Some people use podcasts to help them fall asleep. Some people are kept awake by existential dread. How about a podcast that can combine the two?!

Are We Doomed? is an excellent narrative documentary series that looks at genuine, or potential, threats to the planet or humanity. Think nuclear war, the next pandemic, or killer robots.

Host Ben Bradford joins us on POP-The Podcast to tell all about the show, published by National Public Radio (NPR).

Find out:

• why nuclear armageddon is perfectly possible, but would be "embarrassing"
• is there really a "supervolcano" waiting to blow up the entire United States?
• why Ben hates one futurist's idea that one day we will all have tiny pet hippos

Yes, it's a fun, but not flippant, podcast that is rooted in science and expertise.

Links:

Are We Doomed on the Pick of the Pods newsletter: https://pickofthepods.substack.com/p/armageddon-it-are-you

Are We Doomed

• homepage: https://www.npr.org/2026/04/21/g-s1-118208/a-new-npr-network-podcast-asks-the-big-question-are-we-doomed
• on any podcast app: https://pod.link/1893359212
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AreWeDoomedPod

Episodes of Are We Doomed featured on this episode of POP-The Podcast:

• Our Vision of the Post-Apocalypse Is Wrong: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QS9UVSgcjjk&list=PLqyfCS9DAyG9nboJAohk-5KWPN6zntVvr&index=1&t=10s
• The Yellowstone Supervolcano Panic! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbOka0S6N-o
• How To Survive a Nuclear War https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1CFpIp7Xck

Ben's Pod Picks:

• This American Life, Swim Towards the Shark: https://www.thisamericanlife.org/837/swim-towards-the-shark
• Oh, Hello: the P'dcast:
  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/oh-hello-the-pdcast/id1505873854
• Search Engine: https://www.searchengine.show/

Ben's fantasy interview:

Sam Altman or Jeff Bezos, locked in a room and forced to say honestly what is their vision of the future.

Subscribe to Pick of the Pods - the newsletter - on Substack: https://substack.com/@robinpomeroy

Discover one new podcast every week with the Pick of the Pods Substack: https://pickofthepods.substack.com/

Watch POP-The Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQu6D1uClH0i-nR9YppCSgzhElMbfPcv7

Or follow on any podcast app - new episodes drop monthly: https://pod.link/1891273310

Music by fAR

Pick of the Pods: copyright Spinney Hill Media 2026.

What actually is money? This new podcast from the Financial Times takes a historical view of this question which is crucial to understanding human civilisation and the world we live in today.

Robin Wigglesworth, who co-hosts the show with fellow FT journalist Gillian Tett, picks some of his favourite episodes so far and tells us why some of the greatest humans ever - Churchill? Newton? - were not always brilliant with money.

The Story of Money:

• Pick of the Pods: https://pickofthepods.substack.com/publish/post/201028489
• Homepage: https://www.ft.com/tsom?shareType=nongift&syn-25a6b1a6=1
• Get it on any podcast app: https://pod.link/1376303362
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FTTheStoryOfMoney

Episodes of The Story of Money featured on this episode of POP-The Podcast:

• The Bretton Woods agreement: a tale of boozing, womanising, espionage and a heart attack https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-deal-that-put-the-dollar-at-the-centre-of-the-world/id1376303362?i=1000768677777
• The financial scams that brought Albania to the brink of war https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-financial-scams-that-brought-albania-to-the-brink-of-war/id1376303362?i=1000773061994
• They are history’s geniuses. But were they any good at investing? https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/they-are-historys-geniuses-but-were-they-any-good-at/id1376303362?i=1000763000958

Robin's Pod Picks:

• The Rest Is History https://pod.link/1537788786
• Greeking Out https://pod.link/1483233279

Robin's dream interview:

• Jay Cooke (1821–1905) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_Cooke

Robin’s forthcoming book:

• A Fabulous Debt: The Epic Story of How Bonds Built the Modern World https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/461949/a-fabulous-debt-by-wigglesworth-robin/9780241705674

Subscribe to Pick of the Pods - the newsletter - on Substack: https://substack.com/@robinpomeroy

Discover one new podcast every week with the Pick of the Pods Substack: https://pickofthepods.substack.com/

Watch POP-The Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQu6D1uClH0i-nR9YppCSgzhElMbfPcv7

Or follow on any podcast app - new episodes drop monthly: https://pod.link/1891273310

Music by fAR

Pick of the Pods: copyright Spinney Hill Media 2026.

Francine Lacqua is Editor at Large and TV news anchor for Bloomberg.

