Best David Spector Podcasts (2025)

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The Story Behind: Merle Haggard and The Strangers - I'm a Lonesome Fugitive 1:29:15

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4h ago1:29:15

1:29:15

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Merle Haggard was in and out of prison several times before being discovered by Lefty Frizzell and launching a musical career based on the latest and greatest country music movement: the Bakersfield sound. The guys get together to discuss rumdums, second-s…

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How Mindset Shapes Success 35:08

6h ago35:08

35:08

Most of us label ourselves early on as academic (or not), athletic (or not), or talented (or not). But even if you feel like you're lacking in natural talent or ability in certain areas, approaching new skills or challenges with openness, effort, and curiosity can take you farther than you might expect. In this episode of Choiceology with Katy Milk…

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HRV vs. VO2 max vs. ECG: Which wearable metric ACTUALLY matters? | Prof. Malcolm Findlay 47:29

4d ago47:29

47:29

Is your smartwatch just a fun gadget, or a serious medical device? In this episode, Jonathan Wolf is joined by Dr. Malcolm Findlay, a leading consultant cardiologist, to explore the powerful health data available on your wrist. They decode the most misunderstood metric, Heart Rate Variability (HRV), and reveal how your wearable can provide clinical…

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Recap: Why you should be wary of ‘low fat’ foods | Sarah Berry 14:55

6d ago14:55

14:55

If you’re a regular listener of this podcast, you’ll know that our cholesterol level is closely linked to heart health. With that in mind, it’s easy to be drawn to foods labelled as ‘low fat’, ‘reduced fat’ or ‘fat free’ - all of which promise to keep our cholesterol low and heart strong. However, is it really that simple? I’m joined by Professor S…

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Ofer Shalev of Newphase 25:38

7d ago25:38

25:38

Ofer Shalev is the CEO and founder of Newphase, a MedTech company that has developed a new treatment for advanced cancer patients. Their technology uses tiny particles that target and destroy cancer cells while leaving healthy cells unharmed, offering hope for patients when other treatments have stopped working.Avraham and sat down with Ofer to dis…

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The Story Behind: Blur - Parklife, Ep 228 1:40:15

7d ago1:40:15

1:40:15

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Blur were London's answer to the Madchester movement up north but grew into Brit-Pop force to be reckoned with (or competed against) in the charts after Parklife became a hit. The fellows welcome a very special first time guest and discuss bellends, geezer…

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Fix your sleep with the Royal Marine's sleep consultant Dr. Sophie Bostock 56:54

11d ago56:54

56:54

We’ve all been there: tossing and turning, checking the clock, and stressing about not getting enough sleep. But what if the secret to a good night’s rest isn’t in a pill or a product, but in changing your mindset and daily habits? In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Sophie Bostock, a leading sleep scientist and founder of The Sleep Scientist. Sop…

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Recap: This type of daily chocolate could improve gut health | Spencer Hyman and Prof Sarah Berry 15:18

13d ago15:18

15:18

Today, we’re unwrapping the truth about chocolate. For many of us, chocolate is a guilty pleasure. But what if I told you that you didn’t need to feel guilty? Because it turns out that not all chocolate is created equal. And by changing the type of chocolate you eat, you can support your health instead of harming it. In this episode, I’m joined by …

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The Story Behind: Paul McCartney and Wings - Band on the Run, Ep 227 1:43:34

14d ago1:43:34

1:43:34

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Paul McCartney was feeling left behind by his ex-bandmates' solo careers and dealing with an ever-shifting roster of players in his new band when he decided to head for the tropics of Lagos, Nigeria to record his next album. Things only got wilder from the…

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Why Starting Over Hurts 37:56

14d ago37:56

37:56

If you've ever gotten well into a project—maybe a DIY renovation—and then realized that you've taken the wrong approach, you probably know that it's very tempting to just stay the course. Starting all over again would be so painful, even if starting over is clearly the best option. Or maybe you've taken a wrong turn on a hike and only noticed it a …

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3 gut bacteria that protect your heart–and what to feed them | Prof. Tim Spector & Prof Nicola Segata 1:08:24

18d ago1:08:24

1:08:24

There's an unseen world inside you, teeming with trillions of tiny inhabitants. Just like any ecosystem, some bugs inside your gut microbiome are beneficial, while others wreak havoc, quietly disrupting your health. What if these disruptive "invasive species" are silently driving the rise of cardiometabolic diseases, the leading cause of illness an…

