Ear Candy for your Workday

A quick reference for all you multi-taskers out there. I've found the following podcasts, lecture series, and music sites to be the creme de la creme of audio perfect for background brain stimulation.

TED Talks

Remember those college lectures that made you walk out of class feeling inspired and ready to change the world? TED is a lecture series that consistently recreates that feeling. Although this is a video-based series, I find that is still a perfect resource for learning about a variety of worldly topics.

RadioLab

A perfect mix of art and science. RadioLab explores the minutia and unexplained forces in science. Think Wired Magazine and Discovery Channel had an illegitimate internet radio baby.

This American Life

Based in my home city of Chicago, This American Life is a program that masters the art of real life story telling. If "Reality" programming on television wanted to use a model for "good" programming, TAM would be the best in class. 

The Beancast

Bob Knorpp brings together the finest minds in the advertising industry and covers the hottest topics in the news. The Beancast is the reason I stareted listening to podcasts and if you have any interest in marketing, I strongly suggest you subscribe.

AdVerve

Angela Natividad and Bill Green have come together to launch a brand new podcast that also focuses on marketing but with an edgier feel. The duo cover topics that are often considered taboo and approach podcasting with a tone of randomness and discovery. 

Social-Blend

A deep dive into the world of social media without the "experts." The gents behind this podcast have arguably the most relaxed spirit and like to mix their digitally focused discussions with comedy and pop culture.

TheSixtyOne

I pretty much can't say enough about thesixtyone.com radio streaming. The site takes a unique approach to helping you discover new music (often the work of unsigned bands) and the user interface is simply spectacular. If you'd like to become my friend on the network click here.