Must-Listen Podcasts to Sharpen Your Learning

By Wei Ni Zhang, Press & Written Media Staff

Podcasts are a great way to stay informed on a subject in a low-cost and productive manner, making for the perfect source of education and entertainment in one. Since there are thousands of podcasts out there on a variety of topics, it can sometimes feel overwhelming when looking for a place to start. Here are some great educational podcasts to help dip your toes into the podcast world. Listen to these on your way to school, while doing homework, or anywhere really!

1. “The Anthropocene Reviewed”

You might know John Green for his hit novel The Fault in Our Stars or his Crash Course videos, but did you know he also dabbles in the podcast industry? “The Anthropocene Reviewed” centers around human experiences and rates them on a five-star scale. Green starts off with an anecdote about his personal experiences with a certain topic, then takes you through its history, before rating them at the end. He touches on everything from looking at the sunset to hot dog eating contests, to Super Mario Kart and Hawaiian pizza.

2. “How I Built This”

This podcast takes you through the minds of entrepreneurs and the story behind how they started their company. The host, Guy Raz, interviews the founders of major companies such as Airbnb, Lyft and Ben & Jerry’s. The podcast uses a narrative approach and delves deep into the process of how these successful entrepreneurs turned an idea into a company. If you’re into business or entrepreneurship, this is the podcast for you. You’ll learn about the failures and successes that come with starting a business and feel inspired and motivated along the way.

3. “99% Invisible”

There are many things in our lives that go unnoticed, and we never put any thought into how they’ve shaped our society. “99% Invisible” goes into depth about the things we normally wouldn’t think about and aims to explore the design and history of these hidden, everyday items. The topics cover anything from architecture, to sounds and visuals. In the past, they’ve highlighted things such as the peace sign or the progress bar of a loading website.

4. “No Stupid Questions”

Each week, author Stephen Dubner and psychologist Angela Duckworth sit down and ask each other as many “stupid” questions as possible. They cover unconventional topics that explore the depths and intricacies of human behavior. Their episodes ponder questions such as “Why Do We Buy Things We’ll Never Use?” and “How Do You Raise a ‘Likeable’ Kid?” Overall, the podcast is very lighthearted and conversational, and you’ll definitely learn a lot of new and helpful insight.

5. “The Happiness Lab”

In this podcast, Yale professor Dr. Laurie Santos takes a unique approach toward the topic of happiness and mental health. She applies scientific research to explore how certain factors affect our happiness and the psychology behind why we feel the way we do. In each episode, Santors provides practical advice on ways to increase our happiness and improve our livelihoods. With episodes covering how to break out of bad habits or how to be a better ally, “The Happiness Lab” will truly transform the way you think about happiness.

Wave Learning Festival is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing free, live seminars, tutoring, college application help, career mentorship, and more. If you would like to learn more about Wave Learning Festival, check out our website or contact us at hello@wavelf.org.