About a year ago I shared my top 10 news podcasts, since, I have added several more to my list. In fact, when I began listening to podcasts a couple of years ago I mainly subscribed to those obviously linked to my interests. Today, I listen to pods also on other topics as I have realised its rare ability to surprise and enlighten me when I least expect. If you, like me, is intrigued by peculiar and ground-breaking tech and science you don’t want to miss out on these five great pods: Note to Self, Chips with everything, the Naked Scientist, Freakonomics and Radiolab.

1) Note to Self (WNYC) is a great pod, and notably hosted and managed by Manoush Zomorodi, which is pretty cool in itself as women in tech are few.  Among others, she discuss with her guests issues such as whether your phone is listening to you, if touchscreen phones is the end of braille and how to fight surveillance via our tech devices.

2) Chips with everything (Guardian)  Leigh Alexander and Olly Mann chats about all kinds of different topics; among my favourites are the three dedicated episodes to Internet as a human right, when they interview among others the Foreign Minister of a small yet front-running country, Estonia.

3) The Naked Scientist (Cambridge University) is the perfect source of conversation topics starting with  ‘did you know that…’, which I guaranty makes people around you raise their eyebrows wondering where on earth you learned such odd things. It helps you stay up-to-date with latest science and scientists. Much of its content is based on answers to listeners funny questions, such as ‘how old is the average atom?’ and ‘why don’t spiders get stuck on their webs?’.

4) Freakonomics (WNYC) is hosted by economist Steven D. Levitt and author and journalist Stephen J. Dubner who written several books with the same name. Freakonomics have a similar quirkiness about it as the Naked Scientist but focuses on one topic at the time; everything from whether payday loans are bad, how to win games and how much the president really matters to ideas such as basic income, or questionable life insurances.

5) Radiolab (WNYC) with Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich has the character of investigating story-telling. One amazing episode was for example about the ecosystem of trees, a topic that could not be further away from what normally would interest me, yet it completely spellbound and fascinated me. The episode ‘the girl who doesn’t exist’ was a another particularly interesting story that indirectly shed some light on the issues undocumented migrants and people living in destitution may face.

These are some of several podcast’s that keeps me company on my way to work, at the gym and when doing house chores. See also my top 10 from last year, and do let me know what you are listening to!