Best CBC NPR Podcasts (2024)

1
Dating, Sex & Love With HIV 48:46

1h ago48:46

48:46

How does living with a condition that is so deeply stigmatized affect who and how we love? Anita meets a mixed-HIV status couple who shares how they've approached sex and intimacy in their 11+ year relationship. Plus, a woman who was born HIV positive talks about dating, disclosure and overcoming the fear of rejection. Meet the guests: - Rainer Okt…

1
Smooched: Why You'll Never Forget Your First Kiss (Revisited) 33:06

4h ago33:06

33:06

Anita's highly-anticipated (and highly-awkward) first kiss was in eighth grade … but she remembers it like it was yesterday! A scientist tells her why our brains respond so strongly to kissing and how our kissing customs have changed over time. She also unpacks the power of a kiss with a photographer who documents queer Black love in public and thr…

1
Bonus: Making Music From Family Secrets 39:21

3h ago39:21

39:21

Anita brings you into part of our family secrets variety show from earlier this year, featuring North Carolina country duo Blue Cactus. She talks with the band about creating and performing an original song inspired by an anonymous secret. The secret was gathered by Song Confessional, an Austin-based podcast that matches songwriters with “confessio…

1
577. The Best of Roger Zelazny (with Tom Gerencer) 2:29:54

11d ago2:29:54

2:29:54

Tom Gerencer joins us to discuss the short story collection The Best of Roger Zelazny, part of the SF Masterworks series of science fiction classics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy David Barr Kirtley

1
(Un)Circumcised: How Parents Decide (Revisited) 32:09

2h ago32:09

32:09

It's a small procedure, but a big question. Anita talks with a urologist about what medical advice to consider while making the circumcision decision (and where medicine doesn't have the answers). She also meets a rabbi and mother who offers alternatives to centuries-old circumcision rituals and hears from a circumcised father raising an uncircumci…

1
Bonus | Reconstructed: Building New Definitions of Masculinity from Embodied 28:53

1h ago28:53

28:53

Sex and relationships are intimate — and sometimes intimidating to talk about. Embodied is a weekly podcast from North Carolina Public Radio WUNC hosted by Anita Rao. The podcast guides us on an exploration of our brains and our bodies that touches down in taboo territory. Fifteen years ago Anita took Women's Studies 101 on a whim … and to this day…

1
Episode 65: Titanic 28:18

1h ago28:18

28:18

More than 100 years after the disaster that sank it, why is our fascination with the RMS Titanic as strong as ever? Who or what was to blame for this tragedy? Was it bad luck, hubris, or simply an iceberg? We'll discuss this and more on this episode of Unspookable. Host: Elise Parisian Written by: Miden Wood Produced, Edited by: Nate DuFort Music D…

1
Life After A Gray Divorce 49:33

22d ago49:33

49:33

In Anita's lifetime, the divorce rate for Americans over 55 has doubled. People are living longer, divorce stigma has decreased and women are more financially independent. But leaving a decades-long marriage … is a big life upheaval. Anita gets personal accounts from two gray divorcees about what it was like to rebuild their identities, finances an…

1
576. Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein Book Club (with Lisa Yaszek, John Kessel, Robby Soave) 1:30:51

1d ago1:30:51

1:30:51

Lisa Yaszek, John Kessel, and Robby Soave join us to discuss Robert Heinlein’s classic novel Stranger in a Strange Land, about a human being raised by Martians. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy David Barr Kirtley

1
The Making Of Great Erotica 50:03

5d ago50:03

50:03

Anita's been deep in romantasy land this year reading Fourth Wing & ACOTAR. And it's gotten her thinking about the skill required to make steamy sex scenes come alive on the page and out loud. She goes behind the scenes with two prolific erotica author-editors and a former producer for the audio erotica app Dipsea to figure out how the sausage — an…

1
Episode 64: Ravens and Crows 22:13

21d ago22:13

22:13

Crows and Ravens are considered to be some of the smartest animals in the world, with intelligence comparable to chimpanzees. But for many, their presence evokes a fear that is hard to put into words. We're on a journey to discover those words and more as we dive into corvids, fact vs. fiction, on this episode of Unspookable. Host: Elise Parisian W…

1
Amplified: Building Intimacy With Hearing Loss (Revisited) 40:27

12d ago40:27

40:27

Anita and her partner John have started talking more openly about how his hearing loss informs their relationship and how they'll continue to navigate that as they age. She meets another interabled couple (Anna and Vika) who share the sometimes humorous, sometimes challenging moments that accompany sex and dating with hearing loss. Plus, former gue…

1
Episode 6: Lumpers and Splitters 42:48

12d ago42:48

42:48

Christine and Max are some of the most recent female athletes in this century-long history to face tests, stigma, and restrictions. But they are unlikely to be the last. In this episode, we find out whether Christine qualifies for the Paris Olympics, as well as the fate of Max’s court case. And we explore the broader implications of the sex binary …

1
Tested: Lumpers and Splitters 42:52

12d ago42:52

42:52

Episode 6: Christine and Max are some of the most recent female athletes in this century-long history to face tests, stigma, and restrictions. But they are unlikely to be the last. In this episode, we find out whether Christine qualifies for the Paris Olympics, as well as the fate of Max's court case. And we explore the broader implications of the …

1
Tested: Unfair Advantage? 35:56

15d ago35:56

35:56

Episode 5: A battle over science and ethics unfolds. World Athletics releases and then tweaks multiple policies impacting DSD athletes, while critics cry foul. In this episode, World Athletics doubles down on its claims, Caster Semenya challenges the rules again, and we dig deep on a big question: what constitutes an "unfair" advantage on the track…

1
Bonus Episode: Introducing Tested from CBC and NPR 39:07

16d ago39:07

39:07

Tested is a new podcast series from CBC and NPR that asks the question, who gets to compete? Since the beginning of women’s sports, there has been a struggle over who qualifies for the women’s category. Tested follows the unfolding story of elite female runners who have been told they can no longer race as women, because of their biology. As the Ol…

1
Episode 5: Unfair Advantage? 35:52

17d ago35:52

35:52

A battle over science and ethics unfolds. World Athletics releases and then tweaks multiple policies impacting DSD athletes, while critics cry foul. In this episode, World Athletics doubles down on its claims, Caster Semenya challenges the rules again, and we dig deep on a big question: what constitutes an “unfair” advantage on the track? For early…

1
575. Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke Book Club (with Matthew Kressel, Anthony Ha, Sara Lynn Michener) 1:16:50

1M ago1:16:50

1:16:50

Matthew Kressel, Anthony Ha, and Sara Lynn Michener join us to discuss Arthur C. Clarke’s classic novel Rendezvous with Rama, about astronauts exploring a giant alien spacecraft. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy David Barr Kirtley

1
Why We Need More Therapists Of Color 49:32

1M ago49:32

49:32

It took Anita 12 years and five therapists to find someone who could help her tackle questions of racial and cultural identity. She meets two therapists of color working to make that kind of support more accessible. Sahaj Kaur Kohli, founder of Brown Girl Therapy, talks about approaching wellness from a more collectivist lens, and Jor-El Caraballo …

1
Episode 4: Running In Circles 32:20

21d ago32:20

32:20

In 2009, South African sprinter Caster Semenya won gold at the World Championships. But instead of a celebration, she endured endless speculation about her body, her biology, and her gender. And soon, sports organizations would launch a new round of regulations, lead to multiple court cases, and require sporting organizations to justify their claim…

1
Tested: Running in Circles 32:23

1M ago32:23

32:23

Episode 4: In 2009, South African sprinter Caster Semenya won gold at the World Championships. But instead of a celebration, she endured endless speculation about her body, her biology, and her gender. And soon, sports organizations would launch a new round of regulations, lead to multiple court cases, and require sporting organizations to justify …

1
Episode 3: Card-Carrying Females 39:35

1M ago39:35

39:35

We meet Kenyan sprinter Maximila Imali, who—like Christine—has been sidelined by DSD policies. She makes a different choice from Christine: to fight the regulations in court. And we learn about an earlier fight, when scientists, athletes, and journalists spent thirty years trying to end an earlier version of sex testing. For early access to Tested …

1
Tested: Card-Carrying Females 39:32

1M ago39:32

39:32

Episode 3: We meet Kenyan sprinter Maximila Imali, who—like Christine Mboma—has been sidelined by DSD policies. She makes a different choice from Christine: to fight the regulations in court. And we learn about a previous fight, when scientists, athletes, and journalists spent thirty years trying to end an earlier version of sex testing. To listen …

1
Committed: Life Inside A Psychiatric Hospital 48:31

2M ago48:31

48:31

Long-term stays in psychiatric institutions were once a relatively common treatment in this country. They’re not anymore, but that doesn’t mean they’ve gone away entirely. Anita meets someone who spent three years living in a psychiatric hospital in the early 90s and talks with an activist whose time spent in contemporary psychiatric hospitals push…

1
Episode 2: Questions of a Physical Nature 34:07

2M ago34:07

34:07

We go back to the beginnings of women’s inclusion in elite sports. It turns out that men had an odd variety of concerns about women athletes. Some doubted these athletes were even women at all. And that skepticism resulted in the first sex testing policies. For early access to Tested episodes and to listen ad-free, subscribe to CBC's Stories channe…

1
Tested: Questions of a Physical Nature 34:03

2M ago34:03

34:03

Episode 2: We go back almost 100 years, to the beginning of women's inclusion in elite sports. It turns out that men had an odd variety of concerns about women athletes. Some doubted these athletes were even women at all. And their skepticism resulted in the first policies requiring sex testing. To listen to this series sponsor-free and support NPR…

1
Episode 63: JAWS with Ira Marcks 29:53

1M ago29:53

29:53

We're back this week with even more sharks as we discuss all things JAWS with one of our favorite middle-grade authors, Ira Marcks! Is the story from the movie true? Why is this particular shark so scary? Why are we still talking about this movie almost 50 years after its release? Ira has answers to those questions and sooo much more. It's Shark Su…

1
Episode 1: The Choice 37:57

1M ago37:57

37:57

Would you alter your body for the chance to compete for a gold medal? That’s the question facing a small group of elite athletes right now. Last year, track and field authorities announced new regulations that mean some athletes can’t compete in the female category unless they lower their body’s naturally occurring testosterone levels. In this epis…

1
Tested: The Choice 38:54

2M ago38:54

38:54

Episode 1: Would you alter your body for the chance to compete for a gold medal? That's the question facing a small group of elite athletes right now. Last year, track and field authorities announced new regulations that mean some women can't compete in the female category unless they lower their body's naturally occurring testosterone levels. You'…

1
574. A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge Book Club (with Seth Dickinson, Abby Goldsmith, Mercurio D. Rivera) 1:16:10

1M ago1:16:10

1:16:10

Seth Dickinson, Abby Goldsmith, and Mercurio D. Rivera join us to discuss Vernor Vinge’s classic 1999 novel A Deepness in the Sky, a prequel to his novel A Fire Upon the Deep. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy David Barr Kirtley

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