I learn so much and am both inspired and relieved that people like these wonderfully intelligent, curious, and silly hosts exist in our world. The energy, friendship, and dedication are palpable. I love the puns, the jokes, and of course the educational content… I love it all. Thank you for providing such awesome content.

As someone who’s spent a lot of their time at work listening to documentaries & video essays on science & history, this show is right up my alley. Half the topics they bring to the show are ones I’m already interested in, and even when they’re not, the hosts bring such a fun vibe and a passion for learning, that by the end I’m enthralled and invested in the topic. Besides, if you really don’t like some of the topics, just skip them! (Not that I would). Topics aside, the hosts have such a great energy, and never fail to make me laugh. Especially Tom, whose ability to torture those around him with his sense of humor is something I share and deeply respect 🫡. Even if you’re not as much of a science/history buff, the charm, chemistry, and comedy of the hosts will leave you wanting more. Which I’m especially feeling now that I’m caught up on all the episodes :,)

I’ve never loved a podcast more! I’ll come back and write a better review later, but from someone whose nickname has been google since teenage-hood—thanks for a million research topics and hours of delight

Ella, Caroline, and Tom What an Absolutely amazing podcast! I Came over from the lateral pod, and it only took me month to catch up up on the back episodes. I constantly use all the great information from your pod in my conversations ( I also plug the show when I can) Lastly, Growing up and living in cities currently I never really gave pigeons a second thought until the pod! I was at park near where I work the other day, and I was in absolute awe of these great birds and fascinated by all their quirks and beauty. ECT @ LLE keep up the amazing work and please continue making learning fun! All the love Pat!

What an absolute delight. These Excellent Humans manage to educate and entertain in a way that makes you feel like you’re just chatting with your friends. I never realized before this podcast that I love bees and that the Ig Nobel prizes rock. Unpopular opinion, I really enjoy Tom’s jokes!

It’s the only podcast I’ve listened to making it the best by default. Also I don’t know what people are talking about when they say they talk over each other to much I think they just need hearing aids. The subtitles work too.

Found this wonderful team thanks to Tom Scott and did not stop listening to them yet. Great energy, great wealth of knowledge wonderful Tom’s dad jokes, what’s not to like? PS: Tom, please, for the love of our ears, especially the ones that listen to the show while driving, normalize the volume in post, adjusting it all the time is hard.

This podcast is like a hug from some nerds. SO funny, enriching, endearing, fascinating, relatable, etc— whenever I’m down I listen to old episodes of LLE and it makes me love the world again. Caroline, Ella, and Tom’s passion for learning makes me genuinely emotional and reminds me how cool life is. They never fail to bring the tea, the goofs, and the insightful perspectives. Even their ad breaks are completely charming. I’m so grateful to these three for their amazing work!! 1000/10

Stop trying to talk together. It's too much. The rapid-fire talking is a bit much. Certainly are energetic.

Such a lovely crew that will have you ugly laughing while trying to work. I originally was introduced to LLE through Lateral (another easy follow you should check out); their playful energy and quick wit serves them well there and makes their podcast a real treat. After listening to some recent episodes, I’m headed back to the first one to catch up. I love to share the new tidbits I learn here with friends and family. Thanks for your hard work in sharing this with us!

As someone who strictly consumed true crime podcasts for many years, I felt it starting to have a negative impact on my mood - especially as the pandemic wore on. I needed to switch things up for my own mental health, so I looked for new, more upbeat podcasts. I wanted to feel like I was sitting in on friends having a good time chatting about the things they loved that I was also interested in...so I listened to the Scrubs rewatch podcast. When I caught up with that, I decided to look for something else that was both entertaining AND that would give my brain a good workout...so I found the Lateral Podcast with Tom Scott. And thank goodness I did, as it was through that podcast that I discovered these three beautiful science communicators on a mission to learn everything. I've had such an amazing time listening to Ella, Tom, and Caroline nerd out about so many new and fascinating topics I never would have learned about without them. I came for the fun and interesting conversations on science and miscellaneous topics, but I stayed for the chemistry that is so apparent between the three hosts (also the lighthearted profanity). I give this podcast 5 American Flags on the Moon out of 5.

I’m new to this podcast, and I gotta say, it’s amazing. The hilarious jokes and wonderful music always keeps me entertained. But I’m confused as to why tom, the CLEARLY superior host hasn’t consumed the other two yet and taken over the podcast?

I first heard about you guys when I was binging Lateral. I loved the way you worked together on that show and when I got caught up there I knew this was the next one to binge. Presently, I am on episode 20 and this has been the one thing that gets me through my work day for the last few weeks. I’m not looking forward to needing to find another podcast when I’m caught up (maybe I’ll listen the backlog again!). I love what you guys do and it I have been recommending this podcast as much as I can to my friends and family. Best wishes to you all!

6 stars this is the most top tier podcast to ever cast a pod. even though 2/3 of yall are british, which would normally scare me entirely away because england is scary, but yall are so funny that it makes me forget that england is scary. you all three work so well together, and all of your topics are amazing. the research for this show is incredibly thorough, and all of you are among the best science communicators I’ve ever listened to. it’s really quite hard to overstate how good this podcast is, but let me do my best for review corner: this podcast is so good that there are entire textbooks just summarizing LLE topics. this podcast is so good that when I played it outside a large group of pigeons sat attentively and listened very politely for the entire hour and a half, even the ads (this one might not be an overstatement i haven’t tried yet). this podcast is so good that all of my illnesses and injuries have been completely cured by listening to it. this podcast is so good that it made me better at mario kart (it hasnt but feel like somehow it could though) anyways, thanks for making a good podcast! I’m editing my review, yall get a 6th star because you also be cooking on lateral

Way too much banter and laughing going on with the people on the one episode I did try listening to. Couldn’t be bothered to listen to any more and shut it off right away.

I’ve been listening to Science and Cultural podcasts for the last 6 years and this is my favorite, by far. Tom, Ella, and Caroline make me smile and laugh one minute and then focus the next. The banter between these three always a Brightens my day and I can’t wait to learn everything P.S: If y’all are reading this, Hi from Murrieta, California!!!

Such great potential but the psychotic laughter is too much.

After hearing you guys on lateral multiple times, I finally decided to look you up, and I am so glad I did. This is what I was looking for. The depth and research that goes into each topic seems astounding, but your energies and personalities flowing so well is what makes the show. I’ve listened to 33 episodes this last month. Don’t ever shorten the episodes, and I can’t wait to learn EVERYTHING with y’all. PS. Thanks Tom, I can listen with my 16 year old and show her my jokes really aren’t that bad

This podcast has cured all my ailments!! Also, my daughter didn’t know how to read or write before she started listening with me, now the pediatrician said she has an IQ of 425!!! She should be publishing her first book by the time she’s 6 months old. This podcast is such a fun way to learn about everything that I never thought twice about. Been recommending it to all my friends and YOU SHOULD TOO

I love listening to you guys! I found this pod through listening to SIF. You’ve become a part of my morning commute to work and I look forward to it every day! I have always loved learning and the joy you each bring to the topics is so wonderful! Not to mention very well researched. Listening to these beautiful people is like sitting with nerdy friends and having a great time! I’m starting from the first episode now, it will be a sad day when I have to wait for each episode! (I only have a few left Ugh😩!) Love you guys! Keep it up! 💜

I’ve always been an articulate person, and I love love using that gift to educate people and make things easier to understand. People generally understand things better with imagery-related metaphors, and this podcast does such a fantastic job at doing exactly that. This has led me to genuinely consider a career in science communication, with my medical background and passion for “dumbing down” seemingly intimidating research papers for other people to understand and enjoy. I’ve been a fan of this podcast ever since they were on Patreon, and it broke my heart to find out I couldn’t support them there when they stopped, but since they joined Maximum Fun; I’m elated to know they’re continuing the good work! I love you all more than you know.

I can’t describe how happy and goofy and somehow still extremely smart and intelligent these people are

I really like this show. The topics are very interesting and thought provoking. All three hosts do an excellent job of researching and curating their topics. I often pause the episode to go and search the topic to learn more. BUT!!! Tom talks way too much!!!!!!! He constantly interrupts the other hosts while they are trying to discuss the topic they have spent hours researching and writing. TOM DOESN’T GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO TALK. IT IS VERY DISTRACTING AND OFTEN BORDERS ON RUDE! There is definitely a time and place for questions and discussion, but for God’s sake TOM-BE QUIET and let Caroline and Ella get out their thoughts and very well written topics before you add you ideas and exclamations!!! They don’t disrupt you when it is your turn to present your topic. Just be quiet and listen and once they have gotten out their topic, THEN add your thoughts. PLEASE

I don’t know if I have the words to describe how much this podcast means to me. School and college had me so burnt out on wanting to learn and made me feel as though I could never pursue an education in science but listening to this podcast made me remember how much I love science. Its gotten to the point where I’m considering going back to school to get another degree in a science field after listening to this podcast. Listening to Tom, Caroline, & Ella get genuinely excited about learning has gotten me excited about learning and it’s just so refreshing to hear how passionate people can be able the things they really love. On top of that the way they break apart each topic to explain it in much more easily understandable words goes to show that we can all learn and based on how well this podcast has done so far, how much we all enjoy learning. These three are amazing science communicators and I can not begin to thank them enough for the work they put into making this podcast for us all. I also don’t typically leave reviews but if they’re still reading all of their reviews I just needed them to know how much they’ve inspired me. So if you guys do read this, thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

I work a tedious job alone and am constantly in search of more things to listen too. As a lonely nerd I feel like most podcast fall in the crack of being either too personality based with very little value outside of entertainment… or too information based with nothing to keep me awake. I have reached episode 20 and now not only listen at work but have downloaded multiple episodes to listen too during my vacation. Tom, Caroline, and the (as of listening) the new Dr. Ella. Make it so much fun to learn about all the sciences I forgot I loved in school. Despite intentionally looking for a science podcast sometimes their misc. topics are even more amazing and fun. I’m so glad to find this evergreen podcast and wonder how long it will take me to speedrun the current podcast dlc. My one warning or complaint is they are a bit aggressive towards those of the conservative perspectives. I don’t disagree with most of any of their opinions (especially since they back up their thoughts well) but it has been uncomfortable sometimes when thoughts I’ve previously held through no fault of my own are vilified since it makes me feel like I’m part of a problem despite trying to learn and grow away from. But despite that please notice the 5 stars they are worth it. And even if Dr. Ella sneaks genes into my vaccines to make me agree with her… you can totally trust me… you just found the best podcast.

Are Tom’s jokes always funny? Maybe not, but Ella’s and Caroline’s exasperation at them always is. And just the thought that someone approaches their job with so much joy that they prepare all these dad jokes ahead of time, complete with sound clips and anticipation of their co-hosts’ reactions, puts a rainbow in my sky. Keep it up y’all!

Really great show. The hosts are bright, endearing, and sometimes even pretty funny (*comedy*). It is both comforting and eye opening to have them along for a ride in my ears. Also the fanfic ep single-handedly got me to become a Maximum Fun donor.

You guys always talk about the most fascinating things in most accepting way - love your conversations and community and podcast ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I’m just really happy you guys exist. 💕

I’d like to hear less about male software engineers. It’d also be great if you could adjust the levels to account for very loud laughter.

Thanks for your wonderful podcast. It’s obvious that you all invest a lot of your time and effort into it. The resulting shared curiosity and friendship is a show that I look forward to with each new episode.

I found these three after they appeared on Lateral and their podcast has quickly become a favorite of mine. Ella, Tom, and Caroline have a genuine enthusiasm for the topics they cover. They also have a true talent for making complex or difficult subjects understandable and approachable. Would recommend to everyone.

This podcast is an absolute joy. I found it last week and have caught up since then. I am so glad I found it when I did, it is a wonderful mix of knowledgeable and entertaining.

I picked up this podcast recently because I heard an ad for it on another Max Fun podcast and ended up loving it a bunch! It’s my new favorite comfort podcast and is like a warm hug to the part of my brain that wants to continually aggregate knowledge. I just caught up to where they got inducted into Max Fun and am working my way through the backlog. I love hearing queer scientists (and token straight scientist friend) talk passionately about things and they remind me of my own friends. One thing I will say (idk if this ha been addressed since I’m not up to date) is that it’s not humans that are the problem wrt environmental issues! It’s actually all the colonialism and capitalism! Aa said in the early Halloween-themed episode, the scariest horror story of all is indeed Capitalism. (Ghost voice: OoooOOoo) Edit: Finally got to the plastics episode, and… yeah… More capitalistic nightmare time ;=; (But I assure everyone that the podcast is still very comforting even when they get to the heavier topics!!)

I’ve enjoyed the teaching stylings of Caroline, Ella, and Tom since they first debuted on Maximum Fun. I’ve listened to every episode while at work, often times forgetting what I’m doing as they bring me into their world of knowledge. Today is the day I fell in love with the show. As Tom read a note from his 6th grade teacher, the heart of the show opened to me in a way it hadn’t before. For me, it represented the pursuit and preservation of knowledge, the importance of doing so with love and respect, and how important it is to have dedicated teachers to pass it along. I cried along with the hosts, much to the bewilderment of my coworkers. I cannot adequately express my gratitude for these three dedicated teachers and the impact they continue to have in my life.

I’ve listened to every episode and I’m the most annoying person now. I spend my free time listening to 3 fun internet strangers dive into random topics then spend my time with friends waiting for what I learned to become relevant. This podcast is very approachable and has made me excited about learning for the first time in a while, and all my friends are probably tired of me talking about it. 10/10 currently listening again

I’m always looking forward to an episode of LLE. I found it through other Maximum Fun shows, and it quickly became a regular part of my queue. Not only do I love shows that explain why something I hadn’t really thought about before is actually really interesting, but I also alternate episodes of nonfiction comedic shows with horror fiction podcasts at work and this show is great for emotionally recovering from the average episode of Hello from the Hallowoods. I recommend this to everyone.

Stumbled on this podcast a few weeks ago and have been flying through the backlog. I first recommended this podcast to someone before finishing the first episode I ever listened to (the mitochondria eve segment really got me). I now can’t stop telling people about things I’ve learned, just ask my friends. I am particularly impressed with Tom and Ella and Caroline’s capacity to take on sometimes-quite-daunting science topics that don’t shy away from hard, complicated science, while making them accessible and relatable. Also, their chemistry is great!

I don’t know why anybody would care about my opinion of the show, but they said writing a review would help the show, so here it is. If you’re wondering if you should be listening to this show, the answer is yes. Everyone should be listening to the show. It reminds me of another great podcast called Don’t Wreck Yourself. Listen to both.

I seriously love this podcast! The crew has such good chemsitry and they genuinely enjoy sharing what they've learned. You never know what topics will come up every week and they'll often lead you down a certain path only to pull a switcheroo and flip everything you though you knew on its head. I can't tell you how many times my jaw has dropped while listening to this show. They have better twists in their scientific story telling than M Night Shyamalan. <3

I wanted to like this but the over-the-top, uproarious laughter of the hosts just left me flat. What ever is being said is simply NOT that funny. To quote the movie Jaws (in it twice) "that's not funny, that's not funny at all". Give me the facts in a humerous way is fine, but the I've got to scream and howl with a giant belly laugh for a milquetoast anecdote is another. It's just disruptive to the point that I've had to fast forward or shut it off entirely. Come on guys, act like adults, not a group of screamng teenagers at a sleep-over.

This is me supporting your pod

This podcast has everything I want in a podcast: interesting information, fellow lovers of weird facts, outward support for minority communities, and amazing hosts. All of the hosts get so excited about the information, and their sense of humor is great! It feels like having an engaging conversation with friends!

i love this show! there are so many fun science topics explored and the humor really adds to it. someone i listen to this show with refers to it slightly disparagingly as “the laughing people” but i love it. i always look forward to new episodes! i’m in high school and this podcast really got me into biology and environmental science.

I am a big fan of learning new; this podcast is a great companion for my day to day running around.

Want to hear the best sound in the world? Download episode 37:(Loving Toxicity, Future Warnings, and Better Burials). Scroll to 7:16 and hit play for 3 seconds. If you’re interested in the dumb things that cause this beautiful sound, you can listen to the 15 seconds prior. 🤣 7:16 -7:19 is my favorite 3 seconds of audio ever recorded. ❤️ Listen, you’ll love it too.

I love science and laughs, and this has both in abundance! The hosts have spectacular chemistry and love of science and learning you can feel through your earbuds! Love you three, I’m adding you to my MaxFun membership, keep it up :)

I was listening to this podcast at work, as one does, and they did as they always do: reveal a well researched and incredibly well presented fact that blew me away. I was in such a state of shock because of this new fact that I slipped on a stair, fell, and twisted my ankle. I’m fine do not fear. 10/10 fantastic experience and worth the pain, would do it again.

I liked the positive energy I heard out of this trio during a Max Fun ad and decided to check out the show—so glad I did. Love Caroline, Tom and Ella’s energy and commitment to making learning fun and easy. The factoids are such great trivia and occasionally there are some important insights shared as well! Thank you for being science ambassadors, you three! Highly recommend.

Heard a promo for LLE on another Max Fun podcast in February and have been catching up on all the old episodes ever since. Finally up to date! Added LLE to my max fun distributions in March. I love listening to these three nerds be very excited about what they’re talking about. Students learn best from teachers that are excited. Thank you Ella, Caroline, and Tom!