Smart Girl Dumb Questions
Smart Girl Dumb Questions is a podcast hosted by Nayeema Raza, who asks simple questions to big thinkers like Neil deGrasse Tyson and Diplo, as well as everyday people like two 11-year-olds. The show aims to make sense of life through curiosity and conversation. Listeners are invited to submit their own dumb questions to the host.
Episodes
When Do We Move to Mars? (or the Moon)
Nayeema sits down with space architect Ariel Ekblaw to ask: will my kids commute to the Moon? Why are we privatizing everything in outer space? And did SpaceX just turn space travel into … FedEx?
Ariel is a Yale and MIT-trained founder and CEO of Aurelia Institute focused on space technologies including autonomously self-assembling space stations and future space habitats. And if all of this so
Can the NBA Fix the USA? with Cavs Owner Dan Gilbert
It’s NBA Draft Day and Nayeema’s sitting down with Cleveland Cavaliers owner, Rocket Companies founder and Detroit mega-booster Dan Gilbert to ask: How do you make up with LeBron James? Can a billion bucks buy happiness? Is the NBA socialist? And what can it teach the USA about fairness? Dan opens up about the infamous LeBron letter, what it’s really like sitting at a table with 30 billionaire NBA
Who’s Scarier: Gangsters, Billionaires or Investigative Journalists?
Nobody understands GRIFT quite like New Yorker Journalist Patrick Radden Keefe. Nayeema sits down with the legendary New Yorker staff writer and bestselling author of Empire of Pain, Say Nothing, Rogues, and his latest book London Falling to ask: why are we so obsessed with people behaving badly? Is grift just … ambition? And when does “fake it till you make it” become “fake it until everything co
Rent vs Buy? Homes, IVF, MBAs and Other $$$ Choices
Rent or buy? Student debt or skip the degree? Nayeema asks @MoneyRehab host Nicole Lapin the money questions we all have. They discuss if home ownership is still part of the American Dream, what money mistakes NOT to make, and why it feels SO vulnerable to talk about your personal finances. Turns out “shame is not a good money management system.”
Also on the agenda: IVF, MBAs and what is wort
Is the American Dream Still a Thing? with Harvard Economist Raj Chetty
Nayeema speaks to Professor Raj Chetty, who has the IRS (and Facebook) data proving that your zip code and close friends list may dictate your riches. They talk about the American dream, whether it's in reach, why the data and vibes conflict and why the Harvard University professor behind Opportunity Insights believes progress is STILL possible.
This is the second episode of our SGDQ Smart Money
Is Who You Marry the Most Important Financial Decision? with Divorce Attorney Jim Sexton
Which money mistakes destroy a relationship? And which good money habits make a marriage work? No one sees into people’s finances like a divorce lawyer does. So Nayeema brings BACK killer NYC divorce attorney James Sexton, Esq. to ask: is marriage really the most important financial decision you’ll ever make? Does leverage kill love? And with an affordability crisis, does being middle class keep y
Aliens Encounters and UFO Files?! with Neil deGrasse Tyson
Neil deGrasse Tyson and Nayeema are BACK with an all new episode taped live at New York’s Comedy Cellar. They discuss if aliens exist, how we’d know and what we should do when we see them? What’s the alien go back? And how do we balance skepticism with possibility in science and in life. Has any testimony, fact or experience ever challenged Neil’s alien skepticism?Nayeema also asks Neil to respond
Is There A War on Men?
Nayeema sits down with Richard Reeves, THE expert on men and boys to ask: is there a men’s crisis? Has talking about it made men’s lives better …or worse? What’s a dude problem vs an everyone problem? Are we just gendering the impacts of modern capitalism? And what’s next: DEI for dudes?
Also on the agenda: looksmaxxing, incels, tradwives (data vs vibes), the retreat of video games, the potent
Iran ... Um, How Does This End?
Robert Malley was a Lead Negotiator of the 2015 Iran Nuclear Deal, so what does he think will happen next? And what does three decades at the forefront of Middle East peace (or war, in this case), teach him from Camp David (2000) to Israel and Gaza today?
Nayeema and Rob walk through Donald Trump’s “Art of the Deal” to figure out whether one may be had here. They also discuss: are negotiators mor
How Do You Win a Grammy?
The electroacoustic duo ARKAI just won a Grammy. Nayeema wants to know: How hard is that? Can you manifest one? Or is it more like a political campaign? Does the Harvard of Music (aka Juilliard) prepare musicians for a TikTok world? And the crucial question of 2026: Will AI replace musicians?
