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State lotteries are a 12-figure business in the US of A. Americans spend more money on lottery tickets than on books, video games, recorded music, movie and sports tickets combined. Of course, lottery revenue is allocated to public goods like schools and parks, but it’s a double-edged sword, as lotteries are disproportionately funded by the poorest third of households, i.e., the people who can least afford them. Mark takes Joe through the checkered history of lotteries, their pros and cons, and the role they might play in the lives of all those people who trade their hard-earned dollar for an elusive dream.

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Here are a couple sobering numbers: The typical American has only $8,000 in the bank, and the median savings for the age cohort approaching retirement is only $120,000. Neither is anywhere close to adequate. Might a fiscal cliff be approaching for millions of retirees? Joe and Mark do a deep dive into the scary numbers outlining Americans’ financial distress and declining optimism about the future, consider some reasons how and why we became so uniquely bad at saving, and ponder whether this phenomenon is something new or simply a return to the perilous days of yore. (Recorded January 31, 2025.)

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You’ve probably used a map app like Google Maps, Apple Maps or Waze to help you get from Point A to Point B as quickly as possible. But did you ever wonder how they work? Did you ever wonder whether we should slavishly follow their directions or be skeptical and consider external factors like our own prior driving experience? Well, wonder no more. Mark and Joe take the fastest route that starts with paper maps, brings them past an obscure mathematician’s brilliant idea, stops for gas to consider the wonders of GPS and crowdsourcing, and arrives at the destination of Clarityville (population: you). (Recorded January 16, 2025.)

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The year 2024 brought more than its share of misfortune to your Mansplaining co-hosts, what with the double whammy of layoffs and a terrible election result. But in the spirit of turning the page to the New Year, Mark asked Joe what he’s feeling good about in 2025 and beyond, from multiple perspectives (personally, locally, nationally, and internationally). With hopefulness in short supply, Joe soldiered on with some reasons to be cheerful, but it soon became apparent that a more expansive, proactive definition of "hope" was in order. (Recorded January 3, 2025.)

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In continuation of a Mansplaining tradition of holiday-themed conversations, Mark and Joe consider how we might heal our deepening political rupture and bring peace to a divided nation. It’s a daunting task that may take years, if it happens at all. Making it happen involves redressing the loneliness and isolation wrought by a decades-long breakdown in civic trust. Government has a role to play, but mostly it requires individuals to turn away from the purveyors of fear and disunion, listen to our fellow citizens, and plant the seeds of hope in a jaded body politic. (Recorded December 20, 2024.)

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Those of us above a certain age remember that flying didn’t used to be such an ordeal. Once upon a time, people enjoyed flights that had comfortable seating, decent food, and no extra fees for checked bags. Might the coming technological innovations restore some of the fun in flying? In a special bonus segment and addendum to Episode 101, Joe and Mark look back at the good old days of air travel, then look ahead to what the near future might hold. (Recorded December 6, 2024.)

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The bankruptcy filing of Spirit Airlines underscores the existential problem for air carriers. After driving many of its competitors out of business with its no-frills model of below-cost fares, bare-bones service, and nuisance fees, Spirit still couldn’t make a profit. How did we get to a place where the only thing shrinking faster than the number of airlines still in business is the amount of legroom in their cabins? Joe and Mark tell the fateful story of air travel, in which the one-two punch of deregulation and September 11th led to a TKO of airlines and passengers alike. (Recorded December 6, 2024.)

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After considering why companies run out of ideas in our last episode, Joe put the same question to Mark about why so many of our favorite pop and rock music artists seem to run out of ideas. Mark and Joe ponder whether this is a real phenomenon, and if so, what might cause it. Turns out that early-career creativity is a complicated amalgam of neural plasticity, free time, and the commercial imperatives of a pop music industry that skews young. And yes, Clayton Christensen’s ideas about the innovator’s dilemma might also apply to musical innovation. (Recorded November 15, 2024.)