Media I Consume

Podcasts to Which I Regularly Listen

  • Astronomy Cast – 30 minutes pretty well on the button and covers specific topics in astronomy.  I think it’s more accurately a physics podcast but it’s both clear and conversational.  The host is quite good at coming up with good questions as well as good metaphors and examples for tricky stuff.
  • Buzz Out Loud from CNET -45 minute-ish daily covering technology. Much more fluid than most podcasts with funny and well-done commentary.
  • Declaring Independence – More or less weekly podcast hosted by Ed Brayton.  A powerful and ideologically consistent show that focuses on political libertarianism.
  • The Economist – Readings of weekly articles and a few other segments like Democracy in America, The World Next Week and Certain Ideas About Europe.
  • FLOSS Weekly - Topics in Free/Libre Open Source Software. I thought it’d be a lot more technical but it is delightfully listenable. The heads of some pretty big FLOSS projects are reviewed in this now weekly 1.25+ hour show.
  • For Good Reason – Podcast now hosted by DJ Grothe when he moved to the JREF.  Seems to be identical to what Point of Inquiry was.  Discusses topics in skepticism.
  • Futures in BioTech – Dense hour plus shows on topics in biotechnology. I have no idea what they’re talking about 1/2 the time. some background in biology/genetics help greatly. Host speaks softly in a deep voice and can be hard to make out without loud speakers.
  • gdgt weekly – A little over an hour weekly done by Ryan Block and Peter Rojas, the brains behind both Engadget and Gizmodo.  Almost oracular understanding of consumer technology; the David Hilberts of gadget blogging.
  • MacBreak Weekly – I only own an iPod and an iPhone but the personalities on the show are simply amazing.  As platforms overlap and merge, I feel that I still get significant value to this weekly 90 minute show as the review of tech stories is spectacular.
  • MaximumPC No BS – Weekly podcast from MaximumPC magazine. The producer has recently changed but episodes are still high quality over the hour plus show.
  • net@nite - Amber MacArthur and Leo Laporte talk about memes and other web happenings. Hourish near-weekly shows usually have an interview with some big-wig in web culture.
  • NPR: Intelligence Squared – Seasonally produced Debate netcast done in Stanford-style debate. Two or three rounds of discourse followed by limited cross-examination and questions from the audience. 45 minutes to 2 hours per episode.
  • NPR: It’s All Politics – Lacking on bold predictions but heavy on analysis and context. Hosts are thorough and sometimes even funny. Weekly show of under 1/2 hour.
  • NPR: Science Friday - Show is issued by topic rather than show so the 1 hour weekly is broken up into two or three segments on topics. Topical and exigent with call ins. I hate call ins, but everything else is good enough to balance it out.
  • NPR: Wait Wait…. Don’t Tell Me – Funniest show on NPR with smart folks talking about current events. Weekly hour show is a good review of the previous week and I like it much more than “What Do You Know?”
  • On the Media - Fascinating coverage of news media rather than the news itself. 1 hour weekly has high production values and also shows you how the sausage is made which is welcome from the pure polish you get elsewhere.
  • PC Gamer Podcast – PC Gamer Magazine’s weekly program on PC games. Duh.
  • Point of Inquiry – Weekly podcast hosted by various hosts out of the Center For Inquiry.  Focuses on topics of skeptical review of religion, pseudoscience and public outreach for skeptical inquiry.  After the departure of DJ Grothe the breadth of topics has expanded considerably.
  • Rationally Speaking – The host, Massimo Pegliucci is a well-spoken polymath few can touch for clarity and energy.  Too short.  Each show covers a specific topic in reasonable thinking, sometimes with guests.  Easily in my to 10.
  • Reasonable Doubts Podcast – A skeptical look at fundamentalism and excess of religion as viewed by former religious students and textual scholars lasting about 1.25 hours.  Funny.
  • Reporters’ Roundtable – Mediocre CNET podcast hosted by Rafe Needleman.  The guests know the topics but often lack the ability to make them interesting.  The reporters’ memories are sometimes too long for their own good and sometimes succumbs to CrackyGeeks ridiculous prediction syndrome.
  • Science Talk – Scientific American and AAAS show on current science. Lots of event coverage and good interviews in each hour show.
  • Security Now! -Award-winning 75 minute-ish weekly on computer security. Host is a bit arrogant at times but he knows what he’s talking about. Every other show covers reader questions and the mailbag portion is much better than most shows.
  • Skeptoid: Critical Analysis of Pop Phenomena – Short, to the point show with themed episodes on skeptic topics. Well done, a bit funny and extensive show notes. Varying time and issuance.
  • The Skeptics’ Guide 5 x 5- Brief, classroom-ready skeptical content from the creators of Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe.
  • The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe- Best skeptic news program out there. Each weekly show is over an hour and usually has a pretty good interview.
  • The VFX Show – Pixelcorps production where visual effects artists discuss visual effects.  Useful back catalog and now being produced more regularly.  1 hour to 90 minute episodes.
  • This Week in Google – The combination of Gina Trapani, Jeff Jarvis, and Leo Laporte is simply dynamite.  Everything Jeff says is insightful, funny, or both.  Gina has a strong hand on emerging software technologies and the guests are wonderful.   90 minutes, weekly.
  • This Week in Law – Infrequent show hosted by Denise Howell on technology and privacy law. Shows are regularly over an hour and released when topics are newsworthy. Light on legalese and easy to follow.
  • This Week in Parasitism – Monthly to bi-weekly long podcast on the basics of parasitism.  Episodes are done with the arc of a single topic over multiple shows.  Very detailed and delightfully presented.
  • This Week in Photography – Hour and a half weekly podcast about news, technology, and issues in digital photography.  The podcast arrangers include chapter marks which is useful to skip useless sections or duller interviews.
  • This Week in Tech – Namesake of TWiT network and great technology show that clocks in usually around an hour. Nice spread of tech-people and regular panelists are sharp.
  • This Week in Virology – Weekly podcast byVincent Racaniello and Dick Despommier.  Both are experts in their respective fields of virology and parasitology and combine a deep understanding of the topic with an awareness of world news.
  • Windows Weekly – Paul Thurrott and Leo Laporte cover topics specifically for Windows users. Servers, consumer and mobile platforms are covered as well as new and upcoming products. Released a little less than once a week in hourish episodes.
  • WNYC’s Radio Lab – Irregularly released shows between 10 minutes and two hours on big topics like Morality and Time. While these topics are a bit touchy/feely compared to harder science fair it assumes little knowledge and is easy to get hooked by.  Stunning and compelling.
  • You Look Nice Today – Spectacularly funny podcast that runs about 45 minutes.  Stupidly humorous.

