If you’re a curious person who loves to learn about a wide variety of subjects and don’t have a lot of time to read, you probably listen to podcasts. Similar to radio programs, podcasts are prerecorded audio shows about a variety of topics and can be a great way to get away from a screen and listen while you do other things or even settle in to relax. For the most part, the podcasts listed below are long running, with several episodes to help you pass this time while social distancing.

Stuff You Should Know is a podcast hosted by Charles Bryant and Josh Clark. They cover a wide list of topics from pinball to politics, and it should be noted that not every episode is family friendly. SYSK is part of the iHeartRadio family. https://www.iheart.com/podcast/105-stuff-you-should-know-26940277/

The History Chicks is a bi-monthly podcast that tells the stories of women (fictional and factual) throughout history. The two hosts, Beckett Graham and Susan Vollenweider, speak on mostly family-friendly topics and often offer show notes to help with educating yourself with their source materials in your own time. The History Chicks is found on the Wondery podcast network. http://thehistorychicks.com/

In Defense of Plants is a weekly educational, family-friendly podcast that teaches about everything from the science of plant care to the evolution of plants. If the bounty of the botanical world fascinates you, give this podcast a listen. Matt Candeias is the host and has guests from all over the world to talk about their botanical specialties. www.indefenseofplants.com/podcast

Radio Ambulante is a weekly Spanish podcast that tells Latin American stories and is presented by Peruvian author Daniel Alarcón. There are nine seasons to binge. You can find it with the NPR family of podcasts. As there is a variety of topics touched upon throughout the series, this podcast is not recommended for the whole family. There is a section to use for educational purposes. https://radioambulante.org/category/audio/episodios

The Purrrcast is a weekly podcast that talks to cat people about all things feline. Hosts Sara Iyer and Steven Ray Morris talk about a variety of subjects, most being appropriate for the whole family.  www.exactlyrightmedia.com/the-purrrcast

Sleep Cove is the newest podcast on this list. Host Christopher Fitton offers sleep stories, guided sleep meditations and sleep hypnosis to help you fall asleep and stay asleep peacefully. Sleep Cove is appropriate for adults only.  www.sleepcove.com

 Jensen & Holes: The Murder Squad is a weekly true-crime podcast hosted by Paul Holes, a retired cold case investigator, and Billy Jensen, a true crime journalist who focuses on unsolved murders and missing persons. This is not a podcast for the whole family as it discusses crimes that still need to be solved in detail. It can be found with the Exactly Right family of podcasts.  http://themurdersquad.com/

Critical Role is a weekly Dungeons and Dragons game that is designed for adult audiences as it contains improv and role-playing game content. In its first campaign, Critical Role follows the adventures of a group of heroes known as Vox Machina throughout the land of Exandria. Critical Role is part of the Geek and Sundry family.   https://critrole.com/podcast/     

In the Dark is an investigative true crime podcast that follows journalist Madeleine Baran through two cases in two seasons, respectively. As it deals with kidnapping in the first season and murder in the second season, this podcast is recommended for adults only. In the Dark is from APM Reports. https://www.apmreports.org/in-the-dark

ID10T (formerly known as “The Nerdist podcast”) is a weekly interview podcast hosted by Chris Hardwick. Hardwick hosts notable entertainers who talk about their nerd-related interests. Not every episode is friendly for the whole family. https://id10t.com/podcast/