We’ve all heard of The Nobel Peace prize and the Nobel Literature prize, Science, and Medicine prizes. Well, this episode has absolutely nothing to do with any of that! But! If you come up with an idea that is an unusual or trivial or a bizarre achievement in scientific research, well then…we have an award for you. It’s called the Ig Nobel Prize, and anyone can win it, if their idea makes you laugh…and then… makes you think! Really, no really! The Prize was created by today’s guest, Marc Abraham...
Sep 03, 2024•34 min•Ep. 83
Does your dog truly love you or are they faking it? A recent Newsweek cover story posed that very question and revealed that scientific research provides an answer! Really, no Really! But can science really prove how your dog feels about you? Or for that matter, can it prove TRUE love, between animals or people? Fascinated by the scientific inquiry, Jason and Peter turned to Dr. Gregory Berns …the Distinguished Professor of Neuroeconomics at Emory University, and the scientist who conducted the ...
Aug 27, 2024•39 min•Ep. 82
We’ve all seen them…white streaks emanating from behind commercial airliners. Is it water vapor or is there something more nefarious being released at 30,000ft? Tennessee legislators were so alarmed by these white plumes, they just passed legislation banning so-called “chemtrails” and any other form of geoengineering. Really, no Really! Chemtrails have been linked to conspiracies about secretive government forces who are using them to release chemicals that could cause sterilization, reduction o...
Aug 20, 2024•31 min•Ep. 81
There is an entire world - just below our feet - that defies our conventional understanding of intelligence. It’s a superhighway of fungal interconnectedness, trillions of miles of fungal networks that enable trees to recognize their families, communicate with each other and even share resources. And those fungi, which may be hundreds of millions of years old, may just be the key to saving our planet from pollution and global warming! In this episode, Jason and Peter are joined by Louie Schwartz...
Aug 13, 2024•39 min•Ep. 80
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD is a medical condition with symptoms that include difficulty focusing and staying on task, impulsivity and self-control issues. Worldwide over 336 million people live with ADHD including our own Peter Tilden – and they view it as a daily burden that makes simple tasks challenging and often anxiety-ridden. But one family, wildly famous throughout the social media stratosphere view their struggle with ADHD as something positive. Really, no Really! T...
Aug 06, 2024•51 min•Ep. 79
Post-COVID, we are all living under evolved or flat-out different protocols. And many of us may be unsure which societal rules have changed and what new rules have emerged. Thankfully, New York magazine reformulated and clarified the guidelines concerning how we should all behave in a post -pandemic world. Really, no Really! In this episode we discuss and analyze some of the “ 194 Modern Etiquette Rules for Life After Covid” with New York magazine editor Choire Sicha, who previously made waves a...
Jul 30, 2024•37 min•Ep. 78
Psychics. We see their tiny storefront shops in some of the most exclusive zip codes; Beverly Hills, Uptown Manhattan, the fanciest streets in your town – with sun-faded curtains and neon signs promoting palm readings, cures for curses and prophecies from your future. But there’s a much darker side hidden behind the tarot cards and crystal balls. In this episode, Bob Nygaard , a private detective who has recovered millions of dollars for victims of psychic fraud reveals the techniques he uses to...
Jul 23, 2024•44 min•Ep. 77
Over the past several years people’s belief in ghosts, hauntings, and the supernatural have steadily crept up and recent studies reveal that 67% of Americans believe in the paranormal. Really, no really! With the occult being one of Jason’s favorite topics, he and Peter wanted to examine the phenomenon with today’s hottest ghost hunters. Ryan Bergara and Shane Madej host Ghost Files – the popular show that investigates the world's most haunted locations in a quest to prove the paranormal. The un...
Jul 16, 2024•38 min•Ep. 76
When Jason and Peter heard about a study suggesting that children in The Netherlands were the happiest kids in the world, their reaction was naturally…Really, no really! They were determined to find out how The Netherlands was able to lay claim to having the happiest children in the world! And more importantly…if their claim was true, what could be learned from their child rearing techniques. They also wanted to figure out the correct name for the country, since people refer to it as - “Netherla...
Jul 09, 2024•39 min•Ep. 75
The pandemic thrust millions of us into remote work, and the consensus for most of us is – we love it! Reduced commutes, getting deliveries, our own bathrooms, and the ability to hang out with our pets! So then why are major employers increasingly pushing back against remote work while bemoaning quiet quitting and the degradation of office culture? And their biggest corporate complaint…less productivity…seems to be a lie! Really, no really! Jason and Peter were surprised by this revelation and n...
