The best 38 science podcasts for curious minds -

From particle physics to chemistry to psychology, these are the best science podcasts for comprehending the universe. With an array of hosts—including doctors, scientists, comedians, and journalists—these podcasts are informative, interesting, and invigorating.

Here are 38 of the best science podcasts to expand a curious mind.

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'The Infinite Monkey Cage' - Hosted by physicist and musician Brian Cox and comedian Robin Ince, this BBC podcast gathers scientists, innovators, and comedians to tackle big concepts in a witty and irreverent way.

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'Ologies' -

American writer and actress Alie Ward interviews a different expert, or "ologist," in every episode of her comedic science podcast. 

She deep dives to find out more about their niche specialization.

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'60-Second Science' -

Every day, these experts summarize the newest science developments into concise and insightful reports within a minute. Hosted by the Scientific American Team.

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'StarTalk' - Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson and friends discuss science, space, and the expanse of the universe in a way that bridges pop culture and science through humor, passion, and clarity.

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'Bad Science' - Ethan Edenburg puts science on the big screen to the test. Joined by a comedian and a scientist, they break down the inaccuracies of a specific movie each episode.

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'Talk Nerdy' - Cara Santa Maria talks nerdy through meaningful interviews about science. She also features in the podcast 'Skeptics' Guide to The Universe.'

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'Science Friday' - Since 1991, Ira Flatow has hosted the award-winning and original science show. It was lovingly nicknamed 'SciFri' by fans.

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' Houston We Have a Podcast' - If NASA didn't have a space podcast we really would have a problem. Episodes consist of interviews with some of NASA's finest, deep diving into their expertise.

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'The Story Collider' -

This particular podcast couples theory with real-life experiences, the scientific with the personal.

Weekly episodes include scientists, comedians, librarians, among others, telling their story of how science happened to them in a very human way.

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'RadioLab' -

Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich guide listeners through radio documentaries that combines science, philosophy, and human experience.

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'TEDTalks Science and Medicine' -

TEDTalks invite the world's most influential scientists, doctors, and researchers to share their discoveries and visions.

These onstage presentations are recorded then published in podcast form and in video on YouTube.

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'Brains On!' -

Science gets fun with Molly Bloom, where real kids ask real science questions.

With childlike enthusiasm and curious minds, this podcast isn't just for kids. It's fun and entertaining, while also being a great learning experience.

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'Stuff You Should Know' -

Chuck Bryant and Josh Clark hit the everyday topics we should probably know about, such as mosquitoes, landfills, and oceans.

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'Science for the People' - Desiree Schell and Rachelle Saunders host the Canadian podcast that explores the connections between science, pop culture, history, and public policy.

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'The Skeptics’ Guide to The Universe' -

Hosted by Dr. Steven Novella, this podcast discusses science and pseudoscience in a world where sometimes the lines are blurred.

It's a podcast dedicated to promoting critical thinking and public understanding.

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'The Guardian Science Weekly' - Science journalist Ian Sample leads listeners on a journey through science, including breaking news, deep diving niche topics and fascinating interviews.

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'Big Picture Science' -

Seth Shostak and Molly Bentley talk weekly about trends in science and technology in a smart and humorous way.

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'Stuff to Blow Your Mind' -

Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick lead you down the rabbit hole of scientific understanding and human behavior.

This podcast examines neurological quandaries, cosmic mysteries, evolutionary marvels, and the technological underpinnings of our trans-human future. You know, mind-blowing stuff.

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'Quirks & Quarks' -

The award-winning Canadian radio science program hosted by Bob McDonald has been running for the last 39 years.

It presents listeners with discoveries in physical and natural sciences, as well as political, social, environmental, and ethical implications of new developments in science and technology.

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'Undiscovered' - Hosts Elah Feder and Annie Minoff tell the real stories of how science happens. This newer podcast is similar to SciFri.

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'The Psychology Podcast' -

Talking all things human mind, brain, behavior, and creativity, Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman deep dives into psychology and how it affects everyday life.

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'Gastropod' - Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley talk all things food science, biting into the history and science of gastronomy.

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'Future Tense' -

Hosted by Antony Funnell (left), this podcast examines the cutting-edge science and technology that is redefining how we interact with the world around us.

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'Sawbones' - Dr. Sydnee McElroy and husband Justin McElroy go through the weird, gross and fascinating history of medicine. The podcast has a decent backlog, having been around since 2013.

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'Nature Podcast' - Kerri Smith and Adam Levy host nature.com's own podcast highlighting that week's magazine edition, including interviews with experts, thoughtful commentary, and what's new in science around the world.

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'Probably Science' -

Hosted by Andy Wood and Matt Kirshen (pictured), a panel of comedians/wannabe scientists talk incompetently about topics they are not experts in, giving fascinating insight and out-of-the-box thinking, bringing comedy and science together.

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'Physics Central' -

Opening listeners up to the world of physics through engaging research and personalities, while still allowing physics-talk to be accessible and interesting.

This podcast is hosted by the American Physical Society Team.

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'Science VS' -

Aussie Wendy Zukerman takes on contentious topics that seems to be all talk and less science, sifting through the chitchat and bringing out the facts in the fads. This includes organic food, e-cigarettes, and the female g-spot.

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'BrainStuff' - Marshall Brain and the BrainStuff team take everyday science and explain the nitty-gritty, like why feet stink, or how instant cameras work.

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'Hidden Brain' -

Shankar Vedantam talks human behavior and the social sciences with insightful commentary on pop culture and the universe.

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'The Naked Scientists' - Hosted by University of Cambridge Researchers, this podcast strips down science to the bare essentials, explaining the mind-blowing concepts of seemingly normal things.

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'No Such Thing As A Fish' -

A podcast spinoff of the the TV show 'QI,' the researchers of the week discuss any new discoveries.

The humorous banter and curious minds of the panel often lead to talking about strange topics, such as ants getting drunk or whether humans are magnetic.

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'Future Perfect' - This science podcast, hosted by Dylan Matthews, explores innovative solutions to modern problems. It challenges current thinking, and can sometimes be controversial, with expert insight and interviews.

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'The Science Show' -

Australian Robyn Williams presents long-form audio documentaries that deep dive into a variety of topics.

It is one of the longest running shows on Australian radio.

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' Outside/In' - Sam Evans-Brown hosts the perfect podcast for outdoor-science nerds. Touching on biology, ecology, agriculture, geology, weather, energy, and more, this podcast discusses our relationship with nature.

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'Professor Blastoff' - Science-loving comedians Kyle Dunnigan, Tig Notaro, and David Huntsberger, invite guests to join them on their weekly show to talk on a range of topics including science, philosophy, and even the metaphysical.

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'PERIOD' -

Kate Clancy gets real about periods on this podcast in the most fascinating and thoughtful way. She talks about the biological science, psychology, history, and taboo of something that has always been a part of women

See also: 10 reasons to practice mindfulness meditation

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