If the very mention of the phrase “retirement planning” makes you shudder, you’re definitely not alone—2026 survey data from the National Institute on Retirement Security says somewhere between 40 and 55 percent of Americans feel unprepared for or lack confidence in having stability in their retirement years. Another survey says 47% of America’s workers believe they’ll never be able to fully retire. Here to hopefully dispel some anxiety is Dr. Jesse Jurgenson, an Assistant Professor of Practice within the Texas Tech University School of Financial Planning. He formerly spent three years teaching at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa as a personal finance pro before heading to Lubbock.

Today we’ll be talking about dating in the digital age and the new terms you may hear younger Americans using these days— ghosting, couple goals, soft launch, and the momentous “FBO” (that’s Facebook official, btw). How have mobile dating apps changed how hopeful singles engage with each other? Does social media put extra pressure on couples to put on the appearance of happiness? This is the research focus of Dr. Leah E. LeFebvre at the University of Alabama. She joins Lacey to discuss how technology and trends affect the dating landscape, for better OR for worse.

Whether you were born and raised in the yellowhammer state or just moved to Pell City from Siberia, you are more than aware of Alabama's fascination with college football. Sure some die hard alums may watch high school football on Fridays, and some of us may tune in on Sundays to watch an NFL team or two. But it's not even worth debating that the collegiate version of the sport reigns supreme among the gridiron-enjoyers in our 67 counties. But what about this culture- the analysts, the sideline reporting, the athletes and coaches-- is almost addicting for us to engage with? What subtle tactics are the producers of The College Gