Our lists of recommended podcasts have proved exceedingly popular; hardly surprising given that podcasts are very much in vogue these days.

An increase in digital media consumption and the genre’s fast increase in popularity, there are now plenty of options to choose from – with almost every niche interest catered for.

Here at Garda Post, we listen to our readers, and have compiled another list of recommended shows. Comprised of our favourite all round interesting podcasts, it will be of particular interest for those you with a penchant for the extraordinary, history and discovering the intriguing origins of seemingly mundane everyday things.

99 Percent Invisible

Arguably one of the best and most enlightening podcasts on the planet, 99 Percent Invisible’s raison d’etre is to talk about architecture and design — good design – which is often overlooked and how it has an impact on everyday lives. Presented by Roman Mars, whose natural fascination shines through, and it is this earnestness that propels each episode forward. The show looks at everything from the origins of Brazil’s iconic football shirt, barcodes and inflatable tube men to hacking IKEA furniture and tunnels under the Berlin Wall. Pretty much every episode is a gem and with episodes running at 20-30 minutes, they are a bite-size and easily digestible nugget of fascinating information.

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Stuff You Should Know

Ever wondered how do landfills work? how do mosquitos work? Or pondered the history of action figures? Or What’s the deal with Rasputin’s death? Join presenters Josh and Chuck as they explore the Stuff You Should Know about everything from genes to the Galapagos. It is an incredibly prolific bi-weekly podcast, with in excess of 800 episodes produced over the course of the last 8 of so years, and thoroughly enjoyable to listen to, too. While not necessarily experts, the pair cover a lot of ground, providing a solid decent grounding in a given topic. What’s more, they do so in a very enjoyable way; they have an engaging, easy rapport making for an enjoyable and digestible listening.

[powerpress url=http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/how-stuff-works/stuff-you-should-know/e/a-partial-history-of-action-figures-48136853?autoplay=true]

Documentaries on One

As we noted many times before, Podcasts are just radio programmes in disguise, and this one best encapsulates our claim. Documentaries on One is an in depth collection of radio documentaries aired on RTÉ Radio 1. The topics range is vast, with thousands of episodes on offer so there really is something for everyone. Some of the notable standouts are ‘The All-Ireland Behind Barbed Wire’, ‘Hidden Heroes of the Belfast Blitz’, ‘The Irish Woman Who Shot Mussolini’ and ‘The Anti Jazz Campaign of the 1930’s’.

https://audioboom.com/posts/334877-hidden-heroes-of-the-belfast-blitz

Full episode is here.