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Episode 169

Failure Is Your Friend

In which we argue that failure should not only be tolerated but celebrated.

Episode 169

Failure Is Your Friend (Replay)

In which we argue that failure should not only be tolerated but celebrated.

Episode 561

How to Succeed at Failing, Part 1: The Chain of Events

We tend to think of tragedies as a single terrible moment, rather than the result of multiple bad decisions. Can this pattern be reversed? We try — with stories about…

Episode 562

How to Succeed at Failing, Part 2: Life and Death

In medicine, failure can be catastrophic. It can also produce discoveries that save millions of lives. Tales from the front line, the lab, and the I.T. department. Part of the…

Episode 564

How to Succeed at Failing, Part 4: Extreme Resiliency

Everyone makes mistakes. How do you learn from them? Lessons from the classroom, the Air Force, and the world’s deadliest infectious disease. Part of the series “How to Succeed at…

Episode 563

How to Succeed at Failing, Part 3: Grit vs. Quit

Giving up can be painful. That’s why we need to talk about it. Today: stories about glitchy apps, leaky paint cans, broken sculptures — and a quest for the perfect…

Episode 149

Is It Harder to Make Friends as an Adult?

How do friendships change as we get older? Should you join a bowling league? And is Angela more important to Mike than Mike is to Angela?…

Episode 149

Is It Harder to Make Friends as an Adult? (Replay)

How do friendships change as we get older? Should you join a bowling league? And also: how does a cook become a chef?…

Episode 370

How to Fail Like a Pro

The road to success is paved with failure, so you might as well learn to do it right. (Ep. 5 of the “How to Be Creative” series.)…

Nine Ways to Guarantee Success (And Failure)

…just an obstacle. Not a failure. Failures start off as obstacles. You want to overcome obstacles. You can’t make your girlfriend call you back. So maybe you get a new…




Episode 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?

Episode 132

Is It Wrong to Enjoy Yourself While the World Is Burning?

Are things as dire as they seem? How big is your moral circle? And should Angela spend time with her kids or answer her emails?…

Episode 43

What Do We Really Learn From Failure?

Also: What is teasing supposed to accomplish?

Episode 382

How Goes the Behavior-Change Revolution?

An all-star team of behavioral scientists discovers that humans are stubborn (and lazy, and sometimes dumber than dogs). We also hear about binge drinking, humblebragging, and regrets. Recorded live in…

Episode 31

How Much Do Your Friends Affect Your Future?

Also: Which professions have the happiest people?…

Dad-or-Daughter Contest: We Have a Winner

(iStockphoto) I’m happy to announce that Elizabeth Simpson won the Dad-or-Daughter Songwriting Contest by correctly identifying Friend Zone as the song that I coauthored with my daughter, as well as…



Episode 157

How Can You Get Closer to the People You Care About?

How well do you know the people in your life, really? Are you stuck having surface-level conversations? And should we all be in couples therapy?…

Episode 31

How Much Do Your Friends Affect Your Future? (Replay)

Also: which professions have the happiest people?…

Episode 187

Is Fear Running Your Life?

How can you summon courage when you’re terrified? Is hiking more dangerous than skiing? And what is the stupidest thing that Mike has ever done?…

Episode 18

How Do You Raise a “Likable” Kid?

Also: what’s so great about friendship?…

Episode 203

Diamonds Are a Marriage Counselor’s Best Friend

It may seem like winning a valuable diamond is an unalloyed victory. It’s not. It’s not even clear that a diamond is so valuable.

Episode 457

Is Dialysis a Test Case of Medicare for All?

Kidney failure is such a catastrophic (and expensive) disease that Medicare covers treatment for anyone, regardless of age. Since Medicare reimbursement rates are fairly low, the dialysis industry had to…

Episode 536

Is Your Plane Ticket Too Expensive — or Too Cheap?

Most travelers want the cheapest flight they can find. Airlines, meanwhile, need to manage volatile fuel costs, a pricey workforce, and complex logistics. So how do they make money —…

Episode 577

The Vanishing Mr. Feynman

In his final years, Richard Feynman’s curiosity took him to some surprising places. We hear from his companions on the trips he took — and one he wasn’t able to….

Episode 162

How Can You Be Kinder to Yourself?

How do you practice self-care if you don’t have time for a break? Is it weird to talk to yourself? And does Mike need a bag of Doritos — or…

Episode 151

Is It Okay to Be Average?

Must one always strive for excellence? Is perfectionism a good thing? And can Mike have two bad days in a row?

Episode 186

Do You Need a Routine?

Would you be more adventurous if you had more structure? Do you multitask while brushing your teeth? And what would Mike’s perfect brother Peter do?…

Episode 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…

Episode 451

Can I Ask You a Ridiculously Personal Question?

Most of us are are afraid to ask sensitive questions about money, sex, politics, etc. New research shows this fear is largely unfounded. Time for some interesting conversations!…