Best The Indicast Show Podcasts (2025)

1
Clive Oppenheimer on volcanoes and a life at the crater's edge 45:50

7h ago45:50

45:50

Volcanologist, author and filmmaker Clive Oppenheimer's career has taken him to the edge. From dodging lava bombs at Stromboli to facing AK-47s in the Danakil Depression, Clive shares gripping stories from his fieldwork and the unexpected human side of volcanoes. We explore his acclaimed book, "Mountains of Fire: The Secret Lives of Volcanoes" and …

1
Charles Piller on the broken science behind Alzheimer’s research 52:45

7h ago52:45

52:45

Investigative journalist Charles Piller unravels one of the biggest scientific scandals in recent history. Drawing from his book "Doctored: Fraud, Arrogance, and Tragedy in the Quest to Cure Alzheimer's", Charles reveals how falsified data propped up a dominant theory in Alzheimer’s research, diverting billions in funding and delaying real progress…

1
Mike Brearley: On cricket, captaincy, character and the mind 52:50

7h ago52:50

52:50

In this episode, legendary cricketer and former England captain, Mike Brearley talks about his rich childhood memories, early influences, the art of leadership and the life of a cricketer. With wisdom, humor and trademark humility, Mike reflects on Test cricket's timeless charm, the spirit of the game, his experience as a psychoanalyst and life les…

1
John Dykes unplugged: mastering the art of storytelling and performance 59:00

1M ago59:00

59:00

John Dykes has worn many hats: from features writer to one of the world’s most sought-after sports presenters. In this podcast, he shares insights and anecdotes from his three-decade career, helping individuals and organisations to master storytelling, craft compelling pitches, create high-performance teams and manage crises in his new innings as a…

1
Simon Parkin on the siege of Leningrad and the scientists who refused to give in 45:00

1M ago45:00

45:00

In this episode, Simon Parkin unravels an extraordinary tale of courage and sacrifice during World War II. His latest book, The Forbidden Garden of Leningrad: A True Story of Science and Sacrifice in a City Under Siege, chronicles the heroic botanists who risked, and in some cases, gave their lives to safeguard a priceless seed collection during th…

1
Tits Up! Sarah Thornton on breasts: their history, power and perception 55:14

1M ago55:14

55:14

Sarah Thornton is a sociologist known for her writing on art, design, and society. Sarah’s latest book, Tits Up: What Our Beliefs About Breasts Reveal About Life, Love, Sex, and Society, is a fascinating account of the cultural, social and personal significance of breasts, an organ we think we understand but actually know surprisingly little about.…

1
Inside the human mind with Guy Leschziner 45:36

1M ago45:36

45:36

Why do we behave the way we do? What is going on in our brains when we take certain decisions? How hardwired are we and what are the odds that we can change our core behaviour for the better? In this podcast neurologist Dr Guy Leschziner tries to answer some of these questions. His latest book, “Seven Deadly Sins: The Biology of Being Human” explor…

1
Indicast #258: When diplomacy takes a walk 54:20

2M ago54:20

54:20

President Trump and President Zeleksky, in front of the world media, had a go at each other when they met on February 28th. The shouting match is not what the world needed to see. It could have dire consequences. In India the world of quick commerce has shaken up the kiranas and is now a part of our daily lives. Aditya launches Beacon, a superapp p…

1
Indicast #258: When diplomacy takes a walk 54:20

2M ago54:20

54:20

President Trump and President Zeleksky, in front of the world media, had a go at each other when they met on February 28th. The shouting match is not what the world needed to see. It could have dire consequences. In India the world of quick commerce has shaken up the kiranas and is now a part of our daily lives. Aditya launches Beacon, a superapp p…

1
Marcel Dirsus on how tyrants fall 55:46

2M ago55:46

55:46

Ever wondered how a dictator survives for decades? If you think he does so without a care in the world, as I did, you are in for a surprise. Tyrants are probably amongst the most paranoid people in the world. Their single-minded determination to stay in power makes them do crazy things. They need to manage those who are close to them, bodyguards an…

1
Sunitha Krishnan on her memoir, I am what I am 59:00

2M ago59:00

59:00

Sunitha Krishnan has dedicated her life to rescuing and rehabilitating victims of human trafficking. Since 1996, her outfit, Prajwala, Asia’s largest institution combating sex trafficking and sex crime, has made a difference to the lives of over 30,100 survivors. Sunitha’s book, "I am what I am" is an outstanding account of her life. In this podcas…

1
Julie Sedivy on how languages shape us 43:35

2M ago43:35

43:35

In this podcast, Julie Sedivy’s passion for language shines through. As a linguist and polyglot, she delves into the science behind how we communicate. More crucially, she advises us not to be too hung up when people take liberties with grammar. Language, much like any other living organism, evolves over time. Julie’s most recent book, “Linguaphile…

