My Modern World: Podcasts

Reflections on the 21st century, and how it took me so long to get here.

Photo by NeONBRAND on Unsplash

Podcasts have been around since 2003 but I only discovered them last year. Podcasts, if you’re not familiar with them, are primarily an episodic series of audio shows that can be downloaded for listening. Until last year I didn’t realize that I had a lot of spare time for listening. Now I listen to podcasts every morning as I drive to the train station and every evening as I drive home.

Yesterday, for example, I listened to podcasts about coral reefs, noise pollution, and how diseases could be detected at a very early stage with breath analysis. In recent weeks I have listened to podcasts explaining gravity, suggesting theories where the moon came from, and exposing the dangers of artificial intelligence. In other words, I have expanded my scientific knowledge.

But I also listen to podcasts purely for amusement. Like this morning’s podcast questioning whether the Loch Ness Monster is real. Or a podcast on the history of Ping Pong. And one asking the very important question - who invented lemonade?

Podcasts Go Mainstream

According to Fast Company, “2018 was the year podcasts went mainstream.” One of the podcasts that is credited for the rise of their popularity is “Serial”. Hosted by Sarah Koenig, the award-winning series reported on the investigation into the murder of a high school student in 1999 and included interviews with the student’s ex-boyfriend who was convicted of the crime, but may be innocent. I found the series extremely well produced and I binged on the twelve episodes over the course of twelve days.

As a result of that experience, I tried out a number of other true crime series. I listened to “In the Dark” (an investigation into the 1989 abduction of Jacob Wetterling in rural Minnesota); and “Bear Brook” (an investigation into unsolved murders in New Hampshire's Bear Brook State Park back in 1985).

Sometimes I listen to history podcasts. I listened to all 12 hour-long episodes of “Unobscured”, a series which “takes listeners on a deep dive into the dark and misunderstood events of the Salem witch trials in 1692.” And from time to time I listen to “The Bulgarian History Podcast”, a podcast on medieval Bulgarian history, a history that I am partially familiar with from the two years I lived in Sofia.

The best thing about podcasts is that there is something for everyone. I have listened to a wide variety to determine which ones keep my interest. I tried out the New York Times’ “The Daily” podcast but found that I don’t care much about American politics. On occasion I listen to “Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard” and “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend” for comic relief. And, in order to further expand my knowledge of science, I tune into episodes of “Daniel and Jorge Explain the Universe”.

Stuff You Should Know

Possibly my favorite podcast of all, and one that is thoroughly enjoyed by my wife as well, is “Stuff You Should Know.” The series, co-hosted by Josh Clark and Charles (Chuck) Bryant, has broadcasted more than 1200 episodes on a wide range of topics. The series explains in layman’s terms the Munchausen Syndrome; fossils; Dr. Seuss; the Navajo Code; safety pins; and, as mentioned before, the history of lemonade. Essential information!

In order to listen to podcasts I first had to master the Bluetooth installed in my car. Once I figured that out, I needed to find the best app for listening to podcasts on my phone. I tried out Spotify but the selection of podcasts there is a bit limited. Now I use, and highly recommend, Castbox. Castbox is the “best free podcast app with over 95 million volumes of content.”

Currently I am listening to “The End of the World” podcast, Josh Clark’s “deep dive ... into the world of existential risks.” The series raises the question of whether our species will survive the next 100 years. That question is never fully answered in the series but one thing is certain. We will never run out of podcasts to listen to.