NO SUCH THING

We just got back from a little weekend trip, which got us thinking once again about how confusing and terrible it is to deal with the TSA. Despite all their yelling—the TSA does not make it clear about what you can or cannot bring on a plane, or what items you actually have to take out of your bag. So I spoke with Darryl Campbell, an aviation safety writer for The Verge and author of Fatal Abstraction, who did a deep dive on The Humiliating History of the TSA.For more, check out our newsletter at www.nosuchthing.show, and if you have an argument you want us to settle, email us at mannynoahdevan@gmail.com.Original music for this episode produced by Zeno Pittarelli!

This week, we tackle movie theater photographers, black coffee, dirty jeans, trebuchets, and more as we answer questions submitted by listeners.00:30 Taking photos in movie theaters10:03 What is black coffee?17:25 How often should you wash your jeans?23:27 Some clarity on microwaving sponges27:07 The Trebuchet Theory29:12 Why do we pod? For more, check out our newsletter at www.nosuchthing.show, and if you have an argument you want us to settle, email us at mannynoahdevan@gmail.com.We’ll be off next week, so take advantage of the free time by leaving us a five-star rating wherever you listen to podcasts and sharing the show with your friends!

This week, we investigate a shocking conspiracy theory that might explain why Dasani stands out among the titans of bottled water, with the help of water sommelier Martin Riese and Tap Score CEO Johnny Pujol. For more, check out our newsletter at www.nosuchthing.show, and if you have an argument you want us to settle, email us at mannynoahdevan@gmail.com.

It’s been known for years now that men aren’t the best at asking follow-up questions on dates with women. But a more specific version of this phenomenon has emerged: men aren’t even asking other men follow-up questions, even their good friends! With the help of “mindful masculinity” expert Liz Plank, we get to the bottom of why men don’t know anything about their male friends, and we put our own friendship to the test.For more, including links to some of the research cited in this episode, visit our website.Have an argument you want us to settle? Shoot us an email at mannynoahdevan@gmail.com.

This week, we look into why car headlights seem like they've gotten so much brighter in recent years than they used to be. And, is there any hope for a shift back to a more reasonable brightness level? Our guest today is Daniel Stern, a lighting expert and chief editor of Driving Vision News.Additional music by Certain Self.For more, including links to some of the research cited in this episode, visit our website.Have an argument you want us to settle? Shoot us an email at mannynoahdevan@gmail.com.

This week, we take a look into a rather divisive issue: school cell phone bans. With more and more states introducing legislature to ban mobile devices in schools, we take a look at the cases for and against the restrictions. Our guests today are Sabine Polak from the Phone-Free Schools Movement and Keri Rodrigues from the National Parents Union.For more, including links to some of the research cited in this episode, visit our website.Have an argument you want us to settle? Shoot us an email at mannynoahdevan@gmail.com.

In collaboration with our friends at Search Engine, we seek to find a cure for Manny's deep aversion to seafood, for the sake of our friendship.For more, visit www.nosuchthing.show. If you have a question you'd like us to answer, feel free to email us at mannynoahdevan@gmail.com.

This week, we bravely interrogate the male practice of standing while peeing. Why do we do it? And why stand when you can sit? We speak with urologist Gerald collins to find out if there are any hidden benefits to sitting while peeing.For more, visit www.nosuchthing.show. If you have a question you'd like us to answer, feel free to email us at mannynoahdevan@gmail.com.

On this week’s episode we tackle a question Devan has been grappling with while living with a dog in the city: Are suburban dogs happier than city dogs? To find out, we spoke with one of the leading dog cognition experts, Alexandra Horowitz. She heads the Dog Cognition Lab at Barnard and is the author of Inside of a Dog.The credit song is Big Dog by Maurice featuring Kenny Ning and Certain Self, who also provided additional music for this episode.