Getting Started with Podcasts

Do you like history or news or science fiction? Do you drive a lot or like to listen to things while you work? If so, you should really try out podcasts! Podcasts are audio shows that you can find on the web or download on from a phone podcast app. Podcasts are relatively easy to make, so ordinary people make a lot of them! This results in a wide range of content and quality.

If you want to start listening to podcasts on your phone, you'll need a podcast app! My favorites are Podcast Republic on Android and Downcast (it costs $3) on iPhone.

Some podcasts have ads or encourage donations so the creators can sustainable make them. Please donate if you enjoy a podcast!

Here's a smattering of podcasts I really like (I'm linking to the websites, but it might be easier to just seach for them in your preferred app).

This is only a very small sample of podcasts. Even if you don't like any of them, I'm sure podcasts exists that you'll love!

  • The History of Rome: super good epic length podcast. Roman culture fascinates me because some of it is so familiar (we inherited it) and some is so different.

  • Dan Carlins Hardcore History: This guy dives into a subject (usually a violent one: atomic bomb, World War 1, Mongols) and talks about the circumstances around it. Usually very good.

  • 7th Son: This is a scifi/action book about a group of 7 clones who differ drastically in childhood and adult professions that have to stop their father. Lots of action and twists.

  • Murder at Avedon Hill: This is a fantasy murder mystery. This somewhat surprising mashup (I've never seen it done before) comes together really and introduces a surprisingly intricate fantasy world. Unfortunately, P. G. Holyfield died in 2014. His website links to a GoFundMe for his family.

  • Soft Skills Engineering: Engineers write in more human oriented questions (jobs, managers, etc) and the hosts discuss answers. Frequently hilarious and often has good advice.

  • Philosophize This!: This excellant podcast goes over different aspects of philosophy- metaphysics, history of it, how we think, morality, etc. Its very approachable despite being fairly technical. It's one of those ones that get you to ask fun questions - the kind of questions that can have multiple right answers with interesting implications you can ponder for days on end.