School is starting soon, and for those of us who don’t live on campus, commuting to and from school can take anywhere from 10 minutes (shut up, nobody wants to hear about it) to three hours. All that time staring at the road can start to drive you crazy pretty quickly.What makes it better?
Podcasts.
Here are five weird, funny, geeky, interesting, or just informative podcasts that you can try out to make your daily commute more enjoyable.
1. "Invisibilia"
NPR is the king of podcasting, in my opinion. Anything coming from them is bound to be marvelous. "Invisibilia" is a podcast hosted by Alix (pronounced like Elise) Spiegel, Hanna Rosen and Lulu Miller that explores “the invisible forces that control human behavior – ideas, beliefs, assumptions and emotions.” Spiegel, Rosen and Miller mix great storytelling with interesting facts.
Listen to this to find out about what it’s like to be unable to feel fear, meet people who are actually Batman (but not the way you think) and find out whether or not computers are changing the character of humanity.
Starting point: "Entanglement"
Length: 1 hour
2. "Lore"
If you enjoy being creeped out and find folk tales, storytelling and research fascinating, then "Lore" is for you. It’s hosted by Aaron Mahnke, who starts with creepy folklore and brings you the creepier history behind the stories. Mahnke covers everything from monsters and hauntings to witch hunts and being buried alive. You won’t be able to tear yourself away.
Starting point: "The Bloody Pit"
Length: 15-30 minutes
3. "Ask Me Another"
Another NPR podcast, "Ask Me Another" is a live-audience game show featuring puzzles, music, quizzes, trivia and general hilarity. The show has featured guests like Sir Patrick Stewart, Mo Willems and more. You’ll find yourself laughing and playing along as you listen to host Ophira Eisenburg, house musician Johnathan Coulton, the celebrity guest of the week and the random contestants on every show.
Starting point: "Anna Chlumsky: Veep of the Rings"
Alternate starting point: "Sir Patrick Stewart Recites Taylor Swift’s 'Blank Space,'" because who doesn’t want to hear Taylor Swift performed in a Shakespearian style?
Length: 1 hour
4. "Dear Hank and John"
John and Hank Green are brothers and YouTubers (they run the wildly successful Vlogbrothers channel). If you don't know their names from YouTube, you probably know John Green's name from the world of YA fiction; he wrote the wildly successful weepy love story "The Fault In Our Stars."
"Dear Hank and John" is a comedy podcast in which the brothers answer listeners' questions, give dubious advice and also give you the week's news about Mars and the AFC Wimbledon soccer team.
It's as weird as it sounds, but the quirky conversations these two have will remind you of your own sibling interactions and also occasionally make you think.
They answer questions like "Does strawberry-flavored candy actually taste like strawberry?" "Does Mars have seasons?" "How do you define adulthood?" and "How do I find joy when my main source of it has been taken away?"
It's by turns funny, serious, random, thoughtful and strange.
Starting point: Just have a look at the titles. You'll find one that grabs your interest.
Length: 45-60 minutes
5. "TED Radio Hour"
You've heard of TED Talks -- 18 minute or less talks on anything that falls under the headings of technology, entertainment, or design. The TED Radio Hour podcast is a curated collection of those talks. Each episode is made up of talks on a similar subject and interviews with speakers, and is hosted by Guy Raz.
There is a TED Radio Hour episode for any interest or idea, and every one is interesting.
Starting point: "The Hero's Journey" or "Fighting Cancer"
Length: 1 hour
Other podcasts you should try: "Criminal," "Stuff Mom Never Told You," "Freakonomics Radio," "Reply All," "The Lively Show."
