Why in the year 2026, do I start a blog at the birth of the dead internet? Why do I care to share my favourite podcasts to an empty void? Can I get traction with the AI algorithms and put some good back out there? Will I have to have an internet presence in 2050 to be employed that isn’t just vapid LinkedIn posts? I don’t know, but here I am.
All I want to do, it get more websites with more links to my favs to boost them up the algorithm as bonafide, genuine human creations worthy of your time. And maybe if a human sees this, it’ll be good for you too.
Revolutions
My favourite podcast, unashamedly. I’ve never heard history through a continuous, interconnected and international perspective. Mike Duncan really takes you through it all, with all the context and narrative required to keep you hooked. The detail and story telling, linking all of the chapters in history as a continuous story is amazing.
Revolutions include: English Civil War, the American Revolution, the French Revolution, the Haitian Revolution, Simon Bolivar and Gran Colombia, the July Revolution, the Revolutions of 1848, the Paris Commune, the Mexican Revolution, and finally the Russian Revolution. It’s gonna keep going, so tune in for the next revolutions.
Get the book as well, Hero of Two Worlds: The Marquis de Lafayette in the Age of Revolution. It takes you through the life and times of a guy who was involved with a bunch of revolutions.
The Climate Denier’s Playbook
I think this is quite an important podcast, actively fighting climate disinformation and systematically unpicks the fossil fuel industry marketing brainwash. Thorough narritive style history of how we got to where we are any why it is more insidious than you may have assumed. This is a sister production of the also very good youtube channel, Climate Town.
More or Less: Behind the Statistics
This is a 10/10 BBC4 radio programme that is better than any podcast. If you want quality fact checked news, thoughtfully presented data and clear thinking, this is what you want to listen to. Short bites and longer episodes, it is clensing for the mind.
Citations Needed
Without sounding conspiratorial, citations needed gives you an unabashedly leftist voice for news. Largely a North American range of topics, it also takes you through the history of conservative and regressive politics. From the corruption of TV shows being funded by nefarious actors, to vaccines, and the benevolent billionaires, it’s pretty thorough!
Fin vs History
A very silly retelling of history by comedians. Primarily a comedy podcast, it’s a fun way to re-learn a lot of history. This can be very rude and insensitive, but all in good fun.
The Rest is Science
As a big Vsauce and Numberphile watcher back in the hay days, this is an awesome host combination. Feels like their authentic selves again as nerds telling you things they seem to genuinely find interesting.
A Problem Squared
A twockly (two-weekly) pod by the amazing stand up mathematitian Matt Parker and this co-host Bec Hill, a funny comedian. Always glad to listen about maths news and problem solving.
Words Unravelled
Rob Watts of RobWords teaches you history though language and the evolution of words. How lanuage changed over history, through historical events, across multiple languages. A lot of fun-facts to share at parties.
The History of Rome
Not for the faint hearted at all, The History of Rome is great. If you’ve ever wanted to learn about Rome from start to end, this is the definitive guide. Mike Duncan’s aim was to give you a single, continuous, narrative across the phases of Roman history. Is clear, is thorough, is good.
Get the book as well, a New York Times best seller, The Storm Before the Storm: The Beginning of the End of the Roman Republic. It’s a very good book.
Honorable Mentions
The Bugle
The absurdist comedian and statistician Andy Zaltzman and guests/co-hosts keep you up to date with the worlds only audio only newspaper for a digital world.
At This Moment
Silly current affairs by Australian comedians.
The Adam Buxton Podcast
Long form interviews with some surprusingly high profile people. Good chats to hear from guests you are interested in.
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