NO SUCH THING

Kaleidoscope
  • 4.6 (590)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Join Manny, Noah, and Devan — three best friends and journalists — as they settle dumb arguments by actually doing the research.  Each week, they start with a debate or discussion. Why don’t men ask follow up questions? Should schools ban phones? Is dating an AI chatbot cheating? Then, they go out into the world, talk to experts, conduct experiments, and find the answer. NO SUCH THING is an explainer podcast about pop culture, the internet, and whatever weird thing your group chat can’t agree on. If you’ve ever had a take so strong you had to fact-check it, this show is for you. New episodes on Wednesdays. For more information, please subscribe to our newsletter at www.nosuchthing.show. And if you have any questions you’d like us to get to the bottom of, email us at mannynoahdevan@gmail.com or leave a voicemail: ‪(860) 325-0286.

  1. Should we still circumcise babies?

    6D AGO

    Should we still circumcise babies?

    New data shows that less than half of American newborn boys are circumcised, a major decrease from around 90% in the 1960s. But how and why did circumcision become so common here in the United States? This week, we speak to an epidemiologist, a sociologist, and an anti-circumcision “intactivist” to explore the origins of the procedure, its health impacts, and why attitudes around it are changing.  Our guests this week are Johns Hopkins epidemiologist Dr. Kate Grabowski, Vanderbilt University associate professor of sociology Laura Carpenter, and Intact America founding executive Georganne Chapin. NOTE: Due to time restraints, not everything can make it into the final episode. We tried our best to represent all sides of the issue fairly and respectfully. With that said, some claims around the African VMMC trials in particular may be misleading. To clarify: these trials produced high quality peer-reviewed studies documenting medical benefits, particularly in relation to HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. They were also conducted in partnership with some of the world’s most respected African scientists and research institutions. They are not simply colonial interventions.  For additional information, please go to our newsletter to find links to research and more. NST has no particular agenda here, so please take a look at all the info yourself to decide what’s best for you. Check out our newsletter here. Have a question you want us to answer? Email us at mannynoahdevan@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at ‪(860) 325-0286 EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ http://www.nordvpn.com/nst   Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1h 15m
  2. Why did Taylor Swift stop singing in a country accent?

    MAY 6

    Why did Taylor Swift stop singing in a country accent?

    On today’s episode, we’re tackling a question from a listener named Joel: Why do singers lose their accents when they sing? Our guest this week is New Yorker writer Kelefa Sanneh. In this wide-ranging conversation, we explore identity in country music, why Taylor Swift stopped singing with a twang, how Drake changed the way people think about authenticity in hip-hop, and why Adele and Harry Styles don’t sound British when they sing. Want to hear all the music from this episode? Check out our newsletter for a playlist. Check out Kelefa’s book Major Labels: A History of Popular Music in Seven Genres If you’re new here, listen to episode 36: Is Taylor Swift bigger than Michael Jackson? and check out our NST starter pack.  Fill out our NST listener survey here. Have a question you want us to answer? Email us at mannynoahdevan@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at ‪(860) 325-0286 EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ http://www.nordvpn.com/nst   Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1h 8m
  3. Does micromanaging actually work?

    APR 29

    Does micromanaging actually work?

    This week’s topic came from a listener who asked if micromanaging is a more productive work-style than a more “free range” approach. We talk about our own work experiences, and answer a few other miscellaneous work questions about performance improvement plans (“PIPs”), handling an incompetent boss, office odors, and more. Our guest this week is Erik Baker, historian at Harvard, editor at The Drift, and author of Make Your Own Job: How the Entrepreneurial Work Ethic Exhausted America, who walks us through the history of the corporate work structure and evolution of management styles.  Check out our newsletter for links to research and more.  Fill out our NST listener survey here. Have a question you want us to answer? Email us at mannynoahdevan@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at ‪(860) 325-0286 EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ http://www.nordvpn.com/nst   Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1h 3m
  4. Is recycling a complete scam? (PART 2)

    APR 22

    Is recycling a complete scam? (PART 2)

    Growing up, we were told to always recycle plastic to save the planet. But does recycling actually do anything? In this special two-part investigation, we explore the history of recycling, the rise of “disposable” plastics, and find out how effective recycling actually is.  In part one (with the help of Nayeema Raza, host of  Smart Girl Dumb Questions), we hear from Davis Allen, PhD, Senior Investigative Researcher at the Center for Climate Integrity, who alleges that plastic recycling is a deceptive story engineered by fossil fuel and petrochemical companies to make us feel guilty for using the very plastics they profit from. Davis says recycling is a distraction from the real problem.  Listen to part one: Apple, Spotify, Others In part two, we visit a recycling center and speak to Kara Napolitano, Education Director at Circular Services to find out how recycling actually works, learn the amount of bottles that actually make it to the recycling facility, and reckon with our own individual impact to determine if recycling is a viable solution to our climate crisis or simply a feel-good placebo in an ever-expanding consumer culture.  For links to research and more, check out our newsletter.  Fill out our NST listener survey here. Have a question you want us to answer? Email us at mannynoahdevan@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at ‪(860) 325-0286 EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ http://www.nordvpn.com/nst   Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    34 min
  5. Is recycling a complete scam? (PART 1)

