Smart Girl Dumb Questions
Episodes
Another Iran War? with Professor Vali Nasr (Hot War Summer 2025 Remix)
02 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Who picks Iran’s Ayatollah? What are the Israelis and Americans up to? How did we get here? AND: WILL IT EVER END? Today’s SGDQ bonus drop is an I...
Is It Time for An AI Boyfriend?
27 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Is it time to date ChatDaddy? Today we're playing you a debate Nayeema hosted at New York's Comedy Cellar for a show we love: Open to Debate. Nayeema ...
6 7, Ragebait, Chud - what do they even Mean? Algospeak w an Etymology Nerd
17 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Is our language becoming unrecognizable and is that the internet’s fault? Nayeema sits down with Adam Aleksic (aka Etymology Nerd), a linguistics ne...
Does Marriage Kill Love? with a Million Dollar Divorce Attorney
10 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
He’s watched thousands of marriages fail — so what did he learn about love? And from mandatory prenups to a newlyweds permit, how would he redesig...
Calling Your Senator or Congressperson … Does It Work? with Rep. Melanie Stansbury
29 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
After ICE officers shipped 5 year old Liam Ramos to a detention facility and federal agents shot and killed 37 year old ICU Nurse Alex Pretti, Nayeema...
How Can I Get Rid of Stress? with Dr. Aditi Nerurkar
27 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Do you think your phone is breaking your brain? Is the stress of this news cycle rewiring our physiology? And why do we feel so behind our Jan 1 resol...
Why Do Venezuelans Want This?
19 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The US is making unwanted moves on Denmark and toying with the idea of intervening in Iran — but one country where the administration waltzed in a...
Can He Make America Healthy (and Trusting) Again? with NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya
13 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Whether it’s the MAHA movement or COVID-19 management, can we trust American public health? Nayeema talks to NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya. He was a...
Will The Market Crash in 2026? with Andrew Ross Sorkin
06 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Could Andrew Ross Sorkin outperform Nancy Pelosi’s stock performance? The 2026 market is booming, but economic vibes are no bueno. Are we hea...
More Mark Cuban: Can Billionaires (Still) Save Us?
23 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
9 months ago we launched SGDQ with Mark Cuban and in this extended re-air of that episode Nayeema asks: Can billionaires (still) save us? And what hap...
Is AI Alive?! Godfather Part II with Dr. Geoffrey Hinton
09 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This is Part II of The Godfather (of AI) Trilogy — where we learn if we survived what we’ve built with one of the men who helped build it: Turing ...
Wait … How Does AI Work? with “Godfather of AI” Geoffrey Hinton
02 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We all pretend to understand AI but Dr. Geoffrey Hinton actually does. He’s been dubbed the “Godfather of AI” for half-century of work on machin...
Dating Zeitgeist Digest (Nayeema on Matchmaker Maria's podcast)
25 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is having a boyfriend embarrassing? Are AI boyfriends our future? Today, we have a friendly feed drop to give you a taste of a convo Nayeema had on th...
How Does Music Work? with Gen Z Mozart Jacob Collier
18 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What is Rhythm? Melody? Harmony? Do we all have these elements ingrained in us? Will AI make better music than humans can? What is a Weenus? And would...
How Much Does Love Cost??! with Matchmaker Maria Avgitidis
11 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If someone pays for love, is it easier to find? Does it twist the power dynamic? Do professional matchmakers take a Hippocratic Oath? And how long do ...
Why Do People Run? with Olympian Alexi Pappas
04 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Olympian and author Alexi Pappas joins us this week to tackle one of Nayeema’s (and Neil deGrasse Tyson’s) pressing questions: Why are all these p...
What Are You Like When “No One’s” Watching? with Doormen Daryl + Joe
28 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
New York’s doormen see everything, and say nothing. These cultural anthropologists. know more secrets than your therapist does. So what stories do t...
Bill Nye - What Happened to Science, Guys?
21 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Bill Nye the Science Guy taught an entire generation to love science and the scientific method so … what went wrong? Is the debate around science ju...
Is NASA Worth 25 Billion Bucks? with Casey Dreier
14 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hit “follow” on this show so you don't miss Bill Nye the Science Guy next week. Today, Nayeema ask Bill’s colleague Casey Dreier: do we really ...
Do DJs Sleep? with Diplo
07 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why is every dude a DJ now? Do actually successful Grammy-winning DJs sleep? What do music producers do? Should they date the musicians they produce? ...
Why Is Love Harder Now? Ft. Esther Perel
30 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why are we falling in love less? Is it feminism’s fault? Or the reality of getting older? Would Esther Perel rather date in 1955, 1985 or 2025? And ...
Season 2 - Coming in Hot!
29 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The curiosity party is back, with new episodes every Tuesday. Nayeema returned from summer break (why don't adults get those?) with a spicy line up Qs...
Season 2 - Coming to You Hot!
29 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The curiosity party is back, with new episodes every Tuesday. Nayeema returned from summer break (why don't adults get those?) with a spicy line up Qs...
Are We Really Having Less Sex? with Dr. Justin Garcia
05 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What happens to our bodies and brains when we fall in love? And when we break up? Is orgasm linked to fertility? Who came up with the idea of marriage...
Who’s Running for NYC Mayor? with Eric Adams
01 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Would NYC Mayor Eric Adams rather be trapped in an elevator with Zohran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo, or Curtis Sliwa? What’s his relationship with Preside...
Why Can’t We Have More Parties? with Lee Drutman
18 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How did we get these two political parties? And, when most Americans don’t like either of them is the answer … to have more? Will Elon’s Musk re...
If Everyone’s Got Anxiety, Does Anyone Have Anxiety? with Dr. Ellen Vora
11 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is anxiety the internet’s fault, your mom’s fault, or your food’s fault? Why does there seem to be a greater mental health crisis in the USA tha...
Is the Iran War Over … or Just On Pause? with Vali Nasr
27 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What do Iranians think? Are they more or less into the Ayatollah (and nukes) after the last two weeks? Did the US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites …...
How Do Kids Change Your Life? with Alison Roman & Max Cantor
20 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Will having kids make my life or ruin it? How can two independent, career-minded people navigate marriage? What is a contraction? And is childbirth he...
Why Go On Reality TV? with Rebecca Minkoff
06 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is anything real about reality tv? And does going on it boost your business? Also: when it comes to fashion, why are buttons on one side for dudes and...
Is It Safe to Fly Right Now? with Kate Kelly
30 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
With recent crashes, close calls and control center outages: is it getting more dangerous to fly, or are we just paying more attention? Also: do pilot...
Wait… What’s The Deal With This Economy? with Paul Krugman
16 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Are we in a trade war with China? Will BTC replace USD? What’s the latest on tariffs? And are millennials the most screwed generation? Also: can I b...
Is It Better To Buy Flights On A Tuesday? with The Points Guy(s)
10 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is TSA PreCheck faster than Clear? Who pays for all these “free” miles? And is it ever okay to take off your socks on a plane? Nayeema asks the...
Is It Self-Care … or Capitalism? with Brooke DeVard
02 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is beauty in the eyes of the beholder, or in the eye of the Kardashian industrial complex? What is Instagram face? How do we all agree what’s in or ...
How Do Cranes Get Up There? An Astrophysicist & Construction Worker Walk Into a Bar
25 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Nayeema puts on a hard hat and visits a building site where she finds Brandon Hernandez, a construction worker who’s able to fill in some blanks for...
Is Cooking Art or Science? with Kenji Lopez-Alt
18 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why are food memories so hard to recreate? Are eggs actually underpriced? Is brunch a scam? And does owning a rice-cooker make Nayeema a bad Asian? N...
Why Chew With Your Mouth Open? A Billionaire & Oxford Gastrophysicist Walk Into SGDQ
11 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Last time I saw Mark Cuban this mad is when the Mavs were down in the fourth quarter. Now, it’s about his “ultimate pet peeve”: open mouth chewi...
When Is A Woman’s Prime? with Tamsen Fadal
04 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Don’t worry, this episode is for women AND men. How do we age well? Avert mid-life crisis? Why does love feel harder as we get older? Is marriage be...
What Do 11 Year Olds Do All Day? with Sophie and Dilan
21 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Are kids more chronically online than adults? Why do they feel more connected on FaceTime than IRL? And since when was recess cancelled? Also - do the...
Are We Living In A Simulation? with Neil deGrasse Tyson
14 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
And what happened before the Big Bang? Would wormholes save us from ever going to the airport again? Do aliens exist? And, oh yes, are horoscopes real...
Is the Future Too Bleak to Have Babies? with Cleo Abram
07 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is the world terrible, or does the news just make it feel that way? And what does the future look like? Will robots take my job? Will AI replace me? W...
Can Billionaires Save Us? with Mark Cuban
28 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Can we join the billionaire group chat? Can Mark Cuban fix healthcare? Can the NBA fix America? And post Luigi, do rich people need more henchmen? Th...
Coming Soon: SGDQ
03 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A new show to answer the dumb questions we’re all thinking, but don’t want to ask out loud. It’s a curiosity party, and you know you’re curiou...