Search the Site

Series logo
Follow this show

No Stupid Questions

Research psychologist Angela Duckworth (author of Grit) and tech and sports executive Mike Maughan really like to ask people questions, and they believe there’s no such thing as a stupid one. So they have a podcast where they can ask each other as many “stupid questions” as they want. New episodes each week. No Stupid Questions is a production of the Freakonomics Radio Network.

Listen here or follow No Stupid Questions on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,  YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. We also provide transcripts, show notes, and links to research for each episode.

Episode No.
Date
Length
No. 28

Why Do We Hoard?

Also: do you spend more time thinking about the past, the present, or the future?

11/22/20
29:14
No. 27

How Should You Ask for Forgiveness?

Also: why is behavior change so darn hard? 

11/15/20
37:44
No. 26

Do Checklists Make People Stupid?

Also: what’s so great about New York City anyway?

11/8/20
34:17
No. 25

Is Hedonism Better Than Self-Control?

Also: is it wrong to feel inured to the pandemic?

11/1/20
30:43
No. 24

Why Do We Forget So Much of What We’ve Read?

Also: do we overestimate or underestimate our significance in other people’s lives?

10/25/20
33:53
No. 23

Is It Wrong to Crave Praise?

Also: should everyone have their own trauma score?

10/18/20
39:32
No. 22

Why Do We Buy Things We’ll Never Use?

Also: how is social media like a knife?

10/11/20
32:30
No. 21

How Can You Identify Hidden Talent? With Eric Schmidt

Also: is there a downside to billionaire philanthropy? 

10/4/20
36:05
No. 20

Should We Separate the Art From the Artist?

Also: what is the meaning of life?

9/27/20
33:39
No. 19

Is There Such a Thing as Good Estrangement?

Also: how do you know if you have a “bad personality”? 

9/20/20
35:21
No. 18

How Do You Raise a “Likable” Kid?

Also: what’s so great about friendship?

9/13/20
30:27
No. 17

How Can We Get More Virtue and Less ‘Virtue Signaling’?

Also: is it better to be a thinker, a doer, or a charmer?

9/6/20
33:22
No. 16

What’s the Downside to Being Goal-Oriented?

Also: how does a cook become a chef? With Gabrielle Hamilton.

8/30/20
32:38
No. 15

How Much of Your Life Do You Actually Control?

Also: why do we procrastinate?

8/23/20
38:07
No. 14

Are You a Maximizer or a Satisficer?

Also: what is the best question you’ve ever been asked in a job interview?

8/16/20
24:00
No. 13

How Can You Stop Comparing Yourself With Other People?

Also: how can we stop confusing correlation with causation?

8/9/20
33:50
No. 12

Does “As If” Thinking Really Work?

Also: how effective is the placebo effect?

8/2/20
33:50
No. 11

Are Ambitious People Inherently Selfish?

Also: why do we habituate to life’s greatest pleasures?

7/26/20
36:50
No. 10

Why Are Stories Stickier Than Statistics?

Also: are the most memorable stories less likely to be true?

7/19/20
31:19
No. 9

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

Also: how do you avoid screwing up your kids?

7/12/20
34:20
No. 8

Wouldn’t It Be Better to Hear Your Eulogy Before You’re Dead?

Also: how does a comedian cope with tragedy? With Eugene Mirman.

7/5/20
36:34
No. 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?

6/28/20
30:47
No. 6

Is Incompetence a Form of Dishonesty?

Also: should we all have personal mission statements?

6/21/20
40:08
No. 5

What Do Tom Sawyer and the Founder of Duolingo Have in Common?

Also: is there such a thing as too much science? With special guest Luis von Ahn.

6/14/20
30:56
No. 4

Does All Creativity Come From Pain?

Also: is life precious because it’s finite?

6/7/20
33:17
No. 3

What Does It Mean to Be a “Hard Worker”?

Also: how does age affect happiness?

5/31/20
28:08
No. 2

What Is the Optimal Way to Be Angry?

Also: why do we treat pets better than people?

5/24/20
36:24
No. 1

Did Covid-19 Kill the Handshake?

Also: why can’t humans handle uncertainty already?

5/17/20
38:54
Show Full Archive

The Freakonomics Radio Network

Freakonomics Radio Follow this show 828 Episodes
No Stupid Questions Follow this show 238 Episodes
People I (Mostly) Admire Follow this show 163 Episodes
The Economics of Everyday Things Follow this show 79 Episodes
The Freakonomics Radio Book Club Follow this show 23 Episodes

How to Listen

You want to listen to Freakonomics Radio? That’s great! Most people use a podcast app on their smartphone. It’s free (with the purchase of a phone, of course). Looking for more guidance? We’ve got you covered.

Learn more

Freakonomics Radio Network Newsletter

Stay up-to-date on all our shows. We promise no spam.