    APR 22

    Is recycling a complete scam? (PART 1)

    Growing up, we were told to always recycle plastic to save the planet. But does recycling actually do anything? In this special two-part investigation, we explore the history of recycling, the rise of “disposable” plastics, and find out how effective recycling actually is.  In part one (with the help of Nayeema Raza, host of  Smart Girl Dumb Questions), we hear from Davis Allen, PhD, Senior Investigative Researcher at the Center for Climate Integrity, who alleges that plastic recycling is a deceptive story engineered by fossil fuel and petrochemical companies to make us feel guilty for using the very plastics they profit from. Davis says recycling is a distraction from the real problem.  In part two, we visit a recycling center and speak to Kara Napolitano, Education Director at Circular Services to find out how recycling actually works, learn the amount of bottles that actually make it to the recycling facility, and reckon with our own individual impact to determine if recycling is a viable solution to our climate crisis or simply a feel-good placebo in an ever-expanding consumer culture.  Listen to part two: Apple, Spotify, Others For links to research and more, check out our newsletter.  Fill out our NST listener survey here. Have a question you want us to answer? Email us at mannynoahdevan@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at ‪(860) 325-0286 EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ http://www.nordvpn.com/nst   Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    43 min
  6. Kids can’t read anymore. Does it matter? (with author Jason Reynolds)

    APR 15

    Kids can’t read anymore. Does it matter? (with author Jason Reynolds)

    Are we in the midst of a reading crisis? News outlets are constantly reporting on the death of reading. School test scores by measures like the “Nation’s Report Card” say math and literacy levels are down to their lowest rates since the early 1990s. Schools aren’t even assigning full books in class anymore. We talk to children’s book author Jason Reynolds, an active teacher in Chicago public schools, and a professor who’s looked into the actual research and says the literacy crisis doesn’t even exist.  Our guests this week are author Jason Reynolds (buy his new book Soundtrack here), professor Paul Thomas, and teacher Kelsey Clodfelter. For links to research and more, check out our newsletter.  If you liked this episode, check out: Do audiobooks count as reading? and Should schools ban phones?  Have a question you want us to answer? Email us at mannynoahdevan@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at ‪(860) 325-0286 EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ http://www.nordvpn.com/nst   Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    59 min
  7. Eggs in the fridge, expired meds, loud sneezes, and more (Mailbag)

    APR 8

    Eggs in the fridge, expired meds, loud sneezes, and more (Mailbag)

    On today's episode of NO SUCH THING, Manny, Noah, and Devan, jump into the mailbag. Should you keep your eggs in the fridge? Why do some people sneeze so loudly? Where did we get the 24 hour day from? Why and how does medicine expire? And what's the traditional jelly in a PB&J: grape or strawberry? ICYMI: Manny wrote a book and you can check it out here! It's called Colored People Time: A Case for (Casual) Rebellion, and it's a collection of essays about the ways that time wraps itself around our most personal moments. Have a question you want us to answer? Email us at mannynoahdevan@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at ‪(860) 325-0286. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    44 min
  8. TINY CAMERAS!?! We found out what those customer satisfaction buttons actually do

    APR 1

    TINY CAMERAS!?! We found out what those customer satisfaction buttons actually do

    This week we’re answering a question from a listener named Emma: What do those smiley-face customer-satisfaction buttons you see in airport bathrooms actually do?  We track down the Finland-based company behind them, HappyOrNot, and uncover a hidden world of analytics, cameras, and AI.  Our guest this week is Scott Erickson, HappyOrNot’s VP of US Sales and Global Channels. For links to research and more, check out our newsletter. Like this episode? Check out Is your phone listening to you ... and should you care?DEV-ITORS NOTE: After the interview, HappyOrNot clarified that cameras are standard on their touchscreen devices, but the button devices don’t have them. ICYMI: Manny wrote a book and you can check it out here! It's called Colored People Time: A Case for (Casual) Rebellion, and it's a collection of essays about the ways that time wraps itself around our most personal moments. Have a question you want us to answer? Email us at mannynoahdevan@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at ‪(860) 325-0286 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    36 min
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Hosts & Guests

4.6
out of 5
590 Ratings

About

Join Manny, Noah, and Devan — three best friends and journalists — as they settle dumb arguments by actually doing the research.  Each week, they start with a debate or discussion. Why don’t men ask follow up questions? Should schools ban phones? Is dating an AI chatbot cheating? Then, they go out into the world, talk to experts, conduct experiments, and find the answer. NO SUCH THING is an explainer podcast about pop culture, the internet, and whatever weird thing your group chat can’t agree on. If you’ve ever had a take so strong you had to fact-check it, this show is for you. New episodes on Wednesdays. For more information, please subscribe to our newsletter at www.nosuchthing.show. And if you have any questions you’d like us to get to the bottom of, email us at mannynoahdevan@gmail.com or leave a voicemail: ‪(860) 325-0286.

Information

  • Channel
    Kaleidoscope
  • Creator
    iHeartPodcasts and Kaleidoscope
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    68
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    2026 iHeartMedia, Inc. © Any use of this intellectual property for text and data mining or computational analysis including as training material for artificial intelligence systems is strictly prohibited without express written consent from iHeartMedia
  • Show Website
    NO SUCH THING

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