Best Podcasts for Deep Thinking
Slow down and think a while. Just a single meaningful conversation can have an important impact on our thoughts and point of view. The wealth of the modern age lies in the plethora of intelligent content that we can consume for free, while simultaneously enriching and bettering ourselves. As we grow up, we have to make conscious decisions to keep learning and developing, to think critically in order to keep improving ourselves and do better for those around us. Have a listen to some of our current favourite podcasts that never fail to make us think.
Hurry Slowly
THE BRIEF: Hurry Slowly is a show about how you can be more productive, creative, and resilient through the simple act of slowing down. Through in-depth interviews with deep thinkers, artists, and entrepreneurs, host Jocelyn K. Glei sparks new ideas for navigating work and life at a more sustainable pace.
AVERAGE RUN TIME: 50 minutes
WHY WE LOVE IT: The calming tone of host Jocelyn K. Glei and her intelligent point of view make it a podcast that you muse over much after the episode has ended.
TRY THIS EPISODE: Who Are You Without the Doing?
Hidden Brain
THE BRIEF: Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.
AVERAGE RUN TIME: 50 minutes
WHY WE LOVE IT: The vast psychology of human behaviour told through focused storytelling that always makes us think. One of our favourites from day one.
TRY THIS EPISODE: Laughter: The Best Medicine
Desert Island Discs
THE BRIEF: Eight tracks, a book and a luxury: what would you take to a desert island? Guests share the soundtrack of their lives.
AVERAGE RUN TIME: 35 minutes
WHY WE LOVE IT: More than just the celebrities it is the unexpected guests such as Maria Balshaw, the director of Tate Galleries, or Minette Batters, President of the National Farmers' Union in the UK, that give the most enriching insight into their interesting lives and work. Another great thing? You can dig into the Desert Island Discs archives and listen to historic interviews all the way from 1942! A hidden gem is this Luciano Pavarotti interview from 1976.
TRY THIS EPISODE: Thom Yorke of Radiohead
Deep Questions
THE BRIEF: Cal Newport is a computer science professor and the New York Times bestselling author of Digital Minimalism and Deep Work. He writes about technology and the way it can both support and impede our efforts to live more meaningful, productive lives. In this podcast, he answers questions from his readers about work, technology, and the deep life.
AVERAGE RUN TIME: 55 minutes
WHY WE LOVE IT: Having already been fans of all of Cal Newport's writing through his books, Deep Work and Digital Minimalism, this podcast is an extension on his thoughts. We love the simple solutions he offers to seemingly complicated questions.
TRY THIS EPISODE: Ep. 77: Does Email Have a Mind of Its Own?
On Being
THE BRIEF: Groundbreaking Peabody Award-winning conversation about the big questions of meaning — spiritual inquiry, science, social healing, and the arts. Each week a new discovery about the immensity of our lives. Hosted by Krista Tippett. New conversations every Thursday, with occasional extras.
AVERAGE RUN TIME: 50 minutes
WHY WE LOVE IT: Because of the selection of guests and interesting questions, the captivating interviews are insightful and enlightening, and encourage personal growth. We always learn and feel something new when listening to this gem.
TRY THIS EPISODE: John O'Donohue — The Inner Landscape of Beauty