1
Arik Kershenbaum on why animals talk 37:10

2M ago37:10

37:10

Do animals speak and if so why do they do so? What do they say? From the evolutionary standpoint what exactly is happening there? Dr Arik Kershenbaum is a zoologist who teaches at the University of Cambridge. His most recent book, “Why Animals Talk: The New Science of Animal Communication” addresses these questions. In this podcast Dr Arik talks ab…

1
Tabitha Stanmore on magic and witchcraft 41:40

3M ago41:40

41:40

Dr Tabitha Stanmore is a historian and an expert in medieval and early modern English magic and witchcraft. Her book, “Cunning Folk: Life in the Era of Practical Magic” busts myths on the subject and focuses on the cultural impact of cunning folk, who would use magic to help people find items such as a spoon or help fix their love lives.…

1
Sam Leith on childhood reading 59:17

3M ago59:17

59:17

Children’s world is by default a trippy one and books are rich fodder for the uninhibited mind. In “The Haunted Wood: A History of Childhood Reading”, Sam Leith, the literary editor of The Spectator takes us through the memory lane of authors who have defined the genre of children's books. The nature of childhood itself has changed over centuries a…

1
Alison Taylor on doing the right thing 49:55

3M ago49:55

49:55

Prof Alison Taylor is a clinical professor at NYU Stern School of Business. Her book, “Higher Ground: How Business Can Do the Right Thing in a Turbulent World” is a result of decades of research and experience where she has consulted many multinational companies. She argues that maximising shareholder value can no longer be the sole purpose of an o…

1
Rooted in History: Unearthing the Stories of Twelve Trees with Daniel Lewis 48:11

3M ago48:11

48:11

There are around 3trn trees on Earth, 400 for every living person. And yet arguably the arboreal world is not talked about in as much detail as the animal kingdom. Dr Daniel Lewis, a historian at the Huntington Library takes a crack at the subject. His latest book, “Twelve Trees: And What They Tell Us About Our Past, Present and Future” chronicles …

1
Sir David Spiegelhalter on the art of uncertainty 50:50

3M ago50:50

50:50

How did Barack Obama, former American president know for sure whether Osama Bin Laden was in that compound in Abbottabad? Are football matches largely determined by luck? How can you measure coincidences? Sir David Spiegelhalter, the emeritus professor of statistics at the University of Cambridge explains it all. His new book, “The Art of Uncertain…

1
Rollo Romig on Gauri Lankesh and the fight for free speech in India 59:59

3M ago59:59

59:59

Rollo Romig talks about his book "I'm on the Hit List: A Journalist's Murder and the Rise of Autocracy in India". The book focuses on the life and murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh and its impact on journalism and free speech in India. Whereas Gauri spoke her mind she also lived up to the maxim, "I may not agree with what you say, but I will defen…

1
Indicast #257: Stock market gambling soars 37:40

3M ago37:40

37:40

India's young adults are gambling their savings way in the stock markets. Researchers in Japan have figured out a way to regrow teeth. This month also saw the birth of the world's youngest dart champion in Luke Littler, a 17-year-old who has darted his way to the top by beating his peers consistently for the last couple of years.…

1
Indicast #257: Stock market gambling soars 37:40

4M ago37:40

37:40

India's young adults are gambling their savings way in the stock markets. Researchers in Japan have figured out a way to regrow teeth. This month also saw the birth of the world's youngest dart champion in Luke Littler, a 17-year-old who has darted his way to the top by beating his peers consistently for the last couple of years.…

1
Dr Duvvuri Subbarao, former RBI governor on his life and career 59:59

4M ago59:59

59:59

In “Just a Mercenary? Notes from My Life and Career”, Dr Subbarao describes his eventful journey as a kid from Sainik School in Korukonda, some 50 km from Visakhapatnam to becoming the 22nd governor of the Reserve Bank of India. Armed with awareness, discipline, commitment and a quirky sense of humour, Dr Subbarao worked relentlessly within and out…

1
Indicast #256: Welcome 2025 38:51

4M ago38:51

38:51

We pay tribute to tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain and former Indian prime minister, Dr Manmohan Singh who passed away recently. In sports, Dommaraju Gukesh becomes the youngest world Chess champion after beating China's Ding Liren. We talk a bit about our new year resolutions, one among which is to get 50 episodes of Indicast out in 2025.…

1
Ben Yagoda on the British invasion of American English 44:08

4M ago44:08

44:08

Ben Yagoda is the emeritus professor of English at the University of Delaware. Relying on his rich experience of having lived both in the US and the UK, Ben's new book, "Gobsmacked! The British Invasion of American English" talks about how language can travel across the two countries. Many words and phrases that originated in the UK have made thems…

