The Nightly

By Hatch PodcastsHealth & Fitness

The Nightly episodes

August 10 Life With An Expressive Face
Josh Gondelman talks with caller Julia from Long Beach about her impossibly readable face, the four-year-old who refuses to fake a magician's smile, and whether a poker face is really something to envy.

What You'll Hear

A dog bed 7x too big: Josh kicks things off with a sweet little confession about his wife's habit of ordering things in wildly wrong sizes, and what it means to love someone's harmless quirks.

The face that won't keep a secret: Julia calls in with a lifelong dilemma: her face broadcasts every feeling before she's ready to share it, and she's not sure if that's a gift or a curse.

LeVar Burton was reading her the whole time: A story about producing an audio show with LeVar Burton takes a turn when Julia learns he'd been quietly reading her face for cues the entire time.

CHAPTERS
00:00 The dog bed that was seven sizes too big
03:33 Welcome, caller Julia!
04:44 The face that gives everything away
07:05 LeVar Burton was watching the whole time
09:00 Like father, like son, like grandpa
21:08 Good nights
For the fully immersive, phone free light + sound experience, learn more at hatch.co. Follow us on TikTok @hatchpodcasts and YouTube.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
25 min
August 09 Sunday Edition: ASMR Tingles w/ The French Whisperer
Greta Johnsen talks with ASMR creator the French Whisperer about purring voices, gentle tapping sounds, and why a good bedtime story should never be too interesting.

What You'll Hear:

The Mystery of the Tingles: Greta and the French Whisperer get to the bottom of what ASMR actually is, and it turns out the science-y acronym is mostly just a fancy word for tingles.

Soothing Versus Boring: The French Whisperer explains the delicate art of keeping a listener just engaged enough to drift off, without accidentally telling them something too interesting.

A Voice Built for Bedtime: From editing out breaths to fighting the urge to talk fast, the French Whisperer walks through everything that goes into his famously calm, low purr of a voice.

CHAPTERS:
00:00 Greta welcomes the French Whisperer to the pillow fort
01:43 What ASMR actually means
04:30 Tingles, accents, and gentle taps
11:03 What makes a voice relaxing
17:02 Advice for a better nighttime routine
21:19 Good night from the French Whisperer
For the fully immersive, phone free light + sound experience, learn more at hatch.co. Follow us on TikTok @hatchpodcasts and YouTube.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
24 min
August 08 Sneaker Towers & Fake Shopping Carts
Josh Gondelman and caller Jina swap confessions about impulse buys, dopamine-chasing shopping apps, and the ever-growing tower of sneakers by his bed.

What You'll Hear

The Tower of Sneakers Confession: Josh admits his side of the bed now lives in the shadow of an embarrassing sneaker collection, while caller Jina lays out her own struggle to live below her means in a world of endless upgrades and seasonal drops.

The Fake Shopping Cart Trick: Jina describes an app built to trigger the same dopamine as buying something, minus the actual purchase, and the two dig into what really works (and doesn't) to slow down an impulse buy.

Turning Splurges into Something Kinder: From Facebook Marketplace camping chairs to GoFundMe donations instead of a new loveseat, Josh and Jina land on a gentler way to spend that doesn't leave anyone feeling broke or bombarded.

CHAPTERS
00:00 Booking flights, hotels & finally planning ahead
03:47 Welcome, caller Jina!
09:10 Josh's weak spots: sweaters and sneakers
14:32 The app that fakes a shopping cart
18:42 Splurging on other people instead
23:24 Goodnight...to the sneakers
For the fully immersive, phone free light + sound experience, learn more at hatch.co. Follow us on TikTok @hatchpodcasts and YouTube.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
25 min
August 07 When Did You Last Buy Bleach?
Matt Bragg talks with caller Val about the magical-question trick that turns awkward small talk into real conversation, and the two try it live with a question about bleach.

What You'll Hear

The Magical Questions Life Hack: Val explains a concept she picked up from a podcast on communication — questions built so anyone in a group wants to answer, like asking someone the last time they blew up a balloon.

Matt Tries A Magic Question: Bleach Edition: Matt puts the theory to the test live, asking Val when she last bought bleach, and the answer turns into a genuine deep-clean life hack involving dish soap, baking soda, and hydrogen peroxide.

