I've changed the wording slightly, but I'm totally fine with podcasts which, at least sometimes, are more valuable than my own random thoughts or more interesting than the clatter of my bicycle while I'm driving to the university. I think "History of Rome" meets these criteria.
O.K., if general historical edification for largely ignorant laymen like me counts, then there are two Berkeley undergrad courses on iTunes that I love by a professor named Margaret Anderson. The first is on the Second Reich and the second is a more general survey of modern European history. I learned a ridiculously large amount from both and personally found them to be more fluid and engaging than any college course I took.
I know, books or blogs are often more informative than podcasts. But reading a book while going grocery shopping, bicycling or driving is kinda hard. And the last post on this topic didn't generate much discussion.
So, I ask again: Does anyone know of some interesting podcasts out there?
I'll go ahead and list some of my favorites:
- Econtalk by Russ Roberts.
- Conversations from the Pale Blue Dot by Lukeprog.
- Rationally Speaking by Julia Galef and Massimo Pigliucci.
- Singularity 1 on 1 by Nikola Danaylov.
- Big Ideas and TEDtalks are sometimes worthwhile.
Lectures on ItunesU are of course great, too.