Look I know what you’re thinking, “why would I listen to people just talking about whatever?”. For me, podcasts can be quite useful as background noise for studying, writing an essay, or drudging through hours of lab work. Sometimes you just want to listen to someone talk without the labor of interacting with another human ya know? Or you know that the second you pull out a headphone to say something briefly to your study buddy that you will proceed to talk about how insane that one prof is, or who you saw at the bar last weekend, or literally anything other than what you’re supposed to be working on, and subsequently absolutely nothing will be accomplished for the rest of the study session. Podcasts are like a study buddy that doesn’t need you to talk back, so you can write a few paragraphs while they chat away.
So, the next time your study playlist gets repetitive, here are some alternatives to try:
Ologies with Alie Ward
Ologies is a talk show style podcast with expert guests chatting with host Alie Ward about their field of study, aka their -ology. This show adheres to the mottos of “ask smart people stupid questions” with complex curiosities being explained in simple terms by experts who are passionate about their work. Alie edits in silly sound clips and references to keep her recordings lively, avoiding any dull moments. This podcast explores some of the most exclusive niches in research, you’re bound to learn something new.
Oologies is available on Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/show/5nvRkVMH58SelKZYZFZx1S?si=8a5u5YGIRo6I-6aUN46mAg
This Podcast Will Kill You with Erin Welsh and Erin Allmann Updyke
This podcast is an absolute dream come true for an aspiring pathologist like me, but the ladies from This Podcast Will Kill You deconstruct the complexity of epidemiology and pathology into simple to understand terms that even your arts major friends can wrap their head around and enjoy. Erin and Erin are two disease ecologists who explain the history and biology of diseases; particularly those that have had an intense societal impact. If the first episode about influenza doesn’t convince you to get your flu shot, I don’t know what will.
This Podcast Will Kill You is available on Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/show/7cujpkzRygYyLylnv5SVFu?si=qTo2WWv4S8Cl3fJhS589sw
Science rules with Bill Nye
Yes, you read that name right, its…BILL! BILL! BILL! You may have thought you’d never experience the euphoria of watching your science teacher roll a TV into class to let Bill Nye the Science guy bless you with scientific knowledge, but baby I’m here to introduce you to a modern way to relive your childhood while learning something new: Bill Nye the Science Guy has a podcast! Bill has listeners call in with scientific inquires and proceeds to discuss them with scientists experienced in the field in question. If your issue with getting into podcasts is having a hard time trying to find one that’s not hosted by someone with a voice you can tolerate; perhaps Bill’s familiar tune will help ease you into them.
Science Rules is available on Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/show/3zGr8BgdHMdhUeLhgEYX8R?si=QNydo8YVTxOAt47j_OTqog
