Science podcasts are a bright spot within the podcast industry as they counteract the growing number of conspiracy, extremist, and fact-free podcasts.
The best science podcasts blend a rigorous investigation of a scientific concept along with a slice of humor. Dry, academic science podcasts are best left for nights when sleep evades us.
In no particular order, here are Ear Worthy's Five Science Podcasts of 2024.
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Science Vs
Hosted by
Australian science journalist Wendy Zukerman, Science Vs is successful because
of two primary reasons. First, Zukerman’s good-natured humor topples listener
expectations about what a science podcast should sound like. Second, the unique
mission of the podcast --using scientific investigative techniques to separate
fact from myth – sparks interest, controversy and insight.
And they do so tongue-in-cheek but also with no fear of proclaiming “the data isn’t clear” or “we need more data for greater certainty.” Behind the wily wisecracks of Zukerman and the show’s refusal to take itself too seriously, Science Vs is deadly serious about facts, research, facts and conclusions. But it never seems to get too far ahead of its skis, making claims it cannot substantiate.
The proof of
the show’s success is its consistent ranking as one of the most downloaded
podcasts. This year's episodes of note include microplastics, ask Wendy anything, and what's at the edge of space.
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Scientists
don’t really know what 95 percent of the universe is made up of. That
fact is particularly shocking, considering we live in an age where
humans seem to know it all.
That's why Vox’s science podcast – Unexplainable
– is especially timely because it takes listeners on a journey into the
unknown and then explores that feeling when “you think you understand
something and there’s just so much more.”
Unexplainable
host Noam Hassenfeld reminds us that we don’t understand exactly how the
nose works, or what’s going on inside the earth? And does anyone know
about ball lightning?
Produced by Vox --known for quality, thoughtful podcasts – Unexplainable
host Hassenfeld explains that the podcast isn’t about the answers.
“It’s about the questions,” he says. Alex Trebek would be proud of him.
Unexplainable
launched its first episode in March 2021. Dutifully, that initial
episode focused on the mystery of dark matter, which is composed of
particles that do not absorb, reflect, or emit light. Therefore, dark
matter can not be detected by electromagnetic radiation and can’t be
seen directly.
The format of Unexplainable is
straightforward and is smartly designed to enhance understanding rather
than grovel for listeners. In the show, host Noam Hassenfeld is joined
by an array of experts and Vox reporters each week to look at
fascinating unanswered questions in science and the mind-bending ways
scientists are trying to answer them.
Episodes that are ear-worthy this year includes does your gut have feelings, how did Earth get its water, and what do dinosaurs sound like.
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Big Picture Science
Big Picture Science.
It's a terrific podcast that exposes junk science, highlights new
scientific discoveries, and finds the science in everyday life. Big Picture Science is produced at the SETI Institute’s radio studio in Mountain View, California. The program began with the title Are We Alone?
in 2002 as a commercially-supported call-in show distributed to a
handful of stations on Radio America by Bill Oxley and Seth Shostak, who
actually broadcast from their respective living rooms in San Diego and
Mountain View.
The show's co-hosts are Seth Shostak and Molly Bentley. Shostak and Bentley have been doing for years, so they are comfortable as hosts, interviewers, and with each other. The co-hosts can geek out on hard science and still laugh at science nerdiness, and they can get tough with junk science theories and claims. In essence, they make an enjoyable combo,
On the April 15,
2024, episode, "For The Birds" we hear about migratory birds that travel
thousands of miles in a display of endurance that
would make an Olympic athlete gasp. More importantly, we discover what
can we
do to save disappearing species?
Plus, we learn how 19th century
bird-lovers, appalled by feathered hats, started
the modern conservation movement.
On the recent July
11, 2024, show -- "Aliens Now" -- the co-hosts talk to astrophysicist
Adam Frank about the possibility of intelligent life on other planets.
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Taboo Science
Here is the marketing pitch from Taboo Science: "Taboo Science is a podcast that answers the questions you’re not allowed
to ask. It’s hosted by Ashley Hamer, a science writer and podcaster.
Every episode dives into a different societal taboo to understand the
science that makes it tick, the reasons we don’t talk about it, and the
impact that has on society at large. Why don’t we eat people? Why are my
swear words different than my parents’? And what makes porn, porn? It’s
science class if science class had one of those anonymous question
boxes. It’s Taboo Science."
Ashley Hamer is a writer, podcaster, and science communicator in Chicago. She is the creator of Taboo Science and the former host and content lead of the science podcast Curiosity Daily.
The podcast began in September 2020, and it didn't pull any punches in its first several episodes. Topics included pornography, profanity, cannibalism, penises, and vaginas. I can just sense the uptight people who are organizing bans.
If you, as a listener, are into your science being serious stuff with people with PhDs speaking in solemn tones, Taboo Science is not for you.
But
if enjoy a beaker full of fun with your science lesson, and don't mind
your poop being referred to you as "butt nuggets," then Taboo Science is for you.
The most taboo episodes this year include its miniseries about the weird and colorful world of kinks and fetishes. Be prepared to be shocked. Or not.
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Short Wave
Short
Wave is a National Public Radio (NPR) podcast that gives us a sneak
peek behind the science headlines — all in about 10 minutes, every
weekday. It's science for everyone, using a lot of creativity and a
little humor.
The original host of the show was Maddie Sofia,
who is an actual scientist with a Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology
from the University of Rochester Medical Center. The new host,
Emily Kwong, is perfectly capable of presenting science on a different wavelength.
Short Wave can
do a sub -10-minute deep dive because Sofia is so fluent in science and
communicating key concepts. Recent episodes include a tale of swarming
locusts in Africa and how scientists in Tempe, AZ are using a low-carb
diet to minimize crop damage.
Or a truly troubling episode about
a condition called silicosis, and it's been known about for decades. So
why is it now emerging in new numbers among workers who cut kitchen
counter tops? NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce explains in
such a way you’ll say a prayer that you kept your old Formica counter
tops.
New discoveries, everyday mysteries, and the science
behind the headlines — all in about 10 minutes, every weekday. It's
science for everyone, using a lot of creativity and a little humor.
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