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 Society. On the agenda: other life in the cosmos, aircraft engineering and whether any one person’s actions matter in the face of big problems like climate change. Also: are Bill Nye and former SGDQ guest Neil deGrasse Tyson frenemies? 

Make sure you follow this episode up with our deep dive with Bill's Planetary Society colleague Casey Dreier, findable below this one in your feed! And if you scroll down further, you can find our favourite 11 year olds there too.

PS: our new season continues every week! Make sure you’re following Nayeema and the show on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok to stay curious! 

And send us your dumb Qs! Or help Bill Nye out with his burning question: Where did human life come from? Email [email protected] or leave us a review!  

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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 at the Planetary Society — the independent nonprofit founded by Carl Sagan and now led by Bill Nye. From the Drake Equation to NASA budget wars, he explains to Nayeema how exploring the cosmos has been critical to everything from GPS to semiconductors, and he hints at the nuclear innovations that could come next. It’s a critical conversation at a time when the government is shut down and there is a looming threat to cut NASA’s ~$25 billion budget and move a lot of the money that's there to human space flight instead of space science.

If you’re cosmos-curious: The Planetary Society is made possible with the support of individuals across the globe. You can be part of it by heading to planetary.org/join and you can find more of Casey’s cosmic knowledge over on Planetary Radio’s The Space Policy Edition podcast or in his newsletter. 

And be sure to check out Neil deGrasse Tyson's SGDQ episode on YouTube or scrolling down in this podcast feed. Hit follow/subscribe to not miss Bill Nye next week, like/comment/review and please share the show with your mom and other friends.

Make sure you’re following Nayeema and the show on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, as well as wherever you get your podcasts.

Also: help Casey out: do you have a theory on how kids learn time? Or have other dumb Qs? Email [email protected]

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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 collaborated with everyone from Madonna to M.I.A. and Rihanna. 

They discuss why he’s becoming obsessed with running and all things abs, how he balances his electronic and country personalities, why he’s over Burning Man and doubling down on Major Lazer and whether he is the Forrest Gump of music. Also: how Diplo approaches his craft, his kids and, yes, his dating life. Plus, he shares what dating famous people has taught him about relationships.

And fact checks: Brian Epstein (no relation) was the Beatles manager, George Martin was the Beatles producer, and Fidel Castro is not Justin Trudeau's dad.

Make sure you’re following Nayeema and the show on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, as well as wherever you get your podcasts.

Also: help Diplo out: do you know how manatees drink water? Or have other dumb Qs? Email [email protected] or leave us a review! 

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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 modern romance, our obsession with self-love, and why crushes are hard to come by after your 20s. 

Throughout, Esther offers her signature insight into how to keep relationships alive and why the quality of our connections do more for our longevity than anything else. You can find more of her wisdom on the Where Should We Begin? podcast on YouTube, Apple or Spotify. 

And more of Nayeema’s vulnerability and dating woes on Smart Girl Dumb Questions (including some podcast footsie with Diplo). Be sure to follow/subscribe so you don’t miss out! Find us on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. And like/review/share this podcast with your friends!

Speaking of friends: help Esther out. Do you know why some people are good at directions? And the rest of us aren't? Or have other dumb Qs? Email [email protected]

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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 ⁠TikTok⁠. Your LDQs are also welcome, just email [email protected].

Stay curious. Stay hot.

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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.

Oh and check out our Last Dumb Question street series on IG or TikTok. Your LDQs are welcome, just email [email protected].

Stay curious. Stay hot.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 author of an epic forthcoming book The Intimate Animal.

They talk kissing, shaky bridges and scientific studies. Also: porn-watching pandas, monogamous penguins and, um, something about a pig farmer? It’s basically the Discovery Channel on today’s Smart Girl Dumb Questions.

PS: our new season starts later this month! Make sure you’re following us on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.  We’d love to hear your ideas, suggestions and feedback! Email [email protected] or leave us a review!

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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 to get behind headlines and memes to understand who’s running for Mayor. She’s inviting the candidates on SGDQ to answer her direct (and dumb) questions. First up: incumbent Mayor Eric Adams.

Let us know what you think after the episode: [email protected] or @smartgirldumbquestions on IG, and send us the questions you’d like to ask!

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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 The Two Party Doom Loop. They discuss the beef between Jefferson and Washington (um, I mean, Jefferson and Hamilton), Venn diagrams, and whether the US is really the world’s best democracy. 

Find more of Lee’s thoughts, writings and Venn diagrams on his substack Undercurrent Events 

Follow Lee on X at @leedrutman. Follow Nayeema @nayeemaraza or on X too – and you can find the show on IG, TikTok & YouTube @smartgirldumbquestions. 

Finally: YOU could be on a future episode – send your dumbest questions to [email protected] 

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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, and research-based doctor she could find: Dr. Ellen Vora, board-certified psychiatrist and author of The Anatomy of Anxiety. They discuss gut health, the limits of medication, how our feelings manifest physically, and how our physical and social health show up in our mental health. Dr. Vora also talks about the great divide over American healthcare and how the Covid-19 pandemic reshaped everything. 

Five things you may want to know more about:

Follow Ellen Vora on IG at @ellenvoramd. Follow Nayeema @nayeemaraza or on X too – and you can find the show on IG, TikTok & YouTube @smartgirldumbquestions. 

Finally: YOU could be on a future episode – send your dumbest questions to [email protected] 

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