Rephonic
Artwork for Explain It to Me

Explain It to Me

Vox
Dating Apps
Climate Change
Artificial Intelligence
Mental Health
Black Women
Democracy
Sustainability
Evictions
Dating
Education
Animal Welfare
Mass Incarceration
Housing Stability
Fetal Personhood
Cuffing Season
Summer Reading
Credit Card Debt
Zoos
Vox
Donald Trump

Should I buy a house? Why do I say “like” so much? Should Gen Z bother to save for retirement? Explain It to Me is the hotline for the issues that matter to your life. Send us your questions about health, personal finance, relationships, and anything else that matters to you. Host Jonquilyn Hill will take you on a journey to find the answers, whether it's to the halls of Congress or the local bar.... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes829Founded11 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Society & CultureNewsPolitics

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Explain It to Me

Latest Episodes

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 e... more

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 ... more

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 Dun... more

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 searc... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Recent Guests

Reese Rogers
Senior reporter at WIRED covering software
WIRED
Episode: When AI agents run your life
Saria Zoot
Creative technology software builder and mother of three
Episode: When AI agents run your life
Kate Taylor
Senior writer at WIRED
WIRED
Episode: When AI agents run your life
Ariel Damm
Journalist who writes about men's health and reported on male infertility for GQ.
GQ
Episode: The quest for the perfect baby
Amy Doxer-Marcus
Health and science reporter at The Information.
The Information
Episode: The quest for the perfect baby
Simone Collins
Pronatalist advocate who has undergone seven rounds of egg retrieval and eight frozen embryo transfers.
Episode: The quest for the perfect baby
Kristen V. Brown
Health and science journalist writing The Immortal Womb, a book about controlling the female body and human reproduction.
Episode: The quest for the perfect baby
Sunitha Puri
Director of the Inpatient Palliative Care Service at the University of California, Irvine; writer
University of California, Irvine
Episode: The cost of loving your pet
Rod Phillips
Historian; author of A History of Cats
Carleton University
Episode: The cost of loving your pet

Host

Jonquilyn Hill
Host of Explain It to Me

Reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars from 9.5k ratings
  • Interesting articles

    Always interesting to listen to topics that you can wrap your head around. I’m listening to the one on cheating. It’s funny, I think that the word cheating is pretty powerful. It used to be called “playing away from home” or “stepping out” on the other. It’s funny how the words used these days are more volatile. We now seem to live in a world of hyperbole.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    happybevy
    Canada5 months ago
  • duplicated in today explained

    Podcast Addict
    3
    theotang
    7 months ago
  • Misleading, Lacks depth

    They use a pic of Taylor Frankie Paul on the Mormon episode but don’t go into discussions about the bachelorette cancellation. Thanks for wasting my time with religious propaganda

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Charli x5
    United States7 months ago
  • Super Helpful Show

    Thank you for addressing the perplexing issues of life and making them understandable.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    #1podcastlistener
    United States8 months ago
  • Heated rivalry

    My only question is why the L word doesn’t come up in these convos? It’s an amazing show and there is lots of sex. Maybe people will say it’s messier -which might be because the societal bs is still on the shoulders of women.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    sydwms
    United States9 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners value deep research and practical insights, but some note filler episodes and loud transitions can be distracting.
Guests and host chemistry are praised when interviews feel insightful and well-researched.
Feedback highlights rigorous analysis with occasional criticisms about pacing or music volume.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

When AI agents run your life
Q: What should we be expecting? How is this different from what's been going on?
Kate Taylor says AI is shifting from a tool used by workers to an autonomous coworker that can manage email and meetings and perform tasks across teams.
When AI agents run your life
Q: So, what is an AI agent exactly?
Reese Rogers describes an agent as a proactive digital assistant that can continually search the web and review email and calendars, unlike a chatbot that responds to individual prompts.
The quest for the perfect baby
Q: What can these tests screen for?
Kristen V. Brown says polygenic embryo screening is primarily marketed for health risks such as heart disease and diabetes, while some companies also promote screening for height, eye color, and IQ. She emphasizes that the technology's predictive usefulness remains uncertain.
The quest for the perfect baby
Q: Does this mean, I don't know, it's easy to turn your nose up at maxing, but is sperm maxing actually a good thing?
Ariel Damm says improving general health can support sperm health, and opening space for men to discuss fertility is valuable. She cautions against equating sperm counts with masculinity and warns that online communities can spread misinformation.
Why everyone's an introvert now
Q: What does it mean to measure personality scientifically, and how reliable are these measures?
Big Five measures are well-validated and can predict certain outcomes like career success and relationship satisfaction better than type-based tests; tests should be used as guides rather than fixed labels.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Explain It to Me

What is Explain It to Me about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show centers on practical, real-life questions about everyday life, health, relationships, and finances, with hosts guiding conversations that blend expert analysis, research, and accessible storytelling. Episodes often feature clinicians, researchers, journalists, and educators as guests to break down complex topics—from memory development in infancy and aging to wellness culture, perimenopause, and the economics of weddings and travel—into takeaways listeners can apply. A standout aspect is the inclusive mix of academic insight, consumer context, and personal anecdotes, plus sponsor integrations that keep discussions grounded in real-world scenarios. The breadth of topics and steady stream of knowledgeable guests make it a strong fit... more

Where can I find podcast stats for Explain It to Me?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Explain It to Me. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Explain It to Me and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Explain It to Me get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Explain It to Me, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Explain It to Me?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Explain It to Me, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Explain It to Me have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Explain It to Me has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Explain It to Me?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Explain It to Me:

1. Today, Explained
2. The Gray Area with Sean Illing
3. Unexplainable
4. The Daily
5. The Ezra Klein Show

How many episodes of Explain It to Me are there?

Explain It to Me launched 11 years ago and published 829 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Explain It to Me?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Explain It to Me?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Explain It to Me from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Explain It to Me?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Explain It to Me. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Explain It to Me?

Recent guests on Explain It to Me include:

1. Reese Rogers
2. Saria Zoot
3. Kate Taylor
4. Ariel Damm
5. Amy Doxer-Marcus
6. Simone Collins
7. Kristen V. Brown
8. Sunitha Puri

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days