The Really Very Crunchy Podcast

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The Strange Plan to Shine Sunlight at Night Mar 13, 2026

Show notes

A startup is proposing something that sounds like science fiction: putting giant mirrors in orbit to reflect sunlight back to Earth. The idea is to bounce sunlight onto solar farms after dark, potentially generating energy at night and extending daylight for certain locations.

In this episode, Emily and Jason talk through the concept, the potential benefits, and the serious concerns scientists are raising. Could mirrors in space actually help solve energy problems, or would they create bigger issues like light pollution, disrupted ecosystems, and a permanently altered night sky?

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Personality Isn’t Permanent? The Science Behind Changing Who You Are Mar 11, 2026

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Can you actually change your personality, or are you stuck the way you are forever?

In this episode, Jason and Emily talk through the surprising science behind personality change. For decades psychologists believed personality was mostly fixed by adulthood. But new research suggests that with intention, specific habits, and enough time, people can shift major traits like extroversion, conscientiousness, and emotional stability.

Emily’s Book: Really Very Crunchy

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Little Helper Big Imagination

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Do Your Kids Completely Lose It When They Miss Sleep? Mar 06, 2026

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Do other people’s kids completely unravel when they miss sleep, or is it just theirs? From overtired meltdowns to the logistics of family travel before a newborn arrives, it’s a conversation about expectations, exhaustion, and figuring out what actually makes sense for your family.

Emily’s Book: Really Very Crunchy

https://amzn.to/4cX9JmH

Little Helper Big Imagination

https://amzn.to/4lbNufe

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Are Ryan Holiday’s Reading Rules Actually Good? Mar 04, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, Emily and Jason sit down with Ryan Holiday’s “22 Rules for Reading” and put them to the test. As two people who genuinely love books but approach reading very differently, they talk through which rules they wholeheartedly agree with, which ones feel unrealistic for busy parents, and which ones might be a little too rigid for real life.

Emily’s Book: Really Very Crunchy

https://amzn.to/4cX9JmH

Little Helper Big Imagination

https://amzn.to/4lbNufe

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Are We Raising Confident Kids… or Approval Addicts? Feb 27, 2026

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In this week’s bonus episode, we’re talking about one of the biggest parenting tensions no one really prepares you for: are we supposed to constantly build our kids up, or do go all in on intrinsic value? What actually forms a confident adult?
With a new baby on the way, parenting suddenly feels different at this stage of life. We’re older. A little calmer. Maybe a little more tired. And we’re raising a newborn alongside an 8- and 6-year-old who are very aware of everything. How does perspective change? What matters more this time?

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We Took the Happiness Test… and It Backfired Feb 25, 2026

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In this episode, Jason and Emily break down the famous 85-year Harvard Study on Adult Development, the one that followed people for decades to figure out what actually makes for a good life. It turns out it’s not just money or success, but relationships, purpose, stress, habits, and how you handle conflict over time. Naturally, instead of calmly reflecting on this like mature adults, they ranked themselves and each other on a scale of 1–10 in several of the study’s core areas. The result is equal parts thoughtful, competitive, revealing, and mildly dangerous for a marriage. If you’ve ever wondered how you’d score in the “good life” department, this episode might make you want to find out.

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Are Women Carrying the Social Weight? Feb 20, 2026

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There’s a term floating around the internet called “man keeping.” The idea? That women often carry the mental and emotional load of maintaining friendships, family connections, holiday plans, thank-you notes, birthday texts, and basically the entire social ecosystem of a household. Meanwhile, many men… just don’t think about it. Or don’t care in the same way.

In this episode, Emily and Jason talk about why that dynamic exists. Is it laziness? Wiring? Cultural expectation? Or are men and women simply valuing different things?

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The GoFundMe Dilemma No One Talks About Feb 18, 2026

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What happens when generosity meets the internet? This week, Emily and Jason talk about GoFundMe campaigns, cheerful giving, and the awkward tension of watching someone you donated to book a beach vacation.

They unpack the heart behind giving, the expectations we attach to it, and why it’s harder than we think to truly let go. Also: the end of the world, and the presidential announcement that aliens are real.

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The Internet Has a Copycat Problem Feb 13, 2026

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What happens when you scroll past a big creator’s video and realize… you’ve seen it before because … it was yours?

In this episode, Emily and Jason unpack the growing problem of content creators lifting ideas, formats, and even full concepts, then presenting them as original work. They explain the real difference between joining a trend and crossing the line into plagiarism, and why that distinction matters for creative integrity.

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What If You Just Don’t Like Sports? Feb 11, 2026

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We’re sporty people, but we have a confession: we aren’t into sports. That means no favorite teams, no water cooler discussions about the game, no getting invited to Super Bowl parties. Anyone else out there like that?

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