8 Thought-Provoking
Radio Lab Podcasts
for When You’re Stuck in Traffic
By RJ Firmeza
Pop music is great to zone out to, but everyone reaches a saturation point. Why not use the time to indulge in philosophical thoughts? These podcasts by Radio Lab are tastefully amplified through a careful curation of sound effects and music. The result is a narrative where sounds illuminate ideas—perfect for the seemingly endless monotony of Metro traffic.
8. Serious
A narrative about how a word is defined by experience and perception, where environmental determinism plays a huge role in our understanding.
How do we react to a “word” whose context is different from how you understand it? Listen well, for it might result in a misunderstanding that could cost you your life in Africa.
7. Lying to Ourselves
This story explores the contradictions of self-deception; can we truly fool ourselves with a lie of our own creation? The latter part of the story says we can use self-deception as a means to lead a more successful life, but just how true is it?
6. The History of Everything, Including You
A beautiful poem that answers a singular question: can we comprehend everything the way it was meant to be, or do we limit ourselves to understanding things based on what we’re only capable of in that given moment?
5. Dear Hector (18+Graphic)
Is there a better way to deal with a crime considered unforgivable? Hector believes so, as told in this timely story that narrates a murder influenced by drugs—in the words of the murderer himself.
4. Reasonable Doubt (18+Graphic)
What happens when you don’t have all the details about a crime? You might end up sending the wrong guy to prison. Another timely story about how a corrupt system can cause a misunderstanding that can haunt your whole life.
3. 100 Flowers
A story about a professor named Doug who went on a mission to translate a poem in every possible way, arguing that it is the form rather than the message that matters in translation.
Are you up to translate it to Filipino?
2. Letting Go
Can you really love a person who isn’t capable of reciprocity because of a mental illness? The first part of the story is an enthralling account of what it feels like when time slows down and feelings are amplified, then it transitions to what could be described as painful account of a person who can’t feel love.
1. The Living Room
A powerful and haunting narrative on what it feels like to be a spectator, delving into the personal lives of two people where voyeurism, guilt and grief are all in conflict.
It’s a disturbing but beautiful story told from the perspective of the spectator, but does that make us equally guilty voyeurs to this tale? You be the judge.
Which podcasts do you listen to in traffic? Join the conversation in the comments below!
