Podcasts as a unit of measurement to understand the universe
Just simply a jam packed edition full of podcasts and links after a mini summer hiatus.
Welcome to Hurt Your Brain #202, the place to get podcasts and links that will make you think, sent every other Sunday (usually?).
After a relaxing writing hiatus full of traveling and covid (well, that part was decidedly not relaxing), I’m back in your inbox with some stellar podcasts and links to make you think.
So AFTER you’ve had a chance to catch up on all the emergency podcast recordings tomorrow about Biden dropping out, give yourself a breather and check out some of the timeless content below.
Also, a friend tipped me off that I was mentioned in this book so I’ll go ahead and blindly shamelessly recommend it!
To kick off this super-sized because it’s been a while edition, here’s a round robin of some truly excellent episodes from shows I frequently recommend that are all worth your time: 99% Invisible: The Lost Subways of North America | The Daily: Whales Have an Alphabet | The Daily: How Bad is Drinking for You, Really? | Radiolab: How To Save A Life | and Planet Money’s Summer School is back.
I also wrote something unhinged below in the podcast links section I think you’ll enjoy. Let’s jump in.
PODCAST RECOMMENDATIONS
Distillations: The Word For Blue
The Big Idea: Distillations is an excellent science podcast and they have a little mini-series about color that kicks off with this episode. If you are a big fan of the wildly popular classic “Colors” episode of Radiolab, this episode is for you. It touches on some similar topics but then goes deeper on others, and I loved it. By the way, does Radiolab’s Colors hold up?
Indigo is the unassuming plant that finally allowed for the dyeing of clothing with a blue color, and here is an idea I had never heard before that the episode does a great job unpacking: “Back in the 18th century, indigo played almost as big a role in colonization as cotton did in slavery.”
The Big Idea: Sam Anderson, a writer for The New York Times Magazine makes six audio essays about six different animals, in a very relaxed and not at all “nature doc” type of format. His goal is simply to just be around the animals, and it all leads to a very listenable collection of enjoyable stories.
Start with the first episode, Walnut (about his dog), a very short and excellent introduction to the series. Here is transcript.
Would be a real shame if more seasons don’t get produced.
Strong Sense of Place: Outer Space
The Big Idea: As a wannabe book nerd (if only I had a time turner), I love this show. Just as you might guess, each episode is full of book recommendations that provide a strong sense of place for various settings or locations. It’s perfect for the intersection of book worms and travelers (even if just aspirational). Of course the setting of Outer Space was an immediate download for me and there were some great recs I had never heard of before.
Revisionist History: Hitler’s Olympics Part 1 – The Blue-Eyed Tornado
The Big Idea: The most consequential modern Olympics was the one Hitler hosted in 1936, or so argues Malcolm Gladwell in this new season.
If you’ve been off the Gladwell bandwagon (or were never on), give this one a chance. I find it riveting and you’ll discover some new characters (some to cheer, some to jeer) and beats of history that you were probably not familiar with.
Tested: Episode 1 — The Choice
The Big Idea: A new six episode series from Rose Eveleth (for NPR and CBC) about the more complicated than you would think world of who qualifies to compete as a woman in the Olympics. Really enjoyed this first episode and it serves as great context for the upcoming games.
“Since the beginning of women's sports, there has been a struggle over who qualifies for the women's category. Tested follows the unfolding story of elite female runners who have been told they can no longer race in the women's category, unless they change their biology. As the Olympics approach, they face hard choices: take drugs to lower their natural testosterone levels, give up their sport entirely, or fight.”
Conversations: David Wengrow: Everything we know about the human story is wrong
The Big Idea: This conversation will challenge your preconceived notions of early civilization and certainly make you think. This episode is dense with ideas in the best way.
Thank you to whoever recommended this and I can’t for the life of me remember where I saw it.
Hidden Brain: What Twins Tell Us
The Big Idea: The fact that identical twins are numerous (at least when there are billions of people) is such a boon for helping us untangle nature vs nurture. This is a fantastic exploration of this topic as well as a truly remarkable story of the accidental switching at birth of one sibling each from two sets of identical twins.
This episode is part of this month’s Podcast Brunch Club listening list.
PODCAST LINKS
The Podcast as a Unit of Measurement to Understand the Universe. One of the more unhinged things I’ve written. Like, who hasn’t ever wondered at what timestamp humans would show up if Earth was an hour long podcast? And other perfectly reasonable questions.
The 11 Best Science Podcasts. A list I approve of from Podcast Review.
Podcasts About Our Solar System, Curated by Latif Nasser. Great list and a great get for Earbuds.
Whats the most mind blowing fact you’ve ever learned from listening to a podcast? And Guys, I’ve listened to all the greats, what are some really really good podcasts? are two posts on the podcasts subreddit that are worth perusing for recommendations.
OTHERS LINKS TO MAKE YOU THINK
A manhole cover launched into space with a nuclear test is the fastest human-made object.
Sci-fi looking Shelf Clouds. Top comment: “always knew the end of the world would start outside a Walmart.”
The Best Political Sci-Fi Books. Interesting five choices. I’ll add The Dispossessed as an additional one to absolutely check out.
VISUALS I SHARED
More:
FOR FUN
How to Irritate People While Searching for Your AirPods.
I just worry we’re both too busy to make this work.
Man Runs Into Garage Door While Attempting Sparkling Water Challenge. I’m three years late to this video but I’m not ashamed to admit me and my family watched this video maybe twenty times in a row. It has everything in such a short span.
Well, that was a LOT of stuff. Thanks for reading as always. Time to get kids to bed, sneak in a little Stardew Valley (I’m eight years late to this), and of course prepare my mind and body for House of the Dragon.
Please like or comment (or reply) if you want to share any comments. See you next time.
Erik! So glad you enjoyed our Strong Sense of Place episode about outer space. Thank you so much for including it in your recommendations. I LOVED doing that episode, even though every new thing I learned blew my mind :-) Let us know if you read any of the books; would love to know what you think :-)
Thank you for including our Latif list!!