Jul 02, 2024•36 min•Ep. 74
Like most people, you’ve probably heard of Mike Rowe because of his willingness to do over 300 strange, disgusting and unique jobs like – sewer inspector – cow inseminator and shark suit tester as the creator and host of Discovery Channel’s popular show “Dirty Jobs”. But when Jason and Peter heard about his unusual start in the entertainment business, they invited him to discuss that…AND…the secret sauce that made Dirty Jobs a phenomenon. His podcast, “The Way I Heard It”, which has been downloa...
Jun 25, 2024•49 min•Ep. 73
Sleep deprivation can lead to hypertension, compromised immunity, stroke, obesity, premature death, and a whole host of other serious maladies. Between 25 and 30 million Americans have insomnia at any given time; no wonder the newest trend in wellness is… “Sleep Tourism”. Really, no really! But what exactly is “Sleep Tourism”? Jason and Peter were determined to find out, so they sought out global hospitality and travel expert Kaushik Vardharajan . And what they discovered was a world filled with...
Jun 18, 2024•39 min•Ep. 72
In the United States, the airline industry loses an estimated 2 million bags annually. Now you might be wondering, where do all those lost bags end up? Well Jason and Peter were able to get a definitive answer to that question. The majority end up in Alabama! Really, no Really! Our guest Bryan Owens discusses his unique family business…which has been dealing with lost and unclaimed luggage for over 50 years. Their enormous store, in Scottsboro, Alabama - which covers more than a city block - sel...
Jun 11, 2024•34 min•Ep. 71
You can now rent a professional bridesmaid for your wedding! Really, no really! Before you ask the inevitable and logical question…why anyone would need to rent somebody to be their bridesmaid, consider this: twenty two percent of Americans say that it has been at least five years since they’ve made a new friend and nearly one-third say they have three or fewer close friends. With friendship in decline no wonder one woman, today’s guest has acted as a bridesmaid in hundreds of weddings for bride...
Jun 04, 2024•37 min•Ep. 70
A man attempted suicide by overdosing on a drug he was given in a clinical trial. He was rushed to a hospital in bad shape…shaking, breathing rapidly with a dangerously low pulse, and blood pressure that had bottomed out. He was eventually stabilized, but not by anything the staff at the hospital did. The treatment and cure? He was informed that the overdose he had taken was a placebo. He had downed 29 capsules that were effectively sugar pills and the cause of his medical emergency… was all in ...
May 28, 2024•39 min•Ep. 69
Have you heard about Wally the 5-foot-long, 60-pound emotional support alligator? Wally’s owner sleeps with him, walks him on a leash, and even hosts children’s pool parties featuring the supposedly docile reptile. With their inhuman eyes, prehistoric looks, razor sharp teeth, and propensity to eat small dogs (and sometimes their owners), most of us have concluded that alligators are mindless, aggressive killing machines. Today’s guest says…we’re wrong. Really, no really! We wanted to know if Wa...
May 21, 2024•36 min•Ep. 68
Today’s episode is all about our frustration with customer service… which by anyone’s standards is getting worse and worse! You experience it every time you encounter a phone tree, interact with a chatbot, or deal with increasingly longer hold times. The truly shocking fact, the apparent ineptitude of most customer service departments is by design. Really, no Really! Jason and Peter had to find out the reason a company would intentionally offer unsatisfactory customer service and became even mor...
May 14, 2024•35 min•Ep. 67
Dr. Robert Sapolsky a MacArthur Foundation “genius” grant winner and professor of biology and neurology at Stanford University has rankled the scientific and philosophic communities by arguing one simple point: There is no free will! We only THINK we’re making our own decisions. Really, no really! When Jason and Peter heard this, they realized that they had absolutely no choice but to contact Dr. Sapolsky so they could get him to explain his thesis…in a simplistic way…that even they could unders...
May 07, 2024•40 min•Ep. 66
The cannabis available today is much, much stronger than the weed grandma was smoking back in her day and the effects on our brains are much more significant than previously thought. Really, no really! Jason and Peter sought out Dr. Ryan Sultan an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia University to understand the underlying reasons for our growing inability to get along but when we had him in studio we also picked his brain relating to his expertise in cannabis. He's also an exp...
May 03, 2024•13 min•Ep. 21
It’s becoming impossible to ignore the epidemic of public incivility. Tirades in supermarkets, performers pelted with projectiles, drunken movie goers brawling, tantrums on airplanes, and of course, the Oscar slap seen around the world! This can’t all just be coincidence. Social media constantly churns out evidence of this growing trend which begs the question: Which came first, the incivility or the smartphone cameras capturing it all? Really, no really? Jason and Peter sought out an expert in ...
