Three of 2018’s must-hear podcasts

THE HABITAT

Getting to Mars, it turns out, is only half the problem. Once we’re there, developing suitable living conditions, sustainable food supplies, and reliable communication systems back home won’t matter if the people we send there don’t get along. The Habitat follows a dummy run: six participants who spent a year living in Mars-style conditions on a remote mountain of Hawaii, documenting everything through audio diaries. What Lynn Levy discovers is it’s the little things — annoying habits, petty squabbles, bad guitarplaying, and love affairs — that could bring a mission to Mars crashing to the ground.

Listen: gimletmedia.com/the-habitat

BIKRAM

Is Bikram Choudhury the Harvey Weinstein of the yoga world? Through interviews with many current and former yoga studio owners, Julia Lowrie Henderson uncovers compelling evidence that he might be.

Born in India, Choudhury arrived in America with a compelling rags-to-riches story and set about revolutionising the yoga world with hot yoga, an exercise form still popular today. But as one former disciple claims: “He did some great things. He did some horrific things.” In the first long-form podcast from ESPN’s 30 For 30 series, Henderson does an incredible job in covering both sides of Choudhury’s story.

Listen: 30for30podcasts.com/bikram

THE TEACHER’S PET

If you’re a fan of true crime, one of the year’s most compelling cases comes from Hedley Thomas. His podcast, from The Australian, dives into the mysterious disappearance of Lyn Dawson 36 years ago and takes a sudden turn.

Spoiler alert: Thomas uncovers some stunning revelations around systemic sexual abuse of Sydney high school students in the 1980s. Like Payne Lindsey’s efforts, Thomas’ podcasts have resulted in detectives reopening the case, interviewing new witnesses and investigating new leads. Journalism, then, at its finest.

Listen: theaustralian.com.au/the-teachers-pet