PODCASTS — LISTEN AT YOUR LEISURE

A Neuroscientist Explains

www.theguardian.com/audio Half the world seems to be an amateur neuroscientist these days, as we all pronounce knowledgeably on things to do with the frontal cortex, the emotional response of the amygdala and so on.

Most of us, obviously, have no idea what we’re on about. Which is why it is a joy to come across someone who does, and who explains this succinctly and clearly. The Guardian’s weekly podcast, A Neuroscientist Explains, does exactly that. Presented by Daniel Glaser, the director of Science Gallery at King’s College London, the podcasts are roughly half an hour, and recent topics include the neuroscience behind empathy and when children develop it, how music affects the brain, why we hate certain foods, and — perhaps most useful — how to use your brain power to fight off a cold. At the risk of sounding like Donald Trump, this is terrific stuff.

Found

www.wondery.com/wondery/shows/found This is weird, but very endearing, and often fascinating. The idea is that host Davy Rothbart collects scraps of paper with notes, lists, doodles, anything handwritten, that he finds, then tries to figure out the story behind them — and even track down the people who wrote them, often with the help of listeners, as a kind of “global community art project”.

Each episode documents some of Rothbart’s favourite investigations, sometimes with guest appearances from pals including Nick Nolte and David Cross. The piece-by-piece reconstruction of stories of love, loss, hope, transformation and aspiration, through the lens of nothing more than lost and found notes, is an absorbing demonstration of clever detective work, but also, often, delivers something memorable and touching.