University Post
University of Copenhagen
Independent of management

International

Listen up! Here are some cool podcasts you have to check out

Recommendations — Whether you are going for a run or commuting to uni - podcasts always come in handy. We talked to two podcast experts. They recommended 14 podcasts.

“My all-time favorites are definitely Radiolab and This American Life

Our first expert, Tim Hinman is primarily working on his own Danish podcast, Third Ear. He started producing the very first episodes back in 2009. Since then, Third Ear’s podcasts have become popular in Denmark. It is a must for every podcast lover who understands Danish. But which podcasts would the local podcast guru – our words, not his – recommend?

So, first of all, what are your three favorite podcasts?

“Good question. I mean, my all time favourites are definitely Radiolab and This American Life. I know this is pretty obvious but I do really like to listen to them. Both are free and offer great stories of all kinds. I personally just really enjoy listening to actual stories rather than interviews or chitchats. Also, Serial and S-Town are brilliant podcasts if one wants to follow an exciting mystery story. Those podcasts never get boring and are great on long journeys.

Another favourite of mine is Reply all by Gimlet. This is an American podcast which is all about technology and the internet. PJ and Alex, who host the podcast, unravel popular culture in a funny way. It’s informative but also fun and serious at the same time.

And if you want to go into some weird corners and odd perspectives of the human mind, you should listen to Here be Monsters by Jeff Emtman and Bethany Denton. This is also a favourite podcast of mine. The audio and sound is brilliant and is bizarre stories of scientists, philosophers or journalists told with a good sense of humour. One of my favourite episodes is “Call 601-2-SATAN-2″ – a story about a prayer hotline receiving prayer requests from people all over the country. Even though that might sound weird, I promise, this podcast is worth a try.”

When do you normally listen to podcasts?

“For me podcasts are definitely a travelling thing. So, I normally listen to a podcast when I am sitting on a train or travelling by plane or actually [he starts laughing] also in the bath tub.”

Are you currently working on a podcast yourself and what are your upcoming projects?

“I am always busy with producing new episodes for Third Ear. But because Third Ear is only in Danish, I am also working on another English-language podcast, namely Sound Matters by B&O Play. This is a podcast about sound and everything what comes with it. We tell stories about sound in relation to art, inventions, discoveries, ideas, science etc. I think it is a fascinating topic.”

And last question: Which podcasts would you recommend especially to students?

“I guess that would depend on their study programme. But I think, Digital Human by BBC Radio 4 would be a recommendation of mine as they have a very interesting way of approaching our digital world and combine that with lots of different scientific stories.

A second podcast I would recommend to students is Short Cuts, a British podcast produced by Falling Tree Productions for BBC Radio 4. It is hosted by the comedian Josie Long who is presenting short documentaries addressing a lot of different topics. Their episodes are usually 30 minutes and perfect for busy students.”

“I would recommend any podcast that informs someone about the world, e.g. Late Night Live or Science VS

Lena Rutkowski is a freelance journalist and currently working as a full-time translator at Watch Media. She also produces her own podcasts.

So, first of all, what are your three favourite podcasts?

“That is actually a really hard question. There are way too many I love to listen to, so there might be more than three.

Okay, one of my most favorite podcasts is probably Call Your Girlfriend by Ann Friedman and Aminatou Sow. It is about two long distance besties who are mostly discussing topics related to mostly feminism but also pop culture, politics and culture. It is quite casual and therefore easy to follow.

Other than that I really like to listen to Double X by Slate Magazine. It is a roundtable of three women discussing gender issues and different feminist topics in a more academic style. I like to listen to their conversations and the fact that there is a great range of viewpoints. That makes it more relatable.

Another favourite of mine is Short Cuts by BBC Radio 4. Those mini radio documentaries can sometimes be very odd but in a good way. It is well made, very creative and sometimes rather experimental which I do appreciate.

And lastly I want to mention Revisionist History by Malcolm Gladwell. I am a big fan of this podcast and I like the idea that every episode re-examines something from the past – a person or an event – and asks whether we failed the first time round, or did well right away.”

When do you normally listen to podcasts?

“I listen to podcasts all the time. For instance, when I am biking, cleaning up, and also when I am lying in bed. You will almost always find me wearing my headphones and listening to a podcast.”

Are you currently working on a podcast yourself and what are your upcoming projects?

“Well, I stopped producing The Snak, which got produced in cooperation with Heartbeats. I wanted to continue doing an English-speaking podcast about Scandinavia though. This is why I recently started my own independent podcast, Radio Nordic. This podcast is all about pop, politics and people from Scandinavia and beyond. There will also soon come an episode about KU’s course on Beyoncé. So, stay tuned.”

And last question: Which Podcasts would you recommend especially to students?

“I mean, that really depends on their personal field of interest. But I would recommend any podcast that informs someone about the world.

As I am an international coming from Australia but living in Denmark, I would like to suggest two English-speaking ones.

The first one is an Australian podcast, namely Late Night Live by ABC Radio. I personally  follow them for quite a while already and would recommend it to every student regardless their study area. Philip Adams, the host of Late Night Live, is a brilliant journalist and his interviewing techniques are awesome. The podcast is all about current events and debates in relation to politics, science, culture or philosophy.

Another one I would recommend is Science VS by Gimlet Media. I heard this one is very popular among students. Each episode is very informative and the topics seem to be well researched. Everything is related to the sciences and finding out what is true, and what is not, or what even might be in-between. They incorporate topics like climate change, love or immigration.”

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