A Podcast Phase

This year has been a really stressful year, with me doing Honours, and as a result, I've dedicated almost no time to reviewing movies, and I haven't even really been too keen on movies in general this year. Even worse, I haven't really been reading either! I think many people might not know this about me since I always review movies, but I actually think reading novels is more enjoyable than watching movies, yet this year I've been terrible with my reading. And it doesn't help that my current book is about 900 pages long.

So instead, I got really into podcasts.

I love podcasts simply for the sole fact that you don't have to use your eyes. I can close my eyes and rest on, say, public transport, or even at home, and not feel like I'm wasting time by doing nothing productive. And depending on the podcast you choose, you can learn something, be entertained, laugh, or all of the above.

You can easily listen to podcasts by downloading a podcast app (I use Podcast Addict), streaming the podcast on Soundcloud or wherever the producers upload the podcast, going through iTunes, or even Spotify. You can stream the podcasts, or download them for offline listening.

Here are a list of my favourite podcasts so far. Any more recommendations would be great!


Currently bingeing:
No Such Thing As A Fish:

Four QI elves (mainly Anna Ptaszynski, James Harkin, Dan Schreiber, and Andrew Hunter Murray) each take turns discussing the most interesting fact they found in the last 7 days. This is an all-round interesting, educational, and hilarious podcast to listen to.

Episodes you can start with: literally any episode.
Note: On Podcast Addict, there's two of "No Such Thing As A Fish": the second one has episodes 127 and later. Also, episodes 2-52 are unavailable however I found someone's saved stash of them.

Myths and Legends:

Ancient myths and legends are retold in an easy and accessible way for modern listeners to understand. Some are stories you've never heard of, while other more mainstream stories might have surprisingly different details (for example, did you know that Aladdin was actually Chinese?).

Episodes you can start with: any myth or legend that peeks your interest.

Also obsessed with:
Heavyweight:

Jonathan Goldstein interviews people who carry heavy burdens from something that happened in their past. Then he helps them resolve these burdens. These stories can be anything from weird and hilarious, to deep and thought-provoking. Jonathan's unique way of storytelling and sense of humour are balanced really well in the way he presents these stories.

Episodes you can start with (in chronological order):

• #6 James: James' father's dying wish was for his ashes to be scattered into the 18th hole of his favourite golf course, but James never got around to doing this.
• #10 Rose: Rose was kicked out of her college sorority with the explanation, "You know what you did." But she didn't know what she did, and over ten years later, she still doesn't.
• #12 Jesse: Four years ago, Jesse was hit by a car and nearly died. This accident changed his life, but now he wants to find the driver, and thank him.
• #16 Rob: Rob vividly remembers breaking his arm as a kid, but the rest of his family says it never happened. Is he crazy?
• #18 Sven: Sven was on a jury that sentenced a man to death. He's regretted it ever since, and eight years later, the man's mother emails Sven.

Reply All:

Alex Goldman and PJ Vogt discuss anything and everything related to the internet. Some of the episodes are only loosely connected to the internet, and more recently some episodes have nothing to do with the internet but through their journalism they discovered these stories and thought they were interesting enough to air on the podcast. They have segments such as Yes Yes No, where their producer asks them to explain memes to him, and Super Tech Support (a favourite of mine), where Alex helps people with bizarre tech problems.

Episodes you can start with (in chronological order):

• #21 Hack the Police: Higinio Ochoa was a hacker that got released on parole on one condition: he can't use the internet. Not only does this mean he can't use a smartphone or internet-connected computer, but he also can't touch his smart-fridge, or even his TV remote control, which can navigate to Netflix on the TV. So how does he navigate his way around this modern world?
• #23 and #24 Exit & Return, Parts I and II: Shulem Deen was part of the Hasidic Jewish community, which doesn't allow certain modern technologies to be used. When he was 22 years old though, Shulem bought his first computer, and his relationships with his family and friends, all being Hasidic Jews, changed forever.
• #86 Man of the People: Not really internet related, but a fascinating story about a con doctor in the 1900s. There's even going to be a movie based on this podcast episode, with rumours of Robert Downey Jr, Matt Damon, and Richard Linklater attached.
• #104 The Case of the Phantom Caller: A great Super Tech Support episode that tries to determine why a woman is getting really bizarre, strange phone calls where no one answers, but it seems like she can eavesdrop on the lives of the strangers calling her.
• #130 The Snapchat Thief: Another great Super Tech Support episode which delves into the world of Snapchat hacking, and social media black markets.

Homecoming:

A fictional psychological thriller podcast focusing on a psychological facility that helps homecoming soldiers. It stars Oscar Isaac, Catherine Keener, and David Schwimmer, and has now been turned into a TV series starring Julia Roberts. I haven't yet listened to the second season because there's an accompanying book where they recommend you to listen to one episode then read one chapter, but for some ridiculous reason, the book is only available for people with Apple products! So I'm waiting until it's available on PDF before I start the second season.

Episodes you can start with: start with the first episode since it's a chronological podcast series.

Other good podcasts:
Science Vs:

Each episode looks into a topic which science can either refute or support with evidence. The host, Wendy Zukerman, has a very intense Australian accent, and it got me a couple episodes to get used to, but she's very endearing, funny, and super enthusiastic. Overall I think it's a great way to learn a bit more about things you are unsure of.

Episodes you can start with: Any episode that peeks your interest.

Invisibilia:

A podcast that explores the invisible forces like our thoughts, beliefs, and emotions, that affect our behaviour.

Episodes you can start with: Any episode that peeks your interest. I've only listened to the first two episodes of this so I don't know much about the other episodes, but I thought the first episode was a fantastic introduction to the show.

Podcasts that have finished:
Mystery Show:

There were problems with production and there's a rumoured season 2 coming out in the future, but as it's been about 2 years since that rumour started, it currently stays at one season of 6 episodes long. Nevertheless, these 6 episodes alone made Apple name Mystery Show as the Best New Podcast of 2015. Each episode, Starlee Kine tries to solve a mystery. It's not a murder mystery or anything super serious; they are often quite minor mysteries, but they can't be resolved just by Googling. Starlee is so cute and adorable as she takes these mysteries as serious as any private investigator would take a headlining mass-murder case, and she's a great storyteller.

Episodes you can start with (in chronological order):

• #2 Britney: "Andrea's a writer no one reads. Then she makes a shocking discovery."
• #3 Belt Buckle: "A young boy finds an enchanting object in the street."
• #5 Source Code: "While watching a movie, David notices a discrepancy."

Serial (season 1):

This is an investigative journalistic podcast that narrates a nonfiction story; one story per season. I've only listened to the first season, which focuses on the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee, a student in Baltimore. Following initial investigations, Adnan Syed, Hae's ex-boyfriend, was sentenced to life for her murder. He insists he's innocent, and the evidence against him is actually quite contradictory, questionable, and may even be wrong. Very recently, Adnan was granted a re-trial, and there will be another hearing by the end of the year.

Episodes you can start with: start with the first episode.