Podcast Aggregator

Updated 10 July 2010
Matilah's Great Big Personal Podcast Aggregator

Ever since the advent of the iPod and other ubiquitous mp3 players, the explosion of free (voluntary donation) content of AMAZING quality has been incredible.

I was never a big TV watcher, however now my TV watching has shrunk to than around 2 or 3 hours a week – maximum, often zero if there is nothing I find interesting on.

I my life newspapers are a thing of the past. My main news source is the RSS feed of Google News – one of the best news aggregators around as they cull from a multiplicity of news agencies. If I want more specificity to a particular story I can choose other sites. Such is the level of customisation of information these days. The time cut down from having to read old-fashioned newspapers is incredible. The Google News is set up in my iGoogle virtual desktop where I can read my email, blogs I subscribe to and other tools and ÒwidgetsÓ, as well as a direct link to my own blog which allows me to post directly after reading a news item or an article appearing on Google Reader.

However what has taken a lot of my time is the consumption of podcasts. I am absolutely enamoured with the podcast universe and the wonderful people who put so much effort in the production of top-quality content. I am amazed by the standard of the podcasts available – smart, productive people doing great, amazing work and sharing their knowledge to anyone on the planet.

This is the free market behaving like never before...not because the podcasts are free, but because it is an almost total 'donation economy' – pay what you can or what you think the podcast is worth, which you the listener has to experience voluntarily.

In my opinion, if you want to expand your mind, blow your mind and actually become smarter – not by the wholesale swallowing what you hear, but by critical evaluation – the podcast universe is a wonderful addition to regularly visiting public libraries and museums.

I haven't even mentioned iTunes U -- another aggregator embedded in the iTunes application hosts lectures which top universities give away free.

Here are podcasts I subscribe to, enjoy learning and/ or disagreeing with, and making up my own mind:

Economics, Finance, Enterprise, Freedom

1. Mises.org
2. Lew Rockwell
3. FEE
4. Financial Sense
5. CATO
6. Leonard Peikoff
7. Dan Carlin Common Sense
8. David Hitt
9. A Moment in Reason
10. Shallow Gene Pool (ended)
11. Logically Critical (ended)
12. Free – Business at a radical price by Chris Anderson (AudioBook iTunes)
13. Amazing Service Guy
14. The Starbucks Experience
15. Chartered Institute Of  Personnel Development -- Human Resources (UK)

Science, Technology, Skepticism

1. The Skeptics Guide To The Universe
2. The Skeptics Guide 5 x 5
3. The Skeptic Zone
4. The Amazing Show starring James Randi
5. Point of Inquiry
6. Skepticality
7. Skeptoid
8. For Good Reason
9. Token Skeptic
10. Quack Cast
11. Hunting Humbug
12. SCAM School with Brian Brushwood
13. TED – Technology, Education & Design
14. Scientific American Podcasts
15. Astronomy Cast
16. Exploration with Dr Michio Kaku
17. Brain Science Podcast
18. The Beautiful Brain
19. Music and The Brain (Library Of Congress Podcasts)
20. Shrink Rap Radio
21. Omega Tau
22. Talking Robots (ended)
23. Robots Podcast
24. Robocast – Video Cast (temporary offline)
25. Chariots Of Iron
26. Geologic Podcast with George Hrab
27. Irreligiosophy
28. The Good Atheist Podcast
29. Secular Nation – official podcast of the Atheist Alliance
30. American Freethought
31. The Amateur Scientist Podcast
32. The Onion Radio News

Comedy

1. WTF Podcast with Marc Maron
2. Real Time – Bill Maher HBO
3. David Feldman
4. The Long Shot with Eddie Peppertone
5. The Sweetest Plum Podcast

History

1. The Military History Podcast
2. The History Network
3. Dan Carlin's Hardcore History
4. History On Air