NPR Podcasts

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Channel • 52 Shows

History

History

Updated twice weekly
Daily News

Daily News

Updated daily
Life Sciences

Life Sciences

Updated daily
Documentary

Documentary

Weekly series
Society & Culture

Society & Culture

Updated weekly
Daily News

Daily News

Updated daily
Society & Culture

Society & Culture

Updated twice weekly

30 Jul

The lightbulb conspiracy is both real and everywhere

Over the next few episodes, we present Hidden Histories: stories that will make you rethink how the world works. First up, the conspiracy behind the lightbulb—and how it came to shape the entire consumer economy. If you ever wondered why your tech outdates so quickly or just plain fails, you can thank the lightbulb. (This episode originally aired in 2019.) Guests: Sally Helm, former NPR Planet Money correspondent Markus Krajewski, author of The Great Lightbulb Conspiracy Giles Slade, author of Made to Break: Technology and Obsolescence in America Support shows like Throughline with NPR+. Sign up today at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy
6 days ago

Want to spend a year living in NASA's Mars simulation?

Have you ever wanted to be an astronaut without risking your life in space? If so, we have the perfect opportunity for you. NASA is calling for people with a science background to apply for a simulated mission to the Moon and Mars. Four adults will spend a year isolated in two enclosures meant to simulate both traveling through deep space and living on Mars. Learn whether you fit the profile and what NASA researchers hope to learn from the mission in this episode. Interested in more space news? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org and we may cover it in an upcoming segment. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. It includes perks like bonus episodes, early access, archive access, curated playlists and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy
21 Jul

The Chinafication of Walmart

We think of Walmart as ultra-American, but its business relationship with China has fundamentally changed how American retail operates. In this episode, how one retailer helped turn China into the world’s factory, eventually becoming the single largest U.S. importer of Chinese consumer goods. Guest: Eileen Otis, Associate Professor of Sociology at Northeastern University and author of Walmart: Made in China Support shows like Throughline with NPR+. Sign up today at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy
23 Jul

The architect of modern China

From impoverishment to global superpower, China’s supremacy happened at a breakneck speed thanks to the visionary strategy of the man who took power in 1978. Over the next decade, under leader Deng Xiaoping’s firm leadership, China flirted with capitalism and transformed its socio-economic and political systems, effectively becoming the world’s factory. Guests: Kerry Brown, professor of Chinese Studies and Director of the Lau China Institute at King's College London and author of several books, including Xi: A Study in Power Dan Wang, a writer specializing in contemporary China and author of Breakneck: China's Quest to Engineer the Future Support shows like Throughline with NPR+. Sign up today at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy
16 Jul

Route 66 and the quest to connect America

Route 66 turns 100 this year. It's considered America’s most nostalgic road trip. With wide open road, sunsets that fill the whole sky, dirt-kissed Chevy trucks, and revving motorcycles. But Route 66 started out as a muddy road to nowhere. Today on the show, we’ll meet a league of gilded-age bicyclists, a ragtag gang of cross-country runners, and the very stubborn highway commissioner who turned it into the “Main Street of America.” Guests: Susan Croce Kelly, author of Father of Route 66 and Route 66: the Highway and its People CORRECTION: In a previous version of this episode, we incorrectly said the government ran out of funding for a road improvement project in the 1940s. That happened in the 1840s. Support shows like Throughline with NPR+. Sign up today at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy
9 Jul

The ongoing battle over asylum in America

The U.S. has long professed to be a country where people can seek refuge. That's the promise etched into the base of the Statue of Liberty. But it's never been that clear-cut. And in June, the Supreme Court passed two rulings that could make seeking safe haven in the U.S. even more difficult. Today on the show, the story of how the U.S. asylum system was forged in response to moments of crisis, and where it left gaps: from Jewish refugees fleeing the Holocaust, to Cuban and Haitian asylum seekers during the Cold War, to the precarious system of today. This episode originally aired in December 2024. Guests: Maria Cristina Garcia, Professor of History at Cornell University, studying immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers Ruth Wasem, former Immigration Policy Specialist at the U.S. Library of Congress' Congressional Research Service and author of the forthcoming book, The Struggle for Fairness: Forging the Immigration Act of 1965 Support shows like Throughline with NPR+. Sign up today at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy
25 Jun

From Hormuz to Suez: the chokepoints of global power

Oil may dominate the headlines about the Middle East, but the real power often flows through water. Three narrow passages - the Suez Canal, the Strait of Hormuz, and Bab el-Mandeb – shape how the world moves. In times of crisis, they've become chokepoints, disrupting global trade, rattling markets, and shifting the balance of power way beyond the region. In this episode, three stories from these waterways… how they've helped define the modern Middle East and, as we've seen recently with Hormuz, the economic currents that affect us all. Guests: Alex Von Tunzelmann, author of Blood and Sand: Suez, Hungary, and Eisenhower's Campaign for Peace Harold Lee Wise, author of Inside the Danger Zone: The U.S. Military in the Persian Gulf, 1987-1988 Farea Al-Muslimi, Yemen and Gulf researcher at Chatham House in London Support shows like Throughline with NPR+. Sign up today at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy
14 Jul

