NO SUCH THING

This week, we’re turning our attention to our weather apps. Are they getting worse? Are Trump’s DOGE cuts to blame? Why don’t we use feels like as the default temp? And what does the percentage of precipitation (PoP) actually mean? Then, we answer a listener's question on how Spotify’s shuffle feature actually works. Check out Heather McCalden’s “The Observable Universe.” The last track in this week’s episode is from Certain Self’s  “Girl in the Walls” from his new EP You Look Tired. Have a question you want us to answer? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at ‪(860) 325-0286‬ For more, subscribe to our newsletter at www.nosuchthing.show and follow us on Instagram.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we settle your dumb arguments. Yup, it’s mailbag time. We’ll argue about the RIGHT way to load a dishwasher, revisit a right-wing conspiracy theory about cat litter in schools, solve an intersection conundrum involving a funeral procession and a school bus, and finally reveal how this beautiful friendship actually began. Have a question you want us to answer? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at ‪(860) 325-0286‬ For more, subscribe to our newsletter at www.nosuchthing.show and follow us on Instagram.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Manny, Noah, and Devan revive a debate from almost a decade ago, albeit with modern framing: if you're in a relationship, and you're romancing an AI chatbot, should that be considered cheating? They chat to Tatum Hunter, tech reporter for the Washington Post, and couples therapist Jeff Guenther, better known as Therapy Jeff. And finally, they decide to try it for themselves, and go on a date with an AI chatbot. Check out Tatum's work here, and scroll through Therapy Jeff's Instagram for wisdom and advice. Have a question you want us to answer? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at ‪(860) 325-0286‬ For more, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Instagram. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You might remember To Catch a Predator with Chris Hansen, but now streamers are making their own version, and they’re a lot more violent. New York Times reporter Aric Toler takes us inside the world of modern-day “pedophile hunters,” while Stefan Turkheimer, VP of Public Policy at RAINN, shares what justice could—and should—look like for survivors. Check out Aric's visual investigation on online pedophile hunters. If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, you are not alone. RAINN's National Sexual Assault Hotline offers free, confidential, 24/7 support in English and en Español. Call 800.656.HOPE (4673), chat at hotline.RAINN.org, or text "HOPE" to 64673.  Additional music for this episode by Zeno Pittarelli, check out his new project You Look Tired. Have a question you want us to answer? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at ‪(860) 325-0286‬ For more, subscribe to our newsletter at www.nosuchthing.show and follow us on Instagram.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, we take a deep dive into the frustrating conundrum of the kids menu. Why would a restaurant show me they’re capable of making a delicious and adorably small offering of chicken nuggets, only to restrict it to those fortunate to be 12 years old or younger? Are these restrictions an economic necessity, a moralizing judgment, or something else? We speak with a few industry insiders to learn the history of the kids menu and put these limits to the test.  Our guest this week is Kate Lindsay, longtime sufferer at the hands of Big Kids Menu, host of Slate’s internet culture podcast ICYMI and writer of the newsletter Embedded. Thank you to our restaurant industry expert Lori Rakoczy from Technomic, and our anonymous movie theater server.  If you liked this episode, check out Ep. 11: Can you cure picky eating? (w/ Search Engine) Have a question you want us to answer? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at ‪(860) 325-0286‬ For more, subscribe to our newsletter at www.nosuchthing.showSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode, we discuss the fatigue people have been feeling around franchise movies, particularly the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But where did franchise movies come from, and how did virtually all of Hollywood become so fixated on this kind of film? Walt Hickey, author of You Are What You Watch: How Movies and TV Affect Everything, walks us through the weeds on this, and gets to the bottom of our questions. Walt is also the author of Numlock News. Subscribe to our newsletter for updates and bonus content. Have a question you want us to tackle? Email us: [email protected] or leave a voicemail: ‪(860) 325-0286. NO SUCH THING is a production of Kaleidoscope Content, executive produced by Kate Osborn and Mangesh Hattikudur.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today’s episode was inspired by Susan Dominus’ new book “The Family Dynamic.” The book profiles six families with multiple successful siblings and analyzes the factors that have contributed to their success.  