From Trump to tundra
Plus: creating chameleons
Icy Tundra
Episode: "The Greenland Vikings — Land Of The Midnight Sun" | Podcast: Fall Of Civilizations Podcast | 82m21s
Audio docudrama telling the history of the Vikings in Greenland. It's written and performed to be as suspenseful as possible, and it works: the structure is tight and as a result the listener hangs on every word. The focus of the show is the decline of civilisations, but each episode begins at the beginning and runs through the glory days before analysing the ending. The introduction to Norse culture alongside the settlement politics here is especially good, and the sudden vanishing of the Vikings from Greenland makes for an excellent climax (82m21s)
Side Eye
Episode: "'Sic Cancel Tyrannis' (with Sam Lansky)" | Podcast: Keep It! | 107m06s
Pop culture podcast with a wry take on politics and online discourse. The three hosts have excellent chemistry and are outspoken and highly opinionated, and they manage to make a show about extremely serious subjects that is still uplifting to listen to without diminishing what they discuss. Start anywhere, although this episode about blackface in sitcoms, Hollywood sexual assault allegations, anti-Asian racism and the K-pop fandom's anti Trump campaigning, is great. It's a deep dive into a long week on the internet, essentially (107m06s)
Creature Feature
Episode: "Crossbreeding Chameleons — Should We?" | Podcast: Chameleon Academy Podcast With Bill Strand | 14m46s
Podcast made by an expert chameleon breeder, primarily intended for an audience who share his niche zoological interest. This episode is about crossbreeding different varieties of chameleon, apparently an issue that causes much heated debate within the field. A rare example of a podcast that is so fluent and well made that it's extremely listenable no matter whether you have any existing knowledge or interest in these creatures. The host has a soothing voice and the unusual gift of keeping a conversation flowing with himself (14m46s)
