I was a podcast fiend over the Christmas holiday. I typically listen to three or four a week anyway but over the holidays when the weather was so shocking I luxuriated in having the time to work my way through the back catalogues of my favourites, I thought I would share a few of my favourite episodes with you here...
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It's tough to call this a favourite episode because the content at times is hard to swallow but it was such an interesting look at social media and the role it plays in modern American campus life.
Another great episode looking at the most embarrassing emails ever sent and how we wish we could undo, undo, undo!
Were you aware that there is such a thing as a cookie advisor? You will be after this episode.
This American Life
This episode is a jaw dropper, looking at the American education system and how people are trying to get poor minority kids performing as well as white kids, such thought provoking stuff.
Status update is a great episode, it's looking at social media which is something I find endlessly fascinating and takes us on a journey through the minefield that is commenting and liking things on Instagram to a whole town that gets a status update.
I'm going to have to straight up quote this episodes' synopsis: "When Jonathan Goldstein was a kid, his father gave him a book that promised to teach you how to shoot mental laser beams, win the lottery, move solid objects with you mind, make others obey your command [...] he revisits the book to try to unlock the secrets within."
Serial
OK straight up, every episode of Serial season one is a favourite and I'm thoroughly enjoying season two as well... just listen to them all.
Criminal
This episode is the tale of a dive supervisor in Los Angeles who has been retrieving evidence from lakes and rivers to aide investigations his whole career but summer 2013 is something else entirely...
Episode one of Criminal is stellar and had me hooked on all episodes that followed it looks at the case of a woman found dead in a pool of her own blood. Her husband was convicted but did he do it... the owls are not what they seem.
Who on earth would have thought there could be a venus flytrap crime ring? Well there is in this episode!
Nerdette
I'm super new to Nerdette so can only really recommend one episode, but it's a good one, it features Caitlin Moran who is just a joy to listen to.
