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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What do Iranians think? Are they more or less into the Ayatollah (and nukes) after the last two weeks? Did the US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites … take out the nuclear targets? How would we know? Also: why do all Iran’s proxies start with “H”?

Nayeema asks the dumbest questions she can think of to the foremost Iran expert she could identify: Dr. Vali Nasr, a professor and former dean at John Hopkins SAIS, former senior advisor to the US State Department, and the author of several books on foreign policy and Iran including Iran’s Grand Strategy. 

Follow Dr. Nasr on X @vali_nasr. Follow Nayeema on IG or 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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Will having kids make my life or ruin it? How can two independent, career-minded people navigate marriage? What is a contraction? And is childbirth hellish … or like an MDMA high? 

Nayeema asks the dumbest questions she can think of to her most grown-uppest friends, New York Times bestselling cookbook author Alison Roman and Emmy-nominated director Max Cantor to understand if you’re ever going to feel ready for kids, and how you go from a thirst-trap or a DM slide to love, marriage and a baby carriage.

Alison Roman is a writer, chef and Bon Apetit/New York Times Cooking alum behind the books Dining In, Nothing Fancy, and Something Sweet. Max Cantor is an Emmy-nominated TV and commercial Director.

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 [email protected]

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Is 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 will 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 [email protected]. You might end up in a future episode!

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With 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 [email protected]. You might end up in a future episode!

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Are 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 [email protected]

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Is 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 [email protected] 

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Is 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. 

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 [email protected] 

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Nayeema 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 [email protected] 

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