Podcasts have proliferated into a seemingly endless menagerie of stories, historical information, and analysis of past and current affairs. Here are a few of my favorite episodes from 2016. Although I do listen to quite a few podcasts that have a continuing storyline, I will try to concentrate on episodes that stand alone here.
1. Who was Wayne? – Reply All. A photo is posted to a message board and the internet does what it does best.
2. Americas worst lottery winner – The Dollop. Maybe money doesn’t always buy happiness in this riches to rags story.
3. What if you had always wanted a different mother? – This is Actually Happening. A Woman talks about her struggle to get along with her mother.
4. The Weepy voiced Killer – Casefile. The story of the weepy voiced killer from Minneapolis is retold.
5. Russian cowboys – Planet Money. A cowboy from the American west goes to Russia and tries to turn the local Russians into working cowboys.
6. The Bone Wars – The Conspirators. Two paleontologists engage in a lifelong fight of territory, prestige, discovery, and naming of new dinosaurs.
7. The Orange – Snap Judgement. An old man boards a bus in Los Angeles and talks about an orange.
8. Flip the script – Invisiblia. Non complementary behavior examined.
9. Tarrare, A case of polyphagia – Stuff you missed in history class. A rare case of polyphagia (insatiable hunger) is examined.
10. Mcmansion Hell – 99% invisible. The foibles of modern McMansion architecture are discussed.
