My Favorite Thinking Companions (Podcasts)

Podcasts are a beautiful invention and I understand their appeal especially in recent years. I spend too many hours every day looking at monitors which don’t just show me something but also block my view of the world around me. Having a stream of information coming through my ear, while I can still interact with my environment, is a game-changer. My typical times for listening to podcasts are while doing household chores or while going for a walk or while drawing. As I regularly get asked for which ones I can recommend, I decided to publish a list of my favorites.

Here are the ones I love and listen to regularly:

Rationally Speaking with Julia Galef
“Rationally Speaking is the official podcast of New York City Skeptics. Join Julia Galef and guests as they explore the borderlands between reason and nonsense, likely and unlikely, science and pseudoscience. Rationally Speaking was co-created with Massimo Pigliucci.”


Making Sense with Sam Harris
“Join Sam Harris — neuroscientist, philosopher, and best-selling author — as he explores some of the most important questions about the human mind, society, and current events.”


The 80.000 Hours Podcast with Rob Wiblin
“The 80,000 Hours Podcast features unusually in-depth conversations about the world’s most pressing problems and how you can use your career to solve them. We invite guests pursuing a wide range of career paths — from academics and activists to entrepreneurs and policymakers — to analyze the case for working on different issues, and provide concrete ways to help.”
I am so humbled by being friends with you, Rob, this podcast is a masterpiece!
Favorite recent episode:

• Toby Ord on the precipice and humanity’s potential futures

The AI Podcast by Lex Fridman
"Artificial Intelligence podcast (AI podcast) is a series of conversations about technology, science, and the human condition hosted by Lex Fridman."
Same of my favorite episodes so far:

• AlphaGo, AlphaZero, and Deep RL with David Silver (DeepMind) How is he so humble, well-calibrated and in touch with reality also in other areas of his life and with values to look up to? I am just so grateful to live on the same planet.
• Cosmos, Carl Sagan, and the Beauty of Science (Ann Druyan) I had to pause repeatedly over her profound ways of looking at the world and forming sentences, so that I could process them in the way they deserve. Otherwise I would also have had to cry in awe. 

Econ Talk by Russ Roberts
“EconTalk is a weekly economics podcast hosted by Russ Roberts. Roberts, formerly an economics professor at George Mason University, is a research fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution.[1][2] On the podcast, Roberts typically interviews a single guest — often professional economists — on topics in economics.”
Favorite episode:

• David Epstein on Mastery, Specialization, and Range

Behind the Tech with Kevin Scott
"Join Chief Technology Officer Kevin Scott for Behind the Tech, a podcast that goes behind-the-scenes with today’s most innovative tech leaders."
Favorite Episode so far:

• Sam Altman: Entrepreneurial prodigy, Y Combinator President and OpenAI CEO

The Portal by Eric Weinstein
“Welcome to The Portal. This podcast does something different. 
Favorite Episode so far:

• Bryan Callen - Cracking Wise

Fun fact: I myself got recently invited as a guest to a podcast and one factor that made up the hosts mind was noticing that Eric Weinstein followed me on Instagram. Apart from him once complimenting one of my stories on a phylogenetic tree I have had zero contact to him. I post hoc learned he has been at the same conference as I had 5 years ago by noticing him in one of the photos I took, actually standing very close. I didn't know about him as a person back then and obviously regret that missed chance. But let's be honest, I probably wouldn't have known how to hold a meaningful conversation with him back then anyway and prefer to not waste people's time. 


The Jim Rutt Show
“The Jim Rutt Show is an interview podcast series examining cutting-edge thinking in science and technology and the future of our economic, political and social systems and institutions. New episodes are released weekly, more or less.”

Ologies by Alie Ward
"Volcanoes. Trees. Drunk butterflies. Mars missions. Slug sex. Death. Beauty standards. Anxiety busters. Beer science. Bee drama. Take away a pocket full of science knowledge and charming, bizarre stories about what fuels these professional -ologists' obsessions. Humorist and science correspondent Alie Ward asks smart people stupid questions and the answers might change your life."
I love how bubbly, excited, intimately honest about the human and her condition and so much more, Alie Ward is. And I love the idea for the title and concept!

The Knowledge Project with Shane Parrish
“The Knowledge Project Podcast with Shane Parrish helps you master the best of what other people have already figured out. Let’s Listen and Learn.”


The Tim Ferriss Show
“Tim Ferriss is a self-experimenter and bestselling author. In this show, he deconstructs world-class performers from eclectic areas.”


“Here are the ones where I have listened to at least one very good episode or like for other reasons:



LSE IQ Podcast
“Welcome to LSE’s award-winning podcast, LSE IQ, where we ask leading social scientists and other experts to answer an intelligent question.”
Favorite episode so far: 

• Radical Uncertainty: decision making for an unknowable future (John Kay, Lord King)

Erklär mir die Welt von Andreas Sator
“Was ist „Erklär mir die Welt“? Ein Podcast, mit dem du die Welt jede Woche ein bisschen besser verstehen sollst. Themen werden von Grund auf erklärt.”



A Mindful Mess by Daria Daria
“In diesem Podcast von dariadaria geht es um Persönlichkeitsentwicklung und nachhaltiges Leben.”


Andersmacher von Dr. Aaron Brückner
“Menschen und Marken, die in keine Schublade passen”
Lieblingsepisoden bisher: Max Scharpenack und Daniel Jung


The Mating Grounds Podcast with Tucker Max and Dr. Geoffrey Miller
“The Mating Grounds Podcast is a collaboration between #1 bestselling author, Tucker Max, and renowned evolutionary psychologist, Professor Geoffrey Miller, to teach men how to be successful with women, dating, and relationships. Through discussions and interviews with the worlds leading experts in human sexuality, psychology, animal behavior, genetics, and behavioral studies, they explain in clear and actionable terms precisely what men need to know about sex, dating, relationships, and women, and how to improve yourself in all of those areas. Plainly put: this is the advice that men wish they had heard when they were 16, that teaches them all the important lessons about sex and dating they are desperate to learn.”


Rebel Wisdom 
“When our existing ways of thinking break down, it’s the rebels and the renegades, those who dare to think differently, who need to reboot the system.”
Favorite episode: 

• John Vervaeke: After the Meaning Crisis

Future Thinkers 
"Future Thinkers is a media platform, community, and education portal dedicated to the evolution of society, technology, and consciousness. By hosts Mike Gilliland and Euvie Ivanova."
Favorite episodes so far:

• all episodes with Daniel Schmachtenberger

Honourable further mentions:
- The Behavior Change Podcast
- Complexity by the Santa Fe Institute
- Found My Fitness
- Friendly Atheist Podcast
- How I Built This
- Intelligence Squared
- Long Now Seminars
- Risky Conversations
- Joe Rogan Experience
- Sigma Nutrition Radio 
- TED Talks Daily
- TED Radio Hour
- future of life Institute
The Allusionist
- The Infinite Monkey Cage
​- The Partially Examined Life

I am excited to discuss episodes or to hear your thoughts on them.