Maya Philipp / The Triton
Looking to further your knowledge on a particular subject? Podcasts are a great way to enrich your understanding. Whether you wish to learn more about your major or delve into a new academic discipline, here is a list of educational podcasts The Triton recommends.
The African American Studies Podcast highlights the political, cultural, and economic aspects that shape the African American experience. Through books, articles, and movies, each episode analyzes historical and current events surrounding the Black community. The podcast also features professors in a variety of fields and is recommended for students interested in conversations on race in America.
Each episode of Conversations in Anthropology features a guest anthropologist discussing topics in behavior, culture, and society. The podcast explores these topics and anthropology’s modern implications. Some recent episodes include conversations on the anthropology of food, illness, religion, and the environment. Conversations in Anthropology is an ideal listen for those who enjoy learning history and sociology.
Spanning topics such as ecology, virology, and human biology, Big Biology takes an in-depth look at important biology research, and explores unanswered questions within the field of biology. Some recent episodes include conversations on bee populations, germ cells, and coronavirus. This podcast is recommended for those interested in new research findings in biology.
Hosted by Professor Jim Al-Khalili, The Life Scientific aims to amplify important voices in science. Each episode is dedicated to a featured scientist, focusing on their life and work in their respective field. Recent topics include conversations on public health, geology, and forensics. New episodes are released weekly. The Life Scientific is perfect for students who are looking to get familiar with up and coming biologists, epidemiologists, and chemists.
This Ecology-focused podcast uses an interview model to facilitate in-depth conversations surrounding environmental education and careers in ecology. Hosted by Philip Mathieu, a former Ecology educator, the podcast provides insight on the relevance and growth of the ecology field. New episodes are released every other week within May. This podcast could be helpful for students aspiring for careers in ecology.
Medical school applications and preparation can be difficult to navigate as an undergraduate student. The Undifferentiated Medical Student aims to help prospective medical students by exploring graduate school applications, medical specialities, and career paths. Many episodes include interviews with physicians from various specialities discussing why they chose that particular area of study and career advice. From pediatric ophthalmology to plastic surgery, this podcast considers all areas of medicine.
Hosted by the nonprofit “Simple Neuroscience,” this podcast covers a variety of STEM topics including neurology and psychology. The Synapse aims to promote conversations with guests from various backgrounds. Given that the podcast is student-run, The Synapse can be particularly insightful for college students who are looking for discussions pertaining to university and neuroscience. New episodes are released every Sunday.
Economics Explained explores international policies and regulations through the lens of economics. With each episode lasting only about twenty minutes, the podcast aims to discuss aspects of economics in a way that is easily digestable. Recent episodes include topics like a president’s influence on the economy, hyperinflation, and the NFT market. Whether you are majoring in economics or are interested in the world of finance, this could be the podcast for you.
Hosted by U.S. historians, BackStory discusses how current events can improve our understanding of American history. The podcast aims to consider not just facts, but various perspectives that shape a particular theme. Episodes feature guest speakers and audience callers to facilitate conversation on topics like racial health disparities, imperialism, and environmentalism within the United States. BackStory can be particularly helpful for students who enjoy learning the broader implications of historical events.
Focusing on world history, Throughline aims to examine past events to better understand the present. Hosted by NPR, the podcast includes guest historians discussing historical myths, facts, and their implications. Recent episodes include conversations on the Black Panther Party, the U.S. space program, and the Iranian Revolution. New episodes are released weekly. Throughline is recommended for those who enjoy more niche topics in world history.
This podcast focuses on issues pertaining to Chicano, Mexican, Central American and South American people. More specifically, Chicano Podcast covers the current events, politics, style, food, music, and culture of said communities. Recent episodes include topics like COVID-19’s impact on the Chicano community and the voice of Chicanos in politics. The podcast is recommended for students interested in the history and culture of Mexican, Central American and South American people.
Hosted by linguists Gretchen McCulloch and Lauren Gawne, Lingthusiasm explores the structural, historic, psychological, and cultural aspects of language. Previous topics covered on the podcast include writing as a technology, how translators approach texts, and the function of phatic expressions. New episodes are released on the third Thursday of each month. Whether this is your first introduction to linguistics or you are looking to deepen your understanding, Lingthusiasm has a variety of topics to offer.
Speaking of Psychology features psychology experts highlighting important research discoveries in the field. The topics discussed in the podcast include criminal psychology, psychology of gender, and mental health issues among others. One of the most recent episodes explores the psychology of conspiracy theories, how they begin and why they persist. Perfect for psychology and non-psychology majors alike, the podcast is great for students interested in human behavior.
The Psychology Podcast with Scott Barry Kaufman explores facets of psychology with a focus on human potential. Each episode features an expert in the field discussing topics like sports psychology, fad psychology, and humor. The podcast also has a corresponding blog featuring articles related to practical uses of psychology. With episodes lasting upwards of two hours, this podcast is recommended for those who enjoy long discussions on various topics in psychology.
Launched in 2015, Hidden Brain focuses on how neuroscience and psychology drive human behavior. Each episode features experts in a particular psychology or neuroscience topic. Some recent episodes include dialogue related to the psychology of politics, the halo effect, and empathy. Hosted by NPR, Hidden Brain for students looking to improve their daily habits with the help of psychology.
With a wide variety of topics to explore, we hope that these podcasts can be especially useful for college students looking to discover new subjects.
Amanda Gonzalez is an A&C Staff Writer for The Triton.
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