No Stupid Questions

Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

Society & Culture

4.6 • 3.7K Ratings

Overview

Research psychologist Angela Duckworth (author of "Grit") and tech and sports executive Mike Maughan really like to ask people questions, and they believe there’s no such thing as a stupid one. So they have a podcast where they can ask each other as many “stupid questions” as they want. New episodes each week. "No Stupid Questions" is a production of the Freakonomics Radio Network. To get every show in the Freakonomics Radio Network without ads and a monthly bonus episode of Freakonomics Radio, start a free trial for SiriusXM Podcasts+ on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.

322 Episodes

77. How Can You Avoid Boredom?

Also: are we getting any better at assessing COVID risk? This episode originally aired on December 12, 2021.

Transcribed - Published: 31 May 2026

76. Why Can’t Baby Boomers and Millennials Just Get Along?

Also: how do phone cameras affect the way we experience live events? This episode originally aired on December 5th, 2021.

Transcribed - Published: 24 May 2026

75. How Do You Deal With Intrusive Thoughts?

Also: how much does confidence really matter? This episode originally aired on November 21st, 2021.

Transcribed - Published: 17 May 2026

74. Does Reverse Psychology Really Work?

Also: does knowing your family history affect your identity? This episode originally aired on November 14th, 2021.

Transcribed - Published: 10 May 2026

73. Is It Okay to Engage in “Social Loafing”?

Also: why is it so great to be part of a team, even when you lose? This episode originally aired on November 7th, 2021.

Transcribed - Published: 3 May 2026

72. If Everyone Hates Meetings, Why Do We Have So Many of Them?

Also: why do so many people feel lost in their 20s? This episode originally aired on October 31st, 2021.

Transcribed - Published: 26 April 2026

71. Why Is Pig Milk the One Milk We Don’t Drink?

Also: what’s a food you love that seems disgusting to everyone else? This episode originally aired on October 24th, 2021.

Transcribed - Published: 19 April 2026

70. In a Job Interview, How Much Does Timing Matter?

Also: why is it smart to ignore what your podcast hosts look like? This episode originally aired on October 10th, 2021.

Transcribed - Published: 12 April 2026

69. How Can You Convince Someone They’re Wrong?

Also: what’s the best way to handle rejection? This episode originally aired on October 3, 2021.

Transcribed - Published: 5 April 2026

68. Why Do We Want What We Can’t Have?

Also: why are humans still so tribal? This episode originally aired on September 26th, 2021.

Transcribed - Published: 29 March 2026

67. How Can You Escape Binary Thinking?

Also: why is it so satisfying to find a bargain? This episode originally aired on September 19th, 2021.

Transcribed - Published: 22 March 2026

65. What’s the Best Advice You’ve Ever Received?

Also: why don’t you need a license to become a parent? This episode originally aired on August 29th, 2021.

Transcribed - Published: 15 March 2026

64. Are Women Required to Be Nicer Than Men?

Also: should you feel guilty if you don’t read books? This episode originally aired on August 15th, 2021.

Transcribed - Published: 8 March 2026

63. How Contagious Is Behavior? With Laurie Santos of “The Happiness Lab.” (Replay)

Why do we mirror other people’s accents? Does DJ Khaled get tired of winning? And also: life is good — so why aren’t you happy? This episode originally aired on August 8th, 2021.

Transcribed - Published: 1 March 2026

62. How Can You Escape a Drama Triangle?

Also: how do awards affect motivation? This episode originally aired on August 1st, 2021.

Transcribed - Published: 22 February 2026

61. Should We Just Ignore Our Weaknesses?

Also: why do we like what we like? This episode originally aired on July 25th, 2021.

Transcribed - Published: 15 February 2026

60. Why Do We Complain?

Also: what do you really mean when you say you “don’t have time”? This episode originally aired on July 18th, 2021.

Transcribed - Published: 8 February 2026

59. Do Dreams Actually Mean Anything?

Also: why is music so memorable? This episode originally aired on July 11th, 2021.

Transcribed - Published: 1 February 2026

58. What’s So Gratifying About Gossip?

Also: why do people hate small talk? This episode originally aired on June 27th, 2021.

Transcribed - Published: 25 January 2026

57. Which Incentives Are Best at Boosting Vaccination, and Why?

Also: what does your desired superpower say about you? This episode originally aired on June 20th, 2021.

Transcribed - Published: 18 January 2026

56. Why Is Academic Writing So Bad?

Also: what does your perfect day look like? This episode originally aired on June 13th, 2021.

Transcribed - Published: 11 January 2026

55. What Changes Will Stick When the Pandemic Is Gone?

Also: would you take a confirmation-bias vaccine? This episode originally aired on June 6th, 2021.

Transcribed - Published: 4 January 2026

54. Do You Really Need a Muse to Be Creative?

Also: is shortsightedness part of human nature? This episode originally aired on May 30th, 2021.

Transcribed - Published: 28 December 2025

53. What’s the Secret to Making a Great Prediction?

Also: how do you recover from a bad day? This episode originally aired on May 23rd, 2021.

Transcribed - Published: 21 December 2025

52. How Much Should We Be Able to Customize Our World?

Also: does multitasking actually increase productivity? This episode originally aired on May 16th, 2021.

Transcribed - Published: 14 December 2025

51. What Separates Humans From Other Animals?

Also: why do people pace while talking on the phone? This episode originally aired May 9th, 2021.

Transcribed - Published: 7 December 2025

50. Are You as Observant as You Think?

Also: Angela accidentally discovers the secret to a good night’s sleep. This episode originally aired on May 2, 2021.

Transcribed - Published: 30 November 2025

49. How Does Facing Death Change Your Life?

Also: why are we so bad at assessing risk? This episode originally aired on April 25, 2021.

Transcribed - Published: 23 November 2025

48. Do Good Deeds Invite More Bad Ones?

Also: what is the most significant choice you will ever make? This episode originally aired on April 18, 2021.

Transcribed - Published: 16 November 2025

47. Is Laziness Real?

Also: why do we dislike being alone in public? This episode originally aired on April 11, 2021.

Transcribed - Published: 9 November 2025

46. How Can You Stop Feeling So Irritable?

Also: what’s wrong with being impatient? This episode originally aired on April 2, 2021.

Transcribed - Published: 2 November 2025

45. How Much Better Do You Really Want to Be?

Also: why do we pad our speech with so much filler language? This episode originally aired on March 28, 2021

Transcribed - Published: 26 October 2025

44. Is Empathy in Fact Immoral?

Also: is it better to “go with the wind” or to “be the wind”? This episode originally aired on March 21, 2021.

Transcribed - Published: 19 October 2025

43. What Do We Really Learn From Failure?

Also: what is teasing supposed to accomplish? This episode originally aired on March 14, 2021.

Transcribed - Published: 12 October 2025

42. How Does When You Are Born Affect Who You Are?

Also: how did Angela do with her no-sugar challenge? This episode originally aired on March 7, 2021.

Transcribed - Published: 5 October 2025

41. Why Are We So Attracted to Fame?

Also: do we subconsciously lie about our major influences? This episode originally aired on February 28, 2021.

Transcribed - Published: 28 September 2025

40. Have We All Lost Our Ability to Compromise?

Also: is it better to be right or “not wrong”? This episode originally aired on February 21, 2021.

Transcribed - Published: 21 September 2025

39. Is Everybody Cheating These Days?

Also, what's better: to learn new skills or go deep on what you're good at? This episode originally aired on February 14, 2021.

Transcribed - Published: 14 September 2025

38. What Does It Mean to Be a “Good” Man?

Also: how can you stop ruminating? This episode originally aired on February 7, 2021.

Transcribed - Published: 7 September 2025

37. How Do You Know if People Don’t Like You?

Also: do self-help books really help? This episode originally aired on January 31, 2021.

Transcribed - Published: 31 August 2025

36. Which Matters More, a First or Last Impression?

Also: does wisdom really come with age? This episode originally aired on January 14, 2021.

Transcribed - Published: 24 August 2025

35. Does Psychotherapy Actually Work?

Also: how many “selves” is it OK to have? This episode originally aired on January 17, 2021.

Transcribed - Published: 17 August 2025

34. Are Humans Smarter or Stupider Than We Used to Be?

Also: how can you become a more curious person? This episode originally aired on January 10, 2021.

Transcribed - Published: 10 August 2025

33. Is Optimism a Luxury Good?

Also: why is public speaking so terrifying? This episode originally aired on January 3, 2021.

Transcribed - Published: 3 August 2025

32. Which Gets You Further: Talent or Effort?

Also: where is the line between acronyms, initialisms, and gibberish? This episode originally aired on December 20, 2020.

Transcribed - Published: 27 July 2025

31. How Much Do Your Friends Affect Your Future?

Also: which professions have the happiest people? This episode originally aired on December 13, 2020.

Transcribed - Published: 20 July 2025

30. Why Do We Seek Comfort in the Familiar?

Also: is a little knowledge truly a dangerous thing? This episode originally aired on December 6, 2020.

Transcribed - Published: 13 July 2025

29. How Do You Know When It’s Time to Quit?

Also: why is it so hard to predict success? This episode originally aired on November 29, 2020.

Transcribed - Published: 6 July 2025

28. Why Do We Hoard?

Also: do you spend more time thinking about the past, the present, or the future? This episode originally aired on November 22, 2020.

Transcribed - Published: 29 June 2025

27. How Should You Ask for Forgiveness?

Also: why is behavior change so darn hard? This episode originally aired on November 15, 2020.

Transcribed - Published: 22 June 2025

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