Smart Girl Dumb Questions

Is the American Dream Still a Thing? with Harvard Economist Raj Chetty 02.06.2026 1val 2min

Raj Chetty has the IRS (and Facebook) data to make sense of how we make it in America. In this episode we discuss what it means to make it, why progress is still possible and why your Zip Code and closest friends may dictate your riches. This is the second episode of our SGDQ Smart Money series, presented by Chime. Also on the agenda: why GDP can be up while the vibes are down, what’s the right income bracket to have a kid, and where you should (and shouldn’t) move if you want your kids to have a better shot than the “Lost Einsteins.” Send us your “dumb questions” on IG/TikTok @smartgirldumbquestions or by calling 1-855-MyDumbQ. Make sure you’re following Nayeema and the show on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. And obvi: SHARE THE SHOW WITH YOUR FRIENDS, YOUR MOM and your favorite married couple.. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is Who You Marry the Most Important Financial Decision? with Divorce Attorney Jim Sexton 19.05.2026 1val 20min

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 you (unhappily) married? All of this in Episode 1 of the SGDQ Smart Money Series brought to you by Chime! **NOTE: if you’re in NYC on Tuesday 5/26, we’re taping SGDQ live at the cellar. Get your tickets here** We won't have an episode out on May 26th due to the Memorial Day holiday, so please binge back on 50 episodes of SGDQ Thanks to our partners at Chime. Stay tuned for more episodes on whether the American Dream is still in reach, if it's better to rent or buy and more dumb-but-smart money Qs for people who seek progress. Send us your “dumb questions” on IG/TikTok @smartgirldumbquestions or by calling 1-855-MyDumbQ. Make sure you’re following Nayeema and the show on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. And obvi: SHARE THE SHOW WITH YOUR FRIENDS, YOUR MOM and your favorite married couple.. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aliens Encounters and UFO Files?! with Neil deGrasse Tyson 12.05.2026 1val 20min

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 to President Trump’s UFO files, President Obama’s comments about Area 51 and a question from former guest Suborno Bari - the child genius you’ve heard on SGDQ. Send us your “dumb questions” on IG/TikTok @smartgirldumbquestions or by calling 1-855-MyDumbQ. Make sure you’re following Nayeema and the show on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. And obvi: SHARE THE SHOW WITH YOUR FRIENDS, YOUR MOM and your favorite alien. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is There A War on Men? 05.05.2026 1val 12min

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 potential of the draft and an age-old fight for men’s allegiance. Plus: what do the Epstein files reveal about male bonding and power? (Richard would like you to know: THIS IS A MINEFIELD). Subscribe to Richard’s SUBSTACK and find his work at the American Institute for Men & Boys where he serves as Director. Send us your “dumb questions” on IG/TikTok @smartgirldumbquestions or by calling 1-855-MyDumbQ. Make sure you’re following Nayeema and the show on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. And obvi: SHARE THE SHOW WITH YOUR FRIENDS, YOUR MOM and your favorite boy.#men #boys #dating #incels #tradwife #mentalhealth #SmartGirlDumbQuestions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Iran ... Um, How Does This End? 28.04.2026 1val 18min

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 more like marriage therapists, hostage negotiators or plumbers? Are President Trump’s tweets (slash Truth Socials) an attempt at Mad Man strategy or just a genuine chaos-making machine? How do Iranians think and deal-make? And will we see peace in Israel and Palestine in our lifetime? Be sure to check out Rob’s book Tomorrow is Yesterday: Life, Death and the Pursuit of Peafe in Israel/Palestine. Send us your “dumb questions” on IG/TikTok @smartgirldumbquestions or by calling 1-855-MyDumbQ. Make sure you’re following Nayeema and the show on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. And obvi: SHARE THE SHOW WITH YOUR FRIENDS, YOUR MOM and your favorite person to negotiate with.. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Do You Win a Grammy? 21.04.2026 55min

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 violinists, how many people it takes to call yourself a band and if bands are dying out in the era of the solo TikTok artist. Send us your “dumb questions” on IG/TikTok @smartgirldumbquestions or by calling 1-855-MyDumbQ. Get Arkai's music on Spotify - especially their sophomore album: Brightside. And make sure you’re following Nayeema and the show on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. And obvi: SHARE THE SHOW WITH YOUR FRIENDS, YOUR MOM and your drycleaner. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Does Silicon Valley Run Washington? with former Twitter CEO Dick Costolo 14.04.2026 1val 26min

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 $1.5T+ IPO (??), why so much value gets captured in private markets before the rest of us even get a shot to make money, the SEC rule change that helped companies stay private forever, and how crypto + prediction markets are winning over D.C. Send us your “dumb questions” on IG/TikTok @smartgirldumbquestions or by calling 1-855-MyDumbQ. Make sure you’re following Nayeema and the show on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. And obvi: SHARE THE SHOW WITH YOUR FRIENDS, YOUR MOM and your drycleaner. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is Dry Cleaning a Scam? with the Father-Son Duo Behind Jeeves 07.04.2026 1val 1min

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 (spoiler: it’s not dry), why “dry clean only” labels can be… kind of fake and how to make a family business work. Also: why their skills are critical at the Met, Louvre and Lincoln Center. Send us your “dumb questions” on IG/TikTok @smartgirldumbquestions or by calling 1-855-MyDumbQ. You can find Zach on TikTok and IG @jeeves_ny. Make sure you’re following Nayeema and the show on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. And obvi: SHARE THE SHOW WITH YOUR FRIENDS, YOUR MOM and your drycleaner. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why Does Everyone Have a Podcast? Nayeema & Sammi Cohen 31.03.2026 1val 15min

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!), why live streaming is coming for everyone, why people “watch your podcast on Instagram,” and the uncomfortable truth about how money actually gets made online. Send us your “dumb questions” on IG/TikTok @smartgirldumbquestions or by calling 1-855-MyDumbQ. Make sure you’re following Nayeema and the show on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. And obvi: SHARE THE SHOW WITH YOUR FRIENDS, YOUR MOM and your pet dinosaur. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What’s Rich People Healthcare Like?! with Dr. Florence Comite 24.03.2026 56min

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 and other medical hype? Also on the agenda: why women’s heart attack symptoms get missed, the “black box” hormone panic that shaped a generation, what your thyroid has to do with literally everything (mood, memory, heart rhythm, periods) what's the male equivalent of menopause and more. NOTE: this episode does not contain medical advice -- you should consult with your own doctor to understand what's best for your health. Send us your “dumb questions” on IG/TikTok @smartgirldumbquestions or by calling 1-855-MyDumbQ. Make sure you’re following Nayeema and the show on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. And obvi: SHARE THE SHOW WITH YOUR FRIENDS, YOUR MOM and your pet dinosaur. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is Every War About Oil? Pulitzer Prize Winner Daniel Yergin 17.03.2026 1val 11min

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 transition … still transitioning? Also on the agenda: the Strait of Hormuz nightmare scenario, AI data centers on outer space, how we’ll move in 20 years, why the energy transition is metal-intensive (hello, copper) and whether we may be in a simulation. Thanks to our sponsors at BMW - to learn more about the BMW iX5 Hydrogen click here. Send us your “dumb questions” on IG/TikTok @smartgirldumbquestions or by calling 1-855-MyDumbQ. Make sure you’re following Nayeema and the show on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. And obvi: SHARE THE SHOW WITH YOUR FRIENDS, YOUR MOM and your pet dinosaur. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can AI Replace My Brain? I Ask a Child Prodigy 10.03.2026 1val 11min

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 dumb to be smart in an AI era where we could just put our brains in a jar, outsource intelligence to machines, and power them with tokens? Also on the agenda: Nayeema gets corrected on the transitive property (humiliating), whether math is a “construct” (and why that’s not an insult), why cheating has basically gone nuclear since ChatGPT, and Suborno’s surprisingly spicy three-point plan to reform American education. Is this kid running for President or what?! Send us your “dumb questions” on IG/TikTok @smartgirldumbquestions or by calling 1-855-MyDumbQ. Make sure you’re following Nayeema and the show on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. And obvi: SHARE THE SHOW WITH YOUR FRIENDS OR YOUR MOM. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is Weather a Conspiracy? With Dancing Weatherman Nick Kosir 05.03.2026 1val 9min

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 Organization is the illuminati, the human cost of naming people after hurricanes and Nick’s compelling advice for how to change a life and take a risk at any age. Send us your “dumb questions” on IG/TikTok @smartgirldumbquestions or by calling 1-855-MyDumbQ. Follow Nick @nickkosir Make sure you’re following Nayeema and the show on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. And obvi: SHARE THE SHOW WITH YOUR FRIENDS OR YOUR MOM. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Another Iran War? with Professor Vali Nasr (Revisiting Iran 101) 04.03.2026 46min

