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I commute about 2 hrs a day, and much more on days when there is a dreaded "major" accident. My survival technique has been to load my ipod with science podcasts. Learning in traffic what could be a more effective use of wasted time. I use i-tunes as one source of material and have recently come across sciencepodcasters; an aggregation of great science podcasts. http://www.sciencepodcasters.org/ Does anyone else have favorite science podcasts? I would love to hear about your choices and recommendations. Currently I am listening to episodes of the brain science podcast. The commentator is a bit dry but the interviews with authors of popular books on neuroscience are well done and very informative.

I love podcasts, too. I recently created a collection of all the podcasts I could find on Nutrition, food safety, the EPA's role, food irradiation, etc. You can access it at Podcasts on Food...
I was amazed at how many there were - over 30!
Enjoy.
Carolyn

Hi Pamela, I have to say what hooked me into reading your thread initially, was the fact that you have a two hour commute every day to work and home. I was quite surprised by the amount of time that you spend daily on the road in your car. However, as I thought more about it, I realized that I spend a good deal of time in my car commuting to and from work as well. Granted, I spend about half the time that you do, however, your use of time spent in the car seems to be well utilized. I really like the idea of using podcasts to access science content information. That is such a great way to utilize technology, learn science content, and spend your time wisely. I would have never thought to listen to podcasts, especially those that are science content related, in the car. That is a great suggestion. I also appreciate the links that both you and Carolyn have included in this thread. This is definitely a helpful tool for all teachers to take advantage of, and most definitely for teachers that have a long commute to and from work. Thanks for sharing your idea with us; I’ll be sure to start looking for interesting and informative podcasts to listen to on my commute.

Pamela, Your post is an excellent example of the power of this site! I always download to my iPod, but I always did books, I never even thought about how I could use that time to work on my science curriculum. It seems so obvious now, but I never gave it a thought. Thanks so much for sharing and I will be checking out those different sites you and others listed.

I love listening to science podcast and have just found another http://riaus.org.au/articles/a-week-in-science-30-november-2012/ I also subscribe to several through i-tunes

AAAS has a podcast called science update A daily, 60-second feature radio show covering the latest discoveries in science, technology and medicine since 1988. Science Update answers listeners’ science questions, phoned in to our toll-free answer line, 1-800-WHY-ISIT (949-4748), or submitted to our online form. A week’s worth of Science Update news briefs is available for download as the Science Update Podcast http://www.scienceupdate.com/

Thanks for posting these sites. I like podcast-due to all of the above reasons, but new sites are always being "discovered" by me. Thank you for sharing.

Tina mentions that she lives NPR podcasts and Will talks about designing lessons around podcasts. Did you know that NPR has done this for you. OPne of my favorite podcasts is Science Friday that airs each Friday at 1 pm EST.Science Friday lesson plans are based on the Science Friday Videos and are created for by the New York Hall of Science. http://sciencefriday.com/teacher-resources/index.html#page/full-width-list/1 Enjoy all Pam

Since there seems to be some interest in this thread I thought that I would place here an annotated list of some of my favorite science podcasts RadioLab http://www.radiolab.org/ Radiolab is shockingly good. Smart, hip, funny, and arty, it's recorded in seasons, rather than on a typical weekly basis; we're currently in the 10th season of five episodes each, with episodes generally being around 60 minutes. Radiolab episodes are based around a broad theme rather than a topical news peg, with frequent trips "into the field" to find interesting stories. Primary host Jad Abumrad has a background in experimental music composition, which can be heard in the various bleeps and bloops and overlapping audio from different interviews. Radiolab ends up being interesting not just in content, but also in structure. This one would be great for anyone interested in STEAM Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math

Star Talk (not the Hollywood variety)http://www.startalkradio.net/ Star Talk is Neil deGrasse Tyson's astrophysics podcast. It's around 45-60 minutes long, with new episodes popping up around three times per month. Tyson will often talk about topical issues in astrophysics, and his guests are usually from the entertainment field (actors and comedians mostly), which is a smart choice. We're big fans of Tyson, his vests, and his show; he sometimes hosts Star Talk Live, a taping of the podcast that's open to the public, at Brooklyn's Bell House. One thing I live about this podcast is that Dr Tyson makes sure to include a inclusive group of scientists

Professor Blastoff http://www.earwolf.com/show/professor-blastoff/ Professor Blastoff, hosted by comedians Tig Notaro, Kyle Dunnigan, and David Huntsberger, is part of the Earwolf family of comedy podcasts, one of the major forces in that world (its flagship podcast is Comedy Bang Bang). Probably half of the episodes feature no actual, professional scientist, but the hosts are smart and interested, and the show has this calm rhythm (helped along by Notaro's this-close-to-monotone voice) that makes it ideal for long trips. Episodes are around an hour long, focusing on one very broad theme, like robots, immortality, and taste. It's like listening to your smartest, funniest friends bounce ideas off each other based on what they read over the past week.

