
Really? no, Really?
Every Tuesday best friends Jason Alexander and Peter Tilden are joined by experts, newsmakers and celebrities in an attempt to find answers to the things that make us go…"Really? no, Really?” We invite you to join us, subscribe and even suggest topics, as we search for the answers to life’s most baffling, intriguing, confusing and annoying questions
Latest episodes

Sep 3, 2024 • 34min
The Ig Nobel Awards Make You Laugh…Then Think
We’ve all heard of The Nobel Peace prize and the Nobel Literature prize, Science, and Medicine prizes. Well, this episode has absolutely nothing to do with any of that! But! If you come up with an idea that is an unusual or trivial or a bizarre achievement in scientific research, well then…we have an award for you. It’s called the Ig Nobel Prize, and anyone can win it, if their idea makes you laugh…and then… makes you think! Really, no really! The Prize was created by today’s guest, Marc Abrahams who has awarded it annually since 1991. And the awards are handed out annually by genuine Nobel laureates, as they honor and celebrate the unusual, the creative and the imaginative… while also spurring people’s interest in science, medicine, and technology. So be prepared to learn about woodpeckers and concussions, an unusual childbirth device and the importance of fish farts. That’s right… fish farts! IN THIS EPISODE: The unbelievable way Marc first became editor of a scientific magazine. Amusing inventors & scientists doing obscure, yet noble things should be honored. Right? The scientists who defied a Prime Minister and proved the impending submarine invasion was not happening. Meet the guy who studied whether gonorrhea could be transmitted by sex dolls. Colonoscopy researchers won the Ig Nobel twice and performed a live on-stage demonstration you won’t believe. The Blonsky centrifugal birthing device will defy your understanding of natural childbirth. Why don’t woodpeckers get concussions and how that applies to football. Your foot size to genitalia size ratio is… real? Jason has some “genius ideas” he thinks should win an Ig Nobel. The small but notable list of inventors who were killed by their inventions. GOOGLEHEIM: Have any nobility won the Nobel Prize? Yep! *** FOLLOW MARC: Website – Improbable.com Ig Nobel Prize 2024 Mastodon - @MarcAbrams Facebook - Marc Abrahams Podcast – Improbable Research *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads XSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 27, 2024 • 39min
Does Your Dog Really Love You? Science Has the Answer!
Does your dog truly love you or are they faking it? A recent Newsweek cover story posed that very question and revealed that scientific research provides an answer! Really, no Really! But can science really prove how your dog feels about you? Or for that matter, can it prove TRUE love, between animals or people? Fascinated by the scientific inquiry, Jason and Peter turned to Dr. Gregory Berns…the Distinguished Professor of Neuroeconomics at Emory University, and the scientist who conducted the actual “Love Research”, even going so far as using MRIs to discover what’s really going on in a dog’s brain! Pet parents…prepare yourself for the truth! IN THIS EPISODE: So…do our dogs actually love us? How the dog, hunting Osama bin Laden led to the first canine MRI. Utilizing MRIs to determine dog’s true emotions. Food and praise light up a dog’s brain reward center but is that love? Dog racism? Alligator companionship? Cow love? Re-examining animal psychology. Jason’s movie, Hachi: A Dog's Tale - a story of true dog love or just love for snacks? Does our increasing understanding of animal capabilities impact how we treat them? Eating or not eating the animals that have the capacity to love us. What’s too cute to eat and our definitive take on cannibalism. GoogleHEIM: The 3-year time window for certain types of dog lovers. *** FOLLOW DR. BERNS: Website - GregoryBerns.com X - @gberns Newly released book: “Cowpuppy: An Unexpected Friendship and a Scientist’s Journey into the Secret World of Cows” *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads XSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 20, 2024 • 31min
If Chemtrails Aren’t Real, Why Are They Being Banned?
