I would consider myself a “newbie” when it comes to podcasts. I’m not too familiar with them but I’ve just started listening to them more and I can say I’ve been enjoying it. My favorite application for listening to podcasts is Google Podcasts on my Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus.
The first podcast I listened to was The Joe Rogan Experience, which I found in the “Top podcasts in Society and Culture” section. More specifically, I listened to episode number 1439 which includes special guest Michael Osterholm, who is an internationally recognized expert in infectious disease epidemiology. Joe Rogan and Michael Osterholm both discussed the potential severity of the current pandemic caused by COVID-19, or more generally known as Coronavirus. They also discussed potential ways that our society could help fix the virus. The Joe Rogan Experience is a very laid-back podcast that appeals to listeners who enjoy “casual listening”.
The second podcast that I listened to was Stuff You Should Know, which I found in the “Self-Improvement” section. more specifically, I listened to episode 1472 which is about how the current use of energy in the world is destroying the planet and how/if nuclear fusion reactors can benefit humans by reducing the carbon footprint that people have left behind. Stuff You Should Know is a podcast that talks about a bunch of random things that would be beneficial for you to know.
For the third podcast I listened to, I wanted to try listening to a podcast that I typically wouldn’t listen to, such as Artificial Intelligence with Lex Fridman. More specifically, I listened to episode 83 which includes special guest Nick Bostrom, who is a philosopher at University of Oxford and the director of the Future of Humanity Institute. In this episode, host Lex Fridman and Nick Bostrom discuss the future possibility of artificial intelligence becoming smarter than humans and the risks/consequences of creating super intelligent AI systems. Artificial Intelligence with Lex Fridman is a podcast that discusses the nature of artificial intelligence, science, technology, and much more.
Personally, I found that podcast are one of the “easiest” ways to get information compared to other media formats like social media and print. For example, with podcasts, all you really need to do is find the podcast you are interested in and just listen to it, whereas media platforms like print require you to be more physically engaged with it. Another thing I like more about podcasts than other media platforms is that podcasts have niche subjects they talk about, which makes it more engaging for the listener. One other thing that I like more about podcasts are the advertisements. For example, the majority of podcasts I’ve listened to have one or two advertisements per episode in the beginning of the episode, compared to media like television where there are multiple advertisements spread throughout the episode.
I would say that overall, I had a very positive experience with podcasts and will definitely be listening to more of them in the future.
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