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
Is cuffing season real?
When temperatures drop, do our romantic prospects heat up?
36 min
2
Bite-sized questions
What’s the deal with hush puppies, wedding cakes, and A2 milk?
49 min
3
Why is it so hard to make new friends?
We have some research-backed tips for breaking the ice.
39 min
4
Could ranked choice voting fix our elections?
Ranked choice voting — yay, nay, or something else?
41 min
5
Why can’t I tell my left from my right?
And why are there lefties and righties?
26 min
6
What just happened, and what comes next
Your election questions answered
46 min
7
It’s election week. Ask us anything.
Call us with your election questions.
1 min
8
Why can I buy Halloween candy that would be ban...
How food additive regulation works in the US.
43 min
9
Why do I keep getting these weird fundraising t...
Two of your election questions, explained
48 min
10
Will the world end before I can retire?
How to balance retirement advice and climate change realism
35 min
11
My parents divorced. Will I?
What current marriage trends say about modern relationships
27 min
12
Is it okay to go to the zoo?
Do the pros outweigh the cons?
31 min
13
Why do I say “like” so much?
In defense of the supremely useful and unfairly maligned word
41 min
14
Is my dentist scamming me?
There’s a reason why going to the dentist can feel so shady.
40 min
15
Introducing Explain It to Me
2 min
16
Our next chapter
There are some big changes coming to this feed, and we need your help with them!
2 min
17
How we Got Milk
And why the government wants you to drink it.
37 min
18
Those pesky delivery fees
Nobody is happy with delivery apps right now
36 min
19
Panic! At The Drugstore
The panic about the crime rate really is just a panic.
37 min
20
A new era of cannabis research
What rescheduling cannabis could mean for science.
34 min
21
Are baby bonds a good investment?
A unique policy program that could help close the racial wealth gap
35 min
22
Alexa, is Amazon a monopoly?
Antitrust is back, baby!
31 min
23
Is homelessness a crime?
The Supreme Court weighs in on the homelessness crisis.
29 min
24
Abortion and the erosion of privacy
Do Americans still have a right to privacy?
36 min
25
What is “fetal personhood”?
The legal definition tearing the anti-abortion movement apart.
32 min