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Episode 133

Can You Really Work on an Airplane?

Are those travelers on their laptops just showing off? Why does V8 taste better at 35,000 feet? And why won’t Angela chat with her seatmate?…

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Episode 75

Self-Help for Data Nerds

Seth Stephens-Davidowitz combs through mountains of information to find advice for everyday life….

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Episode 592

How to Make the Coolest Show on Broadway

Hit by Covid, runaway costs, and a zillion streams of competition, serious theater is in serious trouble. A new hit play called Stereophonic — the most Tony-nominated play in history…

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Episode 35

David Epstein Knows Something About Almost Everything

He’s been an Arctic scientist, a sports journalist, and is now a best-selling author of science books. His latest, Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, makes the argument…

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Episode 66

When Is It OK to Tell a Lie?

Also: is obsessing over your mental health bad for your mental health?…

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Episode 168

Would You Be Happier if You Were More Creative?

Should you become an artist or an accountant? Did Sylvia Plath have to be depressed to write The Bell Jar? And what can Napoleon Dynamite teach us about the creative…

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Episode 109

What Is the Purpose of Embarrassment?

What’s worse: shame, guilt, or humiliation? Does Angela have psychopathic tendencies? And where’s the worst place to sit at a magic show?…

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Episode 2

Mayim Bialik: “I Started Crying When I Realized How Beautiful the Universe Is”

She’s best known for playing neurobiologist Amy Farrah Fowler on The Big Bang Theory, but the award-winning actress has a rich life outside of her acting career, as a teacher,…

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Episode 184

Are You Doing Too Much?

How can you strive for excellence without overworking yourself? Why is perfectionism on the rise? And is Angela part of the problem?…

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Episode 9

Why Is It So Hard to Be Alone With Our Thoughts?

Also: how do you avoid screwing up your kids?

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Episode 105

Can Data Keep People Out of Prison?

Clementine Jacoby went from performing in a circus to founding a nonprofit that works to shrink the prison population….

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Episode 69

How Can You Convince Someone They’re Wrong?

Also: What’s the best way to handle rejection?…

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Episode 172

Is Marriage Worth It?

Can long-term relationships do more harm than good? Where is the line between intimacy and codependence? And should we all try to be more like Mike’s parents?…

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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…

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Episode 61

Was Austan Goolsbee’s First Visit to the Oval Office Almost His Last?

The former chairman of the Obama administration’s Council of Economic Advisors tells Steve how improv comedy was a better training ground for teaching than a Ph.D. from M.I.T., and why…

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EXTRA

Mr. Feynman Takes a Trip — But Doesn’t Fall

A wide-open conversation with three women who guided Richard Feynman through some big adventures at the Esalen Institute. (Part of our Feynman series.)…

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Episode 126

How to Have Great Conversations

The Power of Habit author Charles Duhigg wrote his new book in an attempt to learn how to communicate better. Steve shares how the book helped him understand his own…

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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…

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Episode 165

Do “Generations” Mean Anything?

Do you get grittier as you age? What’s worse for mental health: video games or social media? And do baby boomers make the best D.J.s?…

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Episode 136

Is Sloth a Sin or a Virtue?

How can we distinguish between laziness and patience? Why do people do crossword puzzles? And how is Angie like a combination of a quantum computer and a Sherman tank? Take…

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Episode 134

Will You Live to Be 100?

How far would you go to extend your life? What’s the best way to stay sharp as your brain ages? And does Keith Richards deserve a Nobel Prize?…

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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?…

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EXTRA

Here’s Why You’re Not an Elite Athlete (Update)

There are a lot of factors that go into greatness, many of which are not obvious. As the Olympics come to a close, we revisit a 2018 episode in which…

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Episode 44

Is Empathy in Fact Immoral?

Also: is it better to “go with the wind” or to “be the wind”?

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EXTRA

Pete Docter: “What If Monsters Really Do Exist?” (UPDATE)

He’s the chief creative officer of Pixar, and the Academy Award-winning director of Soul, Inside Out, Up, and Monsters, Inc. Pete Docter and Steve talk about Pixar’s scrappy beginnings, why…

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EXTRA

REPLAY Sue Bird: “You Have to Pay the Superstars.”

She is one of the best basketball players ever. She’s won multiple championships, including five Olympic gold medals and four W.N.B.A. titles. She also helped negotiate a landmark contract for…

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Episode 272

Trevor Noah Has a Lot to Say

The Daily Show host grew up as a poor, mixed-race South African kid going to three churches every Sunday. So he has a sui generis view of America — especially…

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EXTRA

UPDATE: What It’s Like to Be Steve Levitt’s Daughters

Steve shows a different side of himself in very personal interviews with his two oldest daughters. Amanda talks about growing up with social anxiety and her decision not to go…

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Episode 63

How Contagious Is Behavior? With Laurie Santos of “The Happiness Lab.”

Also: life is good — so why aren’t you happy?

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Episode 161

How Effective Are Ultimatums?

How final is a final offer, really? Does anonymity turn nice people into jerks? And should you tell your crush that you dreamed about marrying them?