The Pod Piper

THE LIST 1.  Planet Money  -  "Walmart's Pickle" Despite criticism for their aggressive approach of scorched earth capitalism, Walmart is an undeniable juggernaut in the US economy. Arguably the originator of the one-stop-shop approach to commerce, the company now finds itself in a race with Amazon to be the physical and digital home for the American consumer. When Amazon buys Whole Foods, Walmart doesn't sit idly by. The intersection of bioengineering and mass consumption is the cue for  Planet Money to step in and unravel this tale of competition at the highest level of the market for cheap goods. 2.  Love and Radio  -  " WWCD? " While the juncture of money and food may belong to Planet Money , the literal synthesis of humanity and finance falls to Love and Radio . This episode unearths the resulting weirdness when a specific person seeks to integrate himself into the marketplace of tradable public commodities. "WWCD?" provides

THE LIST 1.  Flash Forward  -  "Deceptible Me" What if humans could elect to rid themselves of self-deception? The world would be a more honest and just place, right? But wait, isn't it sometimes helpful to abide by an autobiographical white-lie? What would the ramifications be if only a portion of the population opted for this world-shattering change of perception? "Deceptible Me" left a long-lasting impression generating more self-reflexion than maybe any podcast this year.  The incomparable Rose Eveleth has done it again! 2. The Butterfly Effect with Jon Ronson  -  "A Nondescript Building in Montreal" This show has been hyped for a while, and after premiering exclusively on Audible in July it is now available to the masses. Yes, it is centered around the rise and dispersion of the porn industry. But don't let that scare you! At least after one episode, this show is about so much more. Jon Ronson expertly unravels this investigative j

THE LIST 1. Tomorrow's World - "Electric Sheep" Taking a page from the genre-innovating  Flash Forward , Tomorrow's World pushes the boundaries of cross-pollinating forms in this stunning piece of audio. The team stitches together a provocative meditation on the abilities and rights of artificial intelligence by intermixing a fictional story with real-world research and interviews. It is worth noting for its ambitious scope alone, but the episode converges into a meaningful and entertaining piece. 2. Radiolab - "Match Made in Marrow" There are not a lot of favorable examples of large media outlets engaging with religion in a deep manor, and understandably so. Broad brushes are quicker to produce, and concise headlines more easily garner clicks. Podcasting is a medium that lends itself to merging intimacy and scale, and a show like Radiolab  is absolutely primed to deliver nuanced stories integrating faith and culture. It seems highly unlikely that

THE LIST 1. Flash Forward   - "Easy Bake Organs" This edition of the speculative non-fiction show takes on artificially grown organs. It's one of the more feasible futures from Flash Forward , and as host Rose Eveleth mentions, has much less of a downside than other possible futures. A great meditation on the power of science and a reminder that organ donation is pretty dang important. 2 . The Turnaround  - " Terry Gross" Terry Gross is known for her semi-reclusive status when it comes to being interviewed. This rare look behind the mic of one of the most prolific appraisers of human experience in the country is filled with candor and glee. Jesse Thorn aptly conveys the awe at being in the presence of greatness while also executing a great interview on this, the final installment of The Turnaround . Find a deeper probe of the series here , and visit the archives to check out the whole roster of quality episodes. 3 . More Perfect - " Citizens Unit