Many of us, whether student or employee, dread the arduous journey to our chosen place of work. With the elements often against us and the taskmaster waiting, we aren’t always raring to go or jumping at the thought of travelling. However, the beginning of the day doesn’t need to drag you down! With most transport coming with it's on Wifi nowadays there is a limitless expanse of content to help the time pass. We think folk are too quick to jump to social media and forget there are loads of hilarious and educational alternatives out there, especially in the form of podcasts. Now, podcasts are nothing new and have been around for years but the growth of the internet has sparked a massive movement and everyone should be aboard this bandwagon! Having someone talk passionately about their field allows us to fully appreciate the content but equally as important, the context. So here are 5 podcasts that provide a little something for everyone and might just make your day a tad more agreeable.
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No such thing as a fish: this particular podcast is brought to us by the research team behind the hit BBC two show, QI. It features four regular hosts with the odd guest here and there and each host or guest delivers their favorite fact from their research that week and since its launch in 2014 it’s managed to collect 600,000 subscribers and apple’s best new podcast of the year award. The episodes are usually under 30 minutes long making it ideal for those mid length journeys, but be warned, you might catch a few eyes when you chuckle alone.
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The Joe Rogan experience: Joe Rogan is a professional comic and sports commentator, but he decided to take to the airwaves in 2009 with what has since become one of the most popular podcasts in the world. I’d say that Joe’s podcast is the go to for all things masculine but in truth it’s really the go to for all things, full stop. Joe frequently discusses nootropics, psychedelics , fitness, nutrition, sports, comedy, science, cars, sports, philosophy, the universe and really all things relevant in the world today and that’s the selling point, he and his guests just talk and they do it in an informal fashion making it a very easy, informative and funny option. He often puts up around three podcasts a week that can vary from anywhere between one and three hours so prepare to be drawn in.
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Dan Carlin’s hardcore history: Dan Carlin is an amateur historian and political commentator and first introduced his podcast in 2006. Before this he got himself out there by working as a news reporter and author and is currently a full time radio host. His podcasts are gritty, actual and informative and will have you repeating wild historical facts from the beginning of the day to the end. He goes into extreme detail on subjects like the Mongols and Nazis and pulls no punches when it comes to conveying his knowledge to his audience. Unfortunately Dan can take around two or three months to release a podcast but with some episodes lasting well over four hours and fifty-four episodes already out there you won’t be feeling the withdrawal symptoms for a good few weeks.
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The Fighter & the kid: perhaps the most ridiculous, silly and outright hilarious podcast on the list. The show features Bryan Callen (the kid) and Brendan Schaub (the fighter). Bryan is a very popular stand-up comedian and actor and has starred in huge blockbuster movies such as the hangover and ride along as well as doing regular guest appearances on various other podcasts. Brendan is a mixed martial artist who not only fights for the Ultimate fighting championship but is also closely involved in many of their PR efforts including television appearances on shows such a myth busters. This pair and are not your typical team but their close friendship and clear comedic chemistry is quickly turning them into massive stars in the audible world and with their regular high profile guests the sky’s the limit. You’ll find these two under the sports section but many of the shows are solely based on their life experiences and with a unique intro song by the kid in every episode it’s not a show to miss. Each episode usually lasts anywhere between one to two hours and are uploads are frequent at twice a week. You might want to be alone for this one though or you will be caught with the awkward grin.
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The Nerdist: the nerdist is hosted by Matt Mira, Jonah Hill and fronted by Chris Hardwick, all of whom are stand-up comedians and actors. The podcast generally consists of all things nerdy but as another open conversation format show really anything goes with these three, they tend to get huge stars on their show which can make for fantastic listening as you’re seeing your favorite actors, writers, musicians and personalities in a relaxed and natural setting. It’s really a podcast for those of you that do enjoy the ‘nerdier’ things but even if that’s not your scene and you happen to see a guest you’re a fan of I highly recommend tuning in and giving it a listen as you’ll probably be pleasantly surprised by how normal they really are. Episodes usually last between an hour and an hour and a half so it should do you a full lengthy commute and even part of the return.
You may think nothing of podcasts or of the trip to work but nevertheless, it’s worth giving these a listen regardless of whether you suffer from the morning blues or not. You’ll without question learn a little something new and maybe you’ll even get a laugh from this media format so give it a go and see what happens, you might just be surprised.
