In this episode, Manny, Noah, and Devan revive a debate from almost a decade ago, albeit with modern framing: if you're in a relationship, and you're romancing an AI chatbot, should that be considered cheating? They chat to Tatum Hunter, tech reporter for the Washington Post, and couples therapist Jeff Guenther, better known as Therapy Jeff. And finally, they decide to try it for themselves, and go on a date with an AI chatbot.

Check out Tatum's work here, and scroll through Therapy Jeff's Instagram for wisdom and advice.

Have a question you want us to answer? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at ‪(860) 325-0286‬

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You might remember To Catch a Predator with Chris Hansen, but now streamers are making their own version, and they’re a lot more violent. New York Times reporter Aric Toler takes us inside the world of modern-day “pedophile hunters,” while Stefan Turkheimer, VP of Public Policy at RAINN, shares what justice could—and should—look like for survivors.

Check out Aric's visual investigation on online pedophile hunters.

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, you are not alone. RAINN's National Sexual Assault Hotline offers free, confidential, 24/7 support in English and en Español. Call 800.656.HOPE (4673), chat at hotline.RAINN.org, or text "HOPE" to 64673. 

Additional music for this episode by Zeno Pittarelli, check out his new project Gravity’s Not Holding Back.

Have a question you want us to answer? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at ‪(860) 325-0286‬

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This week, we take a deep dive into the frustrating conundrum of the kids menu. Why would a restaurant show me they’re capable of making a delicious and adorably small offering of chicken nuggets, only to restrict it to those fortunate to be 12 years old or younger? Are these restrictions an economic necessity, a moralizing judgment, or something else? We speak with a few industry insiders to learn the history of the kids menu and put these limits to the test. 

Our guest this week is Kate Lindsay, longtime sufferer at the hands of Big Kids Menu, host of Slate’s internet culture podcast ICYMI and writer of the newsletter Embedded. Thank you to our restaurant industry expert Lori Rakoczy from Technomic, and our anonymous movie theater server. 

If you liked this episode, check out Ep. 11: Can you cure picky eating? (w/ Search Engine)

Have a question you want us to answer? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at ‪(860) 325-0286‬

For more, subscribe to our newsletter at www.nosuchthing.show

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On this episode, we discuss the fatigue people have been feeling around franchise movies, particularly the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But where did franchise movies come from, and how did virtually all of Hollywood become so fixated on this kind of film? Walt Hickey, author of You Are What You Watch: How Movies and TV Affect Everything, walks us through the weeds on this, and gets to the bottom of our questions. Walt is also the author of Numlock News.

Subscribe to our newsletter for updates and bonus content. Have a question you want us to tackle? Email us: [email protected] or leave a voicemail: ‪(860) 325-0286.

NO SUCH THING is a production of Kaleidoscope Content, executive produced by Kate Osborn and Mangesh Hattikudur.

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Today’s episode was inspired by Susan Dominus’ new book “The Family Dynamic.” The book profiles six families with multiple successful siblings and analyzes the factors that have contributed to their success. 

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Have a question you want us to tackle? Email us: [email protected] Or leave a voicemail: ‪(860) 325-0286

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There’s a wild stat that’s floated around basketball circles for a long time: A 7-foot (or taller) American man has a 17% likelihood of being an NBA player. This week, we try to find out if this statistic holds true, and along the way we learn how extremely rare it is to be so tall, why the number of seven-footers in the league saw a dip, and… the case for socialized medicine?

Our guests this week are Barry Bogin, Björn Quanjer, Guillaume Lettre, Stereogum’s Tom Breihan, and The F5’s Owen Phillips.

Check out Owen’s basketball newsletter, The F5: https://thef5.substack.com/ 

Tom Breihan, “On Being a Giant” & his book: The Number Ones

For more, please subscribe to our newsletter www.nosuchthing.show 

Have a question you want us to tackle? Email us: [email protected]

Or leave a voicemail: ‪(860) 325-0286‬

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Many of you called our hotline and sent emails seeking our advice, and we are here to help. From party invitation etiquette, to a coupon fiasco straight out of a Curb Your Enthusiasm episode, the boys give their takes and dole out some help.

And for more, check out our newsletter at www.nosuchthing.show. If you have a question you want us to answer or want to be featured in our next advice episode, email us at [email protected] or give us a call at (860) 325-0286‬.

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It’s not just nostalgia or low-res photos—there may actually be biological and cultural reasons why people in the past looked so old. To get to the bottom of it, I spoke with Dr. Caroline Hudson, a facial plastic surgeon based in Chicago and co-author of Analysis and Assessment of Facial Aging. 

To see the images we reference, check out our newsletter at www.nosuchthing.show. Want advice from Manny, Noah, and Devan? Leave a message at (860) 325-0286‬ or email us at [email protected].

Like this episode? Check out Why does Dasani water taste like that?

Follow Dr. Caroline Hudson on Instagram. Original music for this episode produced by Zeno Pittarelli.

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Some conspiracy theories are fun, but many end up being dark and concerning. When someone is in too deep, what would it take to pull them out of the rabbit hole? Journalist Zach Mack ventured to find out in his show, Alternate Realities over at NPR, and on today's episode, he debriefs us.

Listen to Zach's show Alternate Realities on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

And for more, check out our newsletter at www.nosuchthing.show. If you have a question you want us to answer, email us at [email protected].

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Our whole lives, we’ve been told the pullout or withdrawal method is not a legitimate form of birth control and a fast-track way to becoming a parent. Some have even referred to it as the pull-and-pray method.

But reproductive health researcher Andréa Becker makes the argument that the pullout method “is not the enemy of public health it’s been made out to be” if done correctly. 

Pre-order Andréa’s book Get It Out: On the Politics of Hysterectomy.

For more, check out our newsletter at www.nosuchthing.show, and if you have an argument you want us to settle, email us at [email protected].

Like this episode? Check out Episode 3: Why are slurs making a comeback?

Original music for this episode produced by Zeno Pittarelli.

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