Pod People

A few months ago, I took the plunge and joined the smartphone bandwagon by purchasing an iPhone. Really, the decision came down to the great applications, fantastic UI, and the way it integrates with things that I already use. I never really used the iPod functionality until recently.

I actually had the very first iPod. I had some disposable income at the time, and it just seemed really cool and beautiful. Until then, I hadn’t really brought my music with me. Afterwards…I didn’t really bring my music with me. Recently, though, I’ve been listening to a lot of podcasts.

I’ve found that it makes my commute go by faster. The depth of the podcasts that are out there also seem to have increased. Or, rather, I should say, there’s more NPR and PRI programming out there in podcast form. Here are my favorites:

• RadioLab (NPR/WNYC)
• The Sound of Young America (PRI)
• Planet Money (NPR)
• Fresh Air (NPR)
• Stack Overflow
• The Future at Work

RadioLab, in particular, is a fantastic show about curiosity. The hosts examine various topics (memory, stress, love), through the lens of science. This is not science reporting, though. There are copious anecdotes and discussions about the way people experience the world. There’s also a lot of discussion about the history of ideas. I suspect that if we taught science this way, a lot more people would find science more accessible, more relevant, and less intimidating.