These Podcasts Will Make You Sound Smarter After Just One Episode

Looking to learn something new without scrolling TikTok or taking a class? We've got you covered. Forget unreliable internet sources, these well-researched shows not only inform, but also immerse and entertain! Featuring perspectives from science journalists, comedians, film critics, and more.

No Such Thing As a Fish

Cadence: Weekly
Episode length: 60-90 minutes

With 500 episodes and well over 400 million downloads, this weekly British podcast has been delighting listeners for nearly ten years. Hosts James Harkin, Anna Ptaszynski, Andrew Hunter Murray, and Dan Schreiber — who are all writers and researchers for Quite Interesting, or QI, a British comedy show — bring four weird facts that they've learned throughout the week for a lively discussion.

One episode, which can run well over an hour, oscillates from facts such as Popeye originally deriving his powers from rubbing a magic hen; to Marcel Proust demanding a midnight performance from a string orchestra. No Such This As a Fish is guaranteed to give you really fun facts to repeat at your next dinner party.

Perfect for: bar trivia enthusiasts or fans of My Dad Wrote a Porno

You Are Not So Smart

Cadence: Bimonthly
Episode length: 60 minutes

What began as a 2009 psychology of self delusion and motivated reasoning blog was later adapted into an international bestselling novel of the same name, and is now a podcast with no end in sight. Science journalist David McRaney dedicates each hour-long episode to a deep dive into topics such as idea flow, narcissism, conspiracy theories, cons, and more. 

Perfect for: documentary enthusiasts

You Must Remember This

Cadence: Weekly
Episode length: 90 minutes

Researched, written, and narrated by Cinematical.com founder and former LA Weekly film critic Karina Longworth, You Must Remember This is a rich well of information for cinema buffs who want a thorough exploration of Old Hollywood history.

Featuring various series within the show — such as "Dead Blondes," "The Many Loves of Howard Hughes," "Erotic '80s," and "Charles Manson’s Hollywood" — Longworth will take you on an immersive journey that will give you both long and short facts to say at your next movie night. 

Perfect for: cinephiles and history buffs

Sounds Like a Cult

Cadence: Weekly
Episode length: 60-90 minutes

Nominated for an iHeart Radio “Best Emerging Podcast” Award and listed as one of Spotify’s Top 20 Podcasts in the U.S., Sounds Like a Cult follows hosts Amanda Montell and Isabela Medina-Maté as they analyze different fanatical groups in our modern culture and try to answer the big question: This sounds like a cult, but is it really?

They explore topics such as beauty pageants, diet culture, nonprofits, and even dating apps. Are these things just things, or are they a cult, and what does that mean? 

Perfect for: pop culture enthusiasts and comedy lovers

The Worst Bestsellers

Cadence: Bimonthly
Episode length: 60-70 minutes

What’s better than reading bestselling literature? Admitting that it’s not always that great. In The Worst Bestsellers, hosts Kait and Renata are joined by a different guest each episode to discuss, usually for well over an hour and a half, the merits (or lack thereof) of a bestselling novel.

They discuss TikTok sensations such as It Ends With Us, splashy celebrity bestsellers like Spare, and children’s classics like Redwall. What’s great about this podcast is the hosts don't set out to blindly trash a beloved book, and they certainly don’t make fun of those who enjoyed it, but they’re smart, critical, and say what a lot of us may be thinking but too afraid to say!

Perfect for: avid readers, #BookTok followers, or celebrity book club fans

Black History Buff Podcast

Cadence: Monthly
Episode length: 3-25 minutes

Host King Kurus started this podcast to teach his son more about his history. When he realized that most of the Black history he wanted to teach was inaccessible or from an extremely biased perspective, Kurus created a blog and podcast that includes information from all across the African Diaspora.

With short, digestible, and immersive episodes — usually three to 25 minutes long — Kurus spotlights everyone from Yasuke, a Black samurai, to the Little Rock Nine, as well as various proverbs, myths, and legends. He consistently showcases his remarkable storytelling abilities through a combination of thorough research and the use of high-quality sound effects, making each episode an engaging listen.

Perfect for: fans of Stuff You Should Know or Mythology