Best Social Science Podcasts

(Apple's Best of 2018) In-depth conversations with people at the top of their game. Jordan Harbinger unpacks guests' wisdom into practical nuggets you can use to impact your work, life, and relationships. Learn from leaders (Ray Dalio, Simon Sinek, Mark Cuban), entertainers (Moby, Tip "T.I." Harris, Dennis Quaid), scientists (Neil deGrasse Tyson, Bill Nye), athletes (Kobe Bryant, Dennis Rodman, Tony Hawk) and an eclectic array of fascinating minds, from art forgers and arms traffickers to spies and psychologists.

Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.

Unseeable forces control human behavior and shape our ideas, beliefs, and assumptions. Invisibilia—Latin for invisible things—fuses narrative storytelling with science that will make you see your own life differently.

Hysteria 51 is your offbeat weekly podcast destination for all things weird and wonderful! We navigate the cosmic highways of UFOs, the alien-infested landscapes, and the enigmatic frontiers of the paranormal. With your hosts, Brent Hand and David Flora, alongside our cantankerous tin man, Conspiracy Bot (with a not-so-subtle desire to rule the world, doubling as our chief inquisitor into the unknown), we delve into unique mysteries, the inexplicable, and the downright unusual.Each week, we explore a fresh topic, making one thing crystal clear... the truth is out there, but you won’t find it here.

Sword and Scale is a true crime podcast covering the dark underworld of crime and the criminal justice system’s response to it. The first episode launched January 1st, 2014 and feature stories of murder, abduction, rape, and even more bizarre forms of crime. It’s the purest form of true-crime where the raw uncensored audio tells the story. Everything from 911 calls to court testimony, interviews with victims and sometimes with perpetrators give listeners a 360 degree look at the seedy underbelly of human nature and so-called civilized society. Told from an everyman's point of view, Sword and Scale goes beyond the news clips and the sensationalist headlines to hold up a mirror to the audience and ask, "Is it us versus them? Or are we just like 'them' too?" Sword and scale proves that the worst monsters are real.

Nooks and Crannies: A Lefty Social Science and Political Variety Show!

Always interesting and often hilarious, join hosts Aaron Wright and Benjamin Grundy as they investigate the latest in futurology, weird science, consciousness research, alternative history, cryptozoology, UFOs, and new-age absurdity.

Exploring the biggest questions of our time with the help of the world's greatest thinkers. Host Manoush Zomorodi inspires us to learn more about the world, our communities, and most importantly, ourselves.Get more brainy miscellany with TED Radio Hour+. Your subscription supports the show and unlocks a sponsor-free feed. Learn more at plus.npr.org/ted

A podcast that explores the unexplained and explains the unexplored, Blurry Photos seeks the facts behind the fiction of the world’s most fascinating, unbelievable, and chilling mysteries and legends. Focusing on lesser-known topics of Forteana, conspiracy, history, and folklore, Blurry Photos is driven by the desire for a better understanding of fringe subjects through research, storytelling, and rational thinking. Prepare your butts, because it’s time to learn something weird.

Join me as I dive into some of the most fascinating and thought provoking true crime stories told one chapter at a time. Kidnappings, murders, mysterious disappearances, serial killers, celebrity crime and more will be covered.

The Peabody Award-winning On the Media podcast is your guide to examining how the media sausage is made. Hosts Brooke Gladstone and Micah Loewinger examine threats to free speech and government transparency, cast a skeptical eye on media coverage of the week’s big stories and unravel hidden political narratives in everything we read, watch and hear.

The 911 Calls Podcast: Shock, Chuckle, and Aww with The Operator & Jess11:59 Media, The Operator, and Jess bring you another masterpiece for your earballs: The "911 Calls Podcast".Traverse the intense landscape of real-life 911 calls from around the globe, expertly dissected and presented to you ... along with a healthy dose of jibber jabber. Each episode is a rollertoaster of emotions. Brace yourself as the "shock call" sends chills down your headphones, stirring the deepest corners of your corners. Then, as you're still grappling with the intensity and reeling from the jibber, Jess and The Operator cleanse your emotional palette with a lighter 911 call and some jabber that will, undoubtedly, tug at your heartstrings or tickle your funny bone.Whether it's a heart-wrenching cry for help or a bizarrely endearing emergency about a cat stuck in a toaster, this podcast offers a unique blend of the profound and the playful. With an endless trove of 911 calls to explore, The Operator and Jess promise years of gripping episodes for your listening pleasure. Tune in as your earballs are in for a treat - a blend of shock, chuckle, and aww!

