A little bit ago I fluffed out my podcast feeds, largely with science-based podcasts. I figured I wasn’t as smart as I ought to be, so I might as well work on that. Also, I’m getting so old and uncool that I literally believe that learning is fun.
The Jodcast(RSS) is the official podcast of Jodrell bank. "Jodrell" is one of those words that sounds awesome when someone with an English accent says it, but every time I say it, it just sounds weird and clunky. The Jodcast is an amazing all-around topical astronomy resource. There’s a part in the beginning where a woman who sounds like a futuristic computer (but is merely English) reads a list of the recent astronomical discoveries. Later on, a man who sounds exactly like a retired English astronomy professor, and is, goes step by step through everything an amateur observer will be able to see in the next two weeks.
The 365 Days of Astronomy(RSS) is partially a massive tribute to the international year of astronomy, and part conceptual prank. Every day there’s about twelve minutes of audio content focused vaguely on astronomy. Sometimes it’s informative and inspiring, and sometimes it’s massively asinine. The intro music to this is very loud and very goofy. Should you fall behind on the 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast and have to listen to this music at twelve minute intervals, you will quickly discover if you have a psyche that is easily broken or one that has already descended into madness.
The Astronomycast(RSS) has two personable hosts, a dude who asks the dumb questions for the sake of the listeners, and a woman who is an astronomy professor in Illinois. Usually they devote each episode to a single topic, generally something interesting and informative, like the space elevator, crazy people with pet cosmology theories, the sorts of equipment you can buy as an amateur astronomer, or the ins and outs of grant applications (which was surprisingly engrosssing).
Know Your Meme(RSS) is a video podcast and apparently a spin-off of the Rocketboom podcast (which I generally find dull). Every week or slightly more often, they analyze the origin and structure of a different internet meme. Generally I’ve never heard of the subject memes they discuss, but it’s fascinating to watch people pretend that internet memes are fascinating.
Okay, now I diverge from the ostensibly smart podcasts into the less-smart. But we’ll ease into that category with an NPR podcast, All Songs Considered(RSS). This is a twenty minute or so weekly podcast that plays the sort of music that NPR people like. Sometimes it’s hip like Ira Glass, sometimes its dorky like Ira Flatow. Sometimes they broadcast from the Bridgeport Folk Festival (aren’t those folk people dead yet?).
I’m not sure if I’ve told people to watch Stranger Things TV (RSS) a sci-fi/horror anthology vodcast. I’ve been waiting to see some decent content come out of the reduced cost of digital video and special effects. This is it.
And although I have not actually listened to this podcast yet, I’m sure it’s awesome and you owe it to yourself to be a part of the ongoing quest for excellence which is the Drabblecast’s Super Animal Deathmatch Competition(RSS).