Hey, folks. This week, NO SUCH THING is hosting Origin Stories, a new podcast from Campside Media. Each week, veteran journalist Matthew Shaer talks to a different writer or director about the creation of a work close to their own hearts, and this episode is the perfect example. Palestinian filmmaker Yousef Srouji is the creator of the critically-acclaimed documentary "Three Promises," which uses his mother’s old home video footage to tell an intimate story of life during the Second Intifada. Sr...
Oct 08, 2025•33 min
This week, we’re asking: what do you do when your favorite artist becomes a self-proclaimed N*zi? And we dive into the new documentary In Whose Name? , which claims to show Kanye in a new light. Don't forget to cast your votes for the Signal Awards. We've been nominated for : Best Buddy Podcast and Activism, Public Service, & Social Impact for our episode about Online Pedophile Hunters . Follow us on Instagram and sign up for our newsletter at nosuchthing.show . Have a question you want us t...
Oct 01, 2025•54 min•Ep. 35
Why does it seem so common that modern sculptures of iconic figures look so bad? Soccer star Ronaldo, NBA legend Dwyane Wade, and even the great Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. have been frankly disgraced by sub-par and strange renditions. Is creating a great statue a lost art, or are we being unfair? This week, we talk to a real sculptor to find out. Our guest this week is John Belardo . To follow along with the sculptures in the episode, check out our newsletter or Instagram . Some exciting n...
Sep 24, 2025•40 min•Ep. 34
What is therapy exactly, and what is it supposed to do? How do you know if you need therapy? If you’re in therapy, how do you know if it’s working? NO SUCH THING talks to Lilly Kaplan , therapist and author of the Reality Test newsletter, who gracefully demystifies the practice of therapy for us and answers a barrage of questions. Have a question you want us to answer? Email us at mannynoahdevan@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at (860) 325-0286 For more, subscribe to our newsletter and follow u...
Sep 17, 2025•46 min•Ep. 33
Why do some people seem to suffer the ills of foodborne illness at an alarming frequency, while others cruise through rare steaks unimpeded? In this episode, we bravely (or foolishly) ask: does food poisoning actually exist? This week, we talk to food safety experts to find out what food poisoning actually is, where it comes from, and what you can do to avoid it. Also discussed: Did your family have a dedicated bowl to vomit in? Will leftover rice kill you? And do you have to wash your chicken? ...
Sep 10, 2025•42 min•Ep. 32
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 ques...
Sep 03, 2025•44 min•Ep. 31
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 mannynoahdevan@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at (860) 325-0286 For more, subscribe to our newsletter at www.nosuc...
Aug 27, 2025•42 min•Ep. 30
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 Inst...
Aug 20, 2025•53 min•Ep. 29
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. RAI...
Aug 13, 2025•48 min•Ep. 28
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...
Aug 06, 2025•33 min•Ep. 27
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 an...
Jul 30, 2025•32 min•Ep. 26
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: mannynoahdevan@gmail.com Or leave a voicemail: (860) 325-0286 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Jul 01, 2025•41 min•Ep. 25
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 Philli...
Jun 17, 2025•32 min•Ep. 24
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 mannynoahdevan@gmail.com or give us a call at (860) 325-0286 . See omnystudio.com/li...
Jun 10, 2025•39 min•Ep. 23
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 mannynoahdevan@gmail.com . L...
May 20, 2025•33 min•Ep. 22
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 mannynoahdevan...
May 13, 2025•41 min•Ep. 21
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.nosu...
May 06, 2025•35 min•Ep. 20
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...
Apr 29, 2025•35 min•Ep. 19
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...
Apr 22, 2025•30 min•Ep. 18
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 newslette...
Apr 13, 2025•40 min•Ep. 17
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 mannynoahdevan@gmail.com . 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 ...
Mar 25, 2025•34 min•Ep. 16
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 mannynoahdevan@gmail.com . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Mar 18, 2025•39 min•Ep. 15
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, vis...
Mar 11, 2025•39 min•Ep. 14
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 mannynoahdevan@g...
Mar 04, 2025•46 min•Ep. 13
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...
Feb 25, 2025•44 min•Ep. 12
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 mannynoahdevan@gmail.com . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Feb 21, 2025•38 min•Ep. 11
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 mannynoahdevan@gmail.com . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Feb 11, 2025•27 min•Ep. 10
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 infor...
Feb 04, 2025•51 min•Ep. 9
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.show See omnystudio.co...
Jan 14, 2025•28 min•Ep. 8
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 mannynoahdevan@gmail.com . See omnystudio.com/listener for p...
Jan 07, 2025•40 min•Ep. 7
