Explain It to Me

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.

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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.
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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.
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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

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