1
Gray Matters: Exploring the Brain with Dr. Theodore Schwartz 55:16

4M ago55:16

55:16

The human brain is a marvel of mysteries, holding answers that we are still uncovering. Dr Theodore Schwartz's book “Gray Matters: A Biography of Brain Surgery” is filled with anecdotes to help us relate to the organ that sits silently in a dark cell inside our skull. Dr Schwartz has performed over 10,000 operations working in an area as small as a…

1
Charles Dallara on EuroShock: the tough negotiations that shaped Greece’s future 45:52

4M ago45:52

45:52

Charles Dallara is the author of "EuroShock: How the Largest Debt Restructuring in History Helped Save Greece and Preserve the Eurozone". The former managing director of the Institute of International Finance, a think tank, shares his experiences as a US Navy midshipman, lessons in leadership and the intense negotiations that shaped the Greek crisi…

1
Timothy C. Winegard on how horses shaped human civilisation 59:59

4M ago59:59

59:59

Human history is also the history of the horse, says Dr Timothy C. Winegard in his superb book, “The Horse: A Galloping History of Humanity”. He charts the story of the four legged human companion like no one has before. Horses have had an outsized cultural and practical contribution, including their influence on language, clothing and transportati…

1
Truth and lies with Alex Edmans 32:41

4M ago32:41

32:41

In his book “May Contain Lies: How stories, statistics and studies exploit our biases - and what we can do about it”, Dr Alex Edmans urges us to pause and reflect before we trust any article or a fact stated in a book or in a newspaper. It doesn’t matter who wrote it. And it isn’t such a tedious process to work it out. In this podcast Alex shares h…

1
Paul Seabright on religion, wealth and economics 54:01

4M ago54:01

54:01

What is religion? How is it intertwined with economics? Why do people who are below the poverty line feel the need to contribute some portion of their meagre income to temples or churches? What is in it for them? How big is the industry? Paul Seabright, a British economist and professor at the University of Toulouse in France, joins us to talk abou…

1
Lawrence Booth on Bazball 59:00

4M ago59:00

59:00

Bazball is a term that describes England cricket team’s aggressive brand of Test cricket championed by Brendon “Baz” McCullum. Lawrence Booth who writes for the Daily Mail has co-authored a brilliant account of this new phenomenon in “Bazball: The Inside Story of a Test Cricket Revolution” with Nick Hoult. In this podcast Lawrence clarifies that Ba…

1
Indicast #256: Welcome 2025 38:51

4M ago38:51

38:51

We pay tribute to tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain and former Indian prime minister, Dr Manmohan Singh who passed away recently. In sports, Dommaraju Gukesh becomes the youngest world Chess champion after beating China's Ding Liren. We talk a bit about our new year resolutions, one among which is to get 50 episodes of Indicast out in 2025.…

1
The future of our oceans with Helen Scales 56:21

6M ago56:21

56:21

What mysteries do the world underwater hold for us? Dr Helen Scales, a marine biologist, has dedicated her life to find out. Her most recent book “What the Wild Sea Can Be: The Future of the World's Ocean” is an ode to life underwater and what we can do to preserve it. Dive in to listen to Helen talk about what got her interested in the subject, wh…

1
Andrew Leigh on economics and why it matters 43:28

6M ago43:28

43:28

In this podcast Andrew Leigh talks about economics to someone unfamiliar with the subject, all drawn from his book, "How Economics Explains the World: A Short History of Humanity". Andrew touches upon the impact of the industrial revolution, the balance between Keynesian and Hayekian ideas, why interest rates are important, where the gender gap cam…

1
Marcia Bjornerud on how rocks share secrets of our planet’s past 30:08

6M ago30:08

30:08

In “Turning to Stone: Discovering The subtle wisdom of rocks”, Dr Marcia Bjornerud brings us the fascinating story of how rocks and stones “speak” to us if we’re willing to listen. Rocks are alert, responsive and communicative, writes Dr Bjornerud. They tell us about our own past and how the Earth has evolved over centuries and millennia. What can …

1
Jean Martin Bauer on world hunger and what we can do about it 59:00

6M ago59:00

59:00

Jean Martin Bauer is the author of The New Breadline: Hunger and Hope in the 21st Century. It is a brilliant account of why hunger is ravaging the world and what we can do about it. In this podcast JM talks about his career at the World Food Programme, starting from his first field experience right out of college to confronting heartbreaking storie…

1
Nicola Twilley on how refrigeration has changed the world 56:14

7M ago56:14

56:14

Among the many things that we take for granted in the age of indulgence is refrigeration. In “Frostbite: How Refrigeration Changed Our Food, Our Planet, and Ourselves”, Nicola Twilley brings us the history of what is arguably among the top three inventions of the century. She went far down many rabbit holes including orange juice tank farms, meat l…

