The 20 Best Science Podcasts of 2026: Ranked by Real Chart Data
The science category on Apple Podcasts is unusual: it is one of the few genres where public radio, independent creators, celebrity scientists, and cryptid hunters all share the same top 20. If you search best science podcasts 2026 you will find lists that ignore that mix. This list does not. It is built from CastFox's daily Apple Podcasts chart data across 78 countries, and the 20 shows below are the ones that held the top of the US Science chart across ten separate snapshots between February and September 2026, weighted by how many countries they reach.
Science podcasting in 2026 has settled into six recognizable formats. Psychology and mind shows that explain your own behavior back to you (Hidden Brain, Making Sense, Something You Should Know). Narrative science journalism with real sound design (Radiolab, Unexplainable, Science Vs, Short Wave, Science Friday). Physics and cosmos shows from working scientists (StarTalk, Mindscape, Daniel and Kelly's Extraordinary Universe). Curiosity-and-comedy shows that make a subject you never cared about riveting (Ologies, The Rest Is Science, This Podcast Will Kill You, Tooth & Claw). A sleep show that has somehow become a top-10 science charter (Boring History for Sleep). And a cluster of shows about the fringes of the explainable (DarkHorse, Blurry Creatures, Sasquatch Chronicles, WEAPONIZED) that the Apple chart counts as science whether scientists like it or not.
Each card shows the real cover art, the host, what the show is, why it earned its place in 2026, and who it is best for, plus the chart numbers behind the ranking: how many of the ten US chart snapshots it appeared in, its average US rank, and how many countries it charted in on the most recent scrape. Click through to CastFox for the full profile with audience estimates, chart history in every country, reviews, and contact details.
Jump to a Show
- #1. Hidden Brain
- #2. Radiolab
- #3. StarTalk Radio
- #4. Ologies with Alie Ward
- #5. The Rest Is Science
- #6. Unexplainable
- #7. Boring History for Sleep
- #8. Science Vs
- #9. Short Wave
- #10. Making Sense with Sam Harris
- #11. Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas
- #12. Science Friday
- #13. Something You Should Know
- #14. This Podcast Will Kill You
- #15. Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
- #16. Tooth & Claw: True Stories of Animal Attacks
- #17. DarkHorse Podcast
- #18. Blurry Creatures
- #19. Sasquatch Chronicles
- #20. WEAPONIZED with Jeremy Corbell & George Knapp
The 20 Best Science Podcasts to Listen To in 2026
Psychology and the Mind
#10. Making Sense with Sam Harris
Hosted by Sam Harris
About this show: Neuroscientist, philosopher, and author Sam Harris hosts long conversations about the mind, consciousness, morality, rationality, and current events, often with scientists and philosophers and often with the intention of changing the listener's mind.
Why it made the list in 2026: A best US rank of 7 and a 62-country footprint across 2026, more than a decade after launch.
Best fit for: Listeners who want rigorous, sometimes uncomfortable argument rather than consensus.
#13. Something You Should Know
Hosted by Mike Carruthers | OmniCast Media
About this show: Mike Carruthers interviews experts about one practical, research-backed thing per segment: how to remember names, why you procrastinate, what actually makes a first impression. Daily, short, and relentlessly useful.
Why it made the list in 2026: An average US rank of 1.6, tied with Hidden Brain for the best on the list, across all ten snapshots and more than a thousand episodes.
Best fit for: People who want applied behavioral science in a form they can use before lunch.
Narrative Science Journalism
#2. Radiolab
Hosted by WNYC Studios
About this show: WNYC's flagship science show, hosted by Lulu Miller and Latif Nasser, asks big questions and answers them with investigative reporting and the most inventive sound design in audio. A given episode can move from cell biology to legal history to a kitchen halfway across the world.
Why it made the list in 2026: The show that defined narrative science audio is still charting in 69 countries and holding a US average rank of 3 across all of 2026.
Best fit for: Listeners who care as much about how a story is told as what it is about.