We’ve all seen them…white streaks emanating from behind commercial airliners. Is it water vapor or is there something more nefarious being released at 30,000ft? Tennessee legislators were so alarmed by these white plumes, they just passed legislation banning so-called “chemtrails” and any other form of geoengineering. Really, no Really! Chemtrails have been linked to conspiracies about secretive government forces who are using them to release chemicals that could cause sterilization, reduction of life expectancy, mind and weather control and a whole host of other sinister outcomes. But are any of these conspiracies real? When Jason and Peter, saw that 6 or more states are taking up similar anti-chemtrail legislation, they turned to Dr. Joshua Horton, Senior Program Fellow for Geoengineering at the Harvard Kennedy School for answers. IN THIS EPISODE: If chemtrails aren’t real, why are they being banned? Geoengineering and manipulating our weather explained. The Chemtrail myths exposed! What are contrails and what causes them? Could geoengineering eventually reverse climate change? Shady companies that make geoengineering claims. The debate over geoengineering experiments explained. Google-heim: Cows produce how much methane??? FOLLOW JOSH: X – @joshuahorton533 LinkedIn – Joshua Horton *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads XSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 13, 2024 • 39min
How Fungi Could Save the World!
There is an entire world - just below our feet - that defies our conventional understanding of intelligence. It’s a superhighway of fungal interconnectedness, trillions of miles of fungal networks that enable trees to recognize their families, communicate with each other and even share resources. And those fungi, which may be hundreds of millions of years old, may just be the key to saving our planet from pollution and global warming! In this episode, Jason and Peter are joined by Louie Schwartzberg, director of the beautiful 2019 documentary film, “Fantastic Fungi” to explore the amazing world of fungi and mushrooms, and to discuss their awe-inspiring power to heal, protect, and transform our world. And what's most shocking… mushrooms are more closely related to humans than they are to plants…Really, no Really! IN THIS EPISODE: How trees communicate and help their kin. Our symbiotic relationship with fungus explained. The importance of no-till farming and curtailing the use of fossil fuel made fertilizers. The mycelium network could reduce climate change. How mushrooms clean oil spills! Using psylocibin to treat terminally ill cancer patients to lessen their fear of death. Mankind’s rapid evolution is attributed to psylocibin in mushrooms! James Cameron’s Avatar is effectively about Pandora’s mycelia network. The transcendent power of time-lapse photography. Mushrooms have beneficial antibodies & potentially cancer-fighting properties. Google-heim: The largest fungus is WAY bigger than you think & the most expensive mushroom in the world! *** FOLLOW LOUIE: Website - louiechannel.tv Instagram - @LouieSchwartzberg YouTube - @fantasticfungiofficial X - @LouieFilms TikTok - @louieschwartzberg *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads XSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 6, 2024 • 51min
The Holderness Family - ADHD can be a Superpower?
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD is a medical condition with symptoms that include difficulty focusing and staying on task, impulsivity and self-control issues. Worldwide over 336 million people live with ADHD including our own Peter Tilden – and they view it as a daily burden that makes simple tasks challenging and often anxiety-ridden. But one family, wildly famous throughout the social media stratosphere view their struggle with ADHD as something positive. Really, no Really! Today’s guests! Kim and Penn Holderness are best-selling authors and their most recent book is , “ADHD is Awesome: A Guide To (Mostly) Thriving With ADHD! Known for their award-winning videos, they have garnered over 2 billion views and over 8 million followers across their social media platforms. They’re also award-winning podcasters and were the winners on Season 33 of The Amazing Race. IN THIS EPISODE: Signs you or someone you love may have ADHD. ADHD/ADD – What’s the difference? The relationship between ADHD, intelligence & creativity. Medicating ADHD – Making the right decision! What it’s like living with someone who has ADHD? Keeping all the challenging stuff in mind…. how is ADHD awesome? You’ve been diagnosed with ADHD – Now what? What it takes to be a social media sensation? How Kim & Penn won The Amazing Race and should Jason do it? Google-HEIM: Gender differences & ADHD. *** FOLLOW THE HOLDERNESS FAMILY: Website - theholdernessfamily.com Facebook – The Holderness Family YouTube – The Holderness Family Instagram – The Holderness Family TikTok – The Holderness Family X – @KimDHolderness Pinterest – Holdernessfam Podcast – The Holderness Family Podcast *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook ThreadsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 30, 2024 • 37min