Jonathan Miron (violin) and Philip Sheegog (cello) also spill on the beef between cellists and violinist
Does Silicon Valley Run Washington? with former Twitter CEO Dick Costolo
Dick Costolo is a powerful rich dude who gave an insider's edge to the HBO Series "Silicon Valley." Nayeema asks the almost-billion dollar investor: Is Elon or Trump more powerful now? Is venture capital a Ponzi scheme? Is big tech back in a bubble? Will AI lead us into a K-shaped economy where the shareholders get richer and everyone else gets replaced by bots?
Also on the agenda: SpaceX at a $
Is Dry Cleaning a Scam? with the Father-Son Duo Behind Jeeves
Dry cleaning is the ultimate black box: you drop off your clothes… and somehow they come back looking better than your life choices. Nayeema goes inside the fairytale with the father/son duo behind Jeeves New York, Jerry and Zachary Pozniak to ask: how do you clean something “dry”? Where do the clothes actually go? And do they worry about the chemicals?
They unpack what dry cleaning really is
Why Does Everyone Have a Podcast? Nayeema & Sammi Cohen
Why does everyone have a podcast… and do you need one too? Nayeema pulls back the curtain with Sammi Cohen of Social Currency fame. One has made it in podcasting, and is still building on social — the other has made it in social, and is building on podcasts. Both open up about the ups, downs and dollars .
Also on the agenda: “is everything a scam?” (dentistry! eyeglasses! Forbes 30 Under 30!), wh
What’s Rich People Healthcare Like?! with Dr. Florence Comite
Dr. Florence Comite is a Yale-trained endocrinologist, longevity expert, and author of the forthcoming book Invincible. Her precision medicine clients include CEOs, founders, athletes, artists… and recently, Nayeema, who got a tiny and generous glimpse into the process. So Nayeema asks Comite: can I live forever? Would my health care be better if I were richer? And what's up with peptides, GLP-1s
Is Every War About Oil? Pulitzer Prize Winner Daniel Yergin
Daniel Yergin has advised 4 different Presidents (Clinton, Bush, Obama and the first Trump administration). He’s also a Pulitzer-Prize winning author and energy expert and the vice chair at S&P Global. Nayeema asks Yergin: when will this oil crisis end? Is every election – and war – priced at the pump? And what’s the history – and future – of our dependence on fossil fuels? Is the energy transitio
Can AI Replace My Brain? I Ask a Child Prodigy
Suborno Isaac Bari cracked basic algebra before his 2nd birthday. He's now a 13-year-old college sophomore: will he have to move back in with his parents like so many college grads are doing these days? And does this genius worry about the job market?
Nayeema sits down with Suborno — who plans to graduate from NYU next year with a double-major in math and physics. And gets to the big Q: is it du
Is Weather a Conspiracy? With Dancing Weatherman Nick Kosir
How do you stay peppy when the world is on fire? Nayeema sits down with Nick Kosir — aka the Dancing Weatherman and Fox Weather meteorologist to ask: Why are all weather people hot … and what exactly do they do? Is it just vibes + a green screen? And is AI going to steal Nick’s, Nayeema’s and all of our jobs?
Also on the agenda: cloud seeding, climate change, whether the World Meteorological Or
Another Iran War? with Professor Vali Nasr (Revisiting Iran 101)
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 IRAN 101 cutdown of a Summer 2025 conversation Nayeema had with Dr. Vali Nasr, a John Hopkins SAIS professor, Middle East expert and author of Iran’s Grand Strategy.
IMPORTANTLY: The original conversation (available in the show feed) was taped in June 2
Is It Time for An AI Boyfriend?
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 moderates an academic, fun and relevant showdown between Dr. Thao Ha of University of Arizona's HEART Lab, and Dr. Justin Garcia of the Kinsey Institute around this question: Could dating an AI be better than dating a human?