Probably Science http://probablyscience.tumblr.com/ Another mostly-comedy podcast like Professor Blastoff, Probably Science finds hosts Matt Kirshen, Brooks Wheelan, and Andy Wood meandering through a discussion of the week's top science stories with a guest list that is, so far, entirely comedian-based. It's a brand-new podcast, only eight episodes in, but last week's episode, which features the very funny Kyle Kinane, showed some real potential. It's early, but this is one to keep an eye on.

TedTalks https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/tedtalks-audio/id160904630 The podcast component of the famous TED Talks ("dedicated to ideas worth spreading") is kind of hard to pin down. It comes out often but not on any reliable schedule, topics range from traditional hard science ideas to architecture, philosophy, history, and art, segments can last between three and 20 minutes long, and individual episodes can range from fascinating and mind-expanding to infuriatingly smug and dull. All that said, TED Talks are often fantastic, and the relatively short length with a single focus and single speaker make it the perfect short-form timewaster.

The Infinite Monkey Cage http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/timc A live BBC podcast from Brian Cox and Robin Ince, The Infinite Monkey Cage toes the line between science and (extremely British) comedy. It's fast-talking, likably geeky discussion on usually topical subjects between the two old friends and an array of expert guests. The live setting gives it a nice energy, with the hosts feeding off the crowd, and at only 30 minutes, the show never wears out its welcome.

60 Second Science http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/podcasts.cfm?type=60-second-science Bite-sized daily podcast episodes from Scientific American. It is, true to its name, only a minute long, and new episodes come out every weekday, focusing on some interesting news story from that day. There's obviously not much time to explore a topic or host interesting guests, but I've found myself listening to this podcast most days. I almost always have a bored minute, and 60-Second Science fills that gap nicely.

Astronomy Cast http://www.astronomycast.com/ Astronomy Cast takes a fact-based journey through the cosmos as it offers listeners weekly discussions on astronomical topics ranging from planets to cosmology. Hosted by Fraser Cain (Universe Today) and Dr. Pamela L. Gay (SIUE), this show brings the questions of an avid astronomy lover direct to an astronomer. Together Fraser and Pamela explore what is known and being discovered about the universe around us.

All in the Mind http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/allinthemind/ All in the Mind is RN’s weekly exploration of all things mental—a program about the mind, brain and behaviour, and the endlessly fascinating interactions between them. From dreaming to depression, memory to imagination, psychotherapy to psychopathy, emotion to obsession, All in the Mind explores the human condition through the mind’s eye. While many aspects of our minds remain seductively mysterious, new light is being shed on the way we think and the way we relate to each other all the time. All in the Mind brings together a diverse range of ideas and human experiences through the voices of great thinkers and powerful personal stories.

Microbe World Meet the Scientist http://www.microbeworld.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=37&Itemid=155 At Meet the Scientist, we want to reveal more about scientists, the work they do, and what makes them tick. We will ask them what they are are up to now and what is next. How is the science moving forward to solve some of the intractable problems of our times? What keeps them going in a tough, competitive field? What do they see for the future of research, education, and training? We hope to show you a glimpse of what scientists are really like and what is going on in cutting-edge research today.

Microbe World Video http://www.microbeworld.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=36&Itemid=146 A video podcast by the American Society for Microbiology that highlights the latest in microbiology, life science, and related topics. ASM is composed of over 42,000 scientists and health professionals with the mission to advance the microbial sciences as a vehicle for understanding life processes and to apply and communicate this knowledge for the improvement of health and environmental and economic well-being worldwide. Click here for more information about ASM.

I just came across another great podcast series What’s going on in K12Science education? Listen to timely podcasts on science--inquiry, content, curriculum, leadership, curriculum involvement, eResources, professional development and more. Listen in on the Middle School Science Minute, STEM Education Minute and the Climate Change Minute. Join your host, Dave Bydlowski, as he visits the world of K12Science.http://k12science.net/Podcast/Podcast/Podcast.html

Podcasts make very useful starter activities to introduce a question or point of view, and are a good way of developing students’ speaking and listening skills. There is a good range of podcasts in the eLibrary, and Karen Hornby, National STEM Centre Science Specialist has picked a selection linked to the new science curriculum. http://www.nationalstemcentre.org.uk/blog/using-podcasts-in-the-classroom?utm_source=Email&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=NA+STEM+Enews+Dec13&utm_term=Your+December+National+STEM+Centre+eNewsletter&utm_content=141381&gator_td=8fXcAtIJN19l7Sx%2fqCF51NG77UUzRdlHCC1aSNBpM3t3dL8T8cQr6YMrP9TcNtj%2fINlrMH8oGRzjpYP2ucDLh3wpP9mpAP8OJHDikRQ7kD6rbyfuWQ3YKqqNlK2PLV9I4ZF80xnWLiKgQ9ZgOjYsYXJYxhQvx%2bv5veYOxfbbq4U%3d

How on earth
How On Earth, the KGNU science show, is a half-hour radio magazine featuring short stories about the recent news in science, plus live interviews and special features. How On Earth is broadcast every Tuesday morning at 8:35am on 88.5 FM and 1390 AM, KGNU Boulder-Denver community radio. We also have a podcast feed, and we post the full audio of each show to the website.