Subscribe to our newsletter for updates and bonus content: www.nosuchthing.show  Have a question you want us to tackle? Email us: [email protected] Or leave a voicemail: ‪(860) 325-0286See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a wild stat that’s floated around basketball circles for a long time: A 7-foot (or taller) American man has a 17% likelihood of being an NBA player. This week, we try to find out if this statistic holds true, and along the way we learn how extremely rare it is to be so tall, why the number of seven-footers in the league saw a dip, and… the case for socialized medicine? Our guests this week are Barry Bogin, Björn Quanjer, Guillaume Lettre, Stereogum’s Tom Breihan, and The F5’s Owen Phillips. Check out Owen’s basketball newsletter, The F5: https://thef5.substack.com/  Tom Breihan, “On Being a Giant” & his book: The Number Ones For more, please subscribe to our newsletter www.nosuchthing.show  Have a question you want us to tackle? Email us: [email protected] Or leave a voicemail: ‪(860) 325-0286‬See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many of you called our hotline and sent emails seeking our advice, and we are here to help. From party invitation etiquette, to a coupon fiasco straight out of a Curb Your Enthusiasm episode, the boys give their takes and dole out some help. And for more, check out our newsletter at www.nosuchthing.show. If you have a question you want us to answer or want to be featured in our next advice episode, email us at [email protected] or give us a call at (860) 325-0286‬.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s not just nostalgia or low-res photos—there may actually be biological and cultural reasons why people in the past looked so old. To get to the bottom of it, I spoke with Dr. Caroline Hudson, a facial plastic surgeon based in Chicago and co-author of Analysis and Assessment of Facial Aging.  To see the images we reference, check out our newsletter at www.nosuchthing.show. Want advice from Manny, Noah, and Devan? Leave a message at (860) 325-0286‬ or email us at [email protected]. Like this episode? Check out Why does Dasani water taste like that? Follow Dr. Caroline Hudson on Instagram. Original music for this episode produced by Zeno Pittarelli.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some conspiracy theories are fun, but many end up being dark and concerning. When someone is in too deep, what would it take to pull them out of the rabbit hole? Journalist Zach Mack ventured to find out in his show, Alternate Realities over at NPR, and on today's episode, he debriefs us. Listen to Zach's show Alternate Realities on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And for more, check out our newsletter at www.nosuchthing.show. If you have a question you want us to answer, email us at [email protected] omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our whole lives, we’ve been told the pullout or withdrawal method is not a legitimate form of birth control and a fast-track way to becoming a parent. Some have even referred to it as the pull-and-pray method. But reproductive health researcher Andréa Becker makes the argument that the pullout method “is not the enemy of public health it’s been made out to be” if done correctly.  Pre-order Andréa’s book Get It Out: On the Politics of Hysterectomy. For more, check out our newsletter at www.nosuchthing.show, and if you have an argument you want us to settle, email us at [email protected]. Like this episode? Check out Episode 3: Why are slurs making a comeback? Original music for this episode produced by Zeno Pittarelli.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most people have experienced the creepy feeling of getting ads that feel a little bit too targeted, for products they haven’t ever searched for but have maybe talked about IRL. With Amazon announcing a rollback on privacy protections, and the Trump administration ramping up mass surveillance as a scare tactic, it might be time to take stock of what privacy even means anymore. With some help from Andrew Couts, senior editor of security and investigations at WIRED, we get a clear-eyed view of how voice-assisted tech actually works, and why you should care.    