Looking for podcast suggestions? We’ve got you covered. We asked Loomis faculty members to share their podcast playlists with us, and they offered a variety of suggestions as wide-ranging as their areas of personal interest and professional expertise. Here’s a collection of 85 of these free, downloadable audio shows for you to try, listed alphabetically with their “recommenders” listed below each entry:
30 for 30 You may be familiar with ESPN’s 30 for 30 series of award-winning sports documentaries on television. The podcasts of the same name are audio documentaries on similarly compelling subjects. Recent podcasts have looked at the man behind the Bikram Yoga fitness craze, racial activism by professional athletes, the origins of the hugely profitable Ultimate Fighting Championship, and the lasting legacy of the John Madden Football video game.
Recommended by Elliott: “I love how it involves the culture of sports. You get an inner look on a sports story or event that you never really knew about. Brings real life and sports together in a fantastic way.”
99% Invisible From the podcast website: “Ever wonder how inflatable men came to be regular fixtures at used car lots? Curious about the origin of the fortune cookie? Want to know why Sigmund Freud opted for a couch over an armchair? 99% Invisible is about all the thought that goes into the things we don’t think about — the unnoticed architecture and design that shape our world.”
Recommended by Scott
ABCA Calls from the Clubhouse Interviews with coaches in the American Baseball Coaches Association
Recommended by Donnie, who is head coach of varsity baseball and says the podcast covers “all aspects of baseball, culture, techniques, practices, strategy, etc. It is gold for a baseball guy.”
ADHD Experts Podcast Experts on Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder answer questions about the disorder and its effect on children and adults with ADHD, their families, their school life, and their work environments. Questions are submitted by adults with the disorder and parents of children with ADHD.
Recommended by Patricia: “As a dean and a mom who works with neurodiverse students, I have found this podcast very helpful in providing me with information on research, strategies, and advice on how to best support my students and my son.”
Advice to My Younger Me Designed to help women thrive in their careers and beyond, this podcast is hosted by Sara Holtz, a lawyer, former senior executive at a Fortune 500 company, and expert on helping female lawyers succeed. She “and her expert guests serve as virtual mentors to younger women on how to craft successful, satisfying careers,” according to the podcast website.
Recommended by Patricia: “We all wish someone had told us some of the things we know now, and I enjoy hearing the advice women would give to themselves while reflecting on what I would say to my teenage or early professional self.”
AnteUp PokerCast Poker news, events, interviews with players, and special recurring features such as “Hand of the Week.” This podcast has run weekly since 2005.
Recommended by Scott
Atlanta Monster A true-crime podcast about the Atlanta Child Murders, serial killings of more than 25 young African-Americans in this southern city from 1979 to 1981. Questions still remain.
Recommended by Eric
Better Leaders Better Schools A podcast for school leaders
Recommended by Patricia: “I enjoy this podcast because I always walk away with insight and nuggets about leading in schools from those who are or have done it.”
Black Men Can’t Jump (In Hollywood)
Recommended by Elliott, who says the show is especially relevant for “film lovers concerned about Hollywood whitewashing. This excellent podcast reviews the films of leading black actors and discusses them in the context of Hollywood’s race issues.”
Brave Little State Vermont Public Radio solicits questions and story suggestions from listeners about Vermont- related topics then investigates to find the answers. A recent episode sought to answer the question “Where are they now?” in relation to the hippies who moved to Vermont in the 1960s and 1970s.
Recommended by Alec, a part-time Vermont resident
Breaking Math From the podcast website: “Here at Breaking Math, we don’t try to give you concepts we think you can’t handle just to make ourselves feel smart. We get that math is hard for a lot of people, and our episodes are designed to accommodate that. For the more mathematically minded of you, however, we don’t skimp on the math, and even have write-ups to go with every episode.
Recommended by Adnan
A Brief History of Mathematics In this podcast from the BBC, mathematics professor Marcus du Sautoy “reveals the personalities behind the calculations and argues that mathematics is the driving force behind modern science,” according to the podcast website.
