Clippy would like a word
Are you REALLY made of stars? And other questions from lots and lots of podcasts and links.
Welcome to Hurt Your Brain #216, the place to get podcasts and links that will make you think, sent every so often.
Happy New Year! My podcast resolution this year is to listen to more history pods. If you have any you like, send them my way.
Also, instead of AI being shoved into everything, maybe Clippy could make a comeback with updated prompts?
And yes, the answer is always yes.
Alright, on to the recommendations.
PODCAST RECOMMENDATIONS
The Rest is Science: Are You REALLY Made Of Stars?
The Big Idea: We are all star stuff….OR ARE WE?? Well, yes, the answer is almost 100% yes, but being very nit picky on the wording of this launches this episode down a fun journey of where our “stuff” comes from.
This is a new science show that I am very much digging from mathematician Hannah Fry and Michael Stevens of Vsauce fame. Early Vsauce is in the sweet spot of my YouTube nostalgia, and I love to see him part of this.
The Rest is History: The Beatles: The Band that Changed the World, with Conan O’Brien, part 1 and part 2
The Big Idea: Great history show + The Beatles + Conan O’Brien as guest. Easiest listen for me.
All you need is to like one of those three ingredients to really enjoy this two parter. Two out of three? Even better! Three out of three?? What are you waiting for!
Search Engine: Colossus 1 and Colossus 2
The Big Idea: Excellent two parter from Sruthi Pinnamaneni on AI data centers and the monumental impact they are having on communities whether they want them or not.
The Big Idea: I’m back on the Heavyweight train and this episode did not disappoint. All I’ll say is that it’s not a lighthearted story but very much worth just going in blind (which is what I did).
Science Vs: Chiropractors: Are They Legit?
The Big Idea: A good primer for anyone who doesn’t realize that chiropractors are not doctors and were born out of a swamp of pseudoscience. My two cents is to go to a good physical therapist instead.
BEST OF 2025 THOUGHTS
Favorite series. Articles of Interest: Gear.
Just finished the whole thing. Yes, maybe some recency bias, but it’s so damn good and interesting. The overlap and history of the outdoor industry and the military is way more interesting than you would think. Truly worth a listen.
Favorite podcast fact: Shark facts from Radiolab’s week of sharks still blow my mind. Sharks are older than dinosaurs and the rings of Saturn, and as individuals, there are Greenland sharks that have lived long enough to be alive when Alexander Hamilton was born AND for when the hit musical was made about him.
My two favorite shows that I never miss are Planet Money and 99% Invisible. I try not to recommend them every newsletter (but I could!), so instead I’ll list here my favorite episodes of the year if you are looking for the best of the best.
My favorite 99% Invisible episodes of 2025:
Sister Aimee and the Birth of the Megachurch
Hidden Levels #1: Mr Boomshakalaka
My favorite Planet Money episodes of 2025:
The fight for a legendary shipwreck’s treasure
Planet Money buys a mystery diamond
How Russia’s shadow fleet is sailing around oil sanctions
A new experiment in remote work…from the inside
When Chicago pawned its parking meters
What AI data centers are doing to your electric bill
PODCAST LINKS
Tink Media’s Audio Delicacies of 2025. Podcast treats from the year! I contributed one under Narrative Non-Fiction, and be sure to look through the whole list because it’s a true infinite queue to start the year!
Best Podcasts of 2025 according to The New Yorker
Best podcasts of 2025 according to Reddit
OTHER LINKS TO MAKE YOU THINK
The Penicillin Myth. An interesting read on one of science’s most famous stories of discovery.
What’s the greatest book you’ve ever personally read? A great thread on Reddit.
I shrunk down into an M5 chip and I flew inside my phone and found a city are an awesome pairing of videos that are fantastic and mind boggling.
History podcasts you say?