For more, check out our newsletter at www.nosuchthing.show, and if you have an argument you want us to settle, email us at [email protected] omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today’s episode is about RFK Jr., a man who has a completely baffling political trajectory. How does a guy go from “champion of the environment” to joining the most anti-environment administration ever? Thanks to our guest, Derek Beres, that pipeline becomes much clearer, as RFK Jr’s worldview has a lot of overlap with science that is at best, shoddy, and at worst, straight up disinformation. For more, check out our newsletter at www.nosuchthing.show, and if you have an argument you want us to settle, email us at [email protected]. Original music for this episode produced by Zeno PittarelliSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We just got back from a little weekend trip, which got us thinking once again about how confusing and terrible it is to deal with the TSA. Despite all their yelling—the TSA does not make it clear about what you can or cannot bring on a plane, or what items you actually have to take out of your bag. So I spoke with Darryl Campbell, an aviation safety writer for The Verge and author of Fatal Abstraction, who did a deep dive on The Humiliating History of the TSA. For more, check out our newsletter at www.nosuchthing.show, and if you have an argument you want us to settle, email us at [email protected]. Original music for this episode produced by Zeno Pittarelli!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, we tackle movie theater photographers, black coffee, dirty jeans, trebuchets, and more as we answer questions submitted by listeners. For more, check out our newsletter at www.nosuchthing.show, and if you have an argument you want us to settle, email us at [email protected]. We’ll be off next week, so take advantage of the free time by leaving us a five-star rating wherever you listen to podcasts and sharing the show with your friends!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, we investigate a shocking conspiracy theory that might explain why Dasani stands out among the titans of bottled water, with the help of water sommelier Martin Riese and Tap Score CEO Johnny Pujol.  For more, check out our newsletter at www.nosuchthing.show, and if you have an argument you want us to settle, email us at [email protected] omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s been known for years now that men aren’t the best at asking follow-up questions on dates with women. But a more specific version of this phenomenon has emerged: men aren’t even asking other men follow-up questions, even their good friends! With the help of “mindful masculinity” expert Liz Plank, we get to the bottom of why men don’t know anything about their male friends, and we put our own friendship to the test. For more, including links to some of the research cited in this episode, visit our website. Have an argument you want us to settle? Shoot us an email at [email protected] omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, we look into why car headlights seem like they've gotten so much brighter in recent years than they used to be. And, is there any hope for a shift back to a more reasonable brightness level? Our guest today is Daniel Stern, a lighting expert and chief editor of Driving Vision News. Additional music by Certain Self. For more, including links to some of the research cited in this episode, visit our website. Have an argument you want us to settle? Shoot us an email at [email protected] omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, we take a look into a rather divisive issue: school cell phone bans. With more and more states introducing legislature to ban mobile devices in schools, we take a look at the cases for and against the restrictions. Our guests today are Sabine Polak from the Phone-Free Schools Movement and Keri Rodrigues from the National Parents Union. For more, including links to some of the research cited in this episode, visit our website. Have an argument you want us to settle? Shoot us an email at [email protected] omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In collaboration with our friends at Search Engine, we seek to find a cure for Manny's deep aversion to seafood, for the sake of our friendship. For more, visit www.nosuchthing.show. If you have a question you'd like us to answer, feel free to email us at [email protected] omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, we bravely interrogate the male practice of standing while peeing. Why do we do it? And why stand when you can sit? We speak with urologist Gerald collins to find out if there are any hidden benefits to sitting while peeing. For more, visit www.nosuchthing.show. If you have a question you'd like us to answer, feel free to email us at [email protected] omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s episode we tackle a question Devan has been grappling with while living with a dog in the city: Are suburban dogs happier than city dogs? To find out, we spoke with one of the leading dog cognition experts, Alexandra Horowitz. She heads the Dog Cognition Lab at Barnard and is the author of Inside of a Dog. The credit song is Big Dog by Maurice featuring Kenny Ning and Certain Self, who also provided additional music for this episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Letterboxd is a great tool for keeping track of movies and seeing what your friends and others are watching. But does constant logging, rating, and reviewing actually help us enjoy films? To find out, we spoke to Dr. Ruud Jacobs, who actually researched the impact of consumer movie reviews, and professional movie critic Tasha