How are the things we're talking about being talked about somewhere else in the world? Gregory Warner tells stories that follow familiar conversations into unfamiliar territory. At a time when the world seems small but it's as hard as ever to escape our echo chambers, Rough Translation takes you places.

The Vanished is a true crime podcast that explores the stories of those who have gone missing. The Vanished goes beyond conventional news reports to take a deep dive into the story of a different missing person each week. Host Marissa Jones brings you exclusive interviews with family members, friends, law enforcement and experts. What will The Vanished uncover next?Listen to The Vanished on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to all episodes ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/the-vanished-podcast/ now.

Somewhere in the Skies is a weekly podcast covering UFOs and the unexplained. New episodes every Monday.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/somewhere-in-the-skies. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wisdom to replenish and orient in a tender, tumultuous time to be alive. Spiritual inquiry, science, social healing, and poetry. Conversations to live by.With a 20-year archive featuring luminaries like Mary Oliver, Thich Nhat Hanh, and Desmond Tutu, each episode brings a new discovery about the immensity of our lives. Hosted by Krista Tippett,Learn more about the On Being Project’s work in the world at onbeing.org.

Animals are increasingly at the forefront of research questions – Not as shadows to human stories, or as beings we want to understand biologically, or for purely our benefit – but as beings who have histories, stories, and geographies of their own. Each season is set around themes with each episode unpacking a particular animal turn concept and its significance therein. Join Claudia Hirtenfelder as she delves into some of the most important ideas emerging out of this recent turn in scholarship, thinking, and being.

Kudzu Killers is a true crime podcast featuring a couple of honest-to-goodness southern gals discussing compelling tales of southern style homicide.

The true science behind our most popular urban legends. Historical mysteries, paranormal claims, popular science myths, aliens and UFO reports, conspiracy theories, and worthless alternative medicine schemes... Skeptoid has you covered. From the sublime to the startling, no topic is sacred. Weekly since 2006.

Clearer Thinking is a podcast about ideas that truly matter. If you enjoy learning about powerful, practical concepts and frameworks, wish you had more deep, intellectual conversations in your life, or are looking for non-BS self-improvement, then we think you'll love this podcast! Each week we invite a brilliant guest to bring four important ideas to discuss for an in-depth conversation. Topics include psychology, society, behavior change, philosophy, science, artificial intelligence, math, economics, self-help, mental health, and technology. We focus on ideas that can be applied right now to make your life better or to help you better understand yourself and the world, aiming to teach you the best mental tools to enhance your learning, self-improvement efforts, and decision-making. • We take on important, thorny questions like: • What's the best way to help a friend or loved one going through a difficult time? How can we make our worldviews more accurate? How can we hone the accuracy of our thinking? What are the advantages of using our "gut" to make decisions? And when should we expect careful, analytical reflection to be more effective? Why do societies sometimes collapse? And what can we do to reduce the chance that ours collapses? Why is the world today so much worse than it could be? And what can we do to make it better? What are the good and bad parts of tradition? And are there more meaningful and ethical ways of carrying out important rituals, such as honoring the dead? How can we move beyond zero-sum, adversarial negotiations and create more positive-sum interactions?

Wise Effort with Dr. Diana Hill is a show about how to live wisely. You’ll learn how to put your energy into places that matter most to you while making a difference in the world.This show is for you if:...you’re a high achiever feeling burned out from tasks that don’t matter....you want to invest your energy in fulfilling and sustainable ways....you seek holistic living without the pressure of a rigid wellness checklist....you care about your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health....you appreciate science but are open to exploring spirituality and contemplative practices....you have an open, beginner’s mind....you believe there’s a better way to live and are ready to apply your wisdom.We don’t have to burn ourselves out or engage in things that are not worth it. We can put our energy where it matters most and savor the good along the way. Join us at Wise Effort!

Deep in the back of your mind, you’ve always had the feeling that there’s something strange about reality. There is. Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick as they examine neurological quandaries, cosmic mysteries, evolutionary marvels and our transhuman future.

An independent podcast about fear, beauty and the unknown. Since 2012. Hosted by Jeff Emtman and others.

Host Jack Luna covers the worlds darkest stories, while holding you close in an itchy blanket.