The Harder Skill Behind It All: They dig into sharing first, staying curious about other people, and the kindest way to politely tap out of a conversation that's run its course.

CHAPTERS
02:00 Val calls in from the East Bay
05:07 The "magical questions" life hack, explained
08:59 Matt tries a magic question: bleach edition
10:12 A genuine miracle stain-remover recipe
14:29 How to walk into a group conversation
17:59 The polite way to escape a bad one
For the fully immersive, phone free light + sound experience, learn more at hatch.co. Follow us on TikTok @hatchpodcasts and YouTube.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
24 min
August 06 Matt vs. Electric Bikes
Matt Bragg talks with caller Carrie about her guilt-ridden case for an e-bike, a crash course in London's mod subculture, and the argument that finally makes a convert of him.

What You'll Hear

Jeans, a Jacket, and Pure Denial: Matt recaps his one-man war against a London heatwave, his firm belief that Celsius is the only sensible temperature scale, and his new nickname for DoorDash riders: the fourth emergency service.

A Pros-and-Cons List That Doesn't Add Up: Caller Carrie admits her list is stacked against buying an e-bike, and yet the itch to buy one has never really gone away.

Mods, Rockers, and the Reputation Problem: Matt walks Carrie through England's mod-versus-rocker subculture, and the two debate why e-bike riders get side-eyed while a proper mod scooter earns respect.

The Argument That Wins Him Over: Carrie makes her real case, skipping a crowded train for a fifteen-minute ride home after a nice dinner, and it's enough to talk Matt into buying one himself.

CHAPTERS
00:00 A one-man war against the heatwave
02:44 Caller Carrie joins from Chicago
05:16 A crash course in London's mod subculture
08:30 How an e-bike actually works
11:27 Matt starts to come around
16:10 Goodnight to every e-bike rider on Earth
For the fully immersive, phone free light + sound experience, learn more at hatch.co. Follow us on TikTok @hatchpodcasts and YouTube.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
20 min
August 05 Falling Asleep to a Stranger's Whisper
Matt Bragg talks with caller Gregg about why we distract ourselves from the present moment, and the surprisingly wholesome case for ASMR.

What You'll Hear

Two Jackets, No Chance to Wear Them: Matt kicks off mid-heatwave, mourning two brand-new jackets that have been sitting in his closet for months with nowhere to go.

Chasing Fake Progress: Caller Gregg admits how easily an evening disappears into TV, video games, and Instagram scrolling, and he and Matt dig into why quick wins in a game feel so much better than the slow grind of real life.

The Wholesome Side of Zoning Out: Gregg introduces Matt to ASMR, from whispered roleplay videos to channels built entirely around helping people fall asleep, and the two land on a surprisingly sweet defense of technology-assisted relaxation.

CHAPTERS
00:00 A heatwave and two unworn jackets
01:34 Caller Gregg dials in
02:12 Is constant distraction a bad thing?
07:53 Chasing quick wins over real progress
10:39 Every generation's version of "too distracted"
13:46 Discovering ASMR as a wholesome escape
For the fully immersive, phone free light + sound experience, learn more at hatch.co. Follow us on TikTok @hatchpodcasts and YouTube.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
25 min
August 04 Moving On From a Breakup
Josh Gondelman talks with caller Mary Kate about breakups, self-definition, and the mantra she wrote in her journal to get herself through it.

What You'll Hear

A Long-Overdue Museum Walk: Josh finally makes it to the Art Institute of Chicago after promising himself for years, and comes away with a soft spot for El Greco, a name that tickles him more than it probably should.

The Line She Wrote to Get Through It: Caller Mary Kate opens up about her first serious breakup, and the sentence she scribbled down mid-heartbreak that's carried her since: I prevail because I can define myself.

A Little Sister's First Trip to New York: Mary Kate's 14-year-old sister comes to visit for the first time in years, and watching her light up over yellow cabs and a Broadway show becomes its own kind of pep talk.

CHAPTERS
00:00 Josh's long-delayed trip to the Art Institute of Chicago
04:16 Welcome caller Mary Kate
04:46 A breakup, and the promise she made to herself
07:38 Her little sister's first trip to New York
16:59 The line she wrote to get through it
25:08 Goodnight to her sister
For the fully immersive, phone free light + sound experience, learn more at hatch.co. Follow us on TikTok @hatchpodcasts and YouTube.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
28 min
August 03 Getting Lost in a Dream About Paris
Josh Gondelman talks with caller Ana about the recurring dream that drops her, lost and hungry, into a Paris she's never actually visited.

