Explain It to Me

Vox Media Podcast Network
  • 4.4 (7.7K)
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  • UPDATED WEEKLY
Explain It to Me

Is my dentist scamming me? Why do political campaigns cost so much? Should Gen Z bother to save for retirement? Explain It To Me is the hotline for all your unanswered questions. Sometimes explanations are hard to find, misinformation is rampant, and those internet searches and AI asks can come up empty. Call 1-800-618-8545 with what’s on your mind, and host Jonquilyn Hill will be your friendly guide to the answers you're looking for — and maybe even the ones you don’t expect. New episodes every Wednesday starting September 18.  Part of Vox and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

  1. 4 DAYS AGO

    Should I freeze my eggs?

    Listener Elisa has heard egg freezing touted as “an easy, perfect solution” for women who want to have it all, but she’s skeptical. Writer MeiMei Fox tells the disastrous story of freezing her own eggs, and Vox senior correspondent Anna North explains why freezing your eggs is not really a girlboss panacea. Do you have a question about navigating family planning or reproductive health? Give us a call. We wanna make future episodes about the things that matter to you in your daily lives. Our number is 1-800-618-8545. You can also let us know via this form. Read more: The failed promise of egg freezing How safe is donating your eggs? This episode was produced by Victoria Chamberlin, Hady Mawajdeh and Carla Javier, edited by Amina Al-Sadi and Miranda Kennedy, fact checked by Laura Bullard and Hady Mawajdeh, engineered by Patrick Boyd and Andrea Kristinsdottir, and hosted by Jonquilyn Hill. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    37 min

  2. FEB 5

    We have some questions for you

    What’s going on with all those layoffs in the gaming industry? What does being “middle class” actually mean? What’s up with this weird thing that happens when I sleep? Life is full of questions: simple ones with complicated answers and complicated ones with simple answers hiding in plain sight. Explain It to Me is here to answer the ones that matter most to you. We’re your go-to hotline for all the questions you can’t quite answer on your own.  Call 1-800-618-8545 or send a voice memo to [email protected]. And tell us: what are the questions that keep you up at night – literally? Credits: Jonquilyn Hill, host Hady Mawajdeh, producer Andrea Kristinsdottir, engineer Carla Javier, supervising producer Miranda Kennedy, editor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    9 min

  3. JAN 29

    Is flying ethical?

    Should I give up flying for the environment’s sake? Is it ethical to stay on Twitter and Facebook if I don’t like the owners’ politics? If a DNA test shows that my dad isn't my biological dad, should I tell him? There are no bad questions. But there are some that are really hard to answer. Those are the ones Vox senior reporter Sigal Samuel likes to tackle. This week on Explain It to Me, she tells host Jonquilyn Hill how she goes about answering your ethical and philosophical questions in her column, Your Mileage May Vary.  This episode was made in partnership with Vox's Future Perfect team. Have questions you can’t answer? Call Explain It to Me at 1-800-618-8545, or submit them here.  Read more: Sigal’s column, Your Mileage May Vary You can’t optimize your way to being a good person The Future Perfect newsletter Share your quandaries with Sigal here  Credits: Jonquilyn Hill, host Cristian Ayala, engineer Caitlin PenzeyMoog, fact checker Carla Javier, supervising producer Jorge Just, editor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    30 min

  4. JAN 22

    Why can I make a citizen's arrest?

    After seeing someone make an illegal left turn, Mike joked to his daughter that they should do a citizen’s arrest. She had no idea what he was talking about, and now Mike wants to know: wait, are citizen’s arrests actually a real-life thing, or just something he saw on TV? And if they are real, how do they work? And what do they say about crime and policing in our country? This week on Explain It to Me, host Jonquilyn Hill talks to Stanford Law School professor David Sklansky to find out. He’s the author of the new book Criminal Justice in Divided America. We want to know what’s on your mind! Call us at 1-800-618-8545 and leave us a voicemail with your name and your question — we may answer it in a future episode. Credits: Jonquilyn Hill, host Patrick Boyd, engineer Kim Eggleston, fact checker Carla Javier, supervising producer Jorge Just, editor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    41 min

  5. JAN 8

    Should I buy antibacterial soap?

