This isn’t a complete catalog—it’s what I actually listen to. Browse the grid on the site, or read the full list below.
But Why
A bunch of kids asking questions of Vermont Public Radio. It’s a great science and bedtime listen to help kids go to sleep.
Favorite episodes
Radiolab for Kids
Our second-favorite bedtime podcast. Great storytelling that can spark conversation about science and the natural world.
Favorite episodes
The Rest Is History
For history lovers and anyone who enjoys a good story. Just the right amount of nerdy history with a little humor.
Favorite episodes
Short History Of…
Standalone weekly episodes on historical figures and events. Each one transports you back to witness an incredible moment or remarkable person from the past.
Favorite episodes
World War II with Tom Hanks
A sweeping twenty-hour retelling of WWII guided by Tom Hanks—from fascism’s rise to Hiroshima—with expert interviews and human stories at every turn.
Favorite episodes
The Daily
A daily news podcast with deep reporting on the stories shaping the day.
Favorite episodes
Hard Fork
Kevin Roose and Casey Newton explore and make sense of the rapidly changing world of tech. Smart, timely, and often funny.
Favorite episodes
Against the Rules
Michael Lewis explores the people we rely on for fairness—in sports, business, courts, and beyond—and what happens when that trust breaks down.
Favorite episodes
Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend
Conan hangs out with celebrity guests in long, unfiltered conversations—with Sona and Matt along for the ride. Funny, warm, and surprisingly sincere.
Favorite episodes
Unexplainable
Takes you right up to the edge of what we know about science—and then keeps going. Perfect for unanswered questions and scientific mysteries.
Favorite episodes
Planet Money
Give them any topic and they’ll tie it back to the economy. Clever, accessible storytelling about the forces that shape everyday life.
Favorite episodes
Imaginary Worlds
Eric Molinsky explores sci-fi, fantasy, and speculative fiction—how we imagine other worlds and what that reveals about our own.
Favorite episodes
Search Engine
PJ Vogt answers the questions you might ask the internet when you can’t sleep. Curious, human, and often surprisingly moving.
Favorite episodes
Hyperfixed
Alex Goldman takes on life’s weird, intractable problems—and actually tries to get to the bottom of them. From the co-creator of Reply All.
Favorite episodes
Twenty Thousand Hertz
The stories behind the world’s most recognizable sounds—from Netflix’s “Tadum” to the McDonald’s jingle. A celebration of sound for all ages.
Favorite episodes
99% Invisible
Stories behind the designed world—architecture, infrastructure, and the hidden details that shape everyday life.
Favorite episodes
Radiolab
Tests the outer edges of what you think you know. A longtime favorite—we’re subscribers in The Lab.
Favorite episodes
Sold a Story
Emily Hanford investigates why so many schools teach reading with methods cognitive scientists debunked decades ago—and the authors and publishers who profited from the idea. Essential listening for parents and anyone who cares about education.
Favorite episodes
The Secret World of Roald Dahl
Aaron Tracy uncovers the hidden life behind Roald Dahl, author of Willy Wonka and Matilda. A fighter pilot, MI6 spy, struggling screenwriter, and a complicated, controversial icon. Dark, twisty, and much stranger than the books we grew up on.
Sold a Story
Emily Hanford investigates why so many schools teach reading with methods cognitive scientists debunked decades ago—and the authors and publishers who profited from the idea. Essential listening for parents and anyone who cares about education.
Favorite episodes
The Secret World of Roald Dahl
Aaron Tracy uncovers the hidden life behind Roald Dahl, author of Willy Wonka and Matilda. A fighter pilot, MI6 spy, struggling screenwriter, and a complicated, controversial icon. Dark, twisty, and much stranger than the books we grew up on.
Try next
Based on what’s already on this list — narrative nonfiction, smart explainers, family-friendly curiosity, and a little humor — these are the five I’ll try next:
- Revisionist History — Pushkin sibling to Cautionary Tales and Against the Rules; history and ideas reframed with narrative punch
- Ologies — Unexplainable / Radiolab energy with infectious enthusiasm; one deep dive per “-ology”
- Heavyweight — emotional, funny quests; closest cousin to Search Engine and Hyperfixed
- Hardcore History — epic WWII-depth history when you want more after World War II with Tom Hanks
- Brains On! — kid questions, science answers; very But Why-adjacent for family listening
Podcast recommendations (detailed)
Suggestions based on favorites in this post. High-production narrative nonfiction, curious explainers, and warm humor — not shock-jock true crime or bro-podcast energy.
Taste profile
- Narrative nonfiction — Pushkin, Vox, NYT, NPR, WNYC (Cautionary Tales, The Daily, Radiolab)
- History with personality — vivid and human, not textbook (The Rest Is History, Short History Of, WWII with Tom Hanks)
- Smart explainers — news, tech, and systems (Hard Fork, Planet Money, Sold a Story)
- Curious “how does the world work?” — 99% Invisible, Search Engine, Hyperfixed, Unexplainable
- Family-friendly listens that still work for adults (But Why, Terrestrials, Twenty Thousand Hertz)
- Warm humor without being pure comedy (Conan, Rest Is History)
Strong matches
- Revisionist History — Malcolm Gladwell, Pushkin
- Ologies — Alie Ward
- Heavyweight — Jonathan Goldstein
- Decoder Ring — Willa Paskin; cultural mysteries like Imaginary Worlds and 99% Invisible
- Hardcore History — Dan Carlin; start with “Blueprint for Armageddon” or “Supernova in the East”
History and narrative
- Slow Burn — season-long historical investigations
- You’re Dead to Me — funny, accessible BBC history
- Revolutions — Mike Duncan; long-form narrative
- Stuff the British Stole — colonial history through objects and stories
News, tech, and systems
- Pivot — tech, business, and power; pairs with Hard Fork
- The Indicator — short Planet Money explainers
- Decoder — how products and companies actually work
Kids and family
- Brains On! — science Q&A for kids
- Wow in the World — upbeat NPR science adventures
- Circle Round — folktales; good bedtime option
Web and craft
- Syntax — practical front-end talk
- Soft Skills Engineering — career and teamwork; complements Shop Talk Show
- Articles of Interest — Avery Trufelman; design and culture after 99% Invisible
Comedy and interviews
Investigative
- Nice White Parents — Serial / NYT
- The Retrievals — NYT; same “how did we let this happen?” vein as Sold a Story
Recommend something
If you think a good show is missing, send me a recommendation on Bluesky. I give a listen.
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