What are you listening to, Ms Steinfelder?
I’d like to share my enthusiasm for two podcasts from the United States: Radiolab and Hidden Brain. Both are science podcasts in the best sense – they are easy to follow and yet go into depth.
Radiolab is more of a show than a traditional conversation podcast. What fascinates me is its extravagant choice of topics, captivating storytelling, and excellent sound design with music and effects. It’s a form of art. You can tell that an entire team is involved in shaping each episode. Journalists, sound designers, and hosts work together to create an immersive listening experience that draws you in – and you come out the other side surprised and a bit smarter. The hosts don’t just present scientific results; they are curious themselves and take the listeners along on their journey.
Some of the most remarkable episodes include “Oops” – about the catastrophic consequences of well-intentioned actions, like a geographer who accidentally cuts down the world’s oldest tree while sampling (it turned out to be almost 5,000 years old). “Unraveling Bolero” explores how creativity can sometimes be an early symptom of a neurological disorder. The third episode, “Goo and You”, investigates how caterpillars can retain traumatic memories even after liquefying their bodies during metamorphosis into butterflies.
The podcast Hidden Brain focuses on the psychology of human behavior. It examines unconscious patterns that influence how we act and make decisions. It is hosted by science journalist and author Shankar Vedantam. Each episode looks at a psychological or societal theme in conversation with one or more researchers. Topics include how to keep love alive, the logic of rage, or he asks: Are your memories real? Shankar Vedantam combines research from psychology, sociology, and behavioral economics with vivid real-life stories. He has a very pleasant, soft voice, and I enjoy listening to the episodes at the gym or while travelling.
What I find especially impressive are the open and personal conversations with researchers. More than once I’ve thought to myself: wow, that’s happened to me too.
You can find the podcasts at:
