Smart Girl Dumb Questions

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 recently announced “America Party” work? Or do we need an “Animal Lovers Party” instead?  Nayeema asks the dumbest questions she can think of to the nerdiest expert she could find: Lee Drutman. He’s a fellow at New America and author of the book Breaking The Two Party Doom Loop. They discuss the beef between Jefferson and Washington (um, I mean, Jefferson and Hamilton), Venn diagrams, and whether the US is really the world’s best democracy.  Find more of Lee’s thoughts, writings and Venn diagrams on his substack Undercurrent Events  Follow Lee on X at @leedrutman. Follow Nayeema @nayeemaraza or on X too – and you can find the show on IG, TikTok & YouTube @smartgirldumbquestions.  Finally: YOU could be on a future episode – send your dumbest questions to nayeemaraza101@gmail.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 than other countries? Is therapy the answer … or is functional medicine? And is all other medicine … dysfunctional? Also where did MAHA come from? Nayeema asks the most direct (and dumb) health questions she could think of to the most pragmatic, open-minded, and research-based doctor she could find: Dr. Ellen Vora, board-certified psychiatrist and author of The Anatomy of Anxiety. They discuss gut health, the limits of medication, how our feelings manifest physically, and how our physical and social health show up in our mental health. Dr. Vora also talks about the great divide over American healthcare and how the Covid-19 pandemic reshaped everything.  Five things you may want to know more about: Finnish study on where in our body we feel what That stress, worry, anxiety article we talk about The glasses we tried on and sexier splurgier version (ELLEN10 for 10% off)  Our partner, Noom — they help you feel good in your body at every stage The Tamsen Fadal episode Follow Ellen Vora on IG at @ellenvoramd. Follow Nayeema @nayeemaraza or on X too – and you can find the show on IG, TikTok & YouTube @smartgirldumbquestions.  Finally: YOU could be on a future episode – send your dumbest questions to nayeemaraza101@gmail.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 … take out the nuclear targets? How would we know? Also: why do all Iran’s proxies start with “H”? Nayeema asks the dumbest questions she can think of to the foremost Iran expert she could identify: Dr. Vali Nasr, a professor and former dean at John Hopkins SAIS, former senior advisor to the US State Department, and the author of several books on foreign policy and Iran including Iran’s Grand Strategy.  Follow Dr. Nasr on X @vali_nasr. Follow Nayeema on IG or X too – and you can find the show on IG, TikTok & YouTube @smartgirldumbquestions.  Finally: YOU could be on a future episode – send your dumbest questions to nayeemaraza101@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 hellish … or like an MDMA high?  Nayeema asks the dumbest questions she can think of to her most grown-uppest friends, New York Times bestselling cookbook author Alison Roman and Emmy-nominated director Max Cantor to understand if you’re ever going to feel ready for kids, and how you go from a thirst-trap or a DM slide to love, marriage and a baby carriage. Alison Roman is a writer, chef and Bon Apetit/New York Times Cooking alum behind the books Dining In, Nothing Fancy, and Something Sweet. Max Cantor is an Emmy-nominated TV and commercial Director. Follow us on IG, TikTok & YouTube @smartgirldumbquestions. And you can find Nayeema on IG or X too Finally: YOU could be on a future episode of “CSI: Dumb Questions” – send your dumb questions to nayeemaraza101@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 another for chicks? Are clothes sexist? And what will tariffs do to the price of a T-shirt?  Nayeema asks reality TV, fashion and Scientology questions to the freshly transparent designer and RHONY personality Rebecca Minkoff.  Check out Rebecca’s podcast, Superwomen and her book Fearless. Follow @smartgirldumbquestions on IG, TikTok & YouTube. You can find Nayeema on IG or X too.  Finally: send YOUR dumb questions to nayeemaraza101@gmail.com. You might end up in a future episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 pilots have walkie-talkies? What’s on their cockpit screens? Do these 30-90 second blackouts at Newark Airport matter? And how few air traffic controllers are … too few? Nayeema asks the dumbest questions she could think of to the best-sourced reporter she could find: New York Times investigative journalist Kate Kelly.  On the agenda: How does seeing how the sausage is made (or control towers are staffed) change Kate’s own travel plans? Who’s to blame for all this: Joe Biden, Donald Trump ... Ronald Reagan …the pandemic … or just: the system? And who’s gonna fix it? Check out Kate’s reporting here.  And thanks to LiveATC for helping us dig up that pilot-air traffic controller audio! Follow @smartgirldumbquestions on IG, TikTok & YouTube. You can find Nayeema on IG or X too.  Finally: send YOUR dumb questions to nayeemaraza101@gmail.com. You might end up in a future episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 blame the economy for my difficult dating life? Nayeema asks the dumbest Qs she could think of to the most famous economist she could find: Nobel Laureate and former New York Times columnist Paul Krugman. For more of Paul’s wisdom after the episode, head to his Substack, where he breaks down economic news daily. And for more Smart Girl Dumb Questions on money matters, scroll to our episode with Mark Cuban and the one with The Points Guy(s)!  Follow on IG, TikTok & YouTube @smartgirldumbquestions. And you can find Nayeema on IG or X too Finally: YOU could be on a future episode — send your dumb questions to nayeemaraza101@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 dumbest questions she could find to the savviest travellers she knows: Brian Kelly (a.k.a. The Points Guy) and Nicky Kelvin, the aviation geek who is a senior director of content at The Points Guy. Also in this episode: child vandalism, T5 small claims court and secrets of, per the title Brian’s book, “How to Win At Travel.”  