Podcasts I Now Avoid

  • 43 Folders - I keep telling myself I’ll catch up but this productivity podcast focused on the 43 folders method can I have about 30 episodes to cover. If you have no interest in GTD methods, skip this.  Never got around to it.
  • 404 from CNET – a critical metric I use of the skill of a podcast is how many stupid giggles there are per minute as well as how long bad jokes role.  This podcast has an unreasonably high level of both.
  • alt.NPR: What Would Rob Do? – Rob Sachs discusses dealing with odd situations. Under 10 minutes, irregular release schedule.
  • American Public Media: Marketplace – Daily on economics news. A lot of non-traditional economic topics and much more global than most economic commentary. Pretty well 30 minutes on the button.
    • Not worth time vs. information density.
  • Ask The Naked Scientists – Weekly podcast where British scientists answer listener questions.  Removed because the questions just got repetitive.
  • Coolness Roundup – Weekly show brought to you by chronic gadget reviewers. Focuses on non-computer tech like home theatre systems and such. Opinionated hosts can be annoying if you disagree with them but the hour-long sessions are usually nice.
    • Dropped during the summer.  May not take back as their gadget budget is astounding and I don’t use most of the technologies discussed.
  • Cory Doctorow’s craphound.com – Aggregation of Cory Doctorow’s appearances in other media as well as work’s he’s narrated. Infrequent and varied length.
  • Cranky Geeks – Weekly 30 minute show also available in video form where hosts and guests discuss technology and comment on tech culture. A lot more predictive than most shows and discussion is often lively.  John’s guests often went for how brazen their prognostications were instead of how accurate one could be.  Beaten by the combo of BOL, GDGT, TWiT, MBW.
  • Get-It-Done Guy’s Quick and Dirty Tips – 15 minute, semi-monthly podcast on productivity and life improvement. The hosting is a bit campy but the recommendations are solid.
  • Gillmor Gang, The – A show with tech insiders would presumably have the ability to use Skype.  Every line sounds like it’s coming from a giant clown head.   The topicality is almost dripping with mock sophistication and stories about poor service at 4 star restaurants.  I assumed something associated with the superb techcrunch would have been better.
  • Leo Laporte – The Tech Guy – Leo Laport’s semi-weekly radio show. This is the stripped aircast and each 2 hour episode is broken up into segments on caller questions, interviews, discussion and current technology news. I skip a lot of the call-in portion but the rest is wonderful.  Dropped.  After I got the hang of it, I dropped this as the most entry level thing I listen to.
    The Naked Scientists – Popular science show by the BBC.  A bit slowly paced but fine for general interest.  Hour long episodes weekly.  Dropped for low information density.
  • PRI’s The World: Technology – Coverage of tech usage world-wide. 45 minute-ish shows are weekly and not terribly technical.
    • Dropped to save time.
  • Science Magazine – A weekly overview of stories in the journal Science.  Dull host runs each 30 minute episode but the depth is unmatched.  Removed as there was just too much biology, psychology and medicine.  I’m looking for bigger ideas.
  • Skepticality – Poorly paced, saccharine hosting.
  • Skeptiko – A bit too many softballs.
  • PhilosophyCast
  • tech5 – Daily sub 10-minute program by John C. Dvorak on technology news.  Removed as everything else covers this.
  • This Week in Media – 75 minute shows on digital media.  Good guests and smooth presentation as well as reasonable pacing.  Now more focused on media personalities than technology, meh.
    • Finally had enough of the show’s chronic failures.
  • This Week in Science – Upbeat coverage of science news. Some pretty good interviews considering it’s done by college students. Hour shows issued weekly, except when school’s out.  Hosts competence in areas besides biology is lacking.  Loss of Michael Stubbins as a policy expert leaves gaping hole in shows coverage.  Poor production values and weak command of the topic becomes obvious when talking with callers.
  • Unwired - Product reviews by Wil Harris. Issued a little more than weekly and generally short.
    • Dropped. Products reviewed never really affected me.
  • WIRED Science Video - Collaboration between PBS and Wired Magazine. Entertaining coverage of science topics. Periodic airing with varied episode times.  Dropped video podcasts.