How wheelchairs, a river, and a spaceship challenged the status quo

Stories of resistance from three places: Denver, Colorado where the Gang of 19 put their bodies on the line for the right to use public transportation. Montgomery, Alabama, where a song quietly galvanized generations. And finally, on broadcast TV, where a 1966 prime-time show inspired Americans to dream bigger.To access bonus episodes and listen to Throughline sponsor-free, subscribe to Throughline+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/throughline. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy
2 Jul

The story of July 4th is messier than you remember

Devastating compromises. Midnight rides. A nailbiter vote. Statue toppling riots… and the very real possibility of death. This July 4th, we're taking you inside the making of the Declaration of Independence and how, against all odds, a single document introduced the world to a new kind of nation. Guests: Walter Isaacson, professor at Tulane University and author of The Greatest Sentence Ever Written. Denise Kiernan, author of Signing Their Lives Away: The Fame and Misfortune of the Men Who Signed the Declaration and Obstinate Daughters: The Rebels, Writers, and Renegade Women Who Ignited the American Revolution. Support shows like Throughline with NPR+. Sign up today at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy
23 Jun

Prosperity gospel and the American dream

A lot of our everyday lives are shaped by the idea that if we really believe in something, it will happen. But where does that idea come from? And what does it have to do with the American dream? Today on the show, how the prosperity gospel has blended self-improvement, religion and capitalism into an everyday recipe for success – one that any of us can try. To access bonus episodes and listen to Throughline sponsor-free, subscribe to Throughline+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/throughline. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

Throughline is a time machine. Each episode, we travel beyond the headlines to answer the question, "How did we get here?" We use sound and stories to bring history to life and put you into the middle of it. From ancient civilizations to forgotten figures, we take you directly to the moments that shaped our world. Throughline is hosted by Peabody Award-winning journalist Rund Abdelfatah. Support public media by joining NPR+ at plus.npr.org. You’ll get perks for over 25 NPR podcasts, including sponsor-free listening for Throughline.

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History
The latest news in five minutes. Updated hourly. Support public media by joining NPR+ at plus.npr.org. You’ll get perks for over 25 NPR podcasts, including sponsor-free listening for NPR News Now, UP First, and more.

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Daily News
New discoveries, everyday mysteries, and the science behind the headlines — in just under 15 minutes. It's science for everyone, using a lot of creativity and a little humor. Join hosts Emily Kwong and Regina Barber for science on a different wavelength. Support public media by joining NPR+ at plus.npr.org. You’ll get perks for over 25 NPR podcasts, including sponsor-free listening for Short Wave.

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Life Sciences
NPR's home for audio documentaries brings untold stories to light through deeply reported narrative series. We go to hidden corners of the headlines to explore what's been sealed off, undisclosed, or overlooked – and the people at the heart of those stories. Support public media by joining NPR+ at plus.npr.org. You’ll get perks for over 25 NPR podcasts, including early access and sponsor-free listening for Embedded (Embedded perks may vary between seasons).

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Documentary
The hosts of NPR's All Things Considered help you make sense of a major news story and what it means for you, in 15 minutes. New episodes six days a week, Sunday through Friday. Support public media by joining NPR+ at plus.npr.org. You’ll get perks for over 25 NPR podcasts, including sponsor-free listening for Consider This.

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Daily News
What's CODE SWITCH? It's the fearless conversations about race that you've been waiting for. Hosted by journalists of color, our podcast tackles the subject of race with empathy and humor. We explore how race affects every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, food and everything in between. This podcast makes all of us part of the conversation — because we're all part of the story. Code Switch was named Apple Podcasts' first-ever Show of the Year in 2020. Support public media by joining NPR+ at plus.npr.org. You’ll get perks for over 25 NPR podcasts, including bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening for Code Switch.

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Society & Culture

Step into the universe of NPR Podcasts. It’s a place where curiosity leads, stories unfold, and every voice deserves a mic. From deep-dives that reshape how you see the world, to intimate conversations that feel like they’re meant just for you, we’ve got a show for whatever you’re looking for (and shows that you didn't know you needed). Want to get clued in to what’s happening today? Start your morning with our news podcasts. Looking to get to know the world around you? You’re in luck. From narrative storytelling, to self-help tips; from history shows, documentary investigations, science features, incredible music, and human interest from every genre - we’re a living, evolving soundscape of ideas and perspectives. Stay here to hear - to listen - because there’s always more to discover.

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The lightbulb conspiracy is both real and everywhere

Want to spend a year living in NASA's Mars simulation?

The Chinafication of Walmart

The architect of modern China

Route 66 and the quest to connect America

The ongoing battle over asylum in America

From Hormuz to Suez: the chokepoints of global power

How wheelchairs, a river, and a spaceship challenged the status quo

The story of July 4th is messier than you remember

Prosperity gospel and the American dream

Support public radio. Get bonus episodes & more.

What we know about Israel's ground war in Gaza

How do European countries view the war between Israel and Hamas?

Can Berlin's legendary nightclubs survive?

A few words about the future of federal funding

Return to the Motherland or Illegal Land Transfer? Depends on Who You Ask

How to stop revenge bedtime procrastination

New Music From Alt.Latino

Cruel songs for the cruelest month

The Contenders, Vol. 3: Our running list of the year's best songs

New Music Friday: The best albums out July 11

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