Be sure to get more O
Rage Bait, 6 7, Algospeak … What Does It All Mean? w Etymology Nerd
Is our language becoming unrecognizable and is that the internet’s fault? Nayeema sits down with Adam Aleksic (aka Etymology Nerd), a linguistics nerd and author of Algospeak — to decode how social media is rewiring the words we use, the way we say them, and what counts as “normal” language now. They get into euphemisms, censorship, why some words go viral, why “woke” became a culture-war grenade,
Why Do Relationships Fail? with a Million Dollar Divorce Attorney
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 redesign the process? Nayeema sits down with the legendary NYC divorce attorney James Sexton, Esquire — a courtroom “pistol” who’s handled thousands of cases, got an epic education in human relationships in the process and even written a book about how to not f
Calling Congress … Does It Work? with Rep. Melanie Stansbury
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 called her congressperson for the first time. Turns out, it can make a dent. If you’d like to slide into those EMs, here are deets for House and Senate. Your Senator votes this week on funding for ICE and Homeland Security.
So what happens when y
Stress: What’s the Solve? with Dr. Aditi Nerurkar
Do you think your phone is breaking your brain? Is the stress of the news cycle rewiring our physiology? And why do we feel so behind our Jan 1 resolutions … only 3 weeks in? Nayeema asks the Qs we all have to stress expert Dr. Aditi Nerurkar — a physician on faculty at Harvard Medical School and the author of the book: The Five Resets.
They get into the science of neuroplasticity (yes, your br
Why Do Venezuelans Want This?
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 and was welcomed? Venezuela. So … what’s up with that? Nayeema talks to 3 millennial Venezuelans to make sense of this moment — journalist Mariana Atencio, comedian/writer Joanna Hausmann, and comedian/actor Francisco Ramos. It’s an exploration. of nuanc
Can He Make America Healthy (and Trusting) Again? with Trump's NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya
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 appointed by President Trump last year, but originally came to fame in late 2020 as a Stanford Medical School Professor who challenged pandemic-era lockdowns.
On the agenda: Why does the USA spend more for worse healthcare outcomes? Is Ozempic our m
Will the Market Crash in 2026? with Andrew Ross Sorkin
Are we headed to another Great Depression? The 2026 market is booming, but economic vibes are no bueno. Have we learned enough from the 2008 recession or past crashes to avoid another? That’s the big Q for Andrew Ross Sorkin, the journalist behind New York Times DealBook and CNBC’s Squawk Box and co-creator of Showtime’s Billions. He’s out with a hot new book 1929 that makes sense of what preci
Mark Cuban: Why Does Healthcare Suck? Can Billionaires Save Us?
In this extended cut of the very first SGDQ Nayeema asks Mark Cuban if America's love-hate relationship with billionaires is justified, if we can count on rich dudes to solve problems like universal healthcare, and what happens on the group chats of the rich + famous. Also new: what does he make of a Kamala Harris 2028 run?
They're pressing questions as the world’s wealth — and power — seems to
Should You Have Kids in an AI World?! with Dr. Geoffrey Hinton
This is Part II of The Godfather (of AI) trilogy — where we learn if we can survive what we’ve built with one of the men who actually helped build it: Turing Prize Winner and Nobel Laureate Dr. Geoffrey Hinton. If you missed Part I you can scroll down to how AI (and your brain) actually work.
Today, the “Godfather of AI” returns to map out the risks and the weird hope of finding “mama” in thi
How Do Our Brains Work? with the Godfather of AI
We all pretend to understand AI but Dr. Geoffrey Hinton actually does - he's the “Godfather of AI” who's spent a half-century of work on machine learning and neural networks.
So what does this Nobel Prize-winning Al Pacino make of our AI age? Is this an industrial revolution, or the start of something more alien? How does AI … even work? Is it more neuroplastic than a baby's brain? How far awa
World’s Best Music Lesson? with Gen Z Mozart Jacob Collier
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 Kendrick or Drake be a better collab? Five-time Grammy-winning musician Jacob Collier joins Nayeema to unpack the science and soul of sound.
From Collier's early viral videos to performances with legends like Herbie Hancock to Coldplay’s Chris Ma
How Much Would You Pay for Love? with Matchmaker Maria Avgitidis
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 they think you should wait before….?
Fourth-generation matchmaker, Maria Avgitidis joins Nayeema to unpack the economics of love, from the 12 Date Rule to the $150,000 price tag of high-end matchmaking, and explore how dating has evolved from comm
Why Do People Run? with Olympian Alexi Pappas
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 people running? What are they running from? Or where are they running toward? And do they just pee in their pants while running?
Together the two friends unpack the science of athletic “peaking,” the power of the marathon, practical tips for your running
Who Are You When No One’s Watching? with Doormen Daryl and Joe
New York’s 27,000 doormen see everything. These social anthropologists know more secrets than your therapist does. So what stories do they have? Can they tell if someone's having an affair? Or about to break up? What does how we tip say about us? And do they think the city is getting safer or more dangerous?
Nayeema talks to Daryl and Joe, two veterans in the front-of-building business who are ma
What Happened to Science? with Bill Nye, the Science Guy
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 just healthy skepticism or is it a clear and present danger? What’s the next major scientific discovery AI can unleash? And can space science undivide America?
Nayeema talks to Bill Nye, the engineer, comedian, “Science Guy” and CEO of the Planetary S
Is NASA Worth 25 Billion Bucks? with Casey Dreier
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 need to go to space? Is it worth billions of dollars? How does it make my life better? What's more important: space science or dudes on the moon? And can’t Elon Musk just do all the space science things for us?
Casey Dreier is the Chief of Space Policy a
Diplo: Why Is Every Dude a DJ?
Do actually successful Grammy-winning DJs sleep? What do music producers do? Should they date the musicians they produce? And is Diplo ever getting back together with Skrillex for Jack U?
Nayeema turns her curiosity (and flirt) onto Diplo, aka Thomas Wesley Pentz, the Grammy-winning musician and DJ whose hits range from house to country and Bollywood to Brazilian favelas, and who has collaborate
Why Is Love Harder Now? with Esther Perel
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 does the future belong to tradwives or digitally arranged marriages, powered by AI?
Nayeema sits down with renowned psychotherapist, author and a big supporter in launching @smartgirldumbquestions – Esther Perel – to break down the evolution of moder
Season 2 - Coming in Hot!
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 we all have and guests who can help answer them.
Follow Smart Girl Dumb Questions, review the show and SHARE this show with your bestie, your mom and that group chat you've muted.
And check out our Last Dumb Question street series on IG or T
Are We Really Having Less Sex? with Dr. Justin Garcia
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? And did capitalism just kill our sex drive?
Nayeema’s taking a break from summer break to ask the dumbest questions she has to the nerdiest evolutionary biologist she could find: Dr. Justin Garcia, Executive Director of the Kinsey Institute and a
Should You Be My Mayor? with Eric Adams
Would NYC Mayor Eric Adams rather be trapped in an elevator with Zohran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo, or Curtis Sliwa? What’s his relationship with President Trump and/or Turkish Airlines? Why should New Yorkers trust him with another 4 years? What would he do with it? And how much has he delivered when it comes to policing crime, relieving medical debt, and building affordable housing?
Nayeema wants
Why Can’t We Have More Parties? with Lee Drutman
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 Th
If Everyone’s Got Anxiety, Does Anyone Have Anxiety? with Dr. Ellen Vora
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,
Is the Iran War Over … or Just On Pause? with Vali Nasr
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 H
How Do Kids Change Your Life? with Alison Roman & Max Cantor
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
Why Go On Reality TV? with Rebecca Minkoff
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
Is It Safe to Fly Right Now? with Kate Kelly
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 sh
Wait… What’s The Deal With This Economy? with Paul Krugman
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, he
Is It Better To Buy Flights On A Tuesday? with The Points Guy(s)
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
Is It Self-Care … or Capitalism? with Brooke DeVard
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
How Do Cranes Get Up There? An Astrophysicist & Construction Worker Walk Into a Bar
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 yo
Is Cooking Art or Science? with Kenji Lopez-Alt
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 myth
Why Chew With Your Mouth Open? A Billionaire & Oxford Gastrophysicist Walk Into SGDQ
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. Cha
When Is A Woman’s Prime? with Tamsen Fadal
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
What Do 11 Year Olds Do All Day? with Sophie and Dilan
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
Are We Living In A Simulation? with Neil deGrasse Tyson
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 unive
Is the Future Too Bleak to Have Babies? with Cleo Abram
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? Will artificial wombs carry my kids?
Nayeema talks to Cleo Abram, a YouTuber who peers into the future in her show "Huge If True." They discuss babymaking in a world where fertility rates are plummeting and where over millennials and Gen Z increasi
Can Billionaires Save Us? with Mark Cuban
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?
This week Nayeema asks the dumbest questions she could think of to the richest dude she could find. They tackle money, the broken healthcare system, what the U.S. government could learn from the NBA when it comes to keeping billionaires in check. Oh, a
Coming Soon: SGDQ
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 curious.
Oh, and the party starts in February. Hit follow and stay tuned!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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