Non-Science Podcasts: Documentary & 60 Minutes-Type

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around recommendations for non-science podcasts, with a particular interest in documentary-style content and esoteric physics or mathematics podcasts. Participants share their preferences and seek suggestions from others in the community.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express dissatisfaction with typical science podcasts, finding them boring and preferring longer documentary-style formats.
  • Several non-science podcasts are recommended, including "Hello Internet," "Cortex," "Waking Up," and "Hardcore History," with varying interests in political content.
  • There is a request for recommendations on esoteric physics or mathematics podcasts, with some participants noting difficulty in finding suitable options.
  • Colloquium-style podcasts are mentioned as a desirable format, with participants reminiscing about university presentations and seeking similar audio content.
  • Participants share links to video series that could be listened to as podcasts, such as the CfA Colloquium and Gresham College lectures, while noting the limitations of audio-only formats.
  • Some participants discuss the quality of podcasts, suggesting that many are simplified and do not delve into complex topics, with one participant using the term "extensionists" to describe this trend.
  • There is a mention of the BBC's "In Our Time" podcast as a well-moderated discussion format that covers specific scientific topics with multiple scholars.
  • One participant expresses enjoyment of the Joe Rogan podcast for its diverse viewpoints, contrasting with their preference for more structured discussions.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the quality of science podcasts, with some expressing frustration over their simplicity while others appreciate certain formats. The search for esoteric content remains unresolved, with multiple perspectives on the types of podcasts preferred.

Contextual Notes

Participants note the limitations of audio-only formats for certain content, suggesting that visual elements may enhance understanding. The discussion reflects a variety of personal preferences and experiences with podcast content.

Jamison Lahman
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I don't particularly enjoy Physics podcasts. Most science podcasts I've been subscribed to are just current science news podcasts I find extremely boring. I do enjoy Radio Lab and Hound and Tall by Moshe Kasher which are kinda like 60 Minutes. I also enjoy 60 Minutes podcasts lol. I like the longer/documentary podcasts.

Are there any science documentary podcasts anyone listens to?

Also, what non-science podcasts do members listen to?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
•HI (Hello Internet)
•Cortex
•Wakiping Up (Warning: somewhat political and science related )
•No Dumb Questions
•Dan Carlin's Hardcore History

These are currently my favorite non-science podcasts which I listen to on a regular basis. I'm on the opposite side of the fence as of now, I'm looking for esoteric physics/mathematics podcasts to listen to. Can't seem to find any decent ones. Recommendations are much appreciated.
 
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VuIcan said:
These are currently my favorite non-science podcasts which I listen to on a regular basis. I'm on the opposite side of the fence as of now, I'm looking for esoteric physics/mathematics podcasts to listen to. Can't seem to find any decent ones. Recommendations are much appreciated.
I wonder if there are any colloquium podcasts. While at University, one of my favorite things was going to see visiting professors talk about their work. The presentations were about an hour which would be perfect for a podcast. I don't know of anything like that, but if anyone else knows, I'd be interested!
 
Jamison Lahman said:
I wonder if there are any colloquium podcasts. While at University, one of my favorite things was going to see visiting professors talk about their work. The presentations were about an hour which would be perfect for a podcast. I don't know of anything like that, but if anyone else knows, I'd be interested!
Not really a podcast, but a youtube series - you could conceivably listen just to the audio, but would be often missing much without being able to see the graphs; Anyway, CfA Colloquim is a series of presentations of astronomy-related research:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCApHNlZLkxmiV95A0ChueYg
You can listen in all the gory detail to what people are actively working on.

Another video series in a similar vein is the series of lectures given at Gresham College in London available from here:
https://www.gresham.ac.uk/
or on youtube.
These are much more easily digestible in pure audio form, as they're aimed at the general audience. The subjects are leaning heavily towards humanities, though, but not exclusively.Regarding non-science podcasts, I second Sam Harris' Waking Up - whether you do or don't like his political leanings, his views and the interviews he's conducting are always very well structured and though out.
 
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Jamison Lahman said:
I wonder if there are any colloquium podcasts. While at University, one of my favorite things was going to see visiting professors talk about their work. The presentations were about an hour which would be perfect for a podcast. I don't know of anything like that, but if anyone else knows, I'd be interested!

Not a podcast, but the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting posts videos of symposium talks from their annual meetings: http://www.mediatheque.lindau-nobel.org/videos/lectures

They have quite an extensive archive, with some talks back to the 1950s.
 
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Bandersnatch said:
Regarding non-science podcasts, I second Sam Harris' Waking Up - whether you do or don't like his political leanings, his views and the interviews he's conducting are always very well structured and though out.

Totally agree, he's very good at asking challenging questions and genuinely puts effort into probing the subject at hand with the interviewee. A very intellectually stimulating podcast to say the least.
 
Most podcasters are extensionists. So it's easy science. I do not know who is talking about complicated things. :smile:
 
Here's my pretty huge collection of history podcasts:
https://plus.google.com/collection/sMdpQB

Other than that, the ones you mentioned plus Neil Degrasse Tyson (Startalk), American Life, lots of BBC stuff.

Actually, the In Our Time podcasts, those specific to science, are really good, because you have 3 or 4 scholars in a room having a very well moderated conversation on a specific topic, i.e. "Enzymes" or "Cells" or "photosynthesis"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01gyd7j
 
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stramina said:
Most podcasters are extensionists. So it's easy science. I do not know who is talking about complicated things. :smile:
I think this is a reflection of the medium. As @Bandersnatch put it, "you could conceivably listen just to the audio, but would be often missing much without being able to see the graphs." However, I will say I have few YouTube channels, such as Numberphile, that are automatically converted to video podcasts that I mostly listen to but can watch if need.

dkotschessaa said:
Other than that, the ones you mentioned plus Neil Degrasse Tyson (Startalk), American Life, lots of BBC stuff.

Actually, the In Our Time podcasts, those specific to science, are really good, because you have 3 or 4 scholars in a room having a very well moderated conversation on a specific topic, i.e. "Enzymes" or "Cells" or "photosynthesis"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01gyd7j
For some reason, I find BBC to be a great podcast provider. Two of my favorites are:
Friday Night Comedy: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02pc9pj/episodes/downloads.rss
The Documentary: http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/worldservice/docarchive/rss.xmlI will definitely check out this Sam Harris podcast. I love the Joe Rogan podcast because he has on guest that perfectly align with my own views and then the next guest is completely counter and I find I enjoy those discussions the most.
 
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stramina said:
Most podcasters are extensionists. So it's easy science. I do not know who is talking about complicated things. :smile:
Not quite sure what you mean by extensionists, Perhaps you should elucidate? Do you mean that they unnecessarily try to spawn content from oblivion to tack on a few minutes onto the episode?
 

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