#6. Unexplainable
Hosted by Vox
About this show: Vox's science team (Noam Hassenfeld, Julia Longoria, Byrd Pinkerton, Meradith Hoddinott) picks a question science has not answered yet and follows it to the edge of what is known. Twice-weekly and beautifully produced.
Why it made the list in 2026: The best newer show in the narrative-journalism format, charting in 70 countries with a best US rank of 11.
Best fit for: Listeners who find settled science less interesting than the open questions.
#8. Science Vs
Hosted by Spotify Studios
About this show: Spotify Studios' fact-checking show takes one contested topic per episode (fluoride, ADHD, 5G, fasting) and sifts the research to say what is true, what is not, and what is somewhere in between. Host Wendy Zukerman keeps it funny.
Why it made the list in 2026: A best US rank of 7 and a 68-country footprint, and one of the most cited shows in the category.
Best fit for: Anyone who has lost an argument at dinner and wants ammunition for the next one.
#9. Short Wave
Hosted by NPR
About this show: NPR's daily science show, hosted by Emily Kwong and Regina Barber, covers new discoveries, everyday mysteries, and the science behind the headlines in under 15 minutes.
Why it made the list in 2026: The most consistent short-form science show in the US, holding a top-10 average across all ten 2026 snapshots and charting in 59 countries.
Best fit for: Commuters who want a daily science habit that fits inside a coffee.
#12. Science Friday
Hosted by Science Friday and WNYC Studios
About this show: The public-radio institution, produced with WNYC Studios, covers the week in science from deep space to the microbiome, with interviews, listener questions, and a long-running commitment to making research entertaining.
Why it made the list in 2026: More than a thousand episodes in and still in the US top 10 on average across 2026.
Best fit for: Listeners who want breadth: a weekly survey of what happened in science rather than a deep dive on one topic.
Physics and the Cosmos
#3. StarTalk Radio
Hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson
About this show: Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, director of the Hayden Planetarium, hosts with comic co-hosts, celebrity guests, and scientists to cover astronomy, physics, and everything in between, with the jokes very much intended.
Why it made the list in 2026: Tied for second on this list: every snapshot, an average US rank of 4.5, and a 71-country footprint that makes it the most globally distributed physics show in the world.
Best fit for: Anyone who wants to learn about the universe without feeling like they are in a lecture.
#11. Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas
Hosted by Sean Carroll
About this show: Theoretical physicist and cosmologist Sean Carroll interviews leading thinkers across physics, philosophy, biology, and the arts for 90 minutes or more, plus solo episodes on the biggest ideas in his own field.
Why it made the list in 2026: A steady top-25 US charter across 2026 with a 62-country footprint, an unusual reach for a show this demanding.
Best fit for: Listeners who want a working scientist asking other experts the questions a working scientist would ask.
#15. Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
Hosted by iHeartPodcasts
About this show: Particle physicist Daniel Whiteson and biologist Kelly Weinersmith explain one topic in science per episode, from black holes to parasites to moon colonies, in a way that assumes curiosity and nothing else.
Why it made the list in 2026: Eight hundred episodes in, still in the US top 30 across every 2026 snapshot and charting in 48 countries.
Best fit for: Listeners who want explanations pitched for a smart teenager, delivered by two scientists who obviously like each other.
Curiosity and Comedy
#4. Ologies with Alie Ward
Hosted by Alie Ward
About this show: Science correspondent and humorist Alie Ward interviews one -ologist per episode (volcanologists, teuthologists, thanatologists) and asks the smart questions everyone is embarrassed to ask. Charming, bizarre, and rigorous underneath.
Why it made the list in 2026: An average US rank of 4.4 and a best of 3, plus a 66-country footprint. The most consistent independent science show on the chart.
Best fit for: People who have never cared about a subject until Alie Ward interviewed someone who does.
#5. The Rest Is Science
Hosted by Goalhanger
About this show: Mathematician Hannah Fry and science creator Michael Stevens (Vsauce) dig into the weird questions that sit between what we think we know and what we actually know. Goalhanger's science entry, launched in 2025.
Why it made the list in 2026: Only 45 episodes old and already charting in 72 countries with a best US rank of 14, the fastest rise on this list.
