No Stupid Questions

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?...

2026-10-04

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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 ca...

2026-09-27

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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 does...

2026-09-20

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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? This episode originally aired on March 27th, 2022. Ho...

2026-09-13

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How Gary Gulman Turned Depression Into Comedy Gold | Better in Person

In this episode of Stephen Dubner’s new TV talk show, Gary and Stephen talk about creativity, recovery, getting fired, and holding grudges. They also get outside and play basketball, which is a big pa...

2026-09-09

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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? This episode originally aired o...

2026-09-06

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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 c...

2026-08-30

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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? This episode originally aired on March 6th, 2022....

2026-08-23

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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 somethi...

2026-08-16

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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? This episode originally aired on February 20nd,...

2026-08-09

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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? T...

2026-08-02

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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? This episode originally aired ...

2026-07-26

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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? This episode originally aired on Jan...

2026-07-19

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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? This epis...

2026-07-12

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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? This episo...

2026-07-05

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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...

2026-06-28

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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? This episode originally aired o...

2026-06-21

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79. Why Do We Root for Underdogs?

Also: Angela proposes an upgrade to the show. This episode originally aired on December 26th, 2021. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection...

2026-06-14

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

Also: what does your name say about who you are? This episode originally aired on December 19th, 2021. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collect...

2026-06-07

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77. How Can You Avoid Boredom?

Also: are we getting any better at assessing COVID risk? This episode originally aired on December 12, 2021. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our c...

2026-05-31

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No Stupid Questions

Episodi (341 episodi)

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