It’s the start of a new year which ushers in talk of resolutions and hopes of trying new things. One thing I encourage everyone to do this year is to start listening to podcasts. Listening to a podcast can make even the most mundane task more enjoyable. The nice thing about podcasts is that they are great for multitasking, something I admit to doing often. I usually listen to podcasts when I do my homework, when I’m folding the laundry, or when I’m drawing. Listening to podcasts teaches you things you might not have learned otherwise while also being a form of entertainment. Listening to a podcast can take you to another place or time and give you a new perspective. There are so many different topics to explore but here are some of my favorite podcasts to give you a start:

1- This Won’t Hurt a Bit

If you are interested in the medical field, this podcast is for you! Hidden Brain features Dr. Mel Herbert, Dr. Jess Mason, and Dave Mason. They have conversations about interesting medical cases, common medical occurrences, and their personal experiences in the medical field. The episodes are interesting, funny, and entertaining while also providing its audience with information relating to medicine. There are a little over 30 episodes of this podcast released with each episode being about half an hour long.

2- Hidden Brain

This is probably my favorite podcast in this list. I would recommend Hidden Brain to anyone who’s interested in psychology and sociology. This podcast is probably one of my favorites since it includes such a large range of topics that all have to do with human behavior and what influences it. So far, Shankar Vedantam has brilliantly hosted over 160 episodes that are each about 30 or 50 minutes long.

3- Radio Diaries

This podcast is best described as “the extraordinary stories of ordinary life.” This was actually the first podcast I listened to that really hooked me to actually start listening to podcasts on a regular basis. Listening to the stories of other people from different backgrounds of time and place was a very interesting experience. This series has just over 100 episodes so far, with each episode ranging from 10 minutes to an hour.

4- Millennial

This podcast follows the life of Megan Tan told in her own words. Millennial shows us the journey Megan goes through while maneuvering her 20s and finding her place in the world as a podcast creator. Unlike the previously mentioned podcasts, this one has to be listened to in order for it to make sense. This podcast is complete with a little under 50 episodes, each being 20-30 minutes.

5- What Trump Can Teach Us About Con Law

This podcast is hosted by Roman Mars and features Professor Elizabeth Joh from the UC Davis School of Law. The reason why I like this podcast is because it teaches U.S. constitutional law through examples of current events. This podcast is casual, flows well, and is very easy to understand. I recommend this podcast to anyone who is interested in how government works, it’s history, and how it applies today. So far there are 30 episodes, each being about 20 minutes long.

I currently listen to my podcasts using the Google Play Music app on my phone. All of the podcasts listed above are available on this platform.

If you have any podcasts you enjoy please comment them below!

Edited by Meghana 2/8/19– Here are just a few more podcasts from a newbie who has become quickly addicted-

So, I am only about a week into this newfound podcast addiction but I have been listening to the following based on suggestions from other avid, regular listeners. They are the wise, I am merely a messenger. I’ve begun driving more now and sometimes music just doesn’t cut it, especially for longer highway rides that have become an unfortunate staple of my life so these narrative style podcasts are amazing because they really take you along for the ride (ha, get it?) and immerse you into something different from the norm. Alright, enough ranting, here are three more podcasts you should be listening to.

6- Reply All

Reply All is by Gimlet, the zenith of the podcast boom. It’s a podcast all about interactions on the Internet but not in the way you and I are generally familiar with because it involves scam calls, inexplicable social media mobs, fake political content, and Uber account thieves. The hosts do this segment (which is what I usually listen to) called Tech Support where they take in calls from listeners about weird encounters, and then they. two people very familiar with the world of tech, try and figure out what happened, even occasionally risking getting doxed through the dark web. The first episode I listened to was by far the best and it got completely hooked. It’s called Long Distance #1 and 2 and takes you all they way to India to uncover a scamming call center. If you have an hour to spare, definitely listen to it because it is a wonderful concoction of comedy, mystery, and tech. And don’t worry! The tech stuff is explained in layman’s terms for even those of us not as familiar with that world. It’s educational and entertaining.

7- Broken Harts

Broken Harts is a “true crime” podcast but an unusual one at that. It’s about a horrific accident turned murder that led to the deaths of the entire Hart family, comprising of a lesbian couple and their six adopted black kids. The incident occurred about a year ago and was briefly in the news but it did not receive major coverage. What made it incredibly unusual was that it was horrific, they were found in their van off the edge of a cliff, but more so, it was later found to have been completely intentional. One of the mothers had purposefully accelerated off the cliff. None of their friends could comprehend how this progressive, perfect, happy family could end up like this and that is what the podcast explores. It is one one those podcasts you have to listen to in order but at eight episodes its not much of a commitment and quite an intriguing deep dive into the oddity of this situation.

8- Homecoming

This is a psychological thriller also by Gimlet Media. Their first original scripted podcast that is now an Amazon Prime show starring Julia Roberts, is about the Homecoming experiment and facility that transitions war veterans back into the world. It centers around caseworker and counselor Heidi Bergman and her relationship with Walter, a new admit to the program. Though it starts out slow, the climax certainly makes the details worthwhile.