Follow on IG, TikTok & YouTube @smartgirldumbquestions. And you can find Nayeema on IG or X too Finally: YOU could be on a future episode of “CSI: Dumb Questions” – send your dumb questions to nayeemaraza101@gmail.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 out? And why oh why are thin brows back in?! Nayeema asks the dumbest questions she could think of to Brooke DeVard, a beauty insider who worked at Ford Models, Vogue, Ralph Lauren and Instagram before leaving it all to pursue her Naked Beauty podcast and business full time. On the agenda: What products you need and which are scammy. Why (and if) gen z looks older than millennials. Oh, and salmon sperm.  Follow us on IG, TikTok & YouTube @smartgirldumbquestions. And you can find Nayeema on IG or X too Finally: YOU could be on a future episode of “CSI: Dumb Questions” – send your dumb questions to nayeemaraza101@gmail.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. It’s another episode of “CSI: Dumb Questions,” where everybody has stuff they don’t know – even the guy that runs Hayden Planetarium!   Check out the full episode with Neil deGrasse Tyson in this feed or wherever you get your SGDQ fix to learn so much stuff Neil does know about from space-time, dimensions and wormholes to the search for extraterrestrial life.  Follow us on IG, TikTok & YouTube @smartgirldumbquestions. And you can find Nayeema on IG or X too. Finally: YOU could be on a future episode of “CSI: Dumb Questions” – send your dumb questions to nayeemaraza101@gmail.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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? Nayeema asks the dumbest food and dining questions she could think of to J. Kenji Lopez Alt, the James Beard award-winning chef, cookbook author and recipe developer who came to fame for his scientific understanding of food. Kenji dispels cooking myths, unpacks the reality of restaurant economics, explains if anyone needs 18 knives and shares insights from a fascinating background that fuses Asian and Western culture, East and West coast and science and music. Oh, and we learn what he’s cooking up in his kitchen (it involves rotten eggs, if you’d like a literal spoiler alert).  Thanks to my partners at Noom, the perfect companion for feeling good in your body as you age. Check out Noom.com today. Follow us on IG, TikTok & YouTube @smartgirldumbquestions. You can find Nayeema on Instagram too or on X. And you can find Kenji on YouTube or find his books, podcast and more here.  Send us your dumb questions! nayeemaraza101@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 chewing. In this first drop of the "CSI: Dumb Questions" miniseries, Nayeema ventures out to address this billionaire’s dumb Q – why do people chew with their mouths open? The investigation takes her across the pond to Oxford University, where she meets Dr. Charles Spence, an experimental psychologist/gastrophysicist with an English accent and quite un-English dining sensibilities.  Hear the full, fun Mark Cuban convo on Smart Girl Dumb Questions and hit follow or subscribe. Trigger warning: this episode contains chewing sounds. It’s definitely one to share with the open mouth chewers in your life … or, if you chew openly, you might feel validated sending it to anyone who’s ever complained! Follow us on IG, TikTok & YouTube @smartgirldumbquestions. You can find Nayeema on Instagram or X, and you can find Mark on IG, X or Bluesky. Both will be chewing with their mouths closed. For more crackle and crunch, check out Dr. Charles Spence’s work in Gastrophysics: The New Science of Eating and Sensehacking. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 better the second time around? And can you explain to my mom why *I’m* not married yet?  We’ve reached peak singledom: 51% of American women aged 18-40 are not paired up. Nayeema is part of that demo, and asks the dumbest (and most vulnerable) questions she could think of to Tamsen Fadal, a journalist and former matchmaker turned healthcare advocate, and someone who has redefined aging in the modern world. They tackle dating, aging, catfighting and why everyone is talking about menopause, the subject of Tamsen’s latest book.  Thanks to my partners at Noom, the perfect companion for feeling good in your body as you age. Check out Noom.com today. Follow us on IG, TikTok & YouTube @smartgirldumbquestions. And you can find Nayeema on Instagram too or on X. And send me your dumb questions! nayeemaraza101@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 they drink coffee? And fall in love? What is Roblox? Why are Pokemon cards worth anything? 11 is a wild age - where you have newfound independence, privacy and a sense of yourself. So Nayeema asked the smartest and dumbest questions she could think of to the most interesting kids she could find. She and 11 year old Sophie & Dilan tackle Roblox, the pressures of friend groups, what they wish they learned in school, and more. Also Sophie & Dilan explain why they care about… taxes?! And Nayeema discovers what kids are texting about.   Follow us on IG, TikTok & YouTube @smartgirldumbquestions. And you can find Nayeema on Instagram too or on X.  Send me your dumb questions! nayeemaraza101@gmail.com Thanks to my partners at Omidyar Network. To learn more about the Kids Online Safety Act and other initiatives to protect kids online visit http://omidyar.com/kidsonlinesafety Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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?  Nayeema asks the dumbest questions she could think of to the geekiest astrophysicist she could find. She and Neil deGrasse Tyson tackle stars, the universe, the multiverse, time travel and more. Neil explains how math is the language of the universe. And Nayeema discovers she can date outside the Cancer/Aries zodiac.  Send me your dumb questions! nayeemaraza101@gmail.com Follow us on IG, TikTok & YouTube @smartgirldumbquestions And you can find Nayeema or Neil on Instagram too. For more mind-bending astrophysics Q&A, check out Neil’s latest book, Merlin’s Tour of the Universe. Thanks to my brand partners at Tinder, where you can date people in and outside your zodiac. Explore all of the possibilities for yourself on Tinder.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices