R is for...

(WNYC's) Radiolab!!

I have mentioned Radiolab more than once in my previous posts, but this lucky guy is strictly devoted to the awesomeness of this show.  So Radiolab is a program on NPR that is "a show about curiosity. Where sound illuminates ideas, and the boundaries blur between science, philosophy, and human experience."  It is a wonderful program.  They do features on everything from zoos to sperm to deception.  They have full length programs, usually around an hour in length, and others called shorts which range from 5-30 minutes.

The two hosts of the show are Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich.  Both men are interesting, funny, and genuinely interested in the topics they present.  The thing I really like about this podcast (I get it on iTunes) is that they take some really difficult scientific topics and present them in a way that makes sense.  They even did a post specifically on that, but don't ask me to remember or find which one that was. You really don't need to know much about science or math or anything to listen to and enjoy a show by them.

I've mentioned Radiolab podcasts in a couple of my posts before as they are often the spark I need to look into a topic on my own.  Take my lucid dreaming post.  I've always had really intricate dreams, so anything scientific involving dreams is an automatic interest.  Chances are if you are interested in anything in this world, Radiolab has done some sort of post on it.  You can check out some of their latest podcasts on their website.  And you can download the entirety of the iTunes library of Radiolab podcasts on iTunes.  They typically come out with a new post every two weeks.  If you're everything like me, however, you want as much Radiolab as you can get!  I will often remember a partial clip from one of the shows and have to go back and find which podcast it was from and listen to it again, if only to remember the rest of the clip and the information around it.

I highly recommend you listen to at least one of their podcasts.  Find a topic that genuinely interests you, set aside some time to listen and just sit and listen.  I will often listen to them when I clean or do anything involving my hands but not my brain.  It's a great way to be productive and gain some really fun scientific insight at the same time.  So go out there and learn!