Best fit for: Fans of either host, and anyone who wants a smart two-hander rather than a solo lecture.
#14. This Podcast Will Kill You
Hosted by Exactly Right and iHeartPodcasts
About this show: Disease ecologists Erin Welsh and Erin Allmann Updyke take one disease or medical mystery per episode and cover its biology, history, and epidemiology, cocktail recipe included.
Why it made the list in 2026: A best US rank of 13 across 2026 and a devoted audience that has kept it charting in 35 countries since 2017.
Best fit for: Listeners who find pathogens fascinating and want the history alongside the science.
#16. Tooth & Claw: True Stories of Animal Attacks
Hosted by Wes Larson, Jeff Larson, Mike Smith | Daylight Media
About this show: Wildlife biologist Wes Larson, his brother Jeff, and their friend Mike retell documented wild-animal attacks and explain the biology and behavior behind them, and how to avoid becoming a story.
Why it made the list in 2026: A best US rank of 11 and every 2026 snapshot, proof that animal behavior can carry a science show on its own.
Best fit for: Hikers, campers, and anyone who likes their zoology with a pulse.
Science for Sleep
#7. Boring History for Sleep
Hosted by Velvet
About this show: Velvet narrates deliberately uneventful strolls through the dullest corners of the past, treaties nobody remembers and kings who ruled for three weeks, engineered so that falling asleep halfway is the goal.
Why it made the list in 2026: Improbably, a top-10 US science charter across all of 2026 with a 63-country footprint. Sleep audio is now one of the most consistent formats on any chart.
Best fit for: Insomniacs with a curious mind who find story-based sleep shows too engaging.
The Unexplained and the Contrarian
#17. DarkHorse Podcast
Hosted by Bret Weinstein & Heather Heying
About this show: Evolutionary biologists Bret Weinstein and Heather Heying apply their evolutionary toolkit to science, society, and current events, frequently in disagreement with institutional consensus.
Why it made the list in 2026: A best US rank of 5 in 2026 and a place in every snapshot. The most controversial show on this list, and one of the most listened to.
Best fit for: Listeners who want heterodox scientific argument and are prepared to check the claims themselves.
#18. Blurry Creatures
Hosted by Blurry Creatures
About this show: Nate Henry and Luke Rodgers investigate cryptids, ancient giants, the Nephilim, and forbidden history at the intersection of science, folklore, and faith, with researchers and witnesses as guests.
Why it made the list in 2026: A best US rank of 8 and every 2026 snapshot in the science top 100.
Best fit for: Listeners who enjoy the strange edges of the map and do not need every question answered.
#19. Sasquatch Chronicles
Hosted by Sasquatch Chronicles - Bigfoot Encounters
About this show: A weekly show of Bigfoot eyewitness accounts, researcher interviews, and sighting reports, running since 2013 with over 700 episodes.
Why it made the list in 2026: A best US rank of 8 across 2026, sustained by one of the most loyal audiences in the category.
Best fit for: Believers, skeptics who enjoy a campfire story, and anyone curious why so many people report the same thing.
#20. WEAPONIZED with Jeremy Corbell & George Knapp
Hosted by Jeremy Corbell and George Knapp
About this show: Investigative journalist George Knapp and filmmaker Jeremy Corbell examine UFOs, government secrecy, and the unexplained through interviews, documents, and footage from their own reporting.
Why it made the list in 2026: A best US rank of 17 across 2026 and a 30-country footprint, the widest reach of the fringe cluster.
Best fit for: Listeners following the UAP story who want the primary sources rather than the summaries.
How This List Is Ranked
CastFox scrapes the Apple Podcasts charts every day in 78 countries and stores every position in the top 200 of every genre. For this list we took the ten 2026 snapshots of the US Science chart between February 24 and September 4, 2026, and scored every show that appeared in the top 100 of any of them.
- Consistency (50% of the score): the number of snapshots in which the show appeared in the US top 100. Every show on this list scored 10 out of 10, which is the filter that removes one-week spikes.
- Average US rank (30%): the mean of the show's US chart positions across those snapshots. Lower is better.
