Sam's Podcast Recommendations

Sam Craven

Last updated 2025-10-15
[Changelog]

In each section, podcasts appear roughly by ranking of what percentage of the episodes that are released that I listen to, which I think is a pretty good proxy for which ones I like the most.

General Interest

  • 99% Invisible - Design is all around us and we don’t notice most of it. It is, as the title implies, mostly invisible. Each episode delves into the design of something encountered in everyday life.
  • Radiolab - Primarily focusing on philosophical and scientific topics, this show tries to take complex topics and express them in simple terms without taking itself too seriously. Radiolab has won two Peabody Awards and earned one of its creators a MacArthur grant.
  • This American Life - Multiple “acts” telling different stories all with the same theme. Warning: This one can get pretty heavy and may result in ugly tears.

Current Events

  • Planet Money - Each week, a different facet of the economy explained in easy to understand terms. Most (but not all) topics are news related.
  • Freakonomics Radio - From the writers of Freakonomics, discussion of socioeconomics in easy to understand terms. Many (but not all) topics are news related. Similar to Planet Money but generally dives a bit deeper.
  • The Indicator from Planet Money - From the makers of Planet Money A short daily podcast that takes a single number of term from the news and places it in the context of the economy.

Sports

  • 30 For 30 Podcasts - Audo documentaries from the makers of the award-winning film series 30 for 30.
  • The Shutdown Fullcast - A very funny cast of hosts disuss college football and really whatever else they feel like.

Technology

  • Darknet Diaries - Stories about and from the people and events that lurk in the darkest corners of the internet.
  • Screaming in the Cloud - Corey Quinn talks with expert of various aspects of cloud computing. Usually not overly technical and more about how people think about things.

Comedy

  • No Such Thing As A Fish - The researchers from BBC Two’s QI present their favorite facts that they’ve discovered this week.

History

  • Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History - Historical deep dives - prepare to spend hours on a single event, excellently prepared to keep you listening to whole time. Listen while you can - old episodes are taken off the feed and placed for sale on his website.

Podcasts that completed their run

These are podcast that tell a complete story. Otherwise-ended podcasts in the changelog.

  • The Dropout - The story of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos. The world’s youngest self-made female billionaire, once heralded as the next Steve Jobs, lost it all and is now facing criminal charges.
  • Missing Richard Simmons - After decades in public life, Richard Simmons abrupty retires and cuts contacts with friends. A former friend investigates what’s happening.
  • WeCrashed: The Rise and Fall of WeWork - Self explanitory title
  • SYFY25: Origin Stories - For the 25th anniversarry of SyFy (formerly SciFi Network), interviews with the involved in the creation of some of the greatest works of Science Fiction.

Changelog

2018-05-10

  • Initial post

2018-07-27

  • Additional descriptions added
  • Categorized some uncategorized things
  • Sorting added.

2019-08-10

2020-03-07

2025-10-15

Feature image by Casey Fiesler, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons