Planet Earth
Planet Earth is among the most well-produced shows on Television. The pristine images, the brilliance in narration, and most of all, David Attenborough’s soothing voice make it an almost universally appealing documentary series. The lack of imagery on the BBC Earth podcast, does not diminish its richness.
The producers now utilise the audio medium exceedingly well to transport you into the locations where the story unfolds — including some remote spots in the planet. In half an hour, each episode tries to make you understand your connection with the world. There are several moments in Planet Earth that move you to tears, and this podcast is no different.
Episode length: 30 minutes (on average). Available on: bbcearth.com, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and more.
Science Vs
This is probably among the most fun Science podcasts out there. Hosted by the cheery Australian science journalist Wendy Zukerman, each episode examines a widely held idea. The episode begins with the introduction of popular information (or, on most occasions, misinformation), and Zukerman, through research and interviews with experts in the field, reveals the truths and lies about it. The topics include construction of the pyramids, differences between men’s and women’s brain functions, and the one that is more relevant now: Coronavirus. What makes this one stand out from many science podcasts is its accessibility. It might not be meditative like the BBC Earth podcast, but Zukerman’s easy vocabulary and humorous narration makes Science Vs entertaining as well as informative.
Episode length: 30+ minutes (on average).
Available on: gimletmedia.com, Google Podcasts, Spotify and more.
Houston, we have a podcast
This is the official podcast of the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. And, it is hosted by Gary Jordan, NASA’s public affairs officer and former external relations programme specialist. Some of the brightest minds of the US’ space agency, in this podcast, discuss a wide range of topics: from what it is like to launch a target to what kind of food astronauts eat in space. Jordan usually brings to his show an astronaut, to share her or his first-hand experience of being in space. For many of you, who know the work of astronauts only through Hollywood, this podcast might be revelatory and fascinating.
Episode length: 50+ minutes (on average).
Available on: nasa.gov, Apple Podcasts and more.
NewSpace India
It won’t be surprising if many of you know more about NASA than ISRO. That is because there is very little information available about ISRO that the public can easily access. Narayan Prasad’s podcast, NewSpace India attempts to fill this lacuna in Indian space discourse. In his biweekly podcast, he interviews experts (including authors, researchers, scientists and lawyers) to shed light on the less-discussed areas related to space programs. The guests so far on the podcast include former ISRO scientist Arup Dasgupta, Science editor of The Wire, Vasudevan Mukunth, and chairman and managing director of Antrix Corporation, Rakesh Sasibhushan.
Episode length: 40+ minutes.
Available on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more.
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