Episodes

  • When hobbies take over your life

    When hobbies take over your life
    Nov 1 2026
    If you've optimized your free time so much that it feels like work, maybe it’s time to rethink how you craft and kayak. This episode was produced by Danielle Hewitt, edited by Avishay Artsy, fact-checked by Melissa Hirsch, engineered by David Tatasciore, and hosted by Jonquilyn Hill. A woman athlete catching her breath and holding a padel racket on a blue court. Photo via Noko LTD/Getty Images. If you have a question, give us a call at 1-800-618-8545 or email askvox@vox.com. Listen to Explain It to Me ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    30 mins
  • When AI agents run your life

    When AI agents run your life
    Oct 25 2026
    What you gain, and what you give up, when you let AI agents take control. This episode was produced by Kelli Wessinger, edited by Avishay Artsy, fact-checked by Melissa Hirsch, engineered by Bridger Dunnagan, and hosted by Jonquilyn Hill. Various examples of avatars for Muse, Meta's AI agent, during the Meta Connect event in Menlo Park, California on Sept. 23, 2026. Photo by Minh Connors/Bloomberg via Getty Images. If you have a question, give us a call at 1-800-618-8545 or email askvox@vox.com. Listen to Explain It to Me ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    31 mins
  • The quest for the perfect baby

    The quest for the perfect baby
    Oct 18 2026
    Men and women are trying to maximize their reproductive health due to anxieties around declining fertility trends. But are we taking “embryomaxxing” too far? This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Avishay Artsy, fact-checked by Melissa Hirsch, engineered by David Tatasciore, and hosted by Jonquilyn Hill. A surrogate mother undergoes an ultrasound scan at the Beta Fertility Clinic, where her pregnancy is being monitored, in Tbilisi in Georgia. Photo by Marie Audinet / Hans Lucas / AFP via Getty Images. If you have a question, give us a call at 1-800-618-8545 or email askvox@vox.com.Listen to Explain It to Me ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    30 mins
  • The cost of loving your pet

    The cost of loving your pet
    Oct 11 2026
    Our emotional relationships with our pets have only grown since the pandemic — and so has the financial price we pay. This episode was produced by Peter Balonon-Rosen, edited by Jenny Lawton, fact-checked by Melissa Hirsch, engineered by Bridger Dunnagan, and hosted by Jonquilyn Hill. Mackenzie Rullo, 4, waits ringside with golden retriever "Envy" at The Rocky Mountain Cluster All Breed Dog Show in Denver in 2016. Photo by Kathryn Scott Osler/The Denver Post via Getty Images. If you have a question, give us a call at 1-800-618-8545 or email askvox@vox.com.Listen to Explain It to Me ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    30 mins
  • Mass-produced fashion slop

    Mass-produced fashion slop
    Oct 4 2026
    How algorithms and instant fashion killed style — and how to get it back. This episode was produced by Denise Guerra, edited by Jenny Lawton, fact-checked by Melissa Hirsch, engineered by David Tatasciore, and hosted by Jonquilyn Hill. People search for clothes by sorting through piles of second hand textiles displayed on large tables during an Emmaus clearance sale in Poitiers, France. Photo by Jean-François FORT / Hans Lucas / AFP via Getty Images. If you have a question, give us a call at 1-800-618-8545 or email askvox@vox.com.Listen to Explain It to Me ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    31 mins
  • The end of etiquette

    The end of etiquette
    Sep 27 2026
    It’s not just about being nice. Manners allow us to peacefully coexist at work, in transit, and out in the wider world. This episode was produced by Ariana Aspuru, edited by Jenny Lawton, fact-checked by Melissa Hirsch, engineered by Bridger Dunnagan, and hosted by Jonquilyn Hill. Manspreading is the practice of some men sitting on public transportation with legs wide apart, thereby covering more than one seat. Photo by Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty Images. If you have a question, give us a call at 1-800-618-8545 or email askvox@vox.com.Listen to Explain It to Me ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    31 mins
  • We should party more

    We should party more
    Sep 20 2026
    We’re lonely, isolated, and bored. The solution may be as simple as an invite and killer playlist. This episode was produced by Dustin DeSoto, edited by Jenny Lawton, fact-checked by Melissa Hirsch, engineered by David Tatasciore, and hosted by Jonquilyn Hill. A raucous loft party. Photo by Hiroyuki Ito/Getty Images. If you have a question, give us a call at 1-800-618-8545 or email askvox@vox.com.Listen to Explain It to Me ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    31 mins
  • How to date IRL

    How to date IRL
    Sep 13 2026
    People are getting tired of the dating apps and turning to a more old-fashioned way of finding love. This episode was produced by Kelli Wessinger and Ariana Aspuru, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Melissa Hirsch, engineered by Bridger Dunnagan, and hosted by Jonquilyn Hill. Known, an AI-driven dating app, has their branding plastered on a storefront in San Francisco, CA. Photo by Camille Cohen/For The Times. If you have a question, give us a call at 1-800-618-8545 or email askvox@vox.com.Listen to Explain It to Me ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    30 mins