The Best Science Podcasts: Podcasts That Will Make You Smarter!

The Best Science Podcasts

Everyone loves binge-worthy podcasts!  Only some of us are nerdy enough to want to listen to the best science podcasts listed below! Whether you are looking for the best science medicine podcasts or general science news podcasts, this list will help!

Besides this list compiling some of the best science podcasts out there, they WILL also make you smarter! If you are a science major or just love to learn, the following science-related podcasts will make time fly. These are the best science podcasts that I’ve listened to. If you know of any others that I might like, please leave a link in the comments! I own a scent detection company called Doctor Sniffs Bed Bug Dogs, and I am stuck in NYC traffic driving between bed bug inspections all day long. Being able to listen to educational podcasts makes the NYC traffic bearable.

Who doesn’t want to appear more intelligent than they are? These eight science podcasts will not only make you smarter but give you a wealth of topics to discuss with others.

*this is an affiliate link, and any pennies earned by you purchasing the headphones via this link will go straight into our scholarship fund for veterinary science majors*

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Have you been looking for something to listen to while driving, cooking, or working out? If you are not learning, do you sometimes feel like you are wasting time? I love to learn and prefer to listen to podcasts that will make me smarter! The following list of science-related podcasts will not fail you. You will find yourself listening to all of the episodes and then getting sad because there are no more left! You will gain so much knowledge after listening to the best science podcasts!

 

More Importantly, Let’s get to the List of The Best Science Podcasts!

#1

Ologies

Host: Alie Ward

I think that Ologies podcast just might have a cult following, but this is a good thing! Just look at the Facebook group! Each episode dives deep into a person, their career, and their particular ology. Biology majors, Chemistry majors, and just about any interested in people will fall in love with Ologies. But wait, you don’t have to be a science major to fall in love with Ologies because many of the Ologies featured are from all kinds of disciplines.

Take Learning to a Whole New Level and Subscribe to ologies: the best science podcast out there NOW!

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My two favorite episodes so far were Acarology and Disease Ecology (Lyme/tick-borne illnesses). Keep in mind; I have only listened to about 35 episodes; there are over 120 as of this month. It is intriguing to listen to how each guest got interested in their ology and how they made a career out of it. The host, Alie Ward, is an Emmy award-winning science correspondent.  Not only does she have a gift for interviewing people and getting them to talk about their careers, but she also makes the listener want to know more!

Alie Ward Ologies: the best science podcast

Do you ever think about a career change? Ologies will give you many ideas; you’ll start daydreaming about a whole new life!

If you don’t listen to anything else on this list, please listen to Ologies. It is one of the best science podcasts out there!

Some episode topics:

-Biogerontology (AGING) with Caleb Finch

-Cynology (DOGS) with Brandon McMillan

Best Science News Podcast That Covers Current Events!

Science Friday

Host: Ira Flatow

Science Friday is a classic; moreover, if you haven’t heard this excellent science podcast, then stop everything and subscribe now. Given that it’s a fantastic time-honored science show and notably has been around as a radio program since the 1990s. As a result of listening, you will find out all of the latest weekly science-related news. Science Friday: best science podcast for roadtrips

Science Friday used to be a Radio Program Back When People still Listened to the Radio! Now It’s One of the Best Science Podcasts Out There!

Granted, when I hear Ira’s voice, it’s almost as if I’m listening to an old friend. Consequently,  this show has always been a constant in my life throughout many happy and sad times.

Science topics that you can expect on this show include things like

-How mosquitoes distinguish the scent of a human from other mammals.

-Researchers at MIT translating proteins into music.

-The complex genome of cephalopods and how studying their genetics can lead to insights into human health.

Best Podcast Covering Canine Cognition and Scent Detection!

K9 Talking Scents Podcast

Host: Cameron Ford

Do you love dogs and find yourself intrigued on how they perform scent detection work? Even if you never thought about scent detection dogs before, after listening to this  podcast you will see these animals and humans in a whole new light. If you are interested in learning about the sport of nose work or are already a professional dog handler each episode will leave you with a wealth of knowledge. That is to say, so much knowledge that you will want to relisten to each episode. More importantly, dogs are used to detect cancer, bed bugs, explosives, molds, termites, drugs, invasive species, human remains, and the list will continue to grow.

There are whole groups of researchers and scientists worldwide studying the science of scent detection. The host, Cameron Ford, aims to connect the working dog handlers with the science community. The science community of canine cognition dedicates their lives to studying the various sub-niches of scent detection dogs.K9 scent detection podcast

Equally important, you will begin to understand all of the intensive training and research that goes on behind the scenes of every working scent detection dog! Even those dogs who just do it for fun in the sport of nose-work have so much training and research to back them up! Particularly each episode interviews professionals in the field. Mainly you will hear from ex-military K9 handlers, a Doctor from Duke University, a researcher on canine olfaction, and more.

