The popularity of podcasts has expanded enormously in recent years. They’ve become a go-to source for news, interesting history, self-improvement, and so much more. Weaving their way into our everyday lives, they’re great for listening to during bedtime, cooking, exercise, driving, or just going about your routine. So, with plenty of time to spend at home these days, it’s the perfect opportunity to get hooked on some of the most fascinating and inspiring ones out there today. Here are five of our recommendations!
TED Radio Hour
The TED Conference (Technology, Entertainment, Design) has been taking place annually since 1990. However, it wasn’t until after the organization started posting free video recordings of their TED Talks online in 2006 that they achieved viral status. With countess speakers delving into an endless variety of fascinating subjects, there’s never been a shortage of inspiration from this event. It’s only natural that they’ve carried their recordings from YouTube over to radio and podcasting. The TED Radio Hour is the result of a partnership between TED and NPR, offering recordings of TED Talks that are spiced up with fun sound design, follow-up interviews with the speaker, original reporting, and more.
This recent episode offers a bit of relief from the stress of our current circumstances, exploring TED Talks that spark joy, pleasure, and delight.
Encyclopedia Womannica
Unfortunately, the historical education most of us receive when growing up is often dominated by male figures. The podcast Encyclopedia Womannica aims to address that issue by highlighting important, influential, and inspiring women across the ages. From entrepreneurs to activists, artists, and beyond, the diverse range of women it explores have helped to change their communities and even the world. Each episode is only about 5 minutes long, so it’s perfect for those moments when you’re hungry for a little historical tidbit that will motivate you to learn more. Or, you can marathon them when you have more time and want to learn about dozens of amazing women.
This episode shines a light on Madam CJ Walker, one of the first female self-made millionaires in North America.
TBD with Tina Brown
Those who closely follow the world of showbiz and entertainment reporting may be familiar with the legendary Tina Brown. Having served as editor for Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, and the Daily Beast, she’s one of the most important journalists of her time. Her 2007 biography of Princess Diana, The Diana Chronicles, was praised by critics and became a number-one New York Times best-seller. So, it goes without saying that she really knows her stuff when it comes to getting into the minds of public figures. For her podcast, TBD with Tina Brown, she sits down with writers, politicians, actors and more, digging into some of today’s most important topics.
In one of her latest episodes, Tina speak with Bruna Papandrea, producer of HBO’s Big Little Lies and many other acclaimed film and TV productions.
The Splendid Table
Anyone who fancies themselves a foodie — in fact, pretty much anyone who eats food — is bound to fall in love with The Splendid Table. Having started out in 1997 as a show on Minnesota Public Radio, it is now a hit podcast hosted by accomplished food journalist and cookbook editor Francis Lam. Lam covers quite a lot of culinary topics, from food prep advice to food appreciation. Along the way, he interviews renowned chefs and home cooks, sheds light on restaurants and cuisine around the world, and takes food-related questions from listeners. Expect to get plenty of kitchen inspiration, not to mention kick up an appetite!
In this episode, Lam has accomplished baker Christina Tosi and vegan chef Bryant Terry take listener questions on quarantine cooking and more.
Every Little Thing
Ever wonder who invented pants? Or where the whole “pink for girls and blue for boys” idea came from? Life is full of little things that we take for granted. Then, when we take a moment to wonder how they happened, curiosity takes over. On Every Little Thing, host Flora Lichtman aims to celebrate this curiosity and answer these burning questions. The result is a podcast full of fun facts, obscure history, and wholesome humour. Once you’ve heard a few episodes, you’ll be loaded with random yet fascinating information to tell your friends and family. A quick warning, this podcast is not recommended if you hate puns!
Not too long ago, Flora set out to answer a question that you may or may not have had lingering in your mind: How are jigsaw puzzles made?
What are your go-to podcasts these days? Share your recommendations with us in the comments!
