No Stupid Questions

Nayeema Raza describes her podcast as “a curiosity party.” In this episode of Smart Girl Dumb Questions, she asks chef and food writer J. Kenji López-Alt whether cooking is an art or a science — and whether brunch is a scam.

Transcribed - Published: 7 May 2025

How can you learn to love uncertainty? Is it better to cultivate acceptance or strive for change? And, after 223 episodes, what is the meaning of life?

Transcribed - Published: 15 December 2024

What do Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud, and Malcolm Gladwell have in common? Are interesting theories more significant than true ones? And what has been keeping Angela up at night? Plus: an important announcement about the show.

Transcribed - Published: 8 December 2024

Why does listening to No Stupid Questions feel like you’re hanging out with your best friends? Why did the whole world take it personally when Princess Diana died? And how do “parasocial relationships” affect your mental health?

Transcribed - Published: 1 December 2024

Are things really as bad as they seem? Has Gen Z given up hope for the world? And why was the father of positive psychology a lifelong pessimist?

Transcribed - Published: 24 November 2024

Does a surplus of information create a shortage of attention? Are today’s young people really unable to focus? And do goldfish need better PR?

Transcribed - Published: 17 November 2024

What’s the difference between narcissism and high self-esteem? Does social media fuel arrogance or self-consciousness? And do people get less toxic with age?

Transcribed - Published: 10 November 2024

How many bottles of wine are regifted? What’s wrong with giving cash? And should Angela give her husband a subscription to the Sausage of the Month Club?

Transcribed - Published: 7 November 2024

How does social media exploit our evolutionary instincts? How dangerous is it to post about your children online? And does Angela regret talking about her daughters on the podcast?

Transcribed - Published: 3 November 2024

Would you steal Halloween candy? Should people be required to identify themselves online? And why did Angela go trick-or-treating in a trash bag?

Transcribed - Published: 27 October 2024

Is it better to explain a mistake or just accept responsibility? What’s the difference between an excuse and a justification? And why is it important to remember that you’re not a pizzeria on the Jersey Shore?

Transcribed - Published: 20 October 2024

What’s wrong with donating to charity for the tax write-off? Should we think less of people who do volunteer work to pad their resumes? And why is Angela stopping women in public parks to compliment them?

Transcribed - Published: 13 October 2024

How do you come back from being “canceled”? Are we more likely to forgive someone if they cry? And what makes a successful public apology?

Transcribed - Published: 6 October 2024

When are negative emotions enjoyable? Are we all a little masochistic? And do pigs like hot sauce?

Transcribed - Published: 3 October 2024

What makes normal people do terrible things? Are there really bad apples — or just bad barrels? And how should you deal with a nefarious next-door neighbor?

Transcribed - Published: 29 September 2024

Who decided that we’re fully mature at 18? Should 16-year-olds have the right to vote? And why are young people bringing their parents to job interviews?

Transcribed - Published: 22 September 2024

What are Mike and Angela’s favorite songs to cry to? Can upbeat music lift you out of a bad mood? And what is Angela going to sing the next time she does karaoke?

Transcribed - Published: 15 September 2024

What is the evolutionary purpose of laughter? What’s the difference between Swedish depression and American depression? And why aren’t aliens interested in abducting Mike?

Transcribed - Published: 8 September 2024

Also: are the most memorable stories less likely to be true? Stephen Dubner chats with Angela Duckworth in this classic episode from July 2020.

Transcribed - Published: 6 September 2024

Why does the U.S. use Fahrenheit when Celsius is better? Would you quit your job if a coin flip told you to? And how do you get an entire country to drive on the other side of the road?

Transcribed - Published: 1 September 2024

What happens when machines become funnier, kinder, and more empathetic than humans? Do robot therapists save lives? And should Angela credit her virtual assistant as a co-author of her book

Transcribed - Published: 25 August 2024

Do you see yourself the same way others see you? What’s the difference between self-perception and self-awareness? And why do Mike and Angela both hate fishing?

Transcribed - Published: 18 August 2024

What makes a con succeed? Does snake oil actually work? And just how gullible is Angela?

Transcribed - Published: 11 August 2024

Should government jobs have mandatory retirement ages? Is it foolish to care about your legacy? And why did Jason always call Angela’s father “Dr. Lee”?

Transcribed - Published: 4 August 2024

Do you get your principles from your parents — or in spite of them? Is there anything wrong with valuing conformity? And why doesn’t McDonald’s sell salads?

Transcribed - Published: 28 July 2024

How is the brain affected by solitary confinement? How would you deal with being stranded on a deserted island? And do baby monkeys make the best therapists?

Transcribed - Published: 21 July 2024

Do humans need touch to survive? Do any of us get enough touch throughout our lives? And why doesn’t Angela want to hug anyone for eight seconds?

Transcribed - Published: 14 July 2024

How final is a final offer, really? Does anonymity turn nice people into jerks? And should you tell your crush that you dreamed about marrying them?

Transcribed - Published: 7 July 2024

Are we using technology to make ourselves numb? What’s the downside of air conditioning? And was Angela the most annoying person in her college classes?

Transcribed - Published: 30 June 2024

Are fantasies helpful or harmful? How is daydreaming like a drug? And what did Angela fantasize about during ninth-grade English class?

Transcribed - Published: 23 June 2024

Can you ever really know how another person feels? What’s the best way to support a grieving person? And why doesn’t Hallmark sell empathy cards?

Transcribed - Published: 16 June 2024

Why do so many book clubs fall apart? Do the best parties have rules? And does Angela’s husband want to date you?

Transcribed - Published: 9 June 2024

What’s the difference between being popular and being cool? How has social media changed the trend cycle? And what do Taylor Swift and Walmart have in common?

Transcribed - Published: 2 June 2024

Why do we tell kids that a fairy will give them cash in exchange for their teeth? How should we talk to them about scary things in the world? And is Mike one of the greatest operatic tenors of all time?

Transcribed - Published: 26 May 2024

WaitWhat C.E.O. Jeff Berman interviews Angela about “grit-scaling” and her unlikely path to academic celebrity.

Transcribed - Published: 23 May 2024

Is there any upside to negative emotions? What can comedians teach us about dealing with pain? And why did Angela eat off of a stranger’s plate at a sushi bar?

Transcribed - Published: 19 May 2024

Where is the line between a good guy and a doormat? Do people with sharp elbows make more money? And why did Angela’s mother give away her birthday present? Take the Big Five inventory: freakonomics.com/bigfive

Transcribed - Published: 12 May 2024

What’s the difference between being introverted and being shy? What are extroverts so cheerful about? And does Angela’s social battery ever run out? Take the Big Five inventory: freakonomics.com/bigfive

Transcribed - Published: 5 May 2024

Is it really that important to make your bed? What’s the benefit of hiring a lazy person? And how many cups of spinach can Mike fit in a red Solo cup? Take the Big Five inventory: freakonomics.com/bigfive

Transcribed - Published: 28 April 2024

What do the most creative people have in common? How open-minded are you, really? And what’s wrong with ordering eggs Benedict? Take the Big Five inventory: freakonomics.com/bigfive

Transcribed - Published: 21 April 2024

What do the most creative people have in common? How open-minded are you, really? And what’s wrong with ordering eggs Benedict? Take the Big Five inventory: freakonomics.com/bigfive

Transcribed - Published: 21 April 2024

Are you the same person you were a decade ago? Do we get better as we age? And is your sixth-grade class clown still funny?

Transcribed - Published: 14 April 2024

Is it dangerous to live in the past? Why is Disney remaking all of its classic movies? And why does Angela get sentimental over a cup of soup and a free roll?

Transcribed - Published: 7 April 2024

Does instinct trump expertise? Can playing poker improve your intuition? And why did Angela jump off of a moving trolley car?

Transcribed - Published: 31 March 2024

Is grade inflation on the rise? How much does your G.P.A. matter in the long run? And when did M.I.T., of all places, become “the cool university”?

Transcribed - Published: 24 March 2024

How can you summon courage when you’re terrified? Is hiking more dangerous than skiing? And what is the stupidest thing that Mike has ever done?

Transcribed - Published: 17 March 2024

Would you be more adventurous if you had more structure? Do you multitask while brushing your teeth? And what would Mike’s perfect brother Peter do?

Transcribed - Published: 10 March 2024

What’s the best way to carry out random acts of kindness? What’s wrong with making an “Irish exit”? And why is Mike secretly buying lottery tickets?

Transcribed - Published: 3 March 2024

How can you strive for excellence without overworking yourself? Why is perfectionism on the rise? And is Angela part of the problem?

Transcribed - Published: 25 February 2024

Does anyone have any real agency? What do McDonald’s and Oxford University have in common? And why did Angela give up on philosophy?

Transcribed - Published: 18 February 2024