    When it gets cold outside, we get colds inside. We also get the flu. And RSV. And — lately — norovirus. We all know that washing our hands helps defend against illness. But with what? There’s too many kinds of soap, and not all of them will keep you healthy in every situation. Should you up the ante with antibacterial or does bar soap set the bar? This week on Explain It to Me, host Jonquilyn Hill breaks down the suds and bubbles with Vox senior reporter Keren Landman, MD.  Read more: Wait, should I bother using antibacterial soap? You’ve never heard of the Covid booster with the fewest side effects Put down that cough medicine We want to answer your questions in future episodes. Call us at 1-800-618-8545, fill out this form, or send us an email at [email protected]. We love to hear from you. Credits: Jonquilyn Hill, host Sofi LaLonde, producer Andrea Kristinsdottir, engineer Caitlin PenzeyMoog, fact-checker Carla Javier, supervising producer Jorge Just, editor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    32 min

  6. 12/18/2024

    Is cuffing season real?

    It’s the most wonderful time of the year: Cuffing season. Or is it? That’s the question Antares asked this week. She told her lovelorn friend he’ll have better luck on dating apps once the temperatures drop, but then she wondered… is that actually true? This week on Explain It to Me, host Jonquilyn Hill goes on a journey to find out if Cuffing Season is real. She speaks with artist Musa Murchison, Alison Gemmill of the Hopkins Population Center, Michael Kaye of OKCupid, and Devyn Simone of Tinder to find out. We’re working on some great episodes, and want to answer more of your questions in the new year! Leave us a voicemail at 1-800-618-8545, fill out this form, or send us a voice memo at [email protected]. We love to hear from you. Credits: Jonquilyn Hill, host and producer Sofi LaLonde, producer Cristian Ayala, engineer Caitlin PenzeyMoog and Kim Eggleston, fact-checkers Carla Javier, supervising producer Jorge Just, editor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    42 min

  7. 12/11/2024

    Bite-sized questions

    Are hush puppies racist? Why do we celebrate weddings with a multi-tiered, super fancy, sometimes not particularly tasty, very expensive cake? Can a dairy-intolerant person actually drink a glass of A2 milk?  These three questions came from listeners. Just not our listeners. They came to Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley, hosts of Gastropod, a show that investigates the history and science behind the foods we eat. Our host Jonquilyn Hill called them up to ask about the show, and play an episode from their Ask Gastropod series.  Check out Gastropod. Let us know what questions you want us to look into for future episodes of Explain It to Me: Call 1-800-618-8545, email us at [email protected], or fill out this form. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    55 min

  8. 12/04/2024

    Why is it so hard to make new friends?

    Adulthood comes with a lot of perks: You can set your own bedtime or eat candy for breakfast. But there is at least one thing that’s easier to do as a kid: making friends. That’s why Claire called us this week — she’s moved to a new city and wants to know: How do adults make new friends? Jonquilyn Hill chats with Vox senior reporters Allie Volpe and Keren Landman, MD, who share some tools to break the ice and find friends who align with where you are in life right now. And now it’s your turn. After listening to the episode, call us up and help answer this week’s question: What is your advice for making a new friend? Give us a call and tell us your story: 1-800-618-8545. Read more: Is making friends as an adult really hard, or is it just me? These apps promise to help you make new friends. Could it work for me? Bumble for Friends Hey! VINA Timeleft Credits: Jonquilyn Hill, host Sofi LaLonde, producer Cristian Ayala, engineer Caitlin PenzeyMoog, fact-checker Carla Javier, supervising producer Jorge Just, editor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    45 min
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Is my dentist scamming me? Why do political campaigns cost so much? Should Gen Z bother to save for retirement? Explain It To Me is the hotline for all your unanswered questions. Sometimes explanations are hard to find, misinformation is rampant, and those internet searches and AI asks can come up empty. Call 1-800-618-8545 with what’s on your mind, and host Jonquilyn Hill will be your friendly guide to the answers you're looking for — and maybe even the ones you don’t expect. New episodes every Wednesday starting September 18.  Part of Vox and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

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