Most of us may graduate from school at 18 or 21, but learning never has to end. Staying in a student mindset throughout your life will help expand your brain power, help you understand the often confusing world around you, and facilitate connections with others.
History programs on AM/FM radio and in the podcast format are a great way to learn about our shared past, so that we may carve out a better future. Here are the best history programs currently running.
Throughline
Throughline is a radio program produced by NPR that broadcasts out of local affiliate stations all over the country. Get it on your local podcast app, or go old-fashioned – assemble your own AM/FM radio using Moonraker products and start learning.
Each week host Steve Innskeep picks a current headline from a national paper and zooms in on the history behind it. Pop music, archeology, the history of bugs – everything comes with its own unique and magical history.
The Memory Palace
The Memory Palace is one of the oldest continually running podcasts around. Over the years, host Nate DiMeo has built a loyal following with his elaborately produced episodes on the commonplace, overlooked objects and attractions that make up our lives.
From eulogies to theme parks and fairgrounds that have long been shuttered, to poetic reveries on tragic political events, DiMeo and crew shine a light on the traces of the past in the present.
Revisionist History
Malcolm Gladwell is one of the most compelling and accomplished modern-day historians. In books like Outliers, The Tipping Point, and Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, Gladwell built a name for himself as the foremost examiner of the unexamined.
In Revisionist History, he takes on widely accepted narratives and looks at the unknown kinks and quirks that only appear when you examine them very closely. From the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case to the unseemly properties of vegetable oil, listening to Revisionist History will have you questioning everything you once held as plain and simple fact.
30 For 30
For a long time, podcasts were the domain of arts, culture, and politics. In the early 2010s, ESPN began airing 30-minute documentaries under the banner 30 For 30, which explored famous (and infamous) events in the world of sports. Finally, in 2012, they began producing these documentaries in podcast form as well.
If you’ve ever seen one of the 30 For 30 documentaries you’ll know how much the visuals aid in really selling the story. However, the podcast version of the series is still highly entertaining and educational. From the Allen Iverson trial to the story of Chuck Wepner, the inspiration for Rocky, 30 For 30 is for all the sports fanatics out there who don’t just want to hear about the latest game.
It’s Never Too Late To Learn
Education doesn’t stop the moment you graduate. Keep your mind healthy, active, and alert by listening to these mind-blowing, entertaining podcasts and radio programs.
