Podcasts for the Road
By Shefali Tamaskar
With spring break approaching and long commutes on trains and planes ahead, that playlist with the same ten songs you listen to every day might get a bit repetitive. One way I’ve been able to change it up and learn a little something at the same time is by listening to good podcasts. Here are some podcasts I recommend, from lifestyle to business, and everything in between.
LEISURE
The Moth
If you are a fan of Humans of NY, like many NYU students are, The Moth features regular people telling real stories about their lives. The Moth is recorded live all throughout the country and is reminiscent of slam poetry but in the form of storytelling, which they call StorySLAM. Each person tells their story to an audience of strangers with no notes. This podcast is perfect for those who love how storytelling can make us appreciate everyone's unique story.
SuperSoul Conversations
This podcast hosted by none other than Oprah focuses primarily on how she and her notable interviewees, from Michelle Obama to Lady Gaga, feel connected to both themselves and those around them. What is so interesting about this podcast is how Oprah is able to get renowned celebrities to talk about their vulnerabilities on the path to success. My personal favorite was the episode with social scientist Brene Brown, where they talk about how to live wholeheartedly.
For a more scientific approach to similar life questions, also check out NPR’s Hidden Brain podcast.
BUSINESS
Sustainability Defined
This podcast would be great for anyone passionate or just curious about what sustainability actually is. Rather than learning in an academic setting, the podcast provides an informal conversation by lighthearted experts in the field that talk about sustainability issues and solutions. For those specifically interested in the intersection of business and sustainability, the podcast features several sub-podcasts specific to just that, from Green Finance to Sustainable Beauty and Personal Care Products.
Recode Decode
This is a tech podcast hosted by Silicon Valley journalist Kara Swisher, where she and her guests discuss how technology, typically big tech companies, are influencing the world. Swisher is really passionate and knowledgeable about the industry and always has notable guests on to talk about interesting topics facing tech. My personal favorite was when she had on Tristan Harris, a tech ethics advocate and former Google employee, to discuss social media’s negative effects on humanity.
NEWS
The Daily
Created by the New York Times journalism team, The Daily summarizes what they think is the most pressing news of the day in just 20 minutes. It’s a good middle ground between fully reading a detailed newspaper article versus only reading headlines on Twitter. With such busy lives it's hard to make time to stay engaged with what's going on around us but these short yet informative podcasts can definitely help, no matter which outlet you choose to consume news on.
For similar length business related news, check out The Journal, produced by the Wall Street Journal.
I love podcasts because they are such an easy and convenient way to learn about whatever you are interested in. This is in no way an exhaustive list of all the good podcasts out there, and if you are a podcast connoisseur and know of other great ones, please let me know! Happy listening!