Recommended by Adnan
Cast On A podcast for knitters and others
Recommended by Karen, an avid knitter, who describes the show as “a quirky podcast about knitting and, more generally, about making textiles, art, and clothing by Brenda Dayne, an American living in Wales.” The podcast ended in 2015, but Karen says, “re-listening is just as good as the first time around.”
Code Switch From NPR, Code Switch is about race and identity and is produced by journalists of color. “Sometimes, we’ll make you laugh. Other times, you’ll get uncomfortable. But we’ll always be unflinchingly honest and empathetic,” the podcast promises.
Recommended by Patricia: “We need to talk (and listen) about race and identity so I appreciate this podcast for its willingness to go there.”
Jen: “I look forward to every episode of this podcast. As a white woman, I benefit from an unquantifiable amount of privilege and this podcast gives me a great opportunity to listen to people of color discussing issues, taking questions, consulting with academics, etc. This podcast has prompted me to check my own privilege, and understand and empathize more with the experiences of others.”
Crimetown “Every season, we’ll investigate the culture of crime in a different American city,” notes the web presence for this new series from Gimlet Media and the creators of HBO’s The Jinx. “First up: Providence, Rhode Island, where organized crime and corruption infected every aspect of public life. This is a story of alliances and betrayals, of heists and stings, of crooked cops and honest mobsters — a story where it’s hard to tell the good guys from the bad guys.”
Recommended by Eric Bob Fred
Cruise Radio This weekly podcast reviews cruise ships and offers advice and insights for people who love to take cruises.
Recommended by Ginny, a cruising enthusiast and former travel agent: “A great podcast about cruising! One podcast interviews a guy who has taken 1,100 cruise nights! You have got to listen to it.”
The Cult of Pedagogy Jennifer Gonzalez, editor in chief of the podcast, explains on the Cult of Pedagogy website: “Although I definitely lean towards introversion, it turns out I’m pretty happy talking to a microphone at my desk. About half of the episodes are my interviews with teachers, learning experts, parents, and other people who make things happen in education. The other half are solo podcasts, where I hog the mic the whole time and share my own thoughts and discoveries.”
Recommended by Scott Laura
The Daily Brief, daily news digest from The New York Times
Recommended by Laura
Desert Island Discs Interviews intertwined with castaway-worthy songs
Recommended by Fredi (sp?): “It originated as a BBC radio program in the ’40s where, over the course of 30 minutes to an hour, the host interviews a famous person, and punctuated throughout the conversation are the eight songs the interviewee would bring with them if they were trapped on a desert island. It’s now a podcast, and through the podcasts you can access episodes as far back as the 1970s. It’s great!”
Finding Mastery: Conversations with Michael Gervais The host is a “high performance psychologist” who interviews people who are among the best in the world at what they do, from surfer Ian Walsh and soccer superstar Carli Lloyd to Microsoft Chief Financial Officer Amy Hood and Formula 1 owner Toto Wolff.
Recommended by Patricia: “I enjoy listening to people at the peak of their game discuss how they got there and who was instrumental in their success.”
Fish Nerds Fishing Podcast “Fish Nerds is a celebration of fish, fishing and eating fish with your host Clay Groves. The goal of the show is to explore all aspects of fish, highlighting the amazing, inspiring, unusual and funny,” according to the podcast summary.
Recommended by Donnie: “I’m a sucker for good talk about fishing.”
Fivethirtyeight Politics Tracking politics, current events, issues and “game-changers” with statistical analysis
Recommended by Keller
Freakonomics Host Stephen J. Dubner helps explain “things you always thought you knew (but didn’t) and things you never thought you wanted to know (but do) — from the economics of sleep to how to become great at just about anything,” according to the podcast website.
Recommended by Ed Joe Adnan Keller Alec: “Lots of applied econ here.”
Fresh Air An award-winning radio magazine from public radio, Fresh Air features conversations with fascinating people, illuminated by the superb interviewing skills of host Terry Gross.
