NO SUCH THING

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 ...

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 Resea...

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 Resea...

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, a...

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...

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...

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. If you're around NYC, the boys will be discussing the book in a live event on March 29th, order tickets here.

Now, on today's episode, Manny, Noah, and Devan discuss the sports betting takeover happening in the United...

We know Benjamin Franklin as a founding father, crucial in the establishment of the United States, discoverer of electricity, kooky writer of almanacs, and inventor of much, much more. But is it possible that good old Benny is actually a complete scammer? We investigate a conspiracy theory that Mr. $100 is not all he’s cracked up to be. 

Our guest this week is Claire Aubin, historian and host of This Guy Sucked, wit...

On today’s episode, we tackle a question we’ve all wondered: Are dentists scamming us? We dive into the dark history of dentistry, find out why dental insurance sucks, hear from someone who uncovered a dentist drilling teeth for profit, and talk to a startup founder who’s looking to upend the whole industry. 

Lilly Kaplan — licensed therapist and Reality Test newsletter author — sits in for M...

On this week's episode, the boys chat with Chris and Lizzie, the hosts of the What Went Wrong podcast about why Hollywood produces so many "twin films," movies that have very similar concepts and that release within a year of each other. They also debate whether A Bug's Life or ANTZ is the better movie, and talk through some controversial Hollywood development rumors.

For links to research and more, check out our newsletter. 

...

Why is it such a hassle to deal with internet service providers? Spotty service, hidden price increases, and only one company servicing my neighborhood. Am I up against a local monopoly? And what’s the deal with 5G home internet? I’ve been battling my ISP for years, and it’s time to find some answers.

Our guest this week is Emily Stewart, senior correspondent at Business Insider.

Also featuring guest co-host Rache...

Is AI actually coming for your job? This week, we take a peek under the hood of autonomous AI tools. What they do well, where they still fall short, and how much we can expect them to improve in the future.

Investigative reporter and Shell Game host Evan Ratliff joins us alongside AI researcher and Shell Game technical advisor Maty Bohacek to break it all down.

Listen to Shell Game >> 

Check out our newsletter and f...

What happens to our brains and bodies after a breakup? Semafor media reporter and Mixed Signals co-host Max Tani joins the pod to unpack “Divorced Guy Energy,” from Justin Trudeau and Kanye West to Breaking Bad’s Walter White — and what psychology and sociology say about how men change after divorce.

Our guests this week are psychologist and YouTuber Maika Steinborn and sociologist Jessica Calarco, au...

This week, Kate Lindsay—ICYMI host, Embedded author, and proud cat lover—sits in for Manny, and we go deep on everything you’ve ever wanted to know about cats.

Our expert this week is Dr. Mikel Delgado, a cat behaviorist, scientist, and author of Play With Your Cat!

Listen to:
• Are suburban dogs happier than city dogs?
• Why can’t adults order from the kids’ menu?

For pics of Kate&rsq...

Why are there so many celebrity clone conspiracy theories? Is there really a Melania Trump body double? Have scientists actually tried to clone humans? And, how does cloning actually work? We hear from an alleged clone himself, and talk to a biosciences expert to find out how feasible these theories actually are.

This week features Chelsey Weber-Smith, whose show American Hysteria covers all sorts of strange hoaxes, moral pani...

On today's episode, Manny, Noah, and Devan chat about the use of humor in politics. Using Gavin Newsom's recent mocking of Donald Trump as a jumping off point, the boys assess how effective humor can be as a political strategy. They hear from humor historian Mark Rolfe, of the University of New South Wales in Australia, and then Manny talks to Mike Birbiglia, host of the Mike Birbiglia's Working It Out podcast, to get thoughts from...

2025 is coming to a close, which means it’s time for our second annual end-of-year wrap-up. Here are our favorite music, movies, TV shows, and NST moments of the year.

Head to nosuchthing.show where you’ll find links to everything we reference in this episode, along with an NST-curated playlist in Devan–Noah–Manny order.

Have a question you want us to answer? Email us at mannynoahdevan@gmail.com or...

Today, we're throwing a NST classic back in your feed. This time remastered.

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 ...