Post-COVID Etiquette: The Dos and Don’ts
Post-COVID, we are all living under evolved or flat-out different protocols. And many of us may be unsure which societal rules have changed and what new rules have emerged. Thankfully, New York magazine reformulated and clarified the guidelines concerning how we should all behave in a post -pandemic world. Really, no Really! In this episode we discuss and analyze some of the “194 Modern Etiquette Rules for Life After Covid”with New York magazine editor Choire Sicha, who previously made waves as co-editor at Gawker (twice) and was the former editor at the “Styles” desk of the New York Times. You’ll learn whether it’s okay to Email, text & direct message at any hour. Whether it’s now okay to discipline your friend’s children. AND…if there’s ever a time when it’s okay to be a Karen? IN THIS EPISODE: Is it still okay to use “COVID” as an excuse for cancelling plans? The new rule for running into people you haven’t seen in a while. How badly have our post-COVID office manners degraded? It’s NOT okay for you to karaoke THIS word. Must a host accommodate your veganism, gluten-ism, allergies? Etiquette and the Ozempic-Effect explained. The correct way to listen to someone! The new tips on tipping that have many infuriated! Never wake up your spouse for any reason…EVER! The timelines for cancelling plans has changed a lot. How to properly stop people from telling you a story that you’ve heard before? Jason shares his traveling incognito disguise. Can you spot him? The latest fashion for Summer…Near nudity! Google-heim: The rudest thing we’ve ever witnessed! *** FOLLOW CHOIRE: Instagram - @choiresicha X - @Choire Substack The article: “Do You Know How to Behave? Are You Sure?” *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads XSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 23, 2024 • 44min
Dark Secrets of the $2 Billion Fortune Telling Industry
Psychics. We see their tiny storefront shops in some of the most exclusive zip codes; Beverly Hills, Uptown Manhattan, the fanciest streets in your town – with sun-faded curtains and neon signs promoting palm readings, cures for curses and prophecies from your future. But there’s a much darker side hidden behind the tarot cards and crystal balls. In this episode, Bob Nygaard, a private detective who has recovered millions of dollars for victims of psychic fraud reveals the techniques he uses to surprise and bust corrupt psychics. He also reveals a HUGE SECRET to Jason and Peter about the covert organizations that run many of the psychic scams in an industry with a projected income of over…2 billion dollars a year! Really, no Really! IN THIS EPISODE: Many psychics are part of an organized crime network! Is fortune telling illegal? How psychics identify vulnerable targets. Why law enforcement largely ignores psychic parlor scams. Should psychics be licensed, and the industry regulated? This best-selling writer gave her psychic $17 million dollars! The Seinfeld episode that nailed the psychic con. The 1918 Spanish Flu’s connection to the rise of spiritualism is comparable to COVID’s impact today! Jason’s psychic experience and its joyous outcome. GoogleHEIM: A list of different methods hucksters use to draw unsuspecting marks in. *** FOLLOW BOB NYGAARD: Website - about.me/bob.nygaard X - @buncopi LinkedIN – Bob Nygaard *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads XSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 16, 2024 • 38min
Real Life Ghostbusters – Meet the Ghost Files Guys
Over the past several years people’s belief in ghosts, hauntings, and the supernatural have steadily crept up and recent studies reveal that 67% of Americans believe in the paranormal. Really, no really! With the occult being one of Jason’s favorite topics, he and Peter wanted to examine the phenomenon with today’s hottest ghost hunters. Ryan Bergara and Shane Madej host Ghost Files – the popular show that investigates the world's most haunted locations in a quest to prove the paranormal. The unique twist in the Ghost Files format is that the hosting team consists of a true believer and a total skeptic! IN THIS EPISODE: How a teenage Ryan Bergara was transformed into a paranormal believer based on one night on The Queen Mary. The “cutting-edge” technology they use…or is it? Shane & Ryan mostly get along, except for that one time! Where are those voices coming from? The vetting process used to determine where they ghost hunt. Jason witnessed a stabbing in a Halloween Haunted House and the time he and his family stayed in a haunted house and ended up on the street. Why every theater keeps a ghost light! GoogleHEIM: The Top 5 Scary Ghost Movies of all time. *** FOLLOW RYAN & SHANE: Ghost Files Season 2 is coming in 2025 Instagram - @RyanBergara Instagram - @ShaneMadej YouTube – Ghost Files Website – WatcherEntertainment.com X - @wearewatcher *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads XSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 9, 2024 • 39min
Which Country Has the Happiest Kids? Why?