Recommended by Keller
Getting Things Done This podcast is about exactly what it sounds like it’s about.
Recommended by Amy, who calls Getting Things Done “my organizational geek podcast. [It] goes over everything from the power of the Weekly Review to the Two-Minute Rule.”
Hardcore History From the host’s website: “He’s been called a lot of things, but no one says that Dan Carlin is boring. … Part storyteller, part analyst, Carlin has mastered the art of looking at subjects from multiple angles and dissecting and thinking about them in original ways.”
Recommended by Adnan
Harvard EdCast This weekly education podcast from Harvard University features interviews with leading educators and discussion of issues in the education field. The wide range of guests has included Oprah Winfrey, Colin Powell, Wynton Marsalis, and Lois Lowry.
Recommended by Jim: “As a career educator, I like to stay current on topics in education. Harvard’s EdCast is a great medium for that.”
Heavyweight A Gimlet Media podcast that chases down people’s regrets and examines watershed moments in everyday people’s lives.
Recommended by Eric
Her Money Host Jean Chatzky says her superpower is “taking the complicated world of money and explaining it in ways we can all understand.”
Recommended by Beth: “Financial info – always good to know.”
Here’s the Thing Alec Baldwin — yes, that Alec Baldwin — “brings listeners into the lives of artists, policy makers and performers,” according to NPR, the producer of this podcast.
Recommended by Amy
Hey, Girl “A podcast created with sisterhood and storytelling in mind. Unites the voices of phenomenal women near and far about their journeys and life,” says Dean of Students Patricia Sasser, who sums up this podcast better than any i-Tunes description could.
Recommended by Patricia: “I’m new to this podcast, but what drew me to it was its focus on storytelling as it is such an important way to learn about who someone is, from their stories and their journeys.”
Hidden Brain A popular podcast from NPR, Hidden Brain combines science and storytelling to explain human behavior.
Recommended by Will Scott Adnan Sara: “There’s a lot of psych research, and the episodes are interesting and well-researched. Sometimes I get good teaching ideas as well, depending on the topic that week.”
Holding Court (with Geno Auriemma) UConn women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma interviews famous figures in sports and entertainment.
Recommended by Jim: “Geno strikes an enjoyable balance of average fan and a sports icon as the lead interviewer in this podcast. Always an effective recruiter, Geno has been successful in getting a host of sports stars on the show, from Tiger Woods and Charles Barkley to UConn legend Sue Bird.”
How I Built This This NPR podcast tells the origin stories of some of the most well-known companies in the world. “How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists — and the movements they built,” the producers note.
Recommended by Alec
How to Talk to Kids About Anything The host of this both practical and inspiring podcast is Robyn Silverman, a child and teen development specialist, parenting coach, author, speaker, and mother of two.
Recommended by Patricia: “As a parent, sometimes you need help finding the way to approach topics and finds the words when discussing things with your kid, and this podcast helps me with that.”
The Innovator’s Mindset Host George Couros, author of the book The Innovator’s Mindset, declares: “I believe we need to inspire our kids to follow their passions, while letting them inspire us to do the same.”
Recommended by Scott
Inside Innovation The podcast focuses on innovation in education and includes the voices of teachers, students, and thought leaders.
Recommended by Scott
Invisibilia “Unseeable forces control human behavior and shape our ideas, beliefs, and assumptions. Invisibilia — Latin for invisible things — fuses narrative storytelling with science that will make you see your own life differently,” notes producer NPR’s website.
Recommended by Ed
It’s Not About Me The podcast describes itself as “Politics, feminism, race, culture and motherhood at the intersection of mindfulness and yoga.”
Recommended by Sara: “One of my favorite feminist podcasts because it is women speaking the truth of their experiences about everything from walking down the street to opening a yoga studio. The topics reach beyond feminism to issues with race, culture, size, and more.”
Think Hosted by Krys Boyd, this award-winning call-in radio show from Texas has a national following in its podcast form. The program gained national prominence for the thoughtful coverage and dialogue it provided immediately after the Dallas police shootings in 2016. Topics range widely, and guests have included the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Jane Goodall, Malcolm Gladwell artist Frank Stella, actor Bryan Cranston, and filmmaker Werner Herzog.
Recommended by Jim: “Boyd covers a broad range of topics from culture and economics to politics and sports. It’s fun to see what she comes out with next,” Jim says.
Kevin Pollak Chat Show Actor Kevin Pollak hosts this podcast and accompanying live-streamed YouTube talk show every week. He interviews prominent figures in the entertainment industry.
Recommended by Beth: “One- to two- hour interviews with famous (Tom Hanks) to mildly famous (Mary Lynn Rajskub) actors, comedians, musicians.”
KWB Radio Podcast Host Kevin Wilson is a baseball hitting coach who works with Minor League and Major League players and was the hitting coach for the U.S. under-18 national team that won the International Baseball Federation World Cup in 2013.
Recommended by Donnie, who met Kevin Wilson at a professional development seminar: “I love to listen to him talk about hitting and mentality.”
Latino USA This news and culture podcast is “the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective,” according to NPR.
Recommended by Sara: “The best journalism I’ve ever encountered. The writing is vivid and clear, and I always learn something.”
Lend Me Your Ears A podcast mini-series from Slate that examines Shakespeare plays in the context of the times in which they were written and the issues that have withstood the test of time.
Recommended by Keller
Lexicon Valley Slate’s “show about the mysteries of English”
Recommended by Keller Mary: “Anyone interested in language will love this.”
Men in Blazers This podcast says its hosts “believe soccer is America’s Sport of the Future. As it has been since 1972.”
Recommended by Joe: “For fun, it’s an entertaining look at the world of soccer.”
More Perfect NPR describes this Radiolab spin-off as “a series about how the Supreme Court got so supreme. … Supreme Court decisions shape everything from marriage and money to public safety and sex. We know these are very important decisions we should all pay attention to — but they often feel untouchable and even unknowable. … More Perfect bypasses the wonkiness and tells stories behind some of the court’s biggest rulings.”
Recommended by Neil Will
The Moth Radio Hour “True stories told live” is Moth Radio’s motto, and the podcast gathers the most popular of those stories for its listeners.
Recommended by Ed Will Adnan
My Favorite Murder A “true crime comedy podcast” from stand-up comedian and television writer Karen Kilgariff and writer and Cooking Channel host Georgia Hardstark, who “tell each other their favorite tales of murder and hear hometown crime stories from friends and fans,” according to the podcast summary.
Recommended by Neil
Myths and Legends “This show brings you folklore that has shaped our world. Some are incredibly popular stories you think you know, but with surprising origins. Others are stories that might be new to you, but are definitely worth a listen,” the podcast summary notes. “These are stories of magic, kings, Vikings, dragons, knights, princesses, and wizards from a time when the world beyond the map was a dangerous, wonderful, and terrifying place.”
Recommended by Neil
No Challenges Remaining A podcast by two tennis bloggers
Recommended by Rachel, an avid tennis fan: “They post and discuss tennis on Twitter exhaustively, so the podcast is kind of a supplement to [the blog]. … I’ve met both of them in person, and have corresponded via email with each, too. They’re very inclusive and engage with tennis fans around the world.”
On Being Host Krista Tippett, a journalist and former diplomat, leads and promotes discourse about religion, spirituality, and the search for the meaning of life.
Recommended by Adnan
The One Percent Better Podcast Host Joe Ferrarro writes: “My mission is to help people leverage small changes in mindset, language, and behavior in order to get life-changing results. I provide tools and tactics that make your dreams more achievable, while making you feel less alone on your journey.”
Recommended by Donnie
Penguin Podcast From the publisher Penguin Books, the podcast features authors who discuss objects with special meaning.
Recommended by Karen: “It’s a mix of two of my favorite topics: material culture and writers talking about writing. Authors bring five objects of personal meaning to the studio and discuss their latest book as well as why these things matter to them.”
Planet Futbol Grant Wahl, a senior writer for Sports Illustrated, interviews people in the soccer world.
Recommended by Seth: “Feeds my love of both U.S. and international soccer.”
Planet Money An NPR podcast about the economy, money, and business
Recommended by Alec, who says the show is about “making the world understandable”
Pod Save America Produced by Crooked Media, which was founded in 2016 “ to talk about politics in a way that doesn’t make you want to throw your phone out the window,” Pod Save America brings together four former aides to President Obama and journalists, politicians, comedians, activists, and other politically-minded people for liberal-leaning discussion of politics, the news media, and the Trump presidency.
Recommended by Fred Isso: “I really enjoy this because the hosts are hilarious and insightful, and it helps me stay up to date on what’s going on with politics in our country.”
Podagogy By teachers for teachers about teaching.
Recommended by Fred
Political Gabfest Slate’s weekly political roundtable
Recommended by Keller
Radiolab “Investigating a strange world and making science accessible” is the tagline for this award- winning podcast from WNYC.
Recommended by Ed Julie: “I always learn something cool, amazing, surprising.” Neil Laura Adnan Joe: “RadioLab and Freakonomics both ask interesting questions and explore them with the help of data.”
Revisionist History Author Malcolm Gladwell’s podcast looks back at events, people, and ideas and finds “something overlooked, something misunderstood,” which is Mr. Gladwell’s uncanny forte.
Recommended by Bob Ed Jed Scott Amy: “[Mr. Gladwell] interviews interesting people ranging from those in the film and TV industry to writers, sports figures, and politicians. The one with Anthony Weiner pre-latest fall from grace was fascinating.” Jim: “I have been an avid reader of Gladwell books like Blink, The Tipping Point, and Outliers. I enjoy his perspective and the way he reinterprets something from the past. No matter the topic, he always manages to convey a compelling story.”
Says You A quiz show from public radio that plays with words and definitions.
Recommended by Adnan
Slate Academy: Facism Slate Academy: History of American Slavery Slate Academy: Reconstruction These podcasts are pieces of a subscription-based program called Slate Academy, which offers archival documents, book excerpts, bonus podcasts, and private Facebook discussion groups on each of the topics.
Recommended by Keller
Slow Burn: A Podcast About Watergate This Slate podcast miniseries tells the story of Watergate as if in real time and reminds us, “Nobody knew how Watergate was going to end.”
Recommended by Keller
Snap Judgment “Storytelling with a beat” is the podcast tagline. The stories in each episode revolve, at least loosely, around a theme.
Recommended by Will
Special Collections: Radio Tours to All the Cool Places
Recommended by Karen: “Special Collections is about the stories behind museum collections and other historic sites with what the podcast description calls ‘distinctive cool stuff.’”
StartEdUp Interviews about people’s potential with experts in education, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
Recommended by Scott
Stay Tuned with Preet Former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara hosts this podcast about “justice and fairness.”
Recommended by Will
Stuff You Should Know From the creators of the robust website How Stuff Works, which explains how the world works in plain, easy-to-digest language. The podcast does the same, with personality.
Recommended by Keller Ludmila: “I like Stuff You Should Know for the info [that hosts] Chuck and Josh present, the banter between them, and the ’90s references.” Sara: “One of my favorite podcasts of all time! Discussions about literally anything you can think of. The hosts have goofy personalities and are very likable.” Isso: “The hosts are super dorky, and I get to learn a lot of probably not super-useful information. Sometimes it is useful, though! The episode on megalodon, probably not so much.”
TED Radio Hour As NPR puts it, “The TED Radio Hour is a narrative journey through fascinating ideas, astonishing inventions, fresh approaches to old problems, and new ways to think and create.”
Recommended by Ed Scott
TED Talks Daily Audio versions of talks from TED and TEDx conferences around the world.
Recommended by Laura
The Tennis Podcast All things tennis, a daily podcast during Grand Slam tennis events, the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and the U.S. Open, and a weekly podcast the rest of the year.
Recommended by Rachel
Therapy for Black Girls Psychologist Joy Harden Bradford hosts this podcast about mental health and personal development.
Recommended by Patricia: “I am all about self-care and personal development, so this podcast fits the bill for me and the intersections of my race and gender.”
This American Life A radio show with 2.2 million listeners every week, each podcast episode is downloaded by 2.5 million people, according to the This American Life website. “Each week we choose a theme and put together different kinds of stories on that theme,” host Ira Glass explains at the top of every episode. Plot- and story-driven, the segments are mostly journalistic and invariably compelling.
Recommended by Laura Ed Neil Isso Adnan
This Week in Virology A podcast about viruses, how they make us sick, and what the latest research reveals about them.
Recommended by Neil
Top Coach Podcast Focusing mostly on amateur coaches, this podcast features coaches discussing their programs, philosophies, and careers. “There’s a lot to be learned about impacting lives, whether it’s on a field, court, or track,” the podcast description says.
Recommended by Donnie
Two Outs Two openly gay Boston sports personalities discuss “the intersection of society and sports from the perspective of two very different generations,” according to WEEI, the radio station that produces the podcast.
Recommended by Fred
Up First A daily early-morning digest of news from NPR.
Recommended by Keller
Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me x 2 Episodes of NPR’s current events quiz show.
Recommended by Adnan Keller
The Way I Heard It Short mysteries and brief, surprising stories.
Recommended by Beth: “A chance to learn fun facts quickly — all podcasts are about 10 minutes long.”
The West Wing Weekly Remember the TV show The West Wing? So do the hosts and listeners of this podcast — in fascinating detail.
Recommended by Sara: “This show is a minute-by-minute discussion of every single episode of The West Wing, hosted by one of the show’s stars,” Sara says. “Listeners get a behind-the-scenes look at how the show was made, including the writing, costumes, music, set design, and all of the gossip you could ever want to know about the cast and crew. They deal with controversies and debate meaning and symbolism of everything… . I love this show because I am a West Wing superfan, but also the chemistry between the hosts and their humor have me laughing… . Listeners have a cult-like following with our own hand signals and everything.”
Rachel: “Basically, you’re supposed to (re-)watch the episode of The West Wing in question, then listen to the accompanying podcast episode (length of each podcast episode: usually around 1 hour, but sometimes longer), so with the re-watch of the show, each one is basically a two-hour commitment. But so worth it!” Rachel explains. “It’s an analysis on a very granular level of each episode, but they do an excellent job of getting guests to come on the show (former stars of the show—i.e. Alison Janney, Martin Sheen, Rob Lowe, Richard Schiff, Bradley Whitford, etc.), former writers (i.e. Aaron Sorkin), directors, producers, consultants, and even just people in public policy or media today whose work today might be relevant to something from that episode.”
What Trump Can Teach Us About Con Law The podcast description: “Professor Elizabeth Joh teaches Intro to Constitutional Law, and most of the time this is a pretty straight forward job. But with Trump in office, everything has changed. Five minutes before class Professor Joh checks Twitter to find out what the 45th president has said and how it jibes with 200 years of the judicial branch interpreting and ruling on the Constitution. … This show is a weekly, fun, casual Con Law 101 class that uses the tumultuous and erratic activities of the executive branch under Trump to teach us all about the U.S. Constitution.”
Recommended by Scott
Whistlestop “Bite-sized stories from presidential campaign history,” produced by Slate
Recommended by Keller
Why Is This Happening Host Chris Hayes “asks the big questions that keep him up at night: How do we make sense of this unprecedented moment in world history? Why is this all happening?” according to the podcast. Then he tries to answer these political questions with the help of writers, experts, and others seeking answers.
Recommended by Beth