Picks of the week: Stephen Fry’s Great Leap Years and Late Night Whenever with Michelle Buteau
Stephen Fry’s Great Leap Years Podcast
Stephen Fry unleashes his first podcast for 10 years and he’s back with a mesmerising series about invention and change. “The future has already happened,” he says, “The world is on the very edge of utter transformation.” And so he looks back on stories of invention and inspiration, from calories to self-drive cars. His trademark enthralling style makes the big ideas easy to listen to as he offers his theories about progress and technology – “the great tsunami that will soon engulf us”. HV
Late Night Whenever with Michelle Buteau Podcast
Friend (and frequent excellent guest) of 2 Dope Queens, Michelle Buteau describes herself as “your no-budget Oprah” and she’s a woman who oozes likable cool. Her new podcast is worth listening to if only for the tinkling 80s smooth soul theme tune, but the monologues and interviews are sharp and funny, too. It’s got life advice from the cast of Hamilton, along with Gina Yashere’s entertaining story about her mum’s reluctance to allow her to go anywhere. HV
Your picks: Hustle and bustle, dating and ideas
The Bustle Huddle quickly became a go-to for my morning commute because the topics perfectly toe the line between everyday life to more aspirational topics I’m interested in. Say, for example, the episode Getting Your Sh* Together, which made me feel better about my own controlled chaos, while giving me very practical tips for managing my inbox and creating a structured routine. So painful, so worth it. Juxtapose that to the episode on witchcraft, which taught me about brujas, the history of Santería and why you should never buy sage at Urban Outfitters. Recommended by Cleo Stiller
This is the most fun podcast on the internet, it’s a like a portable, wine-soaked kvetch session with your two best gal pals. Co-hosts Chelsea White and Erin Leafe are the supportive, validating, loyal, and hilarious best friends that we all wish we had. As assorted guests detail their stories of being “ghosted” (dropped without an explanation) by romantic partners, Chelsea and Erin are right there asking the crucial follow up questions. My personal favourite episode is episode 14, Ghosted by a Psychopath with Jen. It involves a relationship of many years, a boyfriend with multiple girlfriends in assorted cities and major gaslighting. Recommended by Selena Coppoc
This is simply the best podcast out right now. Zeitgeist topics are explored in depth, from their roots up to the modern day. Take the topics in season one: whiteness and class in America, selfies, meritocracy, comedy in politics, the obsession with efficiency. Ministry of Ideas looks at the historical roots, bringing in a range of experts, and making us think differently about the world. Recommended by Nastaran Tavakoli-Far
Guardian Pick: Hey! Algorithms, leave them kids alone
We hear a lot about algorithms in our daily life. The word tends to crop up when some or other tech company is forced to apologise for whatever new scandal has thrown them into the spotlight. Whether the issue is big data and profiling, or search results and suggested content, it is the algorithm that gets the blame. But this week Jordan Erica Webber looks into reports that YouTube Kids might create an algorithm-free platform to prevent children viewing inappropriate content by clicking on seemingly benign video suggestions. RS
