Morning Brew Daily
Episode: Neal’s Numbers Mega Recap: Death of Partying, 2 Escalators in WY, and More
Date: December 31, 2025
Hosts: Neal Freyman (B) & Toby Howell (C)
Episode Overview
This special "Neal’s Numbers" mega recap looks back on the most fascinating facts and statistics from 2025 discussed on the show. Neal and Toby highlight eye-popping trends from societal changes and economic data to quirky fun facts—each reflecting broader themes about the world right now. Expect takes on the "death of partying," America’s happiness paradox, AI language influence, car tech backlash, a record-setting papal conclave, and more. The tone is witty, breezy, and packed with conversation-starter stats.
1. The Death of Partying
[02:30–05:20]
- Decline in socialization and partying, especially among youth, is one major theme of 2025.
- As Neal cites writer Derek Thompson, Americans now spend 50% less time at social events compared to 2003–2024, and for ages 15–24, partying is down 70% over 20 years.
- “Men who watch television now spend seven hours in front of the TV for every one hour they spend hanging out with somebody outside their home.” – Neal [03:24]
- The typical female pet owner spends more time with her pet than friends. Americans spend one-third less time helping people outside their nuclear family than in the early 2000s.
Notable Insights:
- Alcohol usage is at a historic low, with only 54% of Americans reporting drinking—lowest in Gallup’s 90-year polling.
- Parents are supervising their kids more: mothers’ time on childcare is up by 200 minutes/week, fathers’ by 240 minutes/week.
- “None of the youths are drinking anymore. Their parents are watching them more closely. Not necessarily a recipe for a great party.” – Toby [04:26]
- Causes for this "antisocial century":
- Greater professional ambition (delaying family for careers)
- Intensive parenting
- Entertainment abundance/screen time
2. Rich but Unhappy: America’s Growing Dissatisfaction
[05:20–09:05]
- U.S. economic performance outpaces other developed countries, but measures of happiness, life expectancy, and life satisfaction are lagging.
- “We are winning the money game and losing the meaning game.” – Bradley Biser quoted by Toby [06:46]
- U.S. per-capita GDP gap with Europe grew from 28% (1990) to 80% (2025), yet in the World Happiness Report, America dropped from #11 (2012) to #24 (2025).
- Only 25% of Americans believe their standard of living will improve—lowest ever per Wall Street Journal polling. Nearly 70% doubt the American Dream.
- Toby references Michael Green’s provocative estimate: true cost-of-living in America is not $32K (official poverty line) but closer to $140K for a family of four [08:15].
- Wealth inequality: Top 10% of earners account for nearly 50% of all spending (Moody’s Analytics).
3. Language, AI, and Work Slop
[09:05–12:21]
- Since ChatGPT’s release, American vocabulary is changing—words like meticulous, delve, realm, adept up 51% in spoken discourse.
- “Delve is only the tip of the iceberg.” – Max Planck Institute scientist quoted by Neal [10:36]
- People’s communication is becoming more formal, structured, and less emotionally expressive—mirroring AI-generated text styles.
- Paradox: Clearer AI-shaped replies can foster feelings of closeness but also suspicion if the partner suspects AI is involved.
- “Now…the marker of good communication is a little bit of sloppiness, a little bit of humanity…” – Toby [12:21]
- Work Slop: 40% of US employees report receiving AI-generated content that “masquerades as good work but lacks substance” (Harvard Business Review).
4. Car Tech Backlash: Simpler is Better
[12:21–16:24]
- Consumers are frustrated with the proliferation of tech in new cars. Only 56% of drivers (down from 79% in 2015) find controls intuitive.
- “Give me my knobs and dials back.” – Toby [13:41]
- Top complaint: electric door handles (especially by Tesla) are confusing, especially if the battery dies.
- NHTSA complaints about door handles up 65% in 2024.
- EV owners report 3.1 problems per 100 vehicles regarding door handles (up from 0.2 in 2020).
- Headlights are too bright for most drivers (97%). Transition to LED lights is making night driving more difficult.
- Hosts predict pushback in coming years toward simpler, more manual vehicles.
5. Pope Mania & Vatican Financial Stats
[17:37–21:26]
- In April, Pope Francis died and was succeeded by Pope Leo XIV (Robert Prevost of Chicago)—the first American Pope.
- “You would have made a killing if you bet on Robert Prevost…[his] odds hovered between just 1% and 2%.” – Neal [17:54]
- Cardinals watched the film "Conclave" to prep for the real-life event! [18:39]
- Vatican City has the most CFA Charterholders per capita (4 for 882 people), 12% of its population works in finance, and it leads the world in Bloomberg terminals per capita (17 total).
- “With four CFA charter holders…the Vatican has the most CFA charter holders per capita in the entire world.” – Neal [19:13]
- Pope Leo, known as a big White Sox fan, even has Pope baseball cards outperforming sports stars like LeBron and Wembanyama [20:14].
6. Neal’s Numbers: Fun Facts For Small Talk
[21:26–27:25]
- Wyoming only has two escalators, both in banks in Casper. Its tallest building is just 11 stories, and there are only three malls in the state.
- “583,000 people for two escalators. It’s kind of like the Pope or the Vatican stat that you just mentioned.” – Toby [22:19]
- Din Tai Fung is the top-grossing restaurant chain per location, bringing in $27 million per restaurant, nearly double its next competitor and about the same as seven McDonald’s locations.
- “One Din Tai Fung makes as much as two Cheesecake Factories, almost as much as four Chick-fil-A's, and about the same as seven McDonald's.” – Toby [23:44]
- Chick-fil-A, by comparison, brings in $7.5 million per location.
- Mosquitoes discovered in Iceland for the first time. October 2025 saw entomologists confirm three captured mosquitoes; only Antarctica now remains mosquito-free.
- “For the first time ever, mosquitoes were found on Iceland, which was one of the only places in the world they had not been discovered before.” – Neal [25:27]
- “If we see a mosquito on Antarctica…that’s when we go up to the moon or Mars beckoning at that point.” – Toby [27:23]
7. Memorable Quotes & Moments
- “We are becoming a nation of homebodies.” – Neal [03:38]
- “Now that is the same thing that is happening with socializing right now. So then your avoidance increases and the cycle deepens.” – Toby [05:20]
- “We are winning the money game and losing the meaning game.” – Quoted by Toby [06:46]
- “Delve is only the tip of the iceberg.” – Max Planck Institute scientist quoted by Neal [10:36]
- “Give me my knobs and dials back.” – Toby [13:41]
8. Notable Segment Timestamps
- [02:30] – Death of Partying: Decline in socialization/stats
- [05:20] – American satisfaction, economic prosperity vs. happiness
- [09:05] – Vocabulary change post-ChatGPT, AI “work slop”
- [12:21] – Car tech frustration: door handles, headlights
- [17:37] – Pope mania & Vatican stats
- [21:26] – Escalator count in Wyoming
- [23:44] – Din Tai Fung's record restaurant sales
- [25:27] – Iceland discovers mosquitoes
9. Final Thoughts
The episode offers a witty, stat-packed year-in-review—showing a country richer yet less socially connected, more technologically advanced but nostalgic for simplicity, linguistically shaped by AI, and always full of oddball trivia (from Wyoming’s escalators to the Vatican's finance stats). With their signature banter, Neal and Toby blend surprising data with cultural commentary, leaving listeners informed and ready to spice up any small talk in 2026.