The Nightly

Greta Johnsen talks with caller Kammi all about memory: from nap science and grandma's soap to why eyewitnesses (and spouses) never agree on the color of the car. What You'll Hear Thinking in scents and songs: Kammi joins from Tucson to unpack why a quick nap might lock in a memory better than a long snooze, and why smell can transport you faster than almost anything else. The unreliable narrator...

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 harm...

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 Frenc...

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...

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 ba...

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 fou...

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...

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 G...

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...

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...

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,...

Matt Bragg talks with caller Elise from Brooklyn about the sudden takeover of the phrase "throw someone under the bus," decades-old naval idioms, and the eternal question of what a scapegoat actually is. What You'll Hear A Cupboard Door, a Bag of Matchsticks, and Regret: Matt kicks off the show mid-meltdown, recounting the exact glue-and-matchstick trick that saved his kitchen cabinet and, eventua...

Matt Bragg talks with caller Victoria about her parents' newly remodeled kitchen, the rotary phone that outlived a whole house, and the strange nostalgia of rooms that now only exist in memory. What You'll Hear The Etiquette of Bad Directions: Matt recaps a very British standoff in Brighton, getting pointed the wrong way to the car park by a proud local venue owner and choosing to just walk it out...

Matt Bragg talks with caller Sarah, from Rockville, Maryland, about honor roll bumper stickers, headlight eyelashes, and the neighbor who compares herself to a worm mid-road-rage. What You'll Hear A Rough Week in Car Buying: Fresh off a trip to Benidorm, Matt recaps a car-shopping saga full of vanishing adaptive cruise control and a salesman who suggests, unprompted, that he try a Skoda. Sarah Tak...

Josh Gondelman talks with caller Charlie about which "New" places have quietly out-shined their namesakes, from Jersey to Mexico to a very polite British devil. What You'll Hear Three Coffee Tables Too Many: Josh recaps trading a cluttered old apartment for a fresh one, and the quiet triumph of finally buying a proper trunk for the towels. New Jersey vs. Jersey, UK: Charlie lays out his theory tha...

Josh Gondelman talks with caller Sofija about turning her nightly journaling into a Lithuanian fairy tale, and using fiction to process grief and hope. What You'll Hear A Pug Among Angels: Josh recaps settling into his new apartment building and the strange relief of realizing his scrappy pug Maggie isn't the most chaotic dog on the block. The Fairy Baby in the Journal: Caller Sofija describes how...

Josh Gondelman invites his wife, author Maris Kreizman, into the Pillow Fort to test-drive real compliments and affirmations on each other. What You'll Hear Untangling the Difference: After a caller named Lucy stumped over the line between a compliment and an affirmation, Josh brings the debate home to Maris, and they work out where the surface-level nice thing ends and the deeper truth begins. Pr...

Josh Gondelman talks with caller Holly about years of Costa Rica daydreaming, decision fatigue, and the underrated magic of hiring a travel agent. What You'll Hear A Very Good Move: Josh recaps trading nine years in a slightly dim apartment for a new Brooklyn spot with giant south- and west-facing windows, a coffee terrace, and an honest-to-goodness view of Manhattan. The Costa Rica Standoff: Call...

Josh Gondelman takes a late-night call from a listener who's been trying to work on her husband's love language. What You'll Hear "That's a compliment, not an affirmation": Caller Lucy is stumped on why "you're so tall" doesn't count — and Josh helps her untangle the surprisingly slippery difference between noticing someone and actually seeing them. The birthday card loophole: It turns out Lucy wr...

Matt Young hosts The Nightly this week and takes a call from Kelsie, a singing teacher in Brisbane, Australia, who has questions about life after getting her wisdom teeth out. What You'll Hear Extra space, big questions: Kelsie got her wisdom teeth out five days ago and wants to know what to do with the new room in her mouth. Matt has a suggestion involving marshmallows. A singing teacher in recov...

Matt Young helps a caller reflect on how becoming a parent can reshape work, purpose, and what really matters. What You’ll Hear When Priorities Change: caller Tyler opens up about returning to work after welcoming his first child and the surprising emotions that came with realizing he'd rather be home with his daughter than anywhere else. Grace Across Generations: Matt and Tyler talk about breakin...

Matt Young talks with caller Emily, from Philadelphia, about how long it's reasonable to delay a celebration before letting it go. What You'll Hear Letting go of things you no longer need: Matt opens by talking about giving away books and clothing he no longer uses, and the sense of relief that comes with unburdening himself of unused belongings. How long is too long to delay a celebration: Emily...

Matt Young explores the curious world of lucid dreaming with a caller who's ready to take control of her dreams—even if she's still a little nervous to try. What You’ll Hear Dreaming on Purpose: What exactly is lucid dreaming? Matt and Erin imagine what they'd do if they could steer their dreams, from flying through the skies to revisiting meaningful moments from the past. Reality Checks & Dream J...

Josh Gondelman talks with food retail consultant Jonathan Raduns about zucchini blossoms, garlic scape pesto, and the density test for picking the perfect watermelon. What You'll Hear From Farm Kid to Food Retail Whisperer: Jonathan traces his path from selling produce on his family's farm in Western New York to starting his own consulting company twelve years ago, all in the name of making grocer...

KP Parker and Matt Bragg reunite after KP's first trip to Ireland, with strong opinions about breakfast food, beige biscuits, and horses wandering the streets of Los Angeles. What You'll Hear A Block of Beige and a Pint of Something Dark: KP brings back her hottest takes from Ireland: Weetabix in yogurt, Guinness as a nutritional smoothie, and the discovery of a foil-wrapped mint biscuit that may...