If you know me, you probably know that I’m an avid reader. But since I can’t read while driving or exercising, I also listen to podcasts.
I tried podcasts years ago and initially thought they weren’t for me. Turns out, I just hadn’t found the right ones.
Several people have asked me about my favorite podcasts, so here’s my current list. You’ll notice a strong bias toward those where I can learn something new.
The Podcasts I Look Forward To
Cautionary tales, with Tim Harford
This is, without a doubt, my favorite podcast. I read The Undercover Economist a few years ago, so when I found out Tim had a podcast (probably via a mention on Hacker News), I gave it a shot.
What I love about Cautionary Tales is the level of research. I’m not a fan of unstructured “talk shows”—I appreciate preparation, and Tim delivers. The episodes are well-researched, gripping, and always illustrate an economic, psychological, or organizational principle.
The most recent one I listened to was The Night of the Mugger about the mugging scare in London during the ’70s, which Tim used to explain biases in how we perceive risks.
Highly recommended.
In Our Time, with Melvyn Bragg
Generally speaking, most BBC podcasts are excellent. If you browse their list, you’ll likely find something that interests you. But in my opinion, In Our Time is the best.
The concept is simple: Melvyn Bragg invites three experts—usually academics from top universities—to discuss an idea, person, or event that shaped the world. The topics range from science (The Habitability of Planets was the last one I listened to) to history, literature, philosophy, and more.
I’m slightly behind on this one, but it’s always worth catching up.
The Naked Scientists Podcast, with Chris Smith
One of the longest-running science podcasts, The Naked Scientists covers the latest developments in Science, Technology, and Medicine. The show is affiliated with the University of Cambridge. Dr. Smith and his colleagues have a way of making science interesting and accessible to everyone.
The last episode I listened to featured discussions on new insights from meteorite samples in the search for the origins of life and how DeepSeek has recently shaken up the AI world.
Other noteworthy podcasts
While the previous three are the ones I eagerly await new episodes for, there are a few others I check out regularly.
HBR IdeaCast
Produced by Harvard Business Review, this podcast explores the latest in management and business strategy. If you already read HBR magazine or follow HBR.org, there’s some overlap, but the podcast often adds extra depth.
The Pragmatic Engineer
Gergely Orosz has been running The Pragmatic Engineer newsletter for years—one of the best out there on software and systems engineering. A few months ago, he launched a podcast where he interviews senior engineers on career development, engineering management, and tech trends.
A great listen if you want to stay updated on what’s happening in the software world.
Short History Of…
I stumbled upon this one while browsing BBC podcasts. It’s actually produced by the Noiser network, which specializes in history podcasts.
Each episode condenses the history of key events and figures into about 45 minutes. It’s narrated by John Hopkins, the British actor.
Recent episodes I’ve listened to? Emperor Nero, The Spartans, The Panama Canal, Sir Isaac Newton… you get the idea.
