If you find morning shows on the radio annoying or you’re tired of listening to the same old songs over and over, then maybe you should give podcasts a try. Podcasts can be very entertaining, but they are also a great tool to learn new things about various topics. We decided to ask students about their favourite podcasts.
HOW I BUILT THIS
Recommended by Julia van Kammen, student of Photography
Why do you like this podcast so much?
‘This is one of the most inspiring podcasts I know. It shows the B-Side of successful companies that we usually don’t get to see. We just know about the success they have, but not about the struggles that happened behind the scenes that made it possible. I, myself, am starting my own business, so knowing that even the most successful entrepreneurs have had such rough times and despite it all, they achieved what they did, it’s very comforting and motivating.’
Do you have any favourite episodes?
‘It is hard to pick just one. Because even when I know nothing about a company or their field of business, the stories of its origins are just compelling.’
In How I Built This, you will hear the story behind successful companies, as told by their creators. In each episode, host Guy Raz speaks to new entrepreneurs who tell everything they went through to achieve what they have now. The episodes feature the creators of Instagram, Airbnb, Zumba, Ben & Jerry’s and many more. They focus on the struggles and rejections rather than the intelligence and brilliance of the creators. At the end of each episode, there is a segment called How You Built That which briefly features listeners who are creating cool stuff. So, if you have a business idea in mind and you want to get it off the ground, How I Built This will provide you with inspiration and, probably, some ideas too.
TED RADIO HOUR
Recommended by Tiko Rijzinga, student of Finance & Control
Why do you like this podcast?
‘I enjoy watching TED Talks a lot, so when I found out TED had a podcast, it rapidly became one of my favourites. Even if I’d already listened to the TED Talk, the interviews and other experts’ input add new insights into the subject.’
What is your favourite thing about it?
‘I like how I can learn about a variety of topics from experts in every episode. Besides, the audio, the production, as well as the questions of the host, are spot on!’
What’s your favourite episode?
‘They have many good ones and I can’t remember them all. But one of the latest I heard that stuck with me was Failure Is An Option. Their attitude to failure is very interesting and really changed my opinion on that matter.’
The TED Radio Hour Podcast compiles several TED talks around a specific topic. But more than just rebroadcasting TED Talks, the show goes deeper into the topics and the world’s most remarkable thinkers, scientists, artists, and visionaries take the listeners to a journey of ideas. Every weekly episode succeeds to seamlessly blend fragments of TED Talks, interviews and comments from both the host and the featured speakers.
SIDENOTE
Recommended by Valentina Lozano, student of Environmental Psychology
What do you like about this podcast?
‘It explains the science behind everyday stuff in a very entertaining way. They also tell stories of their own and have a segment called What Did We Learn This Week where they just tell about random interesting things they’ve found out.’
What is your favourite thing about it?
‘The Debate Time segment. The narrators are a couple and it’s very interesting to see how they debate when they have very different views on a certain subject. I also like the side notes that Rachel (their friend) gives, explaining some science facts from Mitch’s and Greg’s stories.’
The creators and hosts Mitchell Moffit and Gregory Brown define Sidenote as ‘A podcast where every episode we tell stories about a controversial topic and then debate. We research and splice in all the mind-blowing science throughout, so you’re entertained while simultaneously learning.’ They are an openly gay couple who met while studying biology in Ontario and together they created the AsapSCIENCE YouTube channel. The topics of their podcast are very diverse and often include a few awkward stories of their own. Some of their episodes are: Climate Change: Is It Too Late?, Phone Addiction: Are You Addicted To Your Phone?, Gay Marriage: Should We Get Married?, Game Of Thrones: Brilliant Or Boring?, and many more.
STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW
Recommended by Luisa Velásquez, student of European Languages and Cultures.
Why do you recommend Stuff You Should Know?
‘I’m a very curious person and I like to know stuff about different topics. The hosts cover a wide array of topics and do a lot of research on them. But they’re not experts by any means. If they make a mistake, they’re not afraid to admit it and correct themselves. That makes them easier to relate to than if they were two experts talking.’
What have you learned from these podcasts?
‘I’ve listened to many of them, but recently I found a very interesting one called How Sign Language Works. I learned, for example, that there are hundreds of sign languages and not just one as I always thought.’
In each episode of this podcast, Josh and Chuck explain different topics to their listeners. The variety of subjects is very wide, ranging from fields like urban legends, science, history, pop culture and more. Some of their episodes include How SPAM Works, What Is A Hangover Really? and The Black Panther Party. The hosts are not experts on the subjects they discuss, they are just two guys who happen to be very curious and like to share their research with their listeners and each other. SYSK has a very organic vibe, since its hosts don’t have a script or time limit before they hit the record button. They do their research separately and very often surprise each other with the facts they have come across.
