Stephen J. Dubner (co-author of the Freakonomics books) and research psychologist Angela Duckworth (author of Grit) really like to ask people questions, and came to believe there’s no such thing as a stupid one. So they made a podcast where they can ask each other as many “stupid questions” as they want.
Listen here or follow No Stupid Questions on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. We also provide transcripts, show notes, and links to research for each episode.
Are those travelers on their laptops just showing off? Why does V8 taste better at 35,000 feet? And why won’t Angela chat with her seatmate?
Are things as dire as they seem? How big is your moral circle? And should Angela spend time with her kids or answer her emails?
Is sobbing a survival tactic? What happened when Angela wept in front of her boss? And what do sauerkraut and sadness have in common?
Why are people so inconsistent? Is there such a thing as character? And did Stephen once have the world’s longest chain of gum wrappers?
Is there such a thing as a victimless crime? In an unfair system, is dishonesty okay? And are adolescent vandals out of ideas?
How do you know when it’s the right time to retire? What does a “good” retirement look like? And will Stephen and Angela ever really hang up their hats?
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?
How do you express yourself when you’re not sure what you want to say? What’s the number one way to get people to listen to you? And why are letters to advice columns always well-written? Plus: An update to the NSQ drinking game.
When are negative emotions enjoyable? Are we all a little masochistic? And do pigs like hot sauce?
What do gamblers and referees have in common? When do machines make better decisions than people? And has Stephen been replaced by a computer?
How can you break a bad habit if you’re not aware that you’re doing it? Does Barack Obama grind his teeth? And is Angela’s dentist a crook?
What’s the difference between schadenfreude and sadism? Can envy be put to good use? And how do you teach a kid to punch a clown?
Can a little dishonesty be a good thing? How many fibs does Angela tell every day? And why does Stephen have a forehead?
If you’re frustrated with your family, should you cut ties with them? Who’s more likely to break with relatives over politics, liberals or conservatives? And what would it take for Stephen to buy a baby elephant?
How much can you tell about someone from the first few seconds of a Zoom call? What did Stephen think of Angie when he first met her? And: a special message to babies from the future.
How does comparing yourself to others affect your well-being? What do you do when there’s no one left to blame? And should we all just move to Finland?
What’s the purpose of profanity? Why is cursing on the rise? And will Angela finally swear off swearing?
How should you treat Seasonal Affective Disorder? Would we all be happier if we hibernated? And why does Stephen think football fans have an easier time?
How do you let go of resentment? Do apologies even work? And what grievances have Stephen and Angela been nursing for years?
Do highway warnings save lives or cost lives? How do you keep men from peeing on the floor? And what’s Angela’s plan to get more people washing their hands?
How is aging different today than it was in the past? What do young people get wrong about happiness? And what does it mean if you impulsively decide to get your ear pierced in an unusual place?
Can exercising your body boost your brain’s stamina? Are some people just born lazy? And why did Angela stop reading “Us Weekly”?
Why do some activities tire your brain more than others? How exhausting is poverty? And could most of the world’s problems be solved with a sandwich?
Are Europeans more sophisticated than Americans? What’s wrong with preferring Taylor Swift to Puccini? And is Steve Levitt “Team Edward” or “Team Jacob”?
Will Angela finally break up with Philadelphia? Is New York really the unhappiest city in the U.S.? And are there trash tornadoes in the metaverse?
Are you a problem solver or an opportunity seeker? Why is it so hard to find a good leader these days? And could you be Angela’s next boss?
What risks are worth taking? When should you ignore feedback and go with your gut? And what did Stephen learn on a fishing trip with the town barber?
What’s worse: shame, guilt, or humiliation? Does Angela have psychopathic tendencies? And where’s the worst place to sit at a magic show?
What is the purpose of negative emotions? Why do we engage with things we know will upset us? And how does Angie deal with rejection?
Is it O.K. to bother people for a good cause? Why do people donate to charity in the first place? And do those personalized address labels actually make people get out their checkbooks?
Are we all either secure, avoidant, or anxious? How does your relationship with your parents shape your romantic partnerships? And what is Stephen’s attachment style?
Are you more likely to experience post-traumatic stress or post-traumatic growth? How does belief in the afterlife affect how you view death? And why did Angela hike a deadly gorge with her ex-boyfriend?
How do kids learn about money? What’s the big problem with education? And who made Raiders of the Lost Ark?
Why are humans so eager for magic-bullet solutions? Can you explain how a pen works? And how does Angela feel about being forever branded “the grit lady”?
Why do Americans tip so much? What happened when Angie eliminated grading in a college course? And why did almost every pay toilet in the U.S.A. vanish between 1970 and 1980?
How does the profitability of family firms stack up against the rest? Has nepotism become more taboo over time? And why are 90 percent of adoptees in Japan not children but adults?
Where’s the line between an addiction and a bad habit? Why do definitions of mental illnesses change over time? And what’s the most addictive thing in the world?
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?
Are there downsides to “personality plagiarism”? Why did no one buy the Crayola Crayon Carver? And should Stephen feel bad for copying Angela’s email signature?
Why have fertility rates dropped so dramatically? Do fathers or mothers get more happiness from parenting? And how does birth order affect a child’s future?
Why are women unhappier than men? What can we do to move the needle? And is it better to be happy or to be good?
How did Chick-fil-A become the third-largest restaurant chain in the U.S.? Why does it serve salad? And can Angie’s moral compass override her craving for a chicken sandwich?
Can denial be a healthy way of dealing with the death of a loved one? What do the five stages of grief misrepresent about mourning? And why does Angie cover her eyes when she watches the Rocky movies?
What is the relationship between “catastrophizing” and anxiety? How did Angela react when her mother came close to drowning? And how can you gain perspective when the worst-case scenario is all you can visualize?
How have Angie’s views on sleep changed since she wrote her Harvard application essay? Would starting high school later in the day be worth $8.6 billion? And what should you do if your chronotype doesn’t fit the way society is structured?
Is evolution stacked against healthy eating? What policies could increase demand for nutritious food? And does Popeyes count as a cultural icon?
What’s the difference between people who preserve special things and people who devour them right away? Why do we love to binge-watch? And did Adam really eat an apple?
Why do so many Americans say they’re satisfied with their own lives but upset about the way the country is going? Why don’t other countries experience the same gap? And what do horror movies have in common with Coca-Cola enemas?
What’s the difference between willpower and eagerness? Is there a lifehack that can make you zestier? And could it help Stephen improve his golf game?
Is it more important to help society or to help yourself? Does the self-improvement movement do any good for the world? And which podcast episode does Stephen cling to as proof that he’s doing something valuable?
How do you know when it’s the right time to retire? What does a “good” retirement look like? And will Stephen and Angela ever really hang up their hats?
What’s the difference between dispositional optimism and agentic hope? Are there benefits to taking a long shot, even if it turns out to be an air ball? And how is Angela like an N.F.L. quarterback?
Can you quantify emotional intelligence? Who should you hire — someone smart, or someone good with people? And how did Angie do on an online emotional intelligence test?
Why are humans so fascinated by coincidences? What do Carl Jung and an album by The Police have in common? And what did Stephen win in a bar mitzvah limbo contest?
What is the cost of admitting you’re wrong? How can intellectual humility make you more open minded? And will Stephen finally persuade Angela that rum-raisin is the best flavor of ice cream?
How is “negative reinforcement” different from punishment? Could positive reinforcement encourage prosocial behavior on a national scale? And what’s the deal with Taiwan’s dog-poop lottery?
What’s the connection between conversations about money and financial literacy? Could the taboo against talking about your salary be fading? And why did Angie’s teenage daughter call Vanguard to learn about I.R.A.s?
Why are great accomplishments often followed by disappointment? Is it better to win and feel bummed out than to never have won at all? And where was ping-pong invented?
Also: what does your name say about who you are?
Also: are we getting any better at assessing COVID risk?
Also: how do phone cameras affect the way we experience live events?
Also: is a little knowledge truly a dangerous thing?
Also: how much does confidence really matter?
Also: does knowing your family history affect your identity?
Also: why is it so great to be part of a team, even when you lose?
Also: why do so many people feel lost in their 20s?
Also: what’s a food you love that seems disgusting to everyone else?
Also: which professions have the happiest people?
Also: why is it smart to ignore what your podcast hosts look like?
Also: what’s the best way to handle rejection?
Also: why is it so satisfying to find a bargain?
Also: is obsessing over your mental health bad for your mental health?
Also: do we overestimate or underestimate our significance in other people’s lives?
Also: why don’t you need a license to become a parent?
Also: why do we hoard? (Rebroadcast From Ep. 28)
Also: should you feel guilty if you don’t read books?
Also: life is good — so why aren’t you happy?
Also: what do you really mean when you say you “don’t have time”?
Also: how can we stop confusing correlation with causation?
Also: what does your desired superpower say about you?
Also: would you take a confirmation-bias vaccine?
Also: is short-sightedness part of human nature?
Also: how do you recover from a bad day?
Also: does multitasking actually increase productivity?
Also: why do people pace while talking on the phone?
Also: Angela accidentally discovers the secret to a good night’s sleep.
Also: why are we so bad at assessing risk?
Also: what is the most significant choice you will ever make?
Also: why do we pad our speech with so much filler language?
Also: is it better to “go with the wind” or to “be the wind”?
Also: What is teasing supposed to accomplish?
Also: how did Angela do with her no-sugar challenge?
Also: do we subconsciously lie about our major influences?
Also: is it better to be right or “not wrong”?
Also, what’s better: to learn new skills or go deep on what you’re good at?
Also: do self-help books really help?
Also: does wisdom really come with age?
Also: how can you become a more curious person?
Also: why do we procrastinate?
Also: where is the line between acronyms, initialisms, and gibberish?
Also: which professions have the happiest people?
Also: is a little knowledge truly a dangerous thing?
Also: why is it so hard to predict success?
Also: do you spend more time thinking about the past, the present, or the future?
Also: why is behavior change so darn hard?
Also: what’s so great about New York City anyway?
Also: is it wrong to feel inured to the pandemic?
Also: do we overestimate or underestimate our significance in other people’s lives?
Also: should everyone have their own trauma score?
Also: is there a downside to billionaire philanthropy?
Also: how do you know if you have a “bad personality”?
Also: is it better to be a thinker, a doer, or a charmer?
Also: how does a cook become a chef? With Gabrielle Hamilton.
Also: what is the best question you’ve ever been asked in a job interview?
Also: how can we stop confusing correlation with causation?
Also: why do we habituate to life’s greatest pleasures?
Also: are the most memorable stories less likely to be true?
Also: how do you avoid screwing up your kids?
Also: how does a comedian cope with tragedy? With Eugene Mirman.
Also: is it better to send a congratulatory note to someone who deserves it or a condolence note to someone who needs it?
Also: should we all have personal mission statements?
Also: is there such a thing as too much science? With special guest Luis von Ahn.
Also: why do we treat pets better than people?
Also: why can’t humans handle uncertainty already?
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