What You'll Hear

A Toddler, a Seltzer, and a Book Missing All Its R's: Josh recaps a visit from an old friend's three-year-old, who pounds a full seltzer in one go and then, with impeccable manners, announces she'd like to go home now, please.

Lost, Hungry, and Somehow Always in Paris: Ana has never set foot in France, but for the third time this month she's found herself wandering an unfamiliar Parisian neighborhood in her dreams, always trying and failing to reach a restaurant.

The Dreams Where She's Not Even Herself: Ana and Josh dig into her other recurring dreams, the ones where she's watching from the outside or living in someone else's body, and how her dreams have grown strangely more vivid and controllable in recent years.

CHAPTERS
00:00 A toddler, a seltzer, and a book missing all its R's
03:53 Welcome caller Ana
04:08 A recurring dream of getting lost in Paris
13:36 The dreams where she's not even herself
21:04 One more question, and the best ramen she's never eaten
24:19 Goodnight to Ana's dream friends (and real ones too)
For the fully immersive, phone free light + sound experience, learn more at hatch.co. Follow us on TikTok @hatchpodcasts and YouTube.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
27 min
August 02 Sunday Edition: Writing Your Way to Sleep
Josh Gondelman talks with psychologist Dr. James Pennebaker about the science of expressive writing, why finger-writing works as well as pen and paper, and how putting an upsetting thought into words can help you fall right back to sleep.

What You'll Hear

The Journal Entry That Cut Doctor Visits in Half: Dr. Pennebaker traces his research back to a 1984 study where college students who wrote about traumatic experiences got sick, and visited the doctor, half as often as those who wrote about nothing in particular — and slept better, too.

Blowing Off Steam vs. Actually Figuring It Out: The people who benefit most from a midnight journaling session aren't the ones who feel like they've vented, they're the ones who walk away saying "now I understand why." Pennebaker explains why turning a spiraling thought into an actual sentence forces your brain to build a story, and why that story is what finally lets you stop chewing on it.

Be Your Own Scientist (No Rules Required): Don't worry about handwriting, spelling, or sounding smart. Pennebaker's advice is to just start writing and see what works for you, whether that's a diary entry, a poem, or even writing in the air with your finger.

CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro & welcome to Dr. James Pennebaker
01:43 How he got into the psychology of journaling
02:34 The 1984 study: writing about trauma cuts doctor visits in half
07:28 How to get started without feeling self-conscious
12:44 Sofija's fairy-tale approach, and why fiction can heal too
19:41 A closing prescription: write for 15 minutes and go back to sleep
For the fully immersive, phone free light + sound experience, learn more at hatch.co. Follow us on TikTok @hatchpodcasts and YouTube.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
22 min
August 01 The Taurus Who Won't Leave Santa Fe
Josh Gondelman talks with Listener Jake about whether to trade fifteen years of Sante Fe memories for a house in Asheville, ticks and all.

What You'll Hear

Setting Down Roots at 7,000 Feet: Jake explains why quitting air conditioning, chasing the desert night chill, and pantsless summers made Santa Fe feel like home for fifteen years.

The Family House in Asheville: The grandparents-built property, the six-month test run two years ago, and the pull of cousins just a day's drive away.

Decided by the Stars: Josh and Jake talk horoscopes, settle who's the homebody and who's the free spirit, and then land on an 80/20 lean that still leaves plenty to figure out.

CHAPTERS
00:00 A new neighborhood and an old "magic" sign
03:20 Welcome, Caller Jake!
07:30 The big decision: stay or move to Asheville
11:00 The weight of saying it out loud
16:59 Taurus vs. Aquarius: whose sign wins?
19:45 You have two good options
For the fully immersive, phone free light + sound experience, learn more at hatch.co. Follow us on TikTok @hatchpodcasts and YouTube.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
27 min

About The Nightly

From the publisher's feed

Where your late night thoughts go to rest. Monday through Saturday, listeners call in to share whatever's on their mind before bed. On Sunday, we take a deep dive on one of the week’s topics.…