- Global reach (20%): the number of tracked countries in which the show was in the genre top 100 on the most recent snapshot. This is what separates a show with a large US following from a show with a global one.
There are no paid placements and no editorial overrides. A few shows on this list would not be our personal picks; they are here because the chart data put them here, and we would rather show you what people are actually listening to than what we think they should be. Chart position is not the same as audience size, so treat the ranking as a measure of sustained popularity rather than a download count. For a deeper look at what chart data can and cannot tell you, read how podcast audience demographics are calculated.
How to Pick the Right Science Podcast for You
You want to understand people, starting with yourself
Hidden Brain is the obvious first pick and the #1 show on this list. Something You Should Know is the practical, fact-a-day version. Making Sense is the philosophical one.
You want produced, story-driven episodes
Radiolab invented the format. Unexplainable is the best newer show in it. Science Vs is the one that settles arguments. Short Wave fits in 15 minutes.
You want physics from physicists
StarTalk if you want jokes with your astrophysics, Mindscape if you want a working theorist interviewing other theorists for two hours, Daniel and Kelly's Extraordinary Universe if you want the friendly middle.
You want to be surprised by a topic
Ologies is the reigning champion of making you care about slugs. The Rest Is Science pairs Hannah Fry with Vsauce. This Podcast Will Kill You does the same for diseases.
You want to fall asleep
Boring History for Sleep was engineered so that losing the thread halfway is the point.
You want the shows scientists argue about
DarkHorse, Blurry Creatures, Sasquatch Chronicles, and WEAPONIZED chart in the science category every week. Whether they belong there is a different question; they are on this list because the data put them here.
Want the next 180 science podcasts?
This list is the top 20. The CastFox Science chart page shows the top 50 updated daily, and PodcastGPT can find shows on any specific topic across 5M+ podcasts.
See the daily top 50 → Search by topic →Frequently Asked Questions About the Best Science Podcasts
What is the best science podcast in 2026?
By CastFox's chart-consistency score, Hidden Brain is the best science podcast of 2026: it appeared in all ten US chart snapshots between February and September with an average US rank of 1.6, and it charts in 72 of the 78 countries CastFox tracks. Radiolab and StarTalk Radio are tied for second.
How is this list ranked?
Each show's score combines three things from CastFox's daily Apple Podcasts chart data: how many of the ten 2026 US Science chart snapshots it appeared in the top 100 of (50% of the score), its average US rank across those appearances (30%), and how many of 78 tracked countries it charted in on the latest scrape (20%). No paid placements, no editorial overrides.
What are the best physics and astronomy podcasts?
StarTalk Radio (Neil deGrasse Tyson) is the biggest by reach, charting in 71 countries. Sean Carroll's Mindscape is the deepest, and Daniel and Kelly's Extraordinary Universe is the most accessible of the three.
What are the best psychology podcasts?
Hidden Brain is the best psychology podcast in 2026 by every chart measure. Making Sense with Sam Harris covers the mind from a neuroscience-and-philosophy angle, and Something You Should Know delivers applied behavioral research in short episodes.
Why are Bigfoot and UFO podcasts on a science list?
Because Apple Podcasts categorises them as science, and this list is built from Apple's Science chart. Sasquatch Chronicles, Blurry Creatures, and WEAPONIZED held top-30 US positions across all ten 2026 snapshots. We describe them accurately rather than pretending they are not there.
Are these podcasts free?
Yes. Every show on this list is free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and the other major apps. Several offer paid ad-free or bonus tiers.
How do I find science podcasts on a specific topic?
Use PodcastGPT Podcast Finder and describe the topic in plain English ("podcasts about CRISPR and gene editing" or "astronomy podcasts for beginners"). It searches 5M+ shows and 114M+ episodes by topic rather than by category name, and topic search finds the individual episodes.
I am a scientist or science communicator. How do I get booked on these shows?
Most of the interview shows here book outside experts. CastFox Guest Finder matches your expertise to active, guest-booking science podcasts with verified host contacts, and the complete guesting playbook covers the rest.