Some episode topics:

-Science of Odor

-Canine Cognition on Detection Dogs with Dr. Brian Hare

The BEST SCIENCE PODCASTS!

Science Magazine Podcast : The Best Science Medicine Podcast!

The Science Magazine is one of my new favorites. I picked it because, like Science Friday, it covers news in current events related to science. If you feel lost in the world and want to maximize your knowledge about recent scientific research, then do not skip this podcast. All in all, it is easy to listen to, and each episode covers 2-3 topics in depth. Best science news podcast

Given these points, you will gain just enough info on each science-related topic to discuss with a friend or colleague.

Examples of topics you can expect:

-Scientists are studying the genome of canine venereal cancer.

-Can we inherit trauma from our ancestors? The answer based on research evidence seems to be a “yes.”

Best Overall Science Themed Podcast That Will Hold Your Attention!

Radiolab

Hosts: Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich Radiolab hosts: one of the best science podcasts out there!

Radiolab has won many awards (especially for the best science podcast), and if you are already a fan, you know why. If you haven’t heard of Radiolab, jump in and give it a listen! LOL! Download it now! To illustrate, they combine science, investigative journalism, and stories. Therefore the end product makes for a fascinating science podcast.  More importantly, this podcast will make you re-think the way you see the world, and for that alone, it is incredible! adiolab one of the best science podcast out there!

The hosts also get you to truly empathize with the guests while experiencing a topic in a whole new light! Above all, learning and seeing things from another person’s perspective is imperative to gaining knowledge and being an empathetic human being. There is such an extensive back catalog of exciting episodes to listen to. Their storytelling is genius; they have a way of sucking you in and making you feel things that you didn’t realize were possible. 

Start with this classic episode titled Saving Animals.

Examples of topics you can expect:

-CRSPR

-Parasites

What’s Your Favorite Radiolab Episode?

Looking for The Best Chemistry Podcast? 

The Naked Scientists

Hosts: University of Cambridge Researchers

The Naked Scientists Podcast has many episodes dedicated to chemistry. Similarly, as some of the other weekly news shows, Cambridge’s Naked Scientists podcast is put out weekly. Here you will learn about the latest scientific research projects. First and foremost, this is all accomplished with a touch of British humor. The Naked Scientists podcast team consists of Physics PhDs, Zoology professors, aerospace Ph.D.’s, and more. Suppose you want to gain knowledge from highly educated hosts. In that case, this podcast will make you smarter!The Naked Scientist;

Nerd Out With The Naked Scientists!

As a unique feature, they also have a question and answer session, where they answer listeners science-related questions like:

-How do Huskies stay cool?

-Why can fertile people struggle to conceive?

Some best science podcast episode titles are:

-Alzheimer’s Disease: Facts and Fiction

-How to hijack a brain

 One Of The Best Nature Podcasts!

In Defense of Plants Podcast

Host: Matt

Plants, plants, plants! Indeed plants are everywhere, so why not learn about them through the eyes of a scientist who studies them in this best nature podcast?  Whether you an avid gardener, just have a few house plants, or are a budding botanist, this podcast will fill your brain with all kinds of plant facts. More importantly, in their intro, they say they are here to “cure plant blindness around the globe.” With this in mind, that is a perfect description. Above all, what I love is that each episode focuses on 1 type of plant.

The host interviews and talks with a Professional or Professor who studies that plant. Specifically, you will learn so much about common plants like milkweed that you never knew before. Best science podcast about plants

If you want to learn about plants from groups of scientists who study them, then this one is for you! The world is full of fantastic plant stories, and this podcast is here to tell them!

Some of the best science podcast episode titles are:

-Oaks: Insights into Evolution & Ecology

-Plants of the Caribbean

If you Love Medicine and Animals, Why Not Dream About What it Could Have Been Like Had You Gone to Veterinary School. 

Vet School Unleashed : The Best Science Medicine Podcast For Animals.

Host: Seth Williams

With over 80 million households having pets in the US, just about anyone can relate to this podcast. Do you know how difficult it is to get into veterinary school? Consequently, the competition is high, and this podcast aims to unite the prospective vet community with students and Doctors who have already gone through the process.  

Each episode of Vet School Unleashed interviews a veterinary student or a DVM on a topic. Even if you don’t want to go to veterinary school but are just curious about veterinarians and some of their struggles, this podcast will keep you entertained and, more importantly, educated.

Some of the episode titles are:

-Lemurs & Tortoises & Budgies, Oh My!

-What It’s Like Taking the NAVLE Twice, Pro Study Tips, and Facing Adversity