I’m taking a little break from sharing recipes today mostly because it’s the week of Thanksgiving. Instead I wanted to share my current favorite podcasts.

I love listening to podcasts during my walks and I thought if anyone is traveling via car or plane during the next few days you might like something new and different for your entertainment.

A podcast is a digital medium consisting of an episodic series of audio, video, PDF, or ePubfiles subscribed to and downloaded through web syndication or streamed online to a computer or mobile device. The word is a neologism derived from “broadcast” and “pod” from the success of the iPod, as audio podcasts are often listened to on portable media players. [source]

1. Radiolab – “is a show about curiosity. Where sound illuminates ideas, and the boundaries blur between science, philosophy, and human experience.” Radiolab is definitely my favorite podcast. It’s a perfect blend of geeky factual knowledge dumps in a well produced setting. Some of my all time favorite Radiolab podcasts:  Wagner’s Ring Cycle, Earworms, Where am I?, Animal Minds, Cities, Poop Train and Lost & Found.

2. Planet Money – when I first listened to Planet Money I was expecting a very dry podcast about the economy. It is about the economy but focuses on aspects and subjects that aren’t covered on a day-to-day basis. Some favorites: The Secret History of Your Cable Bill (the history of channels and why we have 200+ of them), The Trouble with the Poverty Line, What’s Your Major?, The Raisin Outlaw (a committee was started in the 1940s to prevent the crash of raisin prices – it basically controls the supply of raisins and which farmers can sell their harvest).

3. Stuff You Missed in History Class – I was lucky enough to have a teacher in high school that threw our school mandated textbooks on the floor and taught us from Howard Zinn and Lies My Teacher Told Me. He was the reason why at 17, I was an avid listener of NPR. This podcast is an extension of his class for me. Some favorites: Lizzie Borden and Her Axe, How the Pony Express Worked, and Some Carbolic Acid with Your Whiskey?.

4. This American Life – I sometimes forget about this podcast. I know. How on earth could I ever forget about Ira Glass? I picture Fred Armisen, for some reason, when I listen (just me?). This is another good one, each week has a theme that is approached from several different stories. Favorites: Secret Identity, It Says So Right Here, and Superpowers.

5. Buddhist Geeks – I’m not Buddhist and I just found this podcast but I love what I’ve listened to so far. Unlike the others above, this is not an NPR affiliated podcast. I think it’s well produced and covers a variety of topics that get your introspective and outrospective wheels turning. Check out: When Everything Happens Now and The Trojan Horse of Meditation.

6. After School (from Core 77) – “The viewpoint of Afterschool will come from industrial design, but the focus will be on all types of creativity: Graphic design, storytelling, architecture, cooking, illustration, branding, materials, business, research… anything that could enrich your thought process, we’ll talk about.” Another new one for me but I love it so far. It covers a wide range of topics from the creative and entrepreneurial aspect. There are times when I have absolutely no idea what the topic is about but I always walk away having learned something new and inspiration to keep creating. Check out: discussion of the iOS 7 redesign with Neven Mrgan and Creative Director of Heath Ceramics.

7. Car Talk – Another NPR podcast that I love starring the brothers, ‘Click’ and ‘Clack’, Tom and Ray Magliozzi. Car Talk is no longer produced because the brothers retired last year, but the show still airs on the radio and the podcasts are available online or through iTunes. I grew up around a lot of cars and car parts so I could listen to Click and Clack all day. They have a great banter and are able to comically answer caller questions regarding cars and car problems.

So, those are my favorite podcasts! Thanks for reading and let us know below – Do you like podcasts? When do you listen to them? I’ve found that I’m not a good listener if I’m writing or reading on the computer, so I make sure to listen when I’m out for a walk or working around the house.

xo