Podcast
Smart Girl Dumb Questions
Hosted by Nayeema Raza · EN
It's a curiosity party, and you're invited. On Smart Girl Dumb Questions, Nayeema Raza asks simple Qs to big thinkers (like Neil deGrasse Tyson, Diplo, or two 11 year olds), trying to make sense of life.
Send us your dumb Qs: nayeema.raza101@gmail.com
64episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Why Go On Reality TV? with Rebecca Minkoff
Jun 6, 202500:49:31Summary readyIs 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 do 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
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Is It Safe to Fly Right Now? with Kate Kelly
May 30, 202500:55:52Summary readyWith 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
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Wait… What’s up with the Economy? with Paul Krugman
May 16, 202500:53:02Summary readyAre 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
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Is It Better to Buy Flights on a Tuesday? with The Points Guy’s Brian Kelly and Nicky Kelvin
May 10, 202500:56:46Summary readyIs 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
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Is It Self-Care … or Capitalism? with Brooke DeVard
May 2, 202500:53:08Summary readyIs 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. 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
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How Do Cranes Get Up There? An Astrophysicist & Construction Worker Walk Into a Bar
Apr 25, 202500:09:16Summary readyNayeema 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
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Is Cooking Art or Science? with Kenji Lopez-Alt
Apr 18, 202500:47:41Summary readyWhy 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
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Why Do People Chew with Their Mouths Open? (Ft. Mark Cuban & Dr. Charles Spence)
Apr 11, 202500:10:00Summary readyLast 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 quiet 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.
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When Is A Woman’s Prime? with Tamsen Fadal
Apr 4, 202500:52:59Summary readyDon’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
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What Do 11 Year Olds Do All Day? with Sophie and Dilan
Mar 21, 202500:55:45Summary readyAre 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.comThanks 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
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