Growing up on Vermont Public Radio, and being the public radio enthusiast that drove her college roommates crazy with VPR's "Saturday Morning Lineup," podcasts are how I pass the time, driving, exercising, gardening, and on occasion cleaning to. Here are some of my top podcasts:
Radiolab
This was the podcast that started my love of podcasts. It is a fascinating mix of science, philosophy, and culture, and is a feast for the ears. The stories, intermixed with the hosts, Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich's, conversations and commentaries are pulled together with a soundscape that brings every episode to life. This is the kind of show I constantly find myself bringing up in conversation.
This American Life
This is, of course, a tried and true favorite for every podcast listener. The hours I have spent, and all nighters I have pulled finishing studio work to the archives of This American Life are countless. The variety of stories is astonishing, and I am always struck with their great abundance. After every episode I find myself wanting to know more and hungry for the infinite stories I know are out there.
99% Invisible
99% Invisible is, by far, my favorite design podcast. Every episode I find myself thinking "I never though of that before!" No episode is the same, and I have learned about everything from the architecture of Pizza Huts, to the history of Old Penn Station, to the sound design of sports. With episodes that range in length, they are a great way to fill any amount of time and always leave me looking at the world with fresh eyes.
TED Radio Hour
As an avid TED talk watcher, I LOVE this podcast. Each episode centers around a theme, and over the course of the hour, the combination of excerpts from the talks and interviews with the speakers always sends me dashing for my closest writing implement to jot down some fresh ideas. Like the original talks themselves, the weekly themes span a wide range of subjects, and I can always find an episode to fill any design, education, technology, or science whim I find myself on.
Invisibilia
This is a new podcast that finished its pilot season in February. It is the love child of two of my other favorites This American Life and Radiolab. It is brilliantly done, and explores the forces that shape human behavior. Like Radiolab, the soundscape of the podcast is beautifully crafted, and the hosts Lulu Miller, and Alix Spiegel have a great chemistry that turns science into storytelling.