Podcasts have recently regained popularity: subscribing listeners has increased 20% since 2013. With this popularity, hundreds of thousands of podcasts have emerged. As of February 2018, there were over 660,000 podcast series with over 28 million episodes available. It can often be difficult to find the perfect fit, but, as a seasoned podcast listener, I have a suggestion for you.
Sidenote is a podcast produced by ASAPScience, a company which began by making short informative scientific videos on YouTube to get the general public excited and involved in science related topics. You may recognize these videos with their whiteboard drawings and catchy titles. A few of their most famous videos include “Do You Hear ‘Yanny’ or ‘Laurel’? (SOLVED with SCIENCE),” “What Colour Is This Dress? (SOLVED with SCIENCE),” “Which Came First – The Chicken or the Egg?” and “The Periodic Table Song.” Each of these videos have at least twenty million views, which gives a solid representation of how the creators are able to make these science videos popular and filled with such interesting information. Their podcast, Sidenote, manages to do the same thing.
The podcast is weekly and each week the hosts dive into a controversial topic to learn more about themselves and the world around them. They embed science snippets throughout and do not hesitate to include many of their own awkward anecdotes. The hosts, Greg and Mitch, are super funny and make the podcast really entertaining. They always start off by including something new they have learned each week, followed by a story that is related to that week’s main topic. Plus, their LGBTQ identity gives them a unique perspective on the science world and culture, making the podcast more diverse. As a woman in the science field, I enjoy hearing a new perspective on many topics and also understand the current lack of minorities in the science fields which they discussed.
Now, I know that many people are not typically huge science nerds, but don’t let that deter you from listening to Sidenote! The episodes are about hot topics that are easy to follow and do not typically involve concepts that you need a science degree to understand. They also often discuss ethical topics, so any sociology or philosophy fan might find particular interest in plenty of them. Most recently, they have had episodes about conspiracy theories on Youtube, zoos, and going vegan. A few of my favorite older episodes include topics about vlogging, masculinity, and musicals. If any of these sound interesting, just know there are plenty more great episodes as well.
If Sidenote is a podcast you are interested in, the creators make it super accessible. You can find it on Apple Podcasts, Youtube, and Spotify. I often listen to podcasts on long car rides, and Greg and Mitch never fail to make me laugh. Sidenote is definitely a podcast I think everyone would enjoy. Happy listening!