News Sidequest

A new NBC News poll finds nearly half of Gen Z would choose to live in the past if they could — and the reasons are more specific and interesting than simple nostalgia. Also: a new wave of surveys confirms what a lot of people already feel — dating has become expensive enough that millions of Americans are going on fewer dates or stopping altogether, and the apps aren't helping. And summer travel...

A Wall Street Journal survey finds nearly a third of Americans are pregaming before going out to avoid paying $20 for a drink at a bar — and liquor brands are packaging miniature bottles specifically to enable this. Also: a group of 20- and 30-somethings in Washington swapped their smartphones for flip phones for a full month, and the things they rediscovered are more interesting than the detox it...

A new survey finds 38% of Americans went no contact with a friend or family member in the last year — and the generational gap is stark. Also: South Korean Air Force investigators just published their findings on how two F-15K fighter jets collided mid-air, and the reason is both absurd and surprisingly human. And a family in China hired an AI company to create a digital clone of their deceased so...

A New York Fed survey finds American workers are more dissatisfied with their pay and chances of advancement than at any point in the survey's 12-year history — and job mobility is simultaneously at a multi-year low. That's a trap, and the question worth asking is what you actually do when you're in it. Also: 65% of Americans are picky about their water, a third of them bring their own water where...

New research confirms what trial-and-error learners have always suspected: getting something wrong first — and then learning the right answer — produces significantly better retention than memorizing correctly from the start. Also: a study from Norway finds that solo time in nature has a measurable protective effect against loneliness, and the mechanism is more interesting than just "fresh air." A...

A major new study finds that Americans in midlife are lonelier, more depressed, physically weaker, and showing worse memory than earlier generations — and the gap between the US and most of the rest of the wealthy world is significant and growing. Also: a Simon Fraser University study finds that life satisfaction isn't just about feeling good — autonomy, the sense that your choices are genuinely y...

Researchers have a new model for treating chronic nightmares in kids — and the key insight is that it's not the nightmare itself that keeps them coming back, it's the child's response to waking up. Also: a double-level airplane seat concept called the Chaise Longue is back with its "final statement" design, and honestly the economics of it make more sense than you might expect. And Dan the Pizza M...

Bloomberg reports that anxious parents are spending $50,000 or more to hire career coaches for their college-age kids — starting as early as freshman year. It raises a real question: is this a generational shift, a symptom of a brutal job market, or both? Also: a Vanderbilt study of 633,000 people finds loneliness is a critical step on the road to suicidal ideation — and the finding has direct imp...

After ten days, 695,000 miles, and one crater named Carroll, the Artemis II crew splashed down safely in the Pacific on Friday — and the reaction was everything NASA needed it to be. Also: veterinary costs are up 43% since 2021, the average dog will cost you $50,000 over its lifetime, and the pet debt crisis is quietly becoming a breaking point for a lot of families. Plus, a new Gallup survey find...

A survey finds 61% of Gen Z have a diagnosed anxiety condition and 43% have a panic attack at least once a month — and they're building curated "anxiety bags" to manage it on the go. Also: a new study finds that blocking internet on your phone for just two weeks reversed the cognitive equivalent of ten years of aging. And nearly half of Gen Z workers admit to actively sabotaging their company's AI...

A new study finds depression hits personal finances harder than cancer or stroke — and the income gap doesn't close for a decade. Also: marriage is linked to dramatically lower cancer rates, and the study raises a question worth sitting with: is it the ring, or the connection? Plus, there's actually a name for why people buy $22 smoothies when they can't afford a house — and it's more psychologica...

A new study finds it's not just how much time you spend sitting — it's what you're doing while you sit. Passive screen time is linked to significantly higher dementia risk, and swapping one hour of TV for something that actually uses your brain could make a real difference. Also: the housing market is stuck in a slow grind that's locking out first-time buyers and trapping everyone else in place, a...

Four astronauts flew farther from Earth than any person in history — broke a 56-year-old record, named a crater after a commander's late wife, and heard a wake-up message from Jim Lovell recorded just before he died. Also: experts say banning kids from social media is politically popular but scientifically weak, and the evidence points toward something harder than a ban. Plus, the question I've be...

Gig workers in 50 countries are strapping phones to their foreheads and filming their chores to train humanoid robots — while openly acknowledging they're probably building their own replacements. Also: the number of seniors seeking roommates has tripled as housing costs crush retirement budgets, and a growing number of young couples say they want kids but simply can't make the math work. Plus, th...

A teenager in France can mentally revisit any moment of her life in vivid detail — and scientists say it's as much burden as gift. Also: a new study finds people are speaking 338 fewer words every day than they were 15 years ago, and researchers say those missing words are the small moments of human contact quietly disappearing from daily life. Plus, ancient bone dice confirm humans have been gamb...

A new survey finds most Americans are just three months away from financial collapse — and it only takes about $6,000 in extra debt to push a household toward bankruptcy. Also: gas just crossed four dollars a gallon for the first time since 2022, driven by the war in Iran, and experts say relief isn't coming anytime soon. Plus, a new study says the most popular graduate degrees aren't worth the mo...

A new study confirms what a lot of people already suspected: having kids doesn't make you happier — but it does strain your relationship. Also: the Wall Street Journal says the American workplace has become so joyless it feels like a funeral, and Dell charging for coffee is Exhibit A. Plus, Gen Z workers are escaping the 9-to-5 for nap pods and cry rooms around New York City. And identical twins,...

A new study asked kids what makes play feel like play — and their answer has nothing to do with anything adults have been building for them. Also: more than half of college students are lonely, and the heaviest social media users are the most isolated. Plus, your airplane seat row may determine whether you walk away from a crash. And a three-minute art heist, a Powerball winner who keeps committin...

A new study finds AI chatbots are making people less likely to apologize — and more likely to double down. Also: why having babies in space is harder than anyone expected, and why there might be a second Sphinx buried under the sand at Giza. Plus: portals to the fifth dimension, frozen brain tissue, a KitKat heist, and a Florida man who took his horse through a Chick-fil-A drive-thru. Hosted on Ac...

Can you actually design a sense of belonging? In this episode of News Sidequest , we look at schools adopting Hogwarts-style house systems—and whether that kind of structure really works in the real world. We also explore why connections may matter more than merit in some systems, and one incredible story of persistence from a woman who went from janitor to doctor at the same hospital. Plus: an “a...

How do you prove you actually know something in the age of AI? In this episode of News Sidequest , we look at how colleges are turning to oral exams as a way to verify learning—and what that says about how education is changing. We also explore why more Americans are struggling with credit card debt, and a more optimistic finding about what people actually get better at as they age. Plus: rogue ro...

What’s the biggest green flag you’ve ever seen on a first date? In this episode of News Sidequest , we start with a surprisingly controversial Olive Garden moment—and what it says about how we judge people. We also look at the reality facing young graduates entering today’s job market, and a fascinating insight into how people actually change their minds. Plus: rising Easter candy prices, fake car...

Why does finding a hidden detail in a movie feel so satisfying? In this episode of News Sidequest , we explore the psychology behind why Easter eggs make us feel smart—and how that connects to the way we process information more broadly. We also look at why people tend to lower their standards for “their side,” and what that says about how we judge others. Plus: the rising cost of owning a pet, ro...

What if one of the best things for your mental health… is simply going outside? In this episode of News Sidequest , we explore why doctors may soon start prescribing time in nature—and what people already do to disconnect and recharge. We also look at how HOA fees are starting to feel like a second mortgage for many homeowners, and a growing debate over whether extreme wealth is something to admir...

What happens when technology starts bringing people back from the dead? In this episode of News Sidequest , we explore the growing use of AI to recreate actors like Val Kilmer—and where the line might be between tribute and something else. We also look at how the famous number 867-5309 has taken on a completely different meaning over time, and what a 2,000-year-old sarcastic message reveals about...