Join Tra i Leoni on November 26th for The Sound of Information, exploring how podcasts are reshaping how we learn and connect through listening.
On November 26th, Tra i Leoni will host The Sound of Information, a panel on how podcasts are reshaping the way we discover, learn, and make sense of the world. Our guest speakers for the night will be Francesca Milano, Clara Morelli, and Mattia Liciotti – three voices at the center of Italy’s growing audio landscape. The event asks a simple question: what happens to news and information when we stop reading, watching, and scrolling and start listening?
For a generation raised on hyper-speed feeds and algorithmic noise, podcasts offer something radically different: time. Time to think, time to follow a story from start to finish, time to sit inside someone else’s mind without distractions. They reinvent learning not as a task, but as a rhythm; whether it’s on your commute to campus, a much-needed break from studying or when you’ve exhausted your gym playlist.
As audio storytelling becomes one of the fastest-growing mediums in journalism, education, and entertainment, Tra i Leoni event invites us to reflect on why listening feels newly essential. It’s not just that podcasts are convenient. It’s that they give us a way to engage deeply with information we usually wouldn’t come across. They turn curiosity into a habit. They make complexity accessible. And often, they remind us that the most interesting ideas rarely fit into a 15-second clip.
In the spirit of the event, here are five podcasts worth adding to your rotation: shows that educate without lecturing, inspire without preaching, and entertain without dumbing anything down.
1. People I (Mostly) Admire
Hosted by the co-author of “Freakonomics” Steven Levitt, this podcast is what happens when world-class thinkers drop the polished façade and casually overshare the life hacks, failures, detours, and eccentric habits that shaped them. It’s not just interviews; it’s brilliance made human. If you’ve ever wanted to hear geniuses explain the one thing they still can’t figure out, their obsessions and midlife crisis this one is for you. Expect underrated lessons, sharp insights, and a surprising amount of warmth.
2. Acquired
Imagine billion-dollar business stories told with the suspense and pacing of a Netflix documentary. That’s Acquired. This season an unexpected partnership with J.P. Morgan covers how “Every company has a story. And every story is powered by Payments.” From interviews with Fortune 500 companies to startup CEOs, this “captivating audiobook” is described by The Wall Street Journal as “the business world’s favorite podcast”. Whether they’re hosting the founders of NVIDIA, Starbucks and Meta or explaining why certain companies quietly rule the world, hosts Ben Gilbert and David Rosenthal transform corporate history into gripping narratives. Perfect for anyone who has ever wondered how the world’s most powerful firms got that way and what they risk along the journey.
3. 99% Invisible
A cult classic in design storytelling, this show uncovers the extraordinary in the everyday: buildings, objects, signs, systems, frustrations you never questioned but always lived with. This weekly podcast about design dives into the deep end of things that go unnoticed by anyone other than their own creators. Hosted by Roman Mars, each episode feels like opening a hidden door in your own city. It’s a masterclass in noticing and appreciation and will definitely have you thinking about your surroundings in a way that hasn’t occurred to you yet.
4. Radiolab (WNYC Studios)
Some stories make science and philosophy feel like magic tricks, this is one of them. Radiolab blends experimental sound design with profound curiosity, turning complex ideas into playful adventures. Hosted by Lulu Miller and Latif Nasser, one episode might take you inside a black hole; another might unravel a legal paradox or a forgotten historical mystery. If you love being intellectually surprised, few shows do it better.
5. Hardcore History
Dan Carlin doesn’t narrate history; he catapults you into it. With cinematic intensity and obsessive research, Hardcore History transforms wars, empires, and ancient civilizations into edge-of-your-seat epics. Episodes are long, dense, and completely addictive. I would go so far as to call this podcast an acquired taste with episodes stretching for a couple of hours but the way Carlin talks makes hours feel like minutes. If you’ve always admired those friends who seem to be a never-ending source of interesting facts and have lived a hundred lives listening to these episodes will allow you to be one of them.
Whether you’re an audiobook lover, a serial multitasker, or simply someone craving depth in a shallow digital world, podcasts offer a way to reconnect with the pleasure of learning. Perhaps that’s the real “sound of information”.
Come listen with us on November 26th.
Hi everyone! My name is Klara and I'm a BIEM student from Croatia. I love reading, writing and spending time with the people I love. When I write and read I take it as an opportunity to learn and teach others about everything; from the quiet moments of everyday life to the bigger questions shaping it completely. I’m especially passionate about research, storytelling, and exploring the role of communication in shaping public discourse.
I hope my pieces spark curiosity, reflection, or even just a really good conversation!