Apr 30, 2024•36 min•Ep. 65
Harvard is teaching a course on…Taylor Swift? Yes! Harvard University, the one in Cambridge, Massachusetts has a new course about T-Swizzle whose Eras Tour has earned over 1 billion dollars so far. And whose latest album just broke multiple streaming records within hours of its release. Really, no Really! Our initial reaction was to poo-poo the Harvard course because we happen to be congenital born poo-poo-ers. But when we investigated the course syllabus, we found it fascinating, and an easy A ...
Apr 23, 2024•38 min•Ep. 64
This episode attempts to answer the question… “ Are airlines putting dangerous planes into the sky? ” Recently, a Boeing 737 Max 9 had a door plug blow out at 16,000 feet, creating a gaping hole that sucked out, among other things…the shirt off the back of a startled teenager. Really, no Really! That incident (along with a few others) reminded us of that Netflix documentary exposing the egregious decline of Boeing, a once great American manufacturer. 2023 was considered a travel nightmare for ma...
Apr 16, 2024•39 min•Ep. 63
Fame! That mystical quality that often leads young stars to crushing downfalls, addiction, financial ruin, even personal tragedy. So, is it better to become famous later in life, when you hopefully have the wisdom and experience to handle it? For one Tennessee housewife and in-home jewelry salesperson Leanne Morgan , success didn’t happen till her late 50s. That’s when her incredible talent, perseverance and whit enabled her to go from playing small comedy clubs, to arenas, landing a Netflix spe...
Apr 09, 2024•44 min•Ep. 62
As celebrities bask in their own fame, they are frequently offered exceptionally lucrative endorsement deals, often worth obscene amounts of money. But as this trend has grown over the past decade, many of the deals seem to be encountering significant problems! Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s wine brand may take a hit due to their acrimonious divorce. Diddy (formerly Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, Puffy and more) reportedly lost 18 brand partnerships due to assault allegations. And Adidas’s billion-dollar...
Apr 02, 2024•38 min•Ep. 61
Today’s episode could be titled, “Hello Newman” because the internationally loved actor, Wayne Knight visits Really, no Really to talk about his iconic roles... including Seinfeld’s scheming Postman Newman, and Jurassic Park's techno-wiz Dennis Nedry. In this episode, Jason and Peter get Wayne to discuss what it’s like to get cast in projects based on his weight, being held hostage on the set of Oliver Stone’s JFK, and his bizarre audition with the director of Basic Instinct - Really, no Really!...
Mar 26, 2024•54 min•Ep. 60
This episode is all about trying to figure out if TikTok - the video hosting platform owned by the Chinese company Byte Dance should be banned or not. Over 70% of young Americans use TikTok, which critics claim is spying on, manipulating, and spreading misinformation to its users. But is TikTok any different than Meta, Google, or X? Our guest’s answer may surprise you… Really, no really! Bruce Schneier is a cryptographer, computer security professional, privacy specialist, who has been writing a...
Mar 19, 2024•34 min•Ep. 59
This episode should be titled “Mission Insanity” because it’s all about exploring how Tom Cruise performs his own death-defying stunts…and why! Jason and Peter were determined to find out the real reason Tom “risks it all” in every film. How he trains for a stunt that’s never been done before and whether he’s going to continue to try and outdo himself with each new film now that he’s in his 60’s! And they succeeded in finding the person with the answers… Wade Eastwood. He’s best known as the Act...
Mar 12, 2024•37 min•Ep. 58
In case you haven’t noticed, there appears to be a subtitle revolution, with current research showing that as many as 61% of us are using subtitles regularly. And that number is rapidly growing! Really, no really! Everyone hasn’t suddenly become hard of hearing, so why are subtitles suddenly becoming the norm? This global entertainment trend is transforming the way we watch television and movies…and content creators secretly admit there is a problem that necessitates subtitles! So, we had to unr...
Mar 05, 2024•33 min•Ep. 57
MrBeast aka 25-year-old Jimmy Donaldson is the biggest solo performer on YouTube. He’s followed by over 400 million people who watch his insane stunts and his enormous acts of philanthropy. So, who is this introverted twenty-five-year-old and what makes him tick? Did he really figure out the YouTube recommendation algorithm, and what makes him different from thousands of similar creators on YouTuber? For answers we contacted a writer who for three days, embedded herself with MrBeast, in his enor...
Feb 27, 2024•39 min•Ep. 56
In 11 years on ABC’s Modern Family, Jesse Tyler Ferguson never won a Primetime Emmy even though he was nominated 5 times. Jason, who reminds us often, was nominated 7 times for Seinfeld so in this episode, we find out who lost it, better. And Jesse’s show is so popular there are even versions in Chile, Greece, Russia, and even Iran! Really, no really? Actor, author, podcaster, philanthropist, restaurateur, and activist Jesse Tyler Ferguson is best known for his portrayal of Mitchell Pritchett on...
Feb 20, 2024•42 min•Ep. 55
