Podcasts are nothing new – in fact they were around well over a decade ago. But whilst they were once an obscure and sometimes bland way of retrieving information, many channels have amassed cult-like followings and have become as much a part of their listeners’ daily lives as the radio once was.
But whats the attraction? Well die-hard podcast fans claim their favourite channels offer a level of intimacy and deep conversation that you just can’t get anywhere else.
A study by the journal Nature, monitored the brain activity of several volunteers whilst they listened to a popular podcast series. According to this article, “widely dispersed sensory, emotional and memory networks were humming, across both hemispheres of the brain,” whilst the volunteers listened to the podcast. The same article also suggested that when we listen to a narrative,
“a living internal reality takes over the brain”
This is why time seamlessly flies by when you are tuned into a podcast.
All of us accumulate several hours of unutilised time a week walking, cycling, driving or waiting for public transport. Why not use that time to stimulate your brain and quell the boredom that is the daily commute? At the very least you’ll learn something that will come in handy for pub trivia.
Now, much like with Netflix you are inundated with choice, there are literally thousands upon thousands of podcasts. To save you some time – and potentially some disappointment – we have put together a list of our top podcast picks.
The Nerdist – Comedy
If you want to learn nothing and everything all in one episode.
The host is Chris Hardwick, and the show is essentially him and a couple of nerdy mates chatting about comedy, books, films food and games. Celebrity guests have included Colin Farrell, Steve Aoki, Chris Hemsworth and Sir Patrick Stewart. If you want to learn about nothing and everything all at the same time, like we said, this is for you.
The Joe Rogan Experience – Comedy
A must if you are a fan of Joe Rogan, comedy, nutrition, fitness and pretty much everything in between.
Joe Rogan, the commentator, comedian and TV host has developed his very own cult following through his hugely popular podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience. The podcast typically involves an in-depth conversation between Joe and some of the finest guests from the comedy, sports and science worlds. Joe manages to cover a huge variety of topics whilst simultaneously making them all interesting. You’ll find yourself research topics you never knew you were interested in.
Stuff You Should Know – Society and Culture
For the pub-trivia enthusiast. The kind of knowledge that will impress your mates.
Stuff You Should Know is a podcast that delivers exactly what is said on the tin. Previous podcasts include how do landfills work? And how do mosquitos work? This is another great choice if you want a variety of random knowledge delivered right to your ears.
Beastly Gentleman – Fitness and Nutrition
Hilarious self-improvement for gentlemen who harbour an inner beast.
Best selling authors and bloggers, David de las Morenas and Dave Perrotta buddy up to help men everywhere exceed in every aspect of their lives. The duo covers a wide range of gentlemanly topics such as fitness, dating, sex, relationships fitness and entrepreneurship, all in an entertaining and hilarious fashion!
Barbell Shrugged – Fitness and Nutrition
Hardcore strength training and fitness.
There is a reason Barbell has consistently featured in the top fitness and nutrition podcasts. Whilst the podcast host are seriously into CrossFit, they cover general fitness, nutrition and strength training. So even if you’re not a cross fitter, they’ll keep you entertained and informed.
And we’re sorry if you have heard of the last one, but we just could not leave it out.
RadioLab – Natural Sciences
For the curious, science-loving kid in all of us.
Don’t let the category name scare you away! By no means do you have to be a scientist to appreciate RadioLab. Every week host Jad Abumrad delves into a particular big idea and takes you, the listener, along for the journey. Its one of our go to recommendations if you don’t know what you want to listen to, but you want something that will stimulate your brain, teach you, and feed your thirst for curiously.