Robinson. Dr. Jacobs' research can be found here, and you can hear Tasha on her own podcast, The Next Picture Show. For more, visit www.nosuchthing.showSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s episode, we tackle our first listener-submitted question: is it OK to wear outside clothes on your bed? Everyone has strong opinions, but what does the science say? We speak with microbiologist Dr. Lisa Cuchara of Quinnipiac University and ran a swab test to get some answers. For more, please subscribe to our newsletter at www.nosuchthing.show. If you have any questions you’d like us to get to the bottom of, email us at [email protected] omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, we take a break from our regular format to discuss some of our favorite things from the past year. This is the first of a new format we're calling NST Chats: loose, informal, and much more casual than our typical rigorous reporting, fine editing, and high-powered analysis. We promise to hit the ground running in 2025 with a return to our usual style, next Tuesday! NST Selects: 2024 Playlist on Spotify and Apple Music For more, visit www.nosuchthing.show. If you have any questions you’d like us to get to the bottom of, email us at [email protected] omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The past decade has seen a resurgence of political violence: January 6, multiple attempts on Trump’s life, and of course the killing of United Healthcare’s CEO are just a few notable examples. We spoke with University of Chicago Professor Robert A. Pape, who has studied political violence for decades, to understand this disturbing trend, the public’s reaction to it, and why he thinks it's here to stay. Read Pape’s New York Times Op-Ed: What the Glorification of Luigi Mangione Reveals About America For more, visit www.nosuchthing.show. If you have any questions you’d like us to get to the bottom of, email us at [email protected] omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if this ONE thing we’ve always been told about horses isn’t true at all? What if it’s a lie we’ve told ourselves so that we can enjoy our horseback riding vacations and Kentucky Derbies without guilt? To answer this question we speak with Ren Hurst, a former professional horse trainer and author of “The Wisdom of Wilderness.” And we venture to New Jersey to spend some time with horses at the Bergen County Horse Rescue. The end credits music is "I’ve Always Been the First (to Say I Love you)" by Certain Self. For more, please subscribe to our newsletter at www.nosuchthing.show. If you have any questions you’d like us to get to the bottom of, email us at [email protected] omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Certain taboo words have recently crept back into common use across private conversation, on social media, and in mainstream entertainment, seemingly all along the political spectrum. In this episode, we explore why slurs are making a comeback, featuring Business Insider deputy executive editor Mia de Graaf. Business Insider: The return of the slur For more, please subscribe to our newsletter at www.nosuchthing.show. If you have any questions you’d like us to get to the bottom of, email us at [email protected] omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do you think you’d be able to successfully land a plane, with no prior pilot experience and relying only on air traffic control assistance? A YouGov survey found 13% of people are “very confident” that they could. In this episode, we explore why some people (like Manny) are prone to overconfidence, with help from social psychologist and professor David Dunning. Outro song is "Nothing Ever Happens" by Darryl Rahn For more, please subscribe to our newsletter at www.nosuchthing.show. If you have any questions you’d like us to get to the bottom of, email us at [email protected] omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What began as an innocent debate soon devolved into accusations of deception and trickery. Is it misleading to say you read a book if, in actuality, you listened to it as an audiobook? And do you absorb information the same way when listening compared to reading? With some help from Dr. Virginia Clinton-Lisell, Associate Professor at University of North Dakota, we get an answer. Here’s a link to Dr. Clinton-Lisell’s meta-analysis of reading and listening comprehension comparisons. She’s on TikTok, YouTube, Threads, and Bluesky. For more information, please subscribe to our newsletter at www.nosuchthing.show And if you have any questions you’d like us to get to the bottom of, email us at [email protected] omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is the trailer for NO SUCH THING, a new podcast by Manny Fidel, Noah Friedman, and Devan Joseph. Our two-episode premiere drops on Tuesday, November 26.For more, please subscribe to our newsletter at www.nosuchthing.show.If you have any questions you’d like us to get to the bottom of, email us at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.