Episodes

December 25, 2022

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?

Listen Transcript

December 18, 2022

127. How Can You Be a Better Communicator?

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.

Listen Transcript

December 11, 2022

126. Why Do People Love Horror Movies?

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

Listen Transcript

December 4, 2022

125. Should We Replace Umpires With Robots?

What do gamblers and referees have in common? When do machines make better decisions than people? And has Stephen been replaced by a computer?

Listen Transcript

November 27, 2022

124. How Do You Stop Grinding Your Teeth?

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?

Listen Transcript

November 20, 2022

123. What’s Wrong With Coveting?

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?

Listen Transcript

November 13, 2022

When Is It OK to Tell a Lie? (Replay from Ep. 66)

Can a little dishonesty be a good thing? How many fibs does Angela tell every day? And why does Stephen have a forehead?

Listen Transcript

November 6, 2022

122. Is Family Overrated?

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?

Listen Transcript

October 30, 2022

121. How Good Are Your Snap Judgments?

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.

Listen Transcript

October 23, 2022

120. Why Are Rich Countries So Unhappy?

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?

Listen Transcript

October 16, 2022

119. J***s C****t, Angela, Why Are You Such a F***ing Potty-Mouth?

What’s the purpose of profanity? Why is cursing on the rise? And will Angela finally swear off swearing?

Listen Transcript

October 9, 2022

118. How Do You Keep Winter From Getting You Down?

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?

Listen Transcript

October 2, 2022

117. What’s Wrong With Holding a Grudge?

How do you let go of resentment? Do apologies even work? And what grievances have Stephen and Angela been nursing for years?

Listen Transcript

September 25, 2022

116. Do People Pay Attention to Signs?

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?

Listen Transcript

September 18, 2022

115. Are You Having a Midlife Crisis?

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?

Listen Transcript

September 11, 2022

114. Can You Learn to Love Hard Work?

Can exercising your body boost your brain's stamina? Are some people just born lazy? And why did Angela stop reading “Us Weekly”?

Listen Transcript

September 4, 2022

113. How Can You Improve Your Mental Endurance?

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?

Listen Transcript

August 28, 2022

112. Is It Okay to Hate Highbrow Culture?

Are Europeans more sophisticated than Americans? What’s wrong with preferring Taylor Swift to Puccini? And is Steve Levitt “Team Edward” or “Team Jacob”?

Listen Transcript

August 21, 2022

111. Would You Be Happier if You Lived Someplace Else?

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?

Listen Transcript

August 14, 2022

110. Why Is Angela Stepping Down as C.E.O. of the Nonprofit She Founded?

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?

Listen Transcript

August 7, 2022

What’s the Best Advice You’ve Ever Received? (Replay from Ep. 65)

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?

Listen Transcript

July 31, 2022

109. What Is the Purpose of Embarrassment?

What’s worse: shame, guilt, or humiliation? Does Angela have psychopathic tendencies? And where’s the worst place to sit at a magic show?

Listen Transcript

July 24, 2022

108. Should You Try to Be Less Angry?

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?

Listen Transcript

July 17, 2022

107. Is It Worth It for Charities to Harass Their Donors?

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?

Listen Transcript

July 10, 2022

106. Did Your Early Childhood Determine the Course of Your Life?

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?

Listen Transcript

July 3, 2022

How Does Facing Death Change Your Life? (Replay from Ep. 49)

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?

Listen Transcript

June 26, 2022

105. Should You Give Kids an Allowance or Make Them Get Jobs?

How do kids learn about money? What’s the big problem with education? And who made "Raiders of the Lost Ark?"

Listen Transcript

June 19, 2022

104. How Simple Is Too Simple?

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”?

Listen Transcript

June 12, 2022

103. Should Toilets Be Free?

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?

Listen Transcript

June 5, 2022

102. What’s So Bad About Nepotism?

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?

Listen Transcript

May 29, 2022

101. Are You Really "Addicted" to Diet Coke?

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?

Listen Transcript

May 22, 2022

100. Is It Weird for Adults to Have Imaginary Friends?

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?

Listen Transcript

May 15, 2022

99. Do You Mind if I Borrow Your Personality?

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?

Listen Transcript

May 8, 2022

98. Is Having Children Worth It?

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?

Listen Transcript

May 1, 2022

97. Are Women Really Less Happy Than Men?

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?

Listen Transcript

April 24, 2022

96. Why Is Chick-fil-A Such a Big Deal?

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?

Listen Transcript

April 17, 2022

95. What’s So Bad About Denial?

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?

Listen Transcript

April 10, 2022

94. What to Do When Everything Looks Like a Catastrophe?

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?

Listen Transcript

April 3, 2022

93. Does the Early Bird Really Catch the Worm? Or Could the Night Owl Get There First?

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?

Listen Transcript

March 27, 2022

92. Is Poor Nutrition a Supply Problem or a Demand Problem?

Is evolution stacked against healthy eating? What policies could increase demand for nutritious food? And does Popeyes count as a cultural icon?

Listen Transcript

March 20, 2022

91. Do You Savor or Gobble?

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?

Listen Transcript

March 13, 2022

90. If America Is a Train Wreck, Why Am I Doing Fine?

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?

Listen Transcript

March 6, 2022

89. How Valuable Is Enthusiasm?

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?

Listen Transcript

February 27, 2022

88. Is Self-Improvement Too Selfish?

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?

Listen Transcript

February 20, 2022

87. What’s So Great About Retirement?

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?

Listen Transcript

February 13, 2022

86. Should We All Be Taking More Long Shots?

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?

Listen Transcript

February 6, 2022

85. Is Emotional Intelligence Really So Important?

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?

Listen Transcript

January 30, 2022

84. Why Do We Find So Much Meaning in Meaningless Coincidences?

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?

Listen Transcript

January 23, 2022

83. Can You Change Your Mind Without Losing Face?

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?

Listen Transcript

January 16, 2022

82. Which Is More Powerful: Reward or Punishment?

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?

Listen Transcript

January 9, 2022

81. Why Is It So Hard to Talk About Money?

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?

Listen Transcript

January 2, 2022

80. Is a “Success Hangover” Real?

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?

Listen Transcript

December 26, 2021

79. Why Do We Root for Underdogs?

Also: Angela proposes an upgrade to the show.

Listen Transcript

December 19, 2021

78. Why Do We Put Things Off Until the Very Last Minute?

Also: what does your name say about who you are?

Listen Transcript

December 12, 2021

77. How Can You Avoid Boredom?

Also: are we getting any better at assessing COVID risk?

Listen Transcript

December 5, 2021

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

Also: how do phone cameras affect the way we experience live events?

Listen Transcript

November 28, 2021

Why Do We Seek Comfort in the Familiar? (NSQ Ep. 30 Replay)

Also: is a little knowledge truly a dangerous thing?

Listen Transcript

November 21, 2021

75. How Do You Deal With Intrusive Thoughts?

Also: how much does confidence really matter?

Listen Transcript

November 14, 2021

74. Does Reverse Psychology Really Work?

Also: does knowing your family history affect your identity?

Listen Transcript

November 7, 2021

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?

Listen Transcript

October 31, 2021

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

Also: why do so many people feel lost in their 20s?

Listen Transcript

October 24, 2021

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?

Listen Transcript

October 17, 2021

How Much Do Your Friends Affect Your Future? (NSQ Ep. 31 Replay)

Also: which professions have the happiest people?

Listen Transcript

October 10, 2021

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

Also: why is it smart to ignore what your podcast hosts look like?

Listen Transcript

October 3, 2021

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

Also: what’s the best way to handle rejection?

Listen Transcript

September 26, 2021

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

Also: why are humans still so tribal?

Listen Transcript

September 19, 2021

67. How Can You Escape Binary Thinking?

Also: why is it so satisfying to find a bargain?

Listen Transcript

September 12, 2021

66. When Is It OK to Tell a Lie?

Also: is obsessing over your mental health bad for your mental health?

Listen Transcript

September 5, 2021

Why Do We Forget So Much of What We’ve Read? (Ep. 24 Rebroadcast)

Also: do we overestimate or underestimate our significance in other people’s lives?

Listen Transcript

August 29, 2021

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

Also: why don’t you need a license to become a parent?

Listen Transcript

August 22, 2021

Why Do We Buy Things We Never Use? (Rebroadcast From Ep.22)

Also: why do we hoard? (Rebroadcast From Ep. 28)

Listen Transcript

August 15, 2021

64. Are Women Required to Be Nicer Than Men?

Also: should you feel guilty if you don’t read books?

