What is the best podcast you listened to in 2021?
I’ve been listening to all of Darknet Diaries this year and it’s been amazing. Hoping 2022 will be filled with similar gripping brain food. Happy new year.
Acquired is by far the best podcast I've listened to this year:
https://acquired.fm
The hosts tell the stories of great businesses (for example: TSMC, Berkshire Hathaway, and Standard Oil). They dive into each company's history (which is always fascinating), analyze what made the business tick, and discuss the lessons that can be learned from it. It's a bit like How I Built This, but geared toward founders rather than the general public and also much more entertaining.
Dear Men - a relationships podcast by Melanie Curtin. It covers lots of relationship topics: communication, intimacy, sex, emotions, therapy, trauma, etc. The host/author runs a counseling group for men and does surveys on related topics to her “Big Sexy Dataset” (a few thousand opt-in volunteers to her surveys). She frequently does one episode with an interview guest on a given topic, then follows it up with a group of girls on the same topic then follows that with a group of guys on the same topic.
A close second is How to Save The World by Katie Patrick. It is primarily about how to find and utilize cross-functional skills to influence/persuade others into improving the world in lots of ways (sustainability, energy use, ethical eating, etc). She takes a really practical approach as opposed to heavy-handed and/or smug tactics frequently associated with these campaigns. A great resource for NGOs, software devs, academics, policy makers, and others.
Besides a few other that have been mentioned, I like You're Wrong About (https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1112270.rss). It covers ... let's say pop culture history, and how we often are ... completely wrong about how certain events really happened.
Atlas Obscura have a podcast, too: https://www.atlasobscura.com/podcast If you like the website, you're probably going to like the podcast as well.
If you know German, I can recommend Sternengeschichten (about astronomy) and Einschlafen Mit Wikipedia (they read articles from the German Wikipedia in a very quiet voice, great for falling asleep, as the title suggests).
Of those already mentioned, Fall Of Civilizations deserves special praise.
The Red Line podcast has been an excellent deep-dive geopolitics podcast with some high profile guests & multiple perspectives. I always learn so much each episode, it covers a lot of my blindspots in the field. https://www.theredlinepodcast.com/
Honourable mention to Mobile Suit Breakdown podcast. The episode-by-episode analysis of the Gundam series has greatly improved my literary appreciation for a show I was otherwise only barely interested in. The hosts dig into not just the show but also the world that would have inspired the creators. A lot of background research goes into each installment. https://gundampodcast.com/
Darknet Diaries is entertaining. I am late to the party with it and I’m so glad I have loads of episodes to work my way through!
I especially enjoyed https://youtu.be/d2lJUOv0hLA, as I had no idea the first cities were already so advanced and lasted for so many centuries.
I have really enjoyed listening to CoRecursive with Adam Gordon Bell. The “Apple 2001” episode is a great one to get started with. It features a David Shayer, who worked on a secret project at Apple for a US Government contractor: http://corecursive.com/063-apple-2001
Soft White Underbelly
Interviews with addicts, homeless, prostitutes, pimps, murderers, gang members and other interesting folk on Skid Row, LA.
I've heard some really mesmerizing, tragic and bizarre things on that channel.
https://www.youtube.com/c/SoftWhiteUnderbelly
Team Deakins: the great cinematographer Roger Deakins, with his wife, James, interviewed pretty much everyone interesting they knew in film, and had someone interview Roger about most of his notable projects. They wrapped up a couple months ago as it was time to get back to work. I really hope the archived episodes stay up forever as it’s a monumental technical resource as well as a source of some cheery and cordial conversation, much of it between old friends.
https://teamdeakins.libsyn.com/
I like to listen to Lex Fridman and Joe Rogan when they have guests that I'm interested in. Between the two of them, it's a rare opportunity to see some really interesting people being themselves.
“Revolutions” and “The History of Rome” by Mike Duncan. I think I enjoyed Revolutions a little bit more, as it’s more recent history.
Also, “In our time”, which is my go-to for standalone episodes.
I can’t pick a best, but here are the best two:
* The British History Podcast
* The History of English Podcast
Both are very well-made and entertaining. The second might actually be the highest quality series of lectures I’ve ever heard (including sources in person like at university).
No Such Thing As A Bad Movie is consistently entertaining and has helped me find some truly weird bad movies, like The Legend of Simon Conjurer and Night Train to Terror. It's my go to when I want to learn about bad movies but don't have the option to watch video (in which case I watch Best of the Worst).
Good production values, the hosts and guests are great, and I love that they’re long enough to really get in depth on whatever subject they’re covering. Big back catalog as well.
Particularly interesting was the recent episodes on edibles, lobster, and smoke, but I can’t think of one that I didn’t enjoy and listen all the way through.
EconTalk is still great after all these years.
I've been listening to "Views on Vue" and "JS Party". I will check out Darknet Diaries, sounds cool.
One very unconventional suggestion for HN but I really enjoyed the "Trash Taste Podcast". The three hosts have really funny stories and talk about a variety of interesting topics, more than just Anime, despite being branded as an Anime podcast. They also bring in a great selection of guests.
Two awesome Aussies talk about all kinds of insane stuff. Coast to Coast Art Bell style.
Have to recommend the podcast from No Agenda. No Agenda, a show where former VJ Adam Curry and columnist John C. Dvorak, two experts from the media industry, have a conversation about politics. Twice a week they deconstruct the news cycle and give insights into the narrative of the mainstream media, political campaigns and the government.
https://www.noagendashow.net/
Very enjoyable to hear stories from founders of a selection of interesting companies and very well presented by Guy Raz.
Framelab by George Lakoff - if you’d like insights into how our minds work and the manipulation games played on us.
Darknet Diaries is the best one at the moment. Everything is perfectly put together in the show.
All-In pod has become a ritual for me. Also love The Knowledge Project w/ Shane Parrish.
If you are an Audible user in Germany I recommend "Sag mal du als Physiker".
Yes, it's a bit trite, but actually thinking about the media I consume is very enlightening.
I listened to every episode of the Lex Fridman podcast in about 4 months.
For the business/finance/tech types, my favorites have been Panic with Friends (Howard Lindzon), All-In Pod, My First Million, Animal Spirits, Compound and Friends, and Indie Hackers.
Daily I like: snacks daily, recode, today explained, and up first. If they have an interesting guest I do WTF (Marc Maron) and Smartless (Jason Bateman, Will Arnet and Sean Hayes)
Very Bad Wizards - a philosophy professor and a psychology professor having an informal discussions about issues in science and ethics.
Martyr Made’s Fear and Loathing in New Jerusalem
Lex Friedman podcast was by far the best This year followed by Freakanomics.
I enjoyed several episodes of “Philosophize This!”.
Not all but a select number of Joe Rogan podcasts with Sanjay Gupta and Jewel for example were very good.
Always Sunny in Philadelphia podcast (if you love the show)
Self Hosted Show
selfhosted.show/
Event Horizon
by John Micheal Godier
Definitely our home boy Lex Fridman
You are wrong about
Where should we begin