- Risk! (http://risk-show.com) Kevin Allison's own version of The Moth, with more risque, embarrassing, or otherwise scandalous topics than you usually see on other storytelling podcasts. Generally humorous, with some intense moments.
- Death, Sex, & Money (http://www.wnyc.org/shows/deathsexmoney) Intense real-life stories that somehow relate to death, sex, and/or money. Often interview-based, with occasional investigative elements.
- Heavyweight (https://gimletmedia.com/heavyweight/) Jonathan Goldstein's new podcast, featuring stories from a "moment where everything changed" in someone's life.
Can't say enough good things about My Brother My Brother and Me. Three super clever dudes who just riff on advice questions and posts from Yahoo Answers.
Yeah, Hardcore History is amazing. Wrath of the Khans is the HH series I enjoyed the most. Blueprint for Armageddon is also good, and Death Throes of the Republic had a fantastic beginning.
I go to bed to EconTalk almost every night. I think I've gone through the entire catalogue (10 years of weekly episodes) a couple times. I find Russ Roberts an engaging interviewer.
- Hanselminutes (http://hanselminutes.com/) : "Fresh Air for Developers". A weekly discussion with web developer and technologist Scott Hanselman (well-known blogger, podcaster, and Microsoft employee).
Comedy:
- Jordan, Jesse Go (http://maximumfun.org/shows/jordan-jesse-go) : A free-form discussion-based podcast hosted by two funny dudes, Jordan Morris (@midnight) and Jesse Thorn (Bullseye, Judge John Hodgeman), that is quickly becoming my favorite podcast.
- The Dead Author's Podcast (http://thedeadauthorspodcast.libsyn.com/) : A live show in which H.G. Wells (Paul F. Tompkins) brings another deceased author (played by another comedian) to the present day for a discussion loosely based on the author's work. (This show is now defunct, but there are 50 good episodes)
Notable mention:
- Reply All (https://gimletmedia.com/reply-all/) : A well-produced, interesting, and often funny show in which the hosts investigate stories about or originating from the internet.
The Ross Douthat episodes are great, and the "Chapo Traphouse Book Club" at its finest. But nothing can top the Ralph Douthat Twitter account: https://twitter.com/ralphdouthat?lang=en
If you cannot handle the ~3 hour running time of Hypernormalisation, Curtis was able to concisely summarise the message in the interview. I don't quite know how to feel about that.
FWIW, I'd highly recommend 'Waking Up' podcast by Sam Harris. He has this rare combination of eloquence and substance. The specific episodes I liked are with the following guests:
David Deutsch[1][2]; Paul Bloom[3] -- he has two other episodes, too; Stuart Russell[4]; David Chalmers[5]; William MacAskill[6]; and Douglas Murray[7].
+1 for the No Agenda podcast, by John C. Dvorak and Adam C. Curry.
They watch the news (so you don't have to!) and each week they de-construct the biggest stories from around the world, revealing the truths behind - and the motivations for - the news that's given to consumers.
This is by far the best podcast Ive personally enjoyed besides maybe Waking Up with Sam Harris. The "old friends" chemistry the hosts have cannot be understated. In the morning!
Though you're right that he's a decent interviewer and does have interesting guests, I'm going to reluctantly give a vote against Tim Ferris. It's hard for me to put my finger on exactly why I don't like him. It's like he's a modern-day snake-oil salesman, but that doesn't fully capture what's off about him. It's the name-dropping, the self-aggrandizement, the uncritical support for every new thing that's sciency, seemingly just so he can lay claim to being on the forefront. He just rubs me the wrong way.
Yeah, I am put off by his zen shtick too.It bothered me a little since so many people I respect swear by the altar of Tim Ferris™ and I decided to listen to some of his stuff but I couldn't shake off the snake-oil salesman vibe.He just comes off as a relentless self-promoting machine whose main 'product' is himself and his public image.I assume it's a taste thing and his stuff might be useful for other people.
I started podcast listening from the Tim Ferris show. It was interesting in the beginning, but not so much recently.
You may like my current favorite - James Altucher show. It feels a bit whacky in the beginning, but grows on you. He prepares well for the podcasts and seems to engage the guests well.
I think Cortex (https://www.relay.fm/cortex) is particularly interesting. The hosts are Myke Hurley (makes podcasts) and CGP Grey (makes YouTube videos) and they mostly talk about the unique challenges of and strategies for creating stuff as a living, and also Apple products.
If you're into this sort of thing "The History of Rome" by Mike Duncan is an excellent podcast. It's a complete chronological history of Rome that Mike Duncan does a great job of keeping interesting.
Recently, I caught Beautiful Anonymous. Comedian Chris Gethard talks to anonymous phone callers for 1 hour. Some interesting stuff pops up on the lives for Americans.
The Amp Hour - Chris Gammel and David Jones from the eevblog talk to interesting guests about electronics
Reconcilable Differences - As it says on the tin: John Siracusa and Merlin Mann try to figure out exactly how they got this way.
Omega Tau - Interviews with people who know things about science and engineering, lots of interesting aviation related content, but also the only podcast I know of where there are interviews with people who make or work with instruments like mass spectrometers, electron microscopes, lasers, synchrotrons, XFELs.
BBC Documentaries, Intelegence Squared, Big Ideas by ABC's RN, Freakonomics, Selected Shorts, Guardian Live, The history hour, From Our Own Correspondant
ABC's Future Tense 99% Invisible Hardcore History Joe Rogan (guest specific) Radiolab Robots Podcast NPR's Planet Money Green Building Advisor The Building Performance podcast The Tiny Life podcast (on Tiny Homes)
I also listen to Lovecraft when I want to get to sleep (/s).
Lovecratian horror is not what most people think of when they think of horror. It is more existential.
Tanis completely changed my opinion about audio drama! Got the recommendation through Reply All and I'm now on my third listen-through. It's insanely compelling and I can't get it out of my head. Gonna look into some of your recommendations here, thanks!
- Risk! (http://risk-show.com) Kevin Allison's own version of The Moth, with more risque, embarrassing, or otherwise scandalous topics than you usually see on other storytelling podcasts. Generally humorous, with some intense moments.
- Death, Sex, & Money (http://www.wnyc.org/shows/deathsexmoney) Intense real-life stories that somehow relate to death, sex, and/or money. Often interview-based, with occasional investigative elements.
- Planet Money (http://www.npr.org/sections/money/) Entertaining, creative stories on financial topics, in a broad sense.
- Heavyweight (https://gimletmedia.com/heavyweight/) Jonathan Goldstein's new podcast, featuring stories from a "moment where everything changed" in someone's life.