NO SUCH THING

New data shows that less than half of American newborn boys are circumcised, a major decrease from around 90% in the 1960s. But how and why did circumcision become so common here in the United States? This week, we speak to an epidemiologist, a sociologist, and an anti-circumcision “intactivist” to explore the origins of the procedure, its health impacts, and why attitudes around it are changing.
Our guests this week are Johns Hopkins epidemiologist Dr. Kate Grabowski, Vanderbilt University associate professor of sociology Laura Carpenter, and Intact America founding executive Georganne Chapin.
Due to time restraints, not everything can make it into the final episode. We tried our best to represent all sides of the issue fairly, respectfully, and with proper attention to detail. For added information, please go to our newsletter to find links to research and more. NST has no particular agenda here, so please take a look at all the info yourself to decide what’s best for you.
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On today’s episode, we’re tackling a question from a listener named Joel: Why do singers lose their accents when they sing?
Our guest this week is New Yorker writer Kelefa Sanneh. In this wide-ranging conversation, we explore identity in country music, why Taylor Swift stopped singing with a twang, how Drake changed the way people think about authenticity in hip-hop, and why Adele and Harry Styles don’t sound British when they sing.
Want to hear all the music from this episode? Check out our newsletter for a playlist.
Check out Kelefa’s book Major Labels: A History of Popular Music in Seven Genres
If you’re new here, listen to episode 36: Is Taylor Swift bigger than Michael Jackson? and check out our NST starter pack.
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This week’s topic came from a listener who asked if micromanaging is a more productive work-style than a more “free range” approach. We talk about our own work experiences, and answer a few other miscellaneous work questions about performance improvement plans (“PIPs”), handling an incompetent boss, office odors, and more.
Our guest this week is Erik Baker, historian at Harvard, editor at The Drift, and author of Make Your Own Job: How the Entrepreneurial Work Ethic Exhausted America, who walks us through the history of the corporate work structure and evolution of management styles.
Check out our newsletter for links to research and more.
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Have a question you want us to answer? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at ‪(860) 325-0286
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Growing up, we were told to always recycle plastic to save the planet. But does recycling actually do anything? In this special two-part investigation, we explore the history of recycling, the rise of “disposable” plastics, and find out how effective recycling actually is.
In part one (with the help of Nayeema Raza, host of Smart Girl Dumb Questions), we hear from Davis Allen, PhD, Senior Investigative Researcher at the Center for Climate Integrity, who alleges that plastic recycling is a deceptive story engineered by fossil fuel and petrochemical companies to make us feel guilty for using the very plastics they profit from. Davis says recycling is a distraction from the real problem.
Listen to part one: Apple, Spotify, Others
In part two, we visit a recycling center and speak to Kara Napolitano, Education Director at Circular Services to find out how recycling actually works, learn the amount of bottles that actually make it to the recycling facility, and reckon with our own individual impact to determine if recycling is a viable solution to our climate crisis or simply a feel-good placebo in an ever-expanding consumer culture.
For links to research and more, check out our newsletter.
Fill out our NST listener survey here.
Have a question you want us to answer? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at ‪(860) 325-0286
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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Growing up, we were told to always recycle plastic to save the planet. But does recycling actually do anything? In this special two-part investigation, we explore the history of recycling, the rise of “disposable” plastics, and find out how effective recycling actually is.
In part one (with the help of Nayeema Raza, host of Smart Girl Dumb Questions), we hear from Davis Allen, PhD, Senior Investigative Researcher at the Center for Climate Integrity, who alleges that plastic recycling is a deceptive story engineered by fossil fuel and petrochemical companies to make us feel guilty for using the very plastics they profit from. Davis says recycling is a distraction from the real problem.
In part two, we visit a recycling center and speak to Kara Napolitano, Education Director at Circular Services to find out how recycling actually works, learn the amount of bottles that actually make it to the recycling facility, and reckon with our own individual impact to determine if recycling is a viable solution to our climate crisis or simply a feel-good placebo in an ever-expanding consumer culture.
Listen to part two: Apple, Spotify, Others
For links to research and more, check out our newsletter.
Fill out our NST listener survey here.
Have a question you want us to answer? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at ‪(860) 325-0286
EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ http://www.nordvpn.com/nst
Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee


See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.