Listen Transcript

August 8, 2021

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

Also: life is good — so why aren’t you happy?

Listen Transcript

August 1, 2021

62. How Can You Escape a Drama Triangle?

Also: how do awards affect motivation?

Listen Transcript

July 25, 2021

61. Should We Just Ignore Our Weaknesses?

Also: why do we like what we like?

Listen Transcript

July 18, 2021

60. Why Do We Complain?

Also: what do you really mean when you say you “don’t have time”?

Listen Transcript

July 11, 2021

59. Do Dreams Actually Mean Anything?

Also: why is music so memorable?

Listen Transcript

July 4, 2021

How Can You Stop Comparing Yourself With Other People? (Ep. 13 Rebroadcast)

Also: how can we stop confusing correlation with causation?

Listen Transcript

June 27, 2021

58. What’s So Gratifying About Gossip?

Also: why do people hate small talk?

Listen Transcript

June 20, 2021

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

Also: what does your desired superpower say about you?

Listen Transcript

June 13, 2021

56. Why Is Academic Writing So Bad?

Also: what does your perfect day look like?

Listen Transcript

June 6, 2021

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

Also: would you take a confirmation-bias vaccine?

Listen Transcript

May 30, 2021

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

Also: is shortsightedness part of human nature?

Listen Transcript

May 23, 2021

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

Also: how do you recover from a bad day?

Listen Transcript

May 16, 2021

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

Also: does multitasking actually increase productivity?

Listen Transcript

May 9, 2021

51. What Separates Humans From Other Animals?

Also: why do people pace while talking on the phone?

Listen Transcript

May 2, 2021

50. Are You as Observant as You Think?

Angela accidentally discovers the secret to a good night’s sleep

Listen Transcript

April 25, 2021

49. How Does Facing Death Change Your Life?

Also: why are we so bad at assessing risk?

Listen Transcript

April 18, 2021

48. Do Good Deeds Invite More Bad Ones?

Also: what is the most significant choice you will ever make?

Listen Transcript

April 11, 2021

47. Is Laziness Real?

Also: why do we dislike being alone in public?

Listen Transcript

April 4, 2021

46. How Can You Stop Feeling So Irritable?

Also: what’s wrong with being impatient?

Listen Transcript

March 28, 2021

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

Also: why do we pad our speech with so much filler language?

Listen Transcript

March 21, 2021

44. Is Empathy in Fact Immoral?

Also: is it better to “go with the wind” or to “be the wind”?

Listen Transcript

March 14, 2021

43. What Do We Really Learn From Failure?

Also: what is teasing supposed to accomplish?

Listen Transcript

March 7, 2021

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

Also: how did Angela do with her no-sugar challenge?

Listen Transcript

February 28, 2021

41. Why Are We So Attracted to Fame?

Also: do we subconsciously lie about our major influences?

Listen Transcript

February 21, 2021

40. Have We All Lost Our Ability to Compromise?

Also: is it better to be right or “not wrong”?

Listen Transcript

February 14, 2021

39. Is Everybody Cheating These Days?

Also, what's better: to learn new skills or go deep on what you're good at?

Listen Transcript

February 7, 2021

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

Also: how can you stop ruminating?

Listen Transcript

January 31, 2021

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

Also: do self-help books really help?

Listen Transcript

January 24, 2021

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

Also: does wisdom really come with age?

Listen Transcript

January 17, 2021

35. Does Psychotherapy Actually Work?

Also: how many “selves” is it OK to have?

Listen Transcript

January 10, 2021

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

Also: how can you become a more curious person?

Listen Transcript

January 3, 2021

33. Is Optimism a Luxury Good?

Also: why is public speaking so terrifying?

Listen Transcript

December 27, 2020

How Much of Your Life Do You Actually Control? (Ep. 15 Rebroadcast)

Also: why do we procrastinate?

Listen Transcript

December 20, 2020

32. Which Gets You Further: Talent or Effort?

Also: where is the line between acronyms, initialisms, and gibberish?

Listen Transcript

December 13, 2020

31. How Much Do Your Friends Affect Your Future?

Also: which professions have the happiest people?

Listen Transcript

December 6, 2020

30. Why Do We Seek Comfort in the Familiar?

Also: is a little knowledge truly a dangerous thing?

Listen Transcript

November 29, 2020

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

Also: why is it so hard to predict success?

Listen Transcript

November 22, 2020

28. Why Do We Hoard?

Also: do you spend more time thinking about the past, the present, or the future?

Listen Transcript

November 15, 2020

27. How Should You Ask for Forgiveness?

Also: why is behavior change so darn hard?

Listen Transcript

November 8, 2020

26. Do Checklists Make People Stupid?

Also: what’s so great about New York City anyway?

Listen Transcript

November 1, 2020

25. Is Hedonism Better Than Self-Control?

Also: is it wrong to feel inured to the pandemic?

Listen Transcript

October 25, 2020

24. Why Do We Forget So Much of What We’ve Read?

Also: do we overestimate or underestimate our significance in other people’s lives?

Listen Transcript

October 18, 2020

23. Is It Wrong to Crave Praise?

Also: should everyone have their own trauma score?

Listen Transcript

October 11, 2020

22. Why Do We Buy Things We’ll Never Use?

Also: how is social media like a knife?

Listen Transcript

October 4, 2020

21. How Can You Identify Hidden Talent? With Eric Schmidt.

Also: is there a downside to billionaire philanthropy?

Listen Transcript

September 27, 2020

20. Should We Separate the Art From the Artist?

Also: what is the meaning of life?

Listen Transcript

September 20, 2020

19. Is There Such a Thing as Good Estrangement?

Also: how do you know if you have a “bad personality”?

Listen Transcript

September 13, 2020

18. How Do You Raise a “Likable” Kid?

Also: what’s so great about friendship?

Listen Transcript

September 6, 2020

17. How Can We Get More Virtue and Less ‘Virtue Signaling’?

Also: is it better to be a thinker, a doer, or a charmer?

Listen Transcript

August 30, 2020

16. What’s the Downside to Being Goal-Oriented?

Also: how does a cook become a chef? With Gabrielle Hamilton.

Listen Transcript

August 23, 2020

15. How Much of Your Life Do You Actually Control?

Also: why do we procrastinate?

Listen Transcript

August 16, 2020

14. Are You a Maximizer or a Satisficer?

Also: what is the best question you’ve ever been asked in a job interview?

Listen Transcript

August 9, 2020

13. How Can You Stop Comparing Yourself With Other People?

Also: how can we stop confusing correlation with causation?

Listen Transcript

August 2, 2020

12. Does “As If” Thinking Really Work?

Also: how effective is the placebo effect?

Listen Transcript

July 26, 2020

11. Are Ambitious People Inherently Selfish?

Also: why do we habituate to life’s greatest pleasures?

Listen Transcript

July 19, 2020

10. Why Are Stories Stickier Than Statistics?

Also: are the most memorable stories less likely to be true?

Listen Transcript

July 12, 2020

9. Why Is It So Hard to Be Alone With Our Thoughts?

Also: how do you avoid screwing up your kids?

Listen Transcript

July 5, 2020

8. Wouldn’t It Be Better to Hear Your Eulogy Before You’re Dead?

Also: how does a comedian cope with tragedy? With Eugene Mirman.

Listen Transcript

June 28, 2020

7. How Do You Handle Criticism?

Also: is it better to send a congratulatory note to someone who deserves it or a condolence note to someone who needs it?

Listen Transcript

June 21, 2020

6. Is Incompetence a Form of Dishonesty?

Also: should we all have personal mission statements?

Listen Transcript

June 14, 2020

5. What Do Tom Sawyer and the Founder of Duolingo Have in Common?

Also: is there such a thing as too much science? With special guest Luis von Ahn.

Listen Transcript

June 7, 2020

4. Does All Creativity Come From Pain?

Also: is life precious because it’s finite?

Listen Transcript

May 31, 2020

3. What Does It Mean to Be a “Hard Worker”?

Also: how does age affect happiness?

Listen Transcript

May 24, 2020

2. What is the Optimal Way to Be Angry?

Also: why do we treat pets better than people?

Listen Transcript

May 17, 2020

1. Did Covid-19 Kill the Handshake?

Also: why can't humans handle uncertainty already?

Listen Transcript

April 24, 2020

Introducing "No Stupid Questions"

Stephen Dubner, the host of Freakonomics Radio , and Angela Duckworth, the psychologist and author of Grit , explore the weird and wonderful ways in which humans behave. In each episode, they take turns asking each other questions, with conversations ranging from friendship and parenting to immor...

Listen Transcript