When Jason and Peter heard about a study suggesting that children in The Netherlands were the happiest kids in the world, their reaction was naturally…Really, no really! They were determined to find out how The Netherlands was able to lay claim to having the happiest children in the world! And more importantly…if their claim was true, what could be learned from their child rearing techniques. They also wanted to figure out the correct name for the country, since people refer to it as - “Netherlands” or “The Netherlands” or “Holland”! For answers they turned to an actual Netherlander (or whatever they’re called) Veronique van der Kleij. She is a child and school psychologist who has worked at The International School of the Hague with children, adolescents, and their families. She specializes in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). She also has a master’s in child and Adolescent Psychology, and a 2-year post-master degree in School Psychology. IN THIS EPISODE: What differentiates kids in Holland from those in other countries. The impact of helicopter parenting. Bikes and kids…the surprising benefits! Dutch kids & social media – how they interact. How the Dutch discuss sex, drugs, gender and other difficult conversations. The shocking differences in parental leave in The Netherlands! How parents punish their children in Holland. The importance of allowing kids to make mistakes. Jason’s extraordinary journey to happiness and contentedness. Googleheim: The Netherlands or Holland? *** FOLLOW VERONIQUE: Website: Calm-Mind-Psychology.nl LinkedIN @Veronique van der Kleij *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads XSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 2, 2024 • 36min
The Return to Office Lie: Why It’s Failing Companies
The pandemic thrust millions of us into remote work, and the consensus for most of us is – we love it! Reduced commutes, getting deliveries, our own bathrooms, and the ability to hang out with our pets! So then why are major employers increasingly pushing back against remote work while bemoaning quiet quitting and the degradation of office culture? And their biggest corporate complaint…less productivity…seems to be a lie! Really, no really! Jason and Peter were surprised by this revelation and needed more info, so they enlisted the help of Nick Bloom. He’s Co-Director of the Productivity, Innovation & Entrepreneurship Program at the National Bureau of Economic Research, and well equipped to explain not only the latest technological innovations created for at-home work but also the changing socio-economic realities that make working from home a critical part of our economy. Professor Bloom is the William Eberle Professor of Economics at Stanford University. He is the co-founder of WFH Research. He’s also the recipient of the prestigious Frisch Medal in 2010. In 2022 he was granted a Guggenheim Fellowship and Bloomberg ranked him as one of its 50 Most Influential. IN THIS EPISODE: The Definitive Answer: Which environment is more productive home or office? Toenail clipping, zero privacy…who’s the a-hole who invented open floor plans? The most hated workplace related activity revealed! The things we LIKE about working in an office. The blackhole of mentorship when working from home. Big Brother Surveillance: Monitoring keystrokes, productivity screen shots, face cameras & Mouse movers! The future of massively empty skyscrapers is…? The Great Migration from city-centers to the suburbs and its extortionary repercussions. How our commutes have been changed by remote work. Medicine, therapy, warfare, romance – Jason ponders in-person vs remote. Googleheim: The worst places to work are…? FOLLOW NICK BLOOM: Website: WFHresearch.com X: @I_Am_NickBloom LinkedIN: Nick Bloom *** FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY: www.reallynoreally.com Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Threads XSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.