I’ve spent enough time immersed in the 2019 news cycle to start feeling a little like the world is ending. Maybe that’s why I’m always plugged into podcasts—and not necessarily for mindless escapism. Instead of news broadcasts and current events, I prefer to fill my ears with nerdy knowledge and stories of scientific research. By year’s end, I was surprised to find myself with five terrific series, all new this year, to recommend to anybody else in a similar situation.

Spacebridge

So if 2019 was spent searching for news-cycle relief and hope, let’s begin with a docu-series about another time the world seemed to be on the brink of destruction.