I’ve been listening to a lot more podcasts during this pandemic, squeezing them in when walking the dog or driving home after dropping the kids at school. Here are 8 from three of my favorite podcasters that I’ve most enjoyed in the last six months or so. Subjects include poker, linguistics, civil liberties, gender, race and more.
I listen on Spotify so I’ve embedded podcasts on that platform below, but also provided links (in red) to the podcast on its home page in case you prefer other platforms.
1. Conversations with Tyler
Tyler Cowen, an economist at George Mason University, interviews leading figures in their fields with incredibly interesting questions. I love that so many of his guests end the chat noting how hard, but fun the discussion was. If you’re like me, you’ll find your mind gets a workout too as the subjects really press you to think hard just to keep up. Here are three of his I really enjoyed.
Annie Duke on Poker, Probabilities, and How We Make Decisions
A winner of a World Series of Poker gold bracelet in 2004 and the former top female money winner in the history of the WSOP, Annie Duke has a free-wheeling conversation about poker, probabilistic thinking, linguistics, decision making and more.
Annie Duke on Poker, Probabilities, and How We Make Decisions (Ep. 99) | Conversations with Tyler
John McWhorter on Linguistics, Music, and Race
McWhorter teaches linguistics at Columbia University and hosts the podcast Lexicon Valley. I’d not come across him before, but found this discussion about languages fascinating, including why English is and is likely to remain the de facto international language. Cowen loves music, so it was interesting to hear two connoisseurs discuss the subject. McWhorter, who is black, also had some fascinating insights on the subject of race from his own personal experiences.
John McWhorter on Linguistics, Music, and Race (Ep. 89 – Live at Mason) | Conversations with Tyler
Nicholas Bloom on Management, Productivity, and Scientific Progress
British born Bloom shared some great research he’s done on why American management is world leading and why the skills aren’t always able to be exported to other countries. He has interesting theories on why scientific progress is decelerating in many areas. And his insights into the short term and long term prognosis of remote work are worth considering.
2. The Reason Interview with Nick Gillespie
Nick Gillespie is the editor-at-large at Reason magazine and a regular commentator on radio and TV, including NPR, MSNBC and Fox News. He interviews guests about politics, culture and libertarian ideas.
Bridget Phetasy: What American Politics Can Learn From Alcoholics Anonymous
Phetasy is a former heroin addict and recovering alcoholic who has since become a popular podcaster, comedian and writer. She discusses with Gillespie her journey to recovery, the hyper-partisanship we face today, cancel culture and more.
Bridget Phetasy: What American Politics Can Learn From Alcoholics Anonymous – Reason.com
Ira Glasser: Would Today’s ACLU Defend the Speech Rights of Nazis?
Glasser was the head of the ACLU from 1978 and 2001. Now 82, he discusses with Gillespie some of the interesting cases the ACLU backed during his tenure, the history of the organization and his concerns about the future of free expression.
Ira Glasser: Would Today’s ACLU Defend the Speech Rights of Nazis? – Reason.com
Debra Soh: The End of Gender
Dr. Deborah Soh is a Canadian neuroscientist specializing in gender and human sexuality. She’s a self-described liberal and is concerned about the lack of scientific rigor around questions of sex and identity. Her recent book, ‘The End of Gender’, is also the title of this podcast.
Debra Soh: The End of Gender – Reason.com
3. The Federalist Radio Hour
Co-founder of The Federalist, Ben Domenech hosts this daily podcast in which he has in-depth conversations with scholars, authors and other thinkers.
Jason Riley On Black Lives Matter And Defund The Police
Jason Riley is a member of the Wall Street Journal editorial board and author of Please Stop Helping Us: How Liberals Make It Harder for Blacks to Succeed. He brought a lot of interesting facts about crime to the table, such as police call log data, in his discussion with Ben Domenech.
Jason Riley On Black Lives Matter And Defund The Police (thefederalist.com)
Shelby Steele On The Causes And Depiction Of Racism In America Today
Steele is a Senior Fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, a famous author and grew up in a black family in the poorest suburb of Chicago in the 1940s and ‘50s. It was interesting to hear his perspectives on race in this discussion with Ben Domenech.
Shelby Steele On The Causes And Depiction Of Racism In America Today (thefederalist.com)
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