With decades of experience interviewing leaders in business and politics, she has launched a podcast, Leaders, and talks us through three very different interviews: a CEO of one of the world's biggest banks; a fashion entrepreneur who has a "shapewear" partnership with Kim Kardashian; and Melinda French Gates, business leader and philanthropist and former wife of Bill Gates.

Leaders with Francine Lacqua:

• Homepage: https://www.bloomberg.com/btv/series/leaders-with-lacqua
• Get it on any podcast app: https://pod.link/1623682235
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqq4LnWs3olXnyY_CJUC2M1NtT_VdXw8i

Episodes of Leaders featured on this episode of POP-The Podcast:

‘I Was Ruthless About Killing Complexity’: HSBC CEO on Rewiring the Bank: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-was-ruthless-about-killing-complexity-hsbc-ceo-on/id1623682235?i=1000758149108

Emma Grede on the Kardashians and Why Work From Home Is ‘Career Suicide': https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/emma-grede-on-the-kardashians-and-why-work-from-home/id1623682235?i=1000763755419

Melinda French Gates on Tech, Billionaire Wealth and Why She Worries About the Truth: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/melinda-french-gates-on-tech-billionaire-wealth-and/id1623682235?i=1000755513346

Francine’s dream interview:

Chinese President Xi Jinping

Francine's Pod Picks:

Acquired:

• Homepage: https://www.acquired.fm/
• Get it on any podcast app: https://pod.link/acquired
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AcquiredFM

Odd Lots:

• Homepage: https://www.bloomberg.com/oddlots
• Get it on any podcast app: https://pod.link/1056200096
• YouTube (audio): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLe4PRejZgr0MuA6M0zkZyy-99-qc87wKV

How To Fail With Elizabeth Day:

• Homepage: https://www.elizabethday.org/podcasts
• Get it on any podcast app: https://pod.link/1407451189
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HowToFailPodcast

Francine’s book picks:

London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/238226991-london-falling

Supremacy by Parmy Olson: https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/parmy-olson/supremacy/9781035038244

Subscribe to Pick of the Pods - the newsletter - on Substack: https://substack.com/@robinpomeroy

Discover one new podcast every week with the Pick of the Pods Substack: https://pickofthepods.substack.com/

Watch POP-The Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQu6D1uClH0i-nR9YppCSgzhElMbfPcv7

Or follow on any podcast app - new episodes drop monthly: https://pod.link/1891273310

Music by fAR

Pick of the Pods: copyright Spinney Hill Media 2026.

Jonathan Block interviews leaders from a diverse range of occupations to ask about the times when things went wrong. What did they learn from the hardest moments, and what can we learn from them?

This is Episode 3 of Pick of the Pods-the Podcast, the audio companion to Pick of the Pods-the Substack.

POP-the Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/pickofthepods/p/my-journey-from-foreign-correspondent?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

Listen to Stumbling Blocks on any podcast app: https://pod.link/1849573843

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StumblingBlocksPodcast

Episodes featured:

Clip 1: Sandra Sucher, Harvard Business School: How to Apologize

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sandra-sucher-harvard-business-school-how-to-apologize/id1849573843?i=1000739623769

Clip 2: Admiral Mark Harnitchek, Director of DoD Logistics: How I Solved the Puzzle of Pakistan

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/admiral-mark-harnitchek-director-of-dod-logistics/id1849573843?i=1000736688810

Clip 3: ​​Brent Beshore, CEO, Permanent Equity: How Winning Made me Lose

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brent-beshore-ceo-permanent-equity-how-winning-made-me-lose/id1849573843?i=1000748384408

Bonus clip:

Admiral Tim Ziemer, Chief, President's Malaria Initiative: How (and Why) I Saved 12 Million Lives

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/admiral-tim-ziemer-chief-presidents-malaria-initiative/id1849573843?i=1000750513190

Jonathan’s pod picks:

The Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast: https://careynieuwhof.com/episode646/

Heavyweight: https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/heavyweight

Also mentioned:

Radio Davos, with Scott Galloway: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/scott-galloway-men-women-masculinity-crisis/

Jonathan's dream interviews:

Jon Meacham, author of His Truth is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope

Jonathan’s father

George W. Bush

Subscribe to Pick of the Pods - the newsletter - on Substack: https://substack.com/@robinpomeroy

Discover one new podcast every week with the Pick of the Pods Substack: https://pickofthepods.substack.com/

Watch POP-The Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQu6D1uClH0i-nR9YppCSgzhElMbfPcv7

Or follow on any podcast app - new episodes drop monthly: https://pod.link/1891273310

Music by fAR

Pick of the Pods: copyright Spinney Hill Media 2026.

Reuters Econ World, a weekly show from one of the world’s biggest news agencies, delivers analysis of how global events are affecting the economy.

Host Carmel Crimmins reveals how the show is made and shares:

• Haters gonna hate: how Taylor Swift fans reacted to the podcast’s take on the notion of “Swiftonomics”
• New York state of mind: how a New York audience helped her overcome stage fright at her first live in-person podcast
• Powell Unplugged: why her dream podcast guest would be Fed chief Jerome Powell with his guitar

Links to Reuters Econ World:

Homepage: https://www.reuters.com/podcasts/reuters-econ-world/

Get it on any podcast app: https://pod.link/1746360591

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZhRxE9191zNaeyyMWJM0OL4QE__u0q6u

Episodes mentioned in this podcast:

‘Swiftonomics’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8BVG3a2LUs

Trump’s economy — Live from New York: https://www.reuters.com/podcasts/trumps-economy-live-new-york-2025-12-03/

Inside Iran: A video diary: https://www.reuters.com/podcasts/inside-iran-video-diary-2026-03-28/

Minneapolis from different angles: https://www.reuters.com/podcasts/minneapolis-different-angles-2026-01-31/

Carmel’s recommendations:

The Rest Is History

• homepage: https://therestishistory.com/
• on any podcast app: https://pod.link/1537788786
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@restishistorypod

All-In

• homepage: https://allin.com/
• on any podcast app: https://pod.link/1502871393
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@allin

Subscribe to Pick of the Pods - the newsletter - on Substack: https://substack.com/@robinpomeroy

Discover one new podcast every week with the Pick of the Pods Substack: https://pickofthepods.substack.com/

Watch POP-The Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQu6D1uClH0i-nR9YppCSgzhElMbfPcv7

Or follow on any podcast app - new episodes drop monthly: https://pod.link/1891273310

Music by fAR

Pick of the Pods: copyright Spinney Hill Media 2026.

The Rest Is Politics is one of the biggest podcasts in politics on both sides of the Atlantic. The UK version is presented by former Labour party communications director Alastair Campbell and former Conservative politician Rory Stewart. The Rest Is Politics US is hosted by BBC correspondent Katty Kay and financier and (very briefly) former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci.

Fiona Douglas is a producer working mostly on TRIP US. Among the trade secrets she divulges are:

• why are so many podcasts from Goalhanger called “The Rest Is…[something]” - and what might they have been called if history had been different?
• the most valued skills required for anyone wanting to work in podcast production
• the cliché might be that the target audience for The Rest Is Politics are “centrist dads” - but is that really true?

Find The Rest Is Politics:

• on any podcast app: https://linktr.ee/RestIsPolitics
• YouTube: / @restispolitics

Find The Rest Is Politics US

• homepage: https://tripus.supportingcast.fm/
• on any podcast app: https://pod.link/1743030473
• YouTube: / @restpoliticsus
  
  

Episodes featured:

• US Election Livestream: The US Election LIVE SHOWS
• Elon Musk: The Making of A Maverick: https://podcasts.apple.com/mu/podcast...
• The Speech That Tipped The Balance or Preaching To The Choir?: The Speech That Tipped The Balance or Prea...

Fiona’s pick of the pods:

• Today in Focus (The Guardian): https://www.theguardian.com/news/seri...
• Sweet Bobby (Tortoise): https://open.spotify.com/episode/6WG0Q6p7JmLERBtP5hZHNa&

Subscribe to Pick of the Pods - the newsletter - on Substack: https://substack.com/@robinpomeroy

Discover one new podcast every week with the Pick of the Pods Substack: https://pickofthepods.substack.com/

Watch POP-The Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQu6D1uClH0i-nR9YppCSgzhElMbfPcv7

Or follow on any podcast app - new episodes drop monthly: https://pod.link/1891273310

Music by fAR

Pick of the Pods: copyright Spinney Hill Media 2026.

Pick of the Pods - the podcast - is coming soon. Follow on Substack or any podcast app.

Subscribe to Pick of the Pods - the newsletter - on Substack: https://substack.com/@robinpomeroy

Discover one new podcast every week with the Pick of the Pods Substack: https://pickofthepods.substack.com/

Watch POP-The Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQu6D1uClH0i-nR9YppCSgzhElMbfPcv7

Or follow on any podcast app - new episodes drop monthly: https://pod.link/1891273310

Music by fAR

Pick of the Pods: copyright Spinney Hill Media 2026.