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Recap: Simple ways to improve gut health today | Dr. Karan Rajan 13:58

20d ago13:58

13:58

Research continues to confirm how important the gut is for overall health. From energy to immunity and even mood, it all seems to start with the gut. It’s no surprise then that the hunt for the next gut boosting hack has exploded in recent years. So, are probiotics really the answer? Or is the fix already sitting on our supermarket shelf? In this e…

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The Story Behind: Sonic Youth - Evol, Ep 226 1:37:20

21d ago1:37:20

1:37:20

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Sonic Youth set out to reinvent rock music by merging avant garde art world ideas with noisy guitars. By doing so they set a template for indie bands that came after them. The guys welcome a special guest and talk about prepared instruments, car crashes, a…

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5 threats to your immune system–and how to fight them | Prof. Daniel Davis MBE 52:29

25d ago52:29

52:29

Many supplements claim to “boost” your immune system. Now, we all want to avoid getting sick during the winter months, but do any of these products really work? And is trying to “boost” your immune system even a good idea? Jonathan speaks with Professor Daniel M. Davis, MBE — a leading expert on immunology and Head of Life Sciences at Imperial Coll…

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Recap: The truth about seed oils | Prof. Sarah Berry 15:58

27d ago15:58

15:58

From Instagram reels to viral tweets, seed oils have become one of the latest nutrition villains. And the fear’s getting real. People are emptying their cupboards, terrified these everyday oils are silently wreaking havoc on their health. So is this panic justified? Or does the science require further scrutiny? Well, ‘scrutiny’ is Professor Sarah B…

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Teamwork That Works: What Great Teams Have in Common 42:53

28d ago42:53

42:53

What makes an effective team? Talent? Skill? Discipline? In this episode of Choiceology with Katy Milkman, we're looking at some of the more surprising ingredients of successful teams, according to science. Teams where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. You'll hear the story of the Kon-Tiki expedition—a harrowing journey across the Pac…

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The Story Behind: Pantera - Vulgar Display of Power, Ep. 225 1:27:48

28d ago1:27:48

1:27:48

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Pantera transitioned from a glam metal band into the sludgy groove pioneers we know them to be today and tried to scrub the record of their previous KISS-like excess. The guys get together to discuss Dimebag's precision, Phil Anselmo's growling, and how Ro…

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Top Doctor: The hidden dangers in your daily multivitamin | Dr David Seres 58:41

1M ago58:41

58:41

We’re told vitamins are essential for our health. That they boost our immune systems, fight fatigue, and protect us from disease. But what if most of it isn’t true? In the 20th century, vitamin supplements were hailed as a breakthrough, curing diseases like scurvy and rickets. But that success story took a turn. In the US, a law passed in 1994 — he…

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Recap: Make the most out of EVERY meal | Christopher Gardner & Sarah Berry 14:21

1M ago14:21

14:21

Today, we’re asking: What should you eat? This is the million-dollar question, one that we at ZOE have spent countless hours of podcast episodes trying to answer. However, all of this information can be overwhelming, turning breakfast, lunch, and dinner into a daily dilemma. So, are there any simple tips we can keep in mind to reduce the stress aro…

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The Story Behind: The Magnetic Fields - 69 Love Songs, Ep 224 1:44:32

1M ago1:44:32

1:44:32

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Stephin Merritt set out to write a songbook's worth of material and record it in his bedroom in Manhattan with the help The Magnetic Fields. He never expected it would become an indie darling. The guys meet to discuss the final listener pick of the summer …

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How to beat heart disease: 8 habits you must fix | Dr. Nour Makarem 47:54

1M ago47:54

47:54

Heart disease is the world’s biggest killer—and it often strikes without warning. It’s responsible for around 1 in 5 deaths in the US. While these figures are deeply worrying, heart disease is not inevitable. Decades of research have unearthed many of the risk factors associated with heart health, like poor diet or a sedentary lifestyle. In this ep…

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Nimrod Kor of Baz 27:35

1M ago27:35

27:35

Nimrod Kor is the co-founder and CTO of Baz, an AI code agent that that helps teams ship better software faster by automating code reviews making software development smoother, faster, and more reliable.Avraham and sat down with Nimrod to discuss how their technology works, how he came up with the idea, how he got funded, how he’s marketing their p…

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Recap: Davina McCall's menopause experience 15:31

1M ago15:31

15:31

For Davina, menopause wasn’t just a transition - it was a quiet crisis. She felt like a stranger in her own body, overwhelmed by symptoms she wasn’t prepared for and didn’t fully understand. But she didn’t stay silent. Her book ‘Menopausing’ has helped millions of women feel supported and seen during this transformative stage of life. In this episo…

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The Story Behind: Television - Marquee Moon, Ep. 223 1:35:16

1M ago1:35:16

1:35:16

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Television helped kick off the New York music scene of the 1970s by building the stage bands played on - literally. The guys get together live in Wilmington Delaware to discuss a complete lack of choruses, Jimi Hendrix's only guitar student, and Tom Verlai…

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When It Feels Like Everyone's Watching 36:34

1M ago36:34

36:34

We've all been there. Maybe you fumbled a line in a presentation. Or tripped on a shoelace. Or suffered a bad hair day. It can feel like the whole world is watching you—and judging you—in those embarrassing moments. But are people paying as much attention to you as you think? In this episode of Choiceology with Katy Milkman, we explore why we tend …

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Food additives exposed: The artificial dyes and chemicals to avoid | Marion Nestle 1:01:53

2M ago1:01:53

1:01:53

Those long, unpronounceable ingredients at the bottom of food labels—what are they really doing to your health? In this episode, we’re joined by Professor Marion Nestle, a world-leading nutrition expert and author of the groundbreaking book ‘Food Politics’. Marion has spent decades exposing how powerful food companies influence what ends up on our …

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Recap: The healthy way to feed your kids | Rhiannon Lambert and Dr. Federica Amati 14:24

2M ago14:24

14:24

Today, we’re tackling the challenge of feeding our children. Getting kids to eat a balanced meal can often feel like an uphill battle, especially when they’re surrounded by eye-catching marketing campaigns that aim to lure them into unhealthy habits. So, how can busy parents help their children build a better relationship with food? In this episode…

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The Story Behind: The Pogues - Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash, Ep. 222 1:56:08

2M ago1:56:08

1:56:08

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. The Pogues were born out of the Irish diaspora in London and out of Shane McGowan's love of the downtrodden. The guys welcome a special (and very relevant) guest to discuss gritty vocals, the ulian pipes, and punk energy filtered through traditional music.…

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BONUS: Song Battle: 90s 1 Hit Wonders - Ep. #1 42:33

2M ago42:33

42:33

On our Patreon-only bonus show Song Battle - we pick 16 songs to enter a bracket competition, write tweets about each one while telling a short backstory about how they were made, then vote on who should advance. This is episode 1 of 5 in total in the series. If you like this episode - listen to the entire series right now over on Patreon - it's fr…

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Forget crash diets: How to maintain a healthy weight | Alan Aragon & Prof. Sarah Berry 1:05:31

2M ago1:05:31

1:05:31

Most people who try to lose weight and keep it off end up failing. But what if the problem isn’t you - it’s the diet? In this episode, we cut through the noise of weight loss fads to explore a science-backed method that’s helped countless people make real, sustainable changes. It’s called flexible dieting, and it’s built around the idea that person…

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“The Gilded Age as We Have Found It” with Kelli O’Hara, Dr. Stanley Burns, and John Carrafa 1:08:56

2M ago1:08:56

1:08:56

In this special bonus episode, hosts Alicia Malone and Tom Meyers round out season three of The Gilded Age with their favorite moments and historical tidbits. Later, Kelli O’Hara joins the show to talk about Aurora’s encounter with divorce. Finally, medical consultant Dr. Stanley Burns and choreographer John Carrafa give a behind the scenes peek at…

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Recap: How to start fermenting at home | Sandor Katz 10:45

2M ago10:45

10:45

Today, we’re diving into fermentation. If you’re a regular ZOE listener, you’ve probably heard that fermented foods are some of the best things you can eat for your gut health. Packed with beneficial microbes, they’ve been shown to boost everything from digestion to immune function. Still, the idea of at home fermentation - cultivating bacteria and…

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How a Single Source of Information Can Seem Like Several 28:36

2M ago28:36

28:36

You've probably been in situations where multiple friends recommend the same product. It must be great, if everyone is talking about it, right? But then you find out that those friends had all just seen the same product on a popular TV show. What seemed like independent recommendations really came from a single source. In this episode of Choiceolog…