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 2025, on the heels of the Twelve Day War. We hope this version provides context and perspective to ground your curiosity. It's an escape from the doomscrolling and a supplement (not substitute) for the news. A lot has happened in the last 8-ish months so Nayeema recommends checking out Professor Nasr's most recent writings and interviews to track the evolution of the situation in Iran and his own perspective. You can find Dr. Nasr on X @vali_nasr. Follow Nayeema on IG or X too – and you can find the show on IG, TikTok & YouTube @smartgirldumbquestions. Slide into our DMs, call us at 1-855-MYDUMBQ or send your dumbest questions to nayeemaraza101@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is It Time for An AI Boyfriend? 27.02.2026 1val 1min

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 Open to Debate on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or Substack. They share SGDQ's values of curiosity and openness and have thought-provoking debates on topics ranging from the war on drugs to US China policy and whether we should eat anything with a face. You can also get more of Justin in the SGDQ episode Are We Really Having Less Sex in the feed below or in his **newly released** book: The Intimate Animal. And in the interest of equal time and because she rocks, we'll need to have Thao Ha on soon too! Want to be on SGDQ? Send us your “dumb questions” on IG/TikTok @smartgirldumbquestions or by calling 1-855-MyDumbQ. Make sure you’re following Nayeema and the show on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. And obvi: SHARE THE SHOW WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND YOUR MOM. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rage Bait, 6 7, Algospeak … What Does It All Mean? w Etymology Nerd 17.02.2026 1val 20min

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, and what happens when the dictionary can’t keep up. Link to Yuval's speech at Davos: HERE Want to be on SGDQ? Send us your “dumb questions” on IG/TikTok @smartgirldumbquestions or by calling 1-855-MyDumbQ. Or, you know, call Congress at (202) 224-3121. Make sure you’re following Nayeema and the show on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. And obvi: SHARE THE SHOW WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND YOUR MOM. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why Do Relationships Fail? with a Million Dollar Divorce Attorney 10.02.2026 1val 29min

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* up your marriage.. Nayeema and Jim discuss: why does marriage even exist? Is it a buzzkill for romance? Is there ever a such thing as a no fault divorce? What makes someone good at breaking up and, with 50% plus marriages ending this way, should you actually marry someone you can divorce? Why does the wedding industrial complex market marriage like a romcom — at the climax — when the real story starts after the credits? … Also: tips for dating a divorcee? We’ll have a part two focused on love and money so send us your “dumb questions” on IG/TikTok @smartgirldumbquestions or by calling 1-855-MyDumbQ. Make sure you’re following Nayeema and the show on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. And obvi: SHARE THE SHOW WITH YOUR FRIENDS, MOM OR LOCAL LAWMAKER. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Calling Congress … Does It Work? with Rep. Melanie Stansbury 29.01.2026 1val 14min

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 you email or vmail? Is it more impactful than posting on Insta? And, um, does Congress even matter these days? U.S. Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury (D–NM) joins Nayeema to answer all these Qs. Plus: gym gossip, the DOGE subcommittee, the Epstein-files vote, and — yes — astrology as a path to bipartisanship. Want to be on SGDQ? Send us your “dumb questions” on IG/TikTok @smartgirldumbquestions or by calling 1-855-MyDumbQ. Or, you know, call Congress at (202) 224-3121. Make sure you’re following Nayeema and the show on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. And obvi: SHARE THE SHOW WITH YOUR FRIENDS, MOM OR LOCAL LAWMAKER. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stress: What’s the Solve? with Dr. Aditi Nerurkar 27.01.2026 1val 2min

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 brain is changing every day), why your brain needs time to build new circuits, and why multitasking is basically “task-switching” in a trench coat — weakening attention, memory, and cognition. Plus: the case for 10-second breaks, an explanation of “revenge bedtime procrastination”and why stress can turn into emotional eating (hi, amygdala). Note: this conversation was taped in December. Want to be on SGDQ? Send us your “dumb questions” on IG/TikTok @smartgirldumbquestions or by calling 1-855-MyDumbQ. Make sure you’re following Nayeema and the show on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. And obvi: SHARE THE SHOW WITH YOUR FRIENDS/MOM. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why Do Venezuelans Want This? 19.01.2026 1val 1min

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 nuance in the form of a dumb question dinner party (minus the dinner). You can follow our guests on Instagram and TikTok @marianaatencio @johaus @framoscomedy Want to be on SGDQ? Send us your “dumb questions” on IG/TikTok @smartgirldumbquestions or by calling 1-855-MyDumbQ. Make sure you’re following Nayeema and the show on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. And obvi: SHARE THE SHOW WITH YOUR FRIENDS/MOM. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices