perfect cocktail recipe to match.
Image – Listen by Adrien Coquet from the Noun Project
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