Our team is often asked to make recommendations of books, websites, blogs and podcasts for others to follow. These are good questions, which we’re always happy to answer, as we help people to access the resources that will help them develop and grow.
Our team is a fan of podcasts, preferring to listen to reasoned analysis, insightful commentary and in-depth insights, rather than waste time on the 24-hour news and click-bait driven “documentary” TV channels.
Podcasts are also good because you can listen to them in spaces that might otherwise be dead time, like during your daily commute, on your lunch break or while having a coffee, while doing your exercises or just as a way to wind down after a long day. You should also chat to your boss about this, and get permission to allocate some time during your work day to listening to a podcast – and discussing it with your colleagues. Many of our team also enjoy podcasts, because most podcast apps allow you to speed up the playback, and we can get through the content at 1.5 or even 2X speed.
Some of our favourite podcasts about the future, science and the world around us are:
- TED Talks Daily – a great TED talk in audio format each day. Enough said.
- Flash Forward, by Rose Eveleth – future scenarios, presenting possible futures and getting us to think about their impact on the world. Train your brain to think this way.
- The Future of Work Podcast with Jacob Morgan – one of our favourite future of work experts, mainly interviews with business leaders focused on how we need to adapt to a changing world.
- How I Built This with Guy Raz – Interviews with founders of the companies changing our world.
- Future Tense, by ABC Radio National – a look at new technologies and approaches, with an emphasis on what could go wrong and what we should be doing now.
- The Infinite Monkey Cage, by BBC Radio 4, hosted by Robin Ince and Prof Brian Cox. A really clever and fun way to look at science.
- Intelligence Squared – audio recordings of various Intelligence2 debates – some of the world’s sharpest minds debating the world’s most important issues
- More or Less; Behind the Stats, by BBC, with Tim Harford – an economist unpicks some big issues by looking at the actual numbers. Really good social and political commentary, in short episodes that get you thinking.
- Science Friday – a weekly round up and analysis of the top news stories in science.
- Revisionist History, by Malcolm Gladwell. It’s by Malcolm Gladwell – what more do I need to say?
- Curiosity Podcast, by Curiosity.com – a weekly discussion with experts in their fields – eclectic and fascinating.
- Curious Minds: Innovation in Life and Work by Gayle Allen – interviews with people shaping the future of work.
You obviously can’t listen to all the episodes of all of these podcasts. Some will connect with you, others won’t. Listen to a few episodes of each, and don’t be scared to delete it if it’s not for you. Hopefully some of these will help you raise your game in 2018.