1
Nicola Twilley on how refrigeration has changed the world 56:14

7M ago56:14

56:14

Among the many things that we take for granted in the age of indulgence is refrigeration. In “Frostbite: How Refrigeration Changed Our Food, Our Planet, and Ourselves”, Nicola Twilley brings us the history of what is arguably among the top three inventions of the century. She went far down many rabbit holes including orange juice tank farms, meat l…

1
Untold stories of unsung Maths legends with Kate Kitagawa and Timothy Revell 55:27

7M ago55:27

55:27

What are the human stories behind mathematics? How did mathematicians collaborate over centuries to further its cause? “The Secret Lives of Numbers: A Global History of Mathematics & its Unsung Trailblazers” co-authored by Kate Kitagawa and Timothy Revell tells us just that. Kate and Tim dig into rabbit holes from across eras to unearth fascinating…

1
Untold stories of unsung Maths legends with Kate Kitagawa and Timothy Revell 55:27

7M ago55:27

55:27

What are the human stories behind mathematics? How did mathematicians collaborate over centuries to further its cause? “The Secret Lives of Numbers: A Global History of Mathematics & its Unsung Trailblazers” co-authored by Kate Kitagawa and Timothy Revell tells us just that. Kate and Tim dig into rabbit holes from across eras to unearth fascinating…

1
Nobel Laureate Thomas R. Cech on why Ribonucleic Acid rocks 45:13

8M ago45:13

45:13

Dr Thomas R. Cech shared the nobel prize in chemistry with Sidney Altman in 1989. Their work showed that RNA is not only a molecule that carries genetic information but can also act as a catalyst in biochemical reactions, a role that was previously thought to be exclusive to proteins. His book titled “The Catalyst: RNA and the Quest to Unlock Life'…

1
Nobel Laureate Thomas R. Cech on why Ribonucleic Acid rocks 45:13

8M ago45:13

45:13

Dr Thomas R. Cech shared the nobel prize in chemistry with Sidney Altman in 1989. Their work showed that RNA is not only a molecule that carries genetic information but can also act as a catalyst in biochemical reactions, a role that was previously thought to be exclusive to proteins. His book titled “The Catalyst: RNA and the Quest to Unlock Life'…

1
Will Cockrell on the mavericks of Mount Everest 53:15

8M ago53:15

53:15

Will Cockrell’s book, “Everest Inc” tells the story of “The Renegades and Rogues Who Built an Industry at the Top of the World”. It is a refreshing take on climbers who may not have a background in mountaineering but have the means to embrace the suffering and the challenge. Instead of taking a condescending view on these thrill seekers, Will inves…

1
Will Cockrell on the mavericks of Mount Everest 53:15

8M ago53:15

53:15

Will Cockrell’s book, “Everest Inc” tells the story of “The Renegades and Rogues Who Built an Industry at the Top of the World”. It is a refreshing take on climbers who may not have a background in mountaineering but have the means to embrace the suffering and the challenge. Instead of taking a condescending view on these thrill seekers, Will inves…

1
Carl Öhman on what happens to our data after we die 47:04

8M ago47:04

47:04

In his short and punchy book, "The Afterlife of Data", Carl Öhman writes about "What Happens to Your Information When You Die and Why You Should Care". After crunching lots of numbers, he found that in the next few decades the dead on Facebook will outnumber the living. The power around what to do with "digital remains" lies with a handful firms li…

1
Carl Öhman on what happens to our data after we die 47:04

8M ago47:04

47:04

In his short and punchy book, "The Afterlife of Data", Carl Öhman writes about "What Happens to Your Information When You Die and Why You Should Care". After crunching lots of numbers, he found that in the next few decades the dead on Facebook will outnumber the living. The power around what to do with "digital remains" lies with a handful firms li…

1
Geoff White on digital transformation of money laundering 43:32

9M ago43:32

43:32

Geoff White is an investigative journalist who has covered financial crime for over two decades. His latest book is titled "Rinsed - From Cartels to Crypto: How the Tech Industry Washes Money for the World's Deadliest Crooks". In this podcast Geoff talks about money laundering 101 and how it has changed over the years. How has technology and social…

1
Geoff White on digital transformation of money laundering 43:32

9M ago43:32

43:32

Geoff White is an investigative journalist who has covered financial crime for over two decades. His latest book is titled "Rinsed - From Cartels to Crypto: How the Tech Industry Washes Money for the World's Deadliest Crooks". In this podcast Geoff talks about money laundering 101 and how it has changed over the years. How has technology and social…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

The Indicast Show Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen