Researcher blogs

We have all been there – a long evening in the lab, pipetting a thousand tubes, wishing there was something a little more substantial than music to fill your ears and your brain… But what to listen to? Maybe you are very picky about your podcasts (like some of us), maybe you are a little overwhelmed by “the Netflix choice problem”.  

Fear not! The blog team has put together some of their finest podcast suggestions, to help you in this hour of need! We hope you find something useful in this list. Do you have a suggestion that isn’t here? Let us know in the comments down below! 

Paula –

• No such thing as a fish – a one-hour-non-stop of random facts and banter. Every week, 4 of the hosts bring out their “favourite facts from the last 7 days”.  You will be sure to laugh, be confused, and come out learning a thing or two on trivia knowledge. 

• 99% invisible – the relaxing calming voice of Roman Mars guides you through the architecture of things all around you. Things you didn’t even know could qualify as “architecture”. Have you ever wondered what qualities make a good flag vs. a bad one? Or how sidewalks came to have the dip that makes the lives of everyone living on wheels better?  

• Endless threads – reddit post gone viral? They are on it to investigate the story to the nano level.  

• Cautionary Tales – Gather round, children, Tim Harford will tell us a story. But this is no children’s tale, these stories are all true. Stories that reveal the irrationality of human nature, and a cautionary tale of things to look out for, if you don’t want to find yourself the character of the next story… 

Tatiana –

• The Lonely Pipette – Choose academia. Choose a postdoc. Choose a lab where you can thrive but in a country your partner would live in. A new, motivated (and possibly micromanager) PI, or the biggie in the field you will never see in the office? Choose… anxiety! There are many things a graduate student should be doing and considering at the end of the PhD. This podcast balances entertainment, human stories and scientific advice – you are not alone!  

Natassia –

• SH**GED MARRIED ANNOYED by Chris & Rosie Ramsey – The only way Rosie and Chris Ramsey can have a conversation without being interrupted by a toddler or ending up staring at their phones is by doing a podcast. They’ll be chatting all about life, relationships, arguments, annoyances, parenting, growing up and everything in between. Each week they will answer questions from the public and a secret celebrity. – it’s very funny, they’re a couple from the North East and they don’t hold anything back! 

• Science Vs – takes on fads, trends, and the opinionated mob to find out what’s fact, what’s not, and what’s somewhere in between… fun popular science and easily digestible.  

• Grounded with Louie Theroux – Stuck at home, Louis is using the lockdown to track down some high-profile people he’s been longing to talk to – from all walks of life and on both sides of the Atlantic…. who doesn’t love a bit of Louie?! 

Monica –

• The Missing Cryptoqueen – Trying to uncover the truth and tell the story of Onecoins’s founder and millionaire scam-artist Dr Ruja Ignatova. She convinced millions of people to invest in her made-up currency and then vanished into thin air. The podcast tells the story, follows new leads, and tries to find the missing cryptoqueen. Trust me, you won’t be able to stop listening.  

Joanne –

• Outside Podcast – Podcast by the American magazine Outside, which started off with a (super interesting!) series on the science of survival and ultimately evolved into a variety of stories on adventures (going wrong), athletes taking on new challenges, our relationship to nature, the connection between sports and mental health, and many more topics. If you´re inspired by people stepping out of their comfort zone and overcoming obstacles, this might be the podcast for you. 

• Everything is alive – If these walls could talk… That´s exactly what´s going on in this podcast which gives a (hilarious) voice to the everyday objects that surround us. This podcast is great for aspiring writers, as it makes clear there´s a potential story in literally any ordinary object. 

• Desert island discs – Technically not a podcast but a radio show from the BBC broadcasted since 1942 (!), where each guest is interviewed based on the eight songs, book, and luxury item they´d take along to a desert island. Worth a listen for the intriguing guests and their incredible life stories, the insane number of episodes to catch up on, and the music and reading tips you inevitably get from every show. 

Natalie –

Ok, so I am a little bit biased but if course I would love to have more listeners to the podcasts I produce. Fair enough if you think that I am to self promotion but hear me out! 

• SCAS Talks – a podcast from the Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study. SCAS is a wonderful multidisciplinary research environment in Uppsala, giving fellows from all over the world the opportunity to indulge in their research and to interact with fellows from completely different disciplines. This really shows in the diversity of the podcast episodes. Up to now there are three episodes – three on the coronavirus pandemic, three on diversity and three on the study of language. During the spring I will produce no less than 12 new episodes, stay tuned! 

• RadioScience – most episodes in Swedish, some in English. Co-founder Lisa Beste and me have tried various formats and have also invited researchers to contribute directly. Check it out if you want to be featured! 

• Curiepodden – also mostly in Swedish about research politics and research conditions.  

Podcasts I listen to include Coronavirus Update (in German) and Medicinvetarna (Swedish). 

Oksana –

• This podcast will kill you – an extremely interesting and fun podcast produced by two scientists Erin and Erin about the infectious diseases. Here you will hear a mix of a history, biology, sociology, ethics of infectious medicine, and – the most fun part – will get the recipes of cocktails “quarantinis”. 

• Improbable research – a podcast where you will hear about the most hilarious research projects and articles.  

• Freakonomics Radio and Radiolab – two very famous and very long-lasting podcasts on a variety of topics, including medicine, social sciences, economics and life in general. 

cover Image by Pexels from Pixabay