NO SUCH THING
iHeartPodcasts and Kaleidoscope
No Such Thing is a show where three best friends and journalists settle their dumb arguments — and yours — by actually doing the research.
Hosts Manny Fidel, Noah Friedman, and Devan Joseph, start each episode with an argument using just their gut feelings. Then they go out into the world, investigate, talk to experts, and conduct some experiments. Finally, the guys bring their findings back to the group to see if they can change minds, enlighten each other, and move past their emotional truths. New episodes come out 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.
Hosts Manny Fidel, Noah Friedman, and Devan Joseph, start each episode with an argument using just their gut feelings. Then they go out into the world, investigate, talk to experts, and conduct some experiments. Finally, the guys bring their findings back to the group to see if they can change minds, enlighten each other, and move past their emotional truths. New episodes come out 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.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 4, 2025 • 46min
Why are headlights so bright?
This week, we look into why car headlights seem like they've gotten so much brighter in recent years than they used to be. And, is there any hope for a shift back to a more reasonable brightness level? Our guest today is Daniel Stern, a lighting expert and chief editor of Driving Vision News. Additional music by Certain Self. For more, including links to some of the research cited in this episode, visit our website. Have an argument you want us to settle? Shoot us an email at mannynoahdevan@gmail.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 25, 2025 • 44min
Should schools ban phones?
This week, we take a look into a rather divisive issue: school cell phone bans. With more and more states introducing legislature to ban mobile devices in schools, we take a look at the cases for and against the restrictions. Our guests today are Sabine Polak from the Phone-Free Schools Movement and Keri Rodrigues from the National Parents Union. For more, including links to some of the research cited in this episode, visit our website. Have an argument you want us to settle? Shoot us an email at mannynoahdevan@gmail.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 21, 2025 • 38min
Can you cure picky eating? (w/ Search Engine)
In collaboration with our friends at Search Engine, we seek to find a cure for Manny's deep aversion to seafood, for the sake of our friendship. For more, visit www.nosuchthing.show. If you have a question you'd like us to answer, feel free to email us at mannynoahdevan@gmail.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 11, 2025 • 27min
Should men sit when they pee?
This week, we bravely interrogate the male practice of standing while peeing. Why do we do it? And why stand when you can sit? We speak with urologist Gerald collins to find out if there are any hidden benefits to sitting while peeing. For more, visit www.nosuchthing.show. If you have a question you'd like us to answer, feel free to email us at mannynoahdevan@gmail.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
29 snips
Feb 4, 2025 • 51min
Are suburban dogs happier than city dogs?
On this week’s episode we tackle a question Devan has been grappling with while living with a dog in the city: Are suburban dogs happier than city dogs? To find out, we spoke with one of the leading dog cognition experts, Alexandra Horowitz. She heads the Dog Cognition Lab at Barnard and is the author of Inside of a Dog. The credit song is Big Dog by Maurice featuring Kenny Ning and Certain Self, who also provided additional music for this episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 14, 2025 • 28min
Is Letterboxd ruining movies?
Letterboxd is a great tool for keeping track of movies and seeing what your friends and others are watching. But does constant logging, rating, and reviewing actually help us enjoy films? To find out, we spoke to Dr. Ruud Jacobs, who actually researched the impact of consumer movie reviews, and professional movie critic Tasha Robinson. Dr. Jacobs' research can be found here, and you can hear Tasha on her own podcast, The Next Picture Show. For more, visit www.nosuchthing.showSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6 snips
Jan 7, 2025 • 40min
Is it OK to wear outside clothes on your bed?
On this week’s episode, we tackle our first listener-submitted question: is it OK to wear outside clothes on your bed? Everyone has strong opinions, but what does the science say? We speak with microbiologist Dr. Lisa Cuchara of Quinnipiac University and ran a swab test to get some answers. For more, please subscribe to our newsletter at www.nosuchthing.show. If you have any questions you’d like us to get to the bottom of, email us at mannynoahdevan@gmail.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 31, 2024 • 34min
NST Chat: 2024 Year in Review
This week, we take a break from our regular format to discuss some of our favorite things from the past year. This is the first of a new format we're calling NST Chats: loose, informal, and much more casual than our typical rigorous reporting, fine editing, and high-powered analysis. We promise to hit the ground running in 2025 with a return to our usual style, next Tuesday! NST Selects: 2024 Playlist on Spotify and Apple Music For more, visit www.nosuchthing.show. If you have any questions you’d like us to get to the bottom of, email us at mannynoahdevan@gmail.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 17, 2024 • 20min
Why are assassinations on the rise?
The past decade has seen a resurgence of political violence: January 6, multiple attempts on Trump’s life, and of course the killing of United Healthcare’s CEO are just a few notable examples. We spoke with University of Chicago Professor Robert A. Pape, who has studied political violence for decades, to understand this disturbing trend, the public’s reaction to it, and why he thinks it's here to stay. Read Pape’s New York Times Op-Ed: What the Glorification of Luigi Mangione Reveals About America For more, visit www.nosuchthing.show. If you have any questions you’d like us to get to the bottom of, email us at mannynoahdevan@gmail.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8 snips
Dec 10, 2024 • 36min
Do horses hate running?
What if this ONE thing we’ve always been told about horses isn’t true at all? What if it’s a lie we’ve told ourselves so that we can enjoy our horseback riding vacations and Kentucky Derbies without guilt? To answer this question we speak with Ren Hurst, a former professional horse trainer and author of “The Wisdom of Wilderness.” And we venture to New Jersey to spend some time with horses at the Bergen County Horse Rescue. The end credits music is "I’ve Always Been the First (to Say I Love you)" by Certain Self. For more, please subscribe to our newsletter at www.nosuchthing.show. If you have any questions you’d like us to get to the bottom of, email us at mannynoahdevan@gmail.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
