The best podcasts for Most Eclectic Podcasts for People with Curious Minds

It is as simple as it sounds. Each day Gary Arndt covers one topic for around 10 minutes that could literally be anything from anywhere in space and time. For example, one day he will discuss coffee. The drink so many of us are hooked on. Then the next day he will cover the planet Venus. He might talk about a particular tool or implement and its origins, then follow that up by talking about a historic figure like Napoleon. There is no rhyme or reason that I can detect anyway to his subject matters. It just seems to be whatever comes into his head but is thoroughly explored, explained, and summed up in a slickly made 10-minute show. It's kind of like taking small bites from a well-written encyclopedia. He has also been doing it DAILY for a few years so the back catalogue is endless which is also a huge plus.

This is another podcast with a deliberately broad title. Unlike Everything Everywhere Daily, this one is longer-form with episodes running about 30 minutes. About half the shows have guest interviews. Some are the "fascinating people" mentioned in the title such as Astronaut Jim Wetherbee, Top Gun pilot Mike Manazir or the infamous Shirley Phelps-Roper of the controversial Westboro Baptist church. Others are subject matter experts such Trinity College of Dublin Professor Emeritus Thomas Bartlett or Boston University's Prof. Bruce Schulman. It has a bit of a repertory company feel to it as some guests such as Prof. Mauro Nobili or Australian Government Historian Ian Hodges have featured a few times. That also adds to it because they're become familiar figures too and it makes for a good rapport during the interviews. The show also makes good use of music, sound effects and audio clips to set the scene -- particularly during the intro. Some of the guest-free narration-only shows have music and sound effects throughout which gives them a bit more of a dramatic feel kind of like a movie. One last thing is that it is pretty well balanced. The host is non-judgmental and just offers the information without spin. He also has covered quite a lot of topics to do with Africa for example so not just the obvious e.g. America, Europe etc although obviously those areas of the world and their people are also covered. It is biweekly so by the time the next episode arrives you're excited to hear it.

This is the show for independent thinkers with a focus on mental health. The host Benoit Kim is very open-minded yet quite studious and analytical. He often finds topics that you wouldn't necessarily think of as "mental health" related but on further inspection have a mental health aspect. For example, he did an interview with Vatican expert Vincent Lampert. It was surprising to hear beyond the faith aspect of it all that Fr. Lampert works with psychologists and is well attuned to mental health issues possibly masquerading as demonic possession. Another good episode featured an interview with Dr Hoang a Vietnam refugee who was able to get to safety during the Vietnam War. That story is obviously moving and heart-wrenching. But it was fascinating to hear it examined from the mental health perspective and how it impacted her and others in her community for years after. There are some futuristic-looking episodes for example discussing the impact of AI. Also, he has some lighter ones such as his interview with a very famous entertainment hypnotist. It is also bi-weekly which suits my schedule.

This one has a really interesting concept. The host Reena Friedman Watts discusses a topic with someone and then calls her father and he offers his thoughts on the topic and the discussion. It's very original conceptually. Another interesting backstory is that the host got her start working on the Jerry Springer show. One of the best episodes was her interview with the late great man himself. The topics are sometimes more adult-oriented so it's not necessarily always one for kids. For example, she has talked to sex workers. She has spoken to people about murder and forensic investigations. On the other hand she has spoken to a CIA operative and many other people about "Daddy issues" and or fatherhood. You never know who she is going to talk to next as she always surprises and has a wide variety of interests. As a host she is also very warm and engaging which produces very open interviews.

This one is from England. The host Ben has been doing it for a few years and unlike the others on here, he is a bit more chatty with the audience. He starts and ends with a very open almost fireside chat with the audience before delving into the episode. Each part covers one particular story from the past. As the title implies they are "dark" in the scary and or sinister sense. Many of the episodes are focused on the supernatural or the alleged supernatural. But each one is like an investigation. He does extensive research all of which he references in the notes. And typically takes an unsolved mystery before drawing the best conclusion he can. Was the house really haunted? Are poltergeists real. Other episodes deal with crime such as unsolved murders or cases with dubious judicial outcomes. There is no proveable solution but Ben does a good job of giving his own reasoned analysis of the events.