Best Wired.com Podcasts (2025)

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Ep. 29: What Color Did Velociraptors Paint Their Amazing Nails? 3:02

12y ago3:02

3:02

We're talking about the greatest rivalry the field of paleontology has ever seen: Edward Drinker Cope vs. Othniel Marsh, two men with differing views on how exactly velociraptors painted their nails.By Wired.com

1
Ep. 23: Footnotes Does Memes 3:24

12y ago3:24

3:24

Why did Keyboard Cat cross the road? So he could cash in on a totally sweet advertising gig, of course. Selling pistachios, of course.By Wired.com

1
Ep. 28: God Declares War on Cauliflower 2:47

12y ago2:47

2:47

On this episode of Footnotes, we cry havoc and let slip the locusts of war. You see, god regrets inventing cauliflower because it's really icky, and he has the tools to eradicate it. Namely locusts. And maybe nine other plagues unleashed upon Egypt.By Wired.com

1
Ep. 27: Fairies, Sarah Palin and Other NyQuil Nightmares 2:39

12y ago2:39

2:39

On this episode of Footnotes, Missy Elliott tries to get me to drink Sprite while in the digital realm Donkey Kong throws barrels of beer at a lady who just wanted some whiskey.By Wired.com

1
Ep. 26: What's Worse for Humanity, Planet-Melting Supernovas or Paula Deen? 2:56

12y ago2:56

2:56

We're confronting enemies within and without. First, the infamous Pied Piper and his distant relative Paula Deen. One of them endangers children, and the other is the Pied Piper.By Wired.com

1
Ep. 25: Jedi Cat Tricks and the Exotic Dance of C-3PO 3:21

12+ y ago3:21

3:21

So you will find a special Star Wars episode of Footnotes, in which I trace a few of the many cultural and historical influences on the films.By Wired.com

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Ep. 24: Caffeinated Goats, Spiders on LSD and Mickey Mouse 3:14

12+ y ago3:14

3:14

We're talking about caffeine, specifically how you can thank goats for discovering the wonders of coffee and why if you want a nice web you should give a spider LSD before you give it a cup of tea.By Wired.com

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Ep. 23: Donny the Ill-Tempered Squid and Other Reasons to Nuke the Oceans 3:07

12+ y ago3:07

3:07

This week on Footnotes, we ask: Who lives in a pineapple under the sea? No one, because the giant squid have murdered everybody.By Wired.com

1
Ep. 22: Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia and Unicorns on Noah's Ark 3:45

12+ y ago3:45

3:45

This week on Footnotes, I accidentally prove that unicorns hitched a ride on Noah's ark and demonstrate how the ordinary UPC more than likely isn't the mark of the beast.By Wired.com

1
Ep. 21: A Year-End Blooper Spectacular of Spectacular Incompetence 3:36

12+ y ago3:36

3:36

Hard to believe it's been another year. Well, that's misleading. Footnotes has only been on the air since July. But that doesn't mean we can't compile a blooper episode. It's less labor-intensive for me anyway.By Wired.com

1
Ep. 20: Mermaids and Other Hybrids That Don’t Drive Really Slowly in the Fast Lane 3:14

12+ y ago3:14

3:14

We're talking about hybrids that don’t have four wheels. These are hybrid creatures.By Wired.com

1
Storyboard: Episode 99: Andrew Blum on Visiting the Internet 30:08

12+ y ago30:08

30:08

Andrew Blum talks to senior editor Adam Rogers about his book Tubes: A Journey to the Center of the Internet.By Wired.com

1
Ep. 19: Death-Dealing Swag, Now in Convenient GIF Format 3:28

12+ y ago3:28

3:28

The GIF finally gets named word of the year by the Oxford English Dictionary, and Footnotes is there to congratulate it.By Wired.com

1
Storyboard: Episode 98: Terence Samuel on the Presidential Horse Race 33:55

12+ y ago33:55

33:55

Terence Samuel talks to senior editor Adam Rogers about covering the 2012 election for The Washington Post.By Wired.com

1
Storyboard: Episode 97: Rich Moore on Animating His Favorite Video Games 31:05

12+ y ago31:05

31:05

Director Rich Moore talks to senior editor Caitlin Roper about assembling an all-star cast of video game characters for the new movie Wreck-It Ralph.By Wired.com

1
Ep. 18: Dodos and Butterflies Acting Up 3:31

12+ y ago3:31

3:31

The mysterious butterfly effect, in which a simple flapping of a butterfly's wings leads to Judy Garland becoming a murderer. It's science.By Wired.com

1
Ep. 17: A Booze-Soaked Special for Post-Election Anguish/Euphoria 3:40

12+ y ago3:40

3:40

This week on Footnotes: a special episode on alcohol, which just so happens to come right after the election.By Wired.com

1
Storyboard: Episode 96: Geoff Marcy on the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence 33:23

12+ y ago33:23

33:23

Astronomer Geoff Marcy talks to senior editor Adam Rogers about the possibility of intelligent life on other planets—and how to find it.By Wired.com

1
Ep. 16: Chuck Norris, Hobo Conventions, and Infinite Doppelgängers 4:18

12+ y ago4:18

4:18

This week on Footnotes: Chuck Norris kicks your doppelgänger in the face -- twice. And we set to drifting with the hobos, and Pee-wee Herman.By Wired.com

1
Storyboard: Episode 95: David Quammen on the World's Most Dangerous Diseases 40:14

12+ y ago40:14

40:14

Science writer David Quammen talks to senior editors Adam Rogers and Bill Wasik about the growing threat of zoonotic diseases.By Wired.com

1
Storyboard: Episode 94: Time Travel 28:19

12+ y ago28:19

28:19

Senior editor Adam Rogers and composer Paul Buckley hit the road in search of the meaning of time.By Wired.com

1
Ep. 15: Your Mother Loves You, Even if You're on Drugs 3:46

12+ y ago3:46

3:46

This week on an episode of Footnotes that's worried sick about you, we find out why it's called Mother Nature, and not any number of other relatives.By Wired.com

1
Ep. 14: War Pigeons and Cranky Bees, Overlords of a Wingy Future 3:47

12+ y ago3:47

3:47

I predict the future, but only vaguely, and entirely inaccurately. Sound familiar? Nostradamus did the same thing, yet he gets a History Channel special, and I don't.By Wired.com

1
Storyboard: Episode 93: Olympic Fencer Doris Willette 36:30

12+ y ago36:30

36:30

Olympic foil fencer Doris Willette sits down with Adam Rogers to discuss their shared love of the bladed sport.By Wired.com

1
Ep. 13: Crossdressing Englishmen and Tesla's Electric Boogaloo 3:47

12+ y ago3:47

3:47

This week on Footnotes: Angry Luddites stick it to the man by "crossdressing" Yeah, that'll show 'em. But only if they layer properly.By Wired.com

1
Ep. 12: Inspector Gadget's Mixed Messages and a Scorned, Self-Destructive Moon 3:48

12+ y ago3:48

3:48

This week on Footnotes: the universe's star-crossed lovers Mars and Phobos deal with the homewrecking Curiosity rover. Someone's gonna get hurt.By Wired.com

1
Storyboard: Episode 92: Darcy O'Neil on the Golden Age of Soda Fountains 28:01

12+ y ago28:01

28:01

Author Darcy O’Neil talks to senior editor Adam Rogers about the surprisingly dark history of soda fountains.By Wired.com

1
Ep. 11: Hemophilic Weaponry and 1,001 Nights of Not Being Murdered 4:01

12+ y ago4:01

4:01

For centuries, the 1,001 Nights tales have inspired Easterners and Westerners to not marry a new wife each day and kill her.By Wired.com

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Ep. 10: Panda Dinner Parties and a Giant Egg Teaching Semantics 3:10

12+ y ago3:10

3:10

This week on Footnotes: Among plants, grass is that really successful sibling you?ve always been jealous of. It?s pretty, and it can survive just about anything. But in the video above, I tell you how to manage it in the creepiest way possible.By Wired.com

1
Storyboard: Episode 91: Adam Fisher on the America's Cup 29:10

12+ y ago29:10

29:10

America's Cup correspondent Adam Fisher talks to senior editor Adam Rogers about turning sailing's biggest race into compelling live TV.By Wired.com

1
Ep. 9: Drunk as a Skunk, Sober as a Bird, and Twice the Lice 2:58

12+ y ago2:58

2:58

We're talking about bootlegging, and why it isn't wise to take an American's drink away. And can you guess why boats don't wear shoes? Yeah, me neither.By Wired.com

1
Ep. 8: God on a Motorcycle and Tiny Mythical Bullies (Sans Motorcycles) 2:58

13y ago2:58

2:58

Eye candy. Whose eye? God’s eye, which is an indeterminate color. We’re talking about the all-seeing eye, and it’s probably in your pocket right now, unless you’re rich.By Wired.com

1
Ep. 7: Is Mars Made of Kisses? And When Did Crows Get So Cool? 3:14

13y ago3:14

3:14

Animals are totally jeally of humans' brains and thumbs and whatnot, so they've gone and commandeered all of our bow ties, and picked up a few smoking habits along the way. Welcome to the strange world of anthropomorphism.By Wired.com

1
Storyboard: Episode 90: Wired Senior Editor Bill Wasik and Dr. Monica Murphy on Rabies 39:52

13y ago39:52

39:52

Veterinarian Monica Murphy and Wired Senior Editor Bill Wasik talk to fellow Senior Editor Adam Rogers about the history, science, and horror of rabies.By Wired.com

1
Ep. 6: Stoned Fish, Alliterative Divers and the Unrepentant Cuteness of ‘@’ 3:12

13y ago3:12

3:12

This week on Footnotes: Who lives in a diving suit under the sea? Diver Dan! He also talks to fish, as it happens, even the ones on drugs.By Wired.com

1
Ep. 5: In Heaven With NASA, in Hell With YouTube Commenters 3:21

13y ago3:21

3:21

This week on Footnotes, we go to heaven with NASA to explore the overview effect.By Wired.com

1
Storyboard: Episode 89: Charles Yu on Literary Sci-Fi 34:05

13y ago34:05

34:05

Author Charles Yu talks to Wired Senior Editor Adam Rogers about using sci-fi tropes to tell emotional stories...and answers the question of why zombies go to Walmart.By Wired.com

1
Ep. 4: Tinker Bell Goes Galactic and Wolverines Adorn Homes 3:05

13y ago3:05

3:05

This week on Footnotes: Tinker Bell spaces out, while back on Earth dogs look like clouds and clouds look like dogs. In a word, pareidolia.By Wired.com

1
Storyboard: Episode 88: Paolo Bacigalupi, Sci-Fi Author 33:18

13y ago33:18

33:18

Author Paolo Bacigalupi talks to Wired Senior Editor Adam Rogers about dystopian futures, political sci-fi, and writing for young adults.By Wired.com

1
Ep. 3: Loonies Eating Fabric and Words McDonald’s Doesn’t Like 3:16

13y ago3:16

3:16

This week on Footnotes, we’re talking about McWords, which the marketing department at McDonald’s could really do without.By Wired.com

1
Ep. 2: Dudes Dressed Like Bells and Trolls Betraying Their Heritage 3:07

13y ago3:07

3:07

This week on Footnotes we trace the origins of “dude,” or His Dudeness, or Duder, or El Duderino, if you’re not into the whole brevity thing.By Wired.com

1
Ep. 1: Lazy Sharks, Humiliated Seals, and Googlers Eating Dog Food 3:13

13y ago3:13

3:13

Travel to Iceland by way of Photoshop to observe sleeper sharks, flipperless seals, Björk, and vomiting chefs, then, naturally, start talking about people who eat dog food.By Wired.com

1
Storyboard: Episode 87: Vince Gilligan, 'Breaking Bad' Showrunner 27:21

13y ago27:21

27:21

Vince Gilligan, creator and showrunner of AMC's hit drama "Breaking Bad," talks to Wired Senior Editor Jason Tanz about the creative process behind the dark drama.By Wired.com

1
Storyboard: Episode 86: Amy Berg, TV Writer, Talks About the Challenges of Genre Writing 49:25

13y ago49:25

49:25

Amy Berg, TV writer who's worked on Eureka and Person of Interest, talks about her trade with Wired Senior Editor Adam Rogers in Los Angeles.By Wired.com

1
Storyboard: Episode 85: Ted Greenwald, former Wired Senior Editor, talks about how Wired was launched. 28:17

13y ago28:17

28:17

Ted Greenwald, former Wired Senior Editor, talks about how Wired was launched.By Wired.com

1
Storyboard: Episode 84: Jennifer Devlin, San Francisco Architect, on Urban Buildings and Architecture 49:46

13y ago49:46

49:46

Architect Jennifer Devlin talks to Wired Senior Editor Adam Rogers about the role of the building in the urban landscape.By Wired.com

1
Storyboard: Episode 83: Shoshana Berger, Curator of Wired Design, on how "We're all designers now" 28:30

13y ago28:30

28:30

Wired's Shoshana Berger talks to Wired Senior Editor Adam Rogers about the rise of DIY and design culture, and how a community's built around it.By Wired.com

1
Storyboard: Episode 82: Kim Stanley Robinson, sci-fi author, on his latest book, '2312' 54:04

13y ago54:04

54:04

Legendary science fiction writer Kim Stanley Robinson drops by Storyboard to talk about his new book, '2312,' out May 22. Wired Senior Editor Adam Rogers hosts.By Wired.com

1
Storyboard: Episode 81: James Bamford, author, on the NSA's new data center 29:23

13y ago29:23

29:23

The U.S. National Security Administration's building a massive data center in the Utah desert. James Bamford talks to Wired Senior Editor Adam Rogers about how scary the center's surveillance technology is, and how Bamford was able to learn about it.By Wired.com

1
Storyboard: Episode 80: Erik Martin, General Manager of Reddit, explains how a Redditor's post nabbed a Hollywood screenwriting job 27:31

13y ago27:31

27:31

Erik Martin talks about the Reddit phenomenon; specifically, how user James Erwin's post piqued Hollywood's interest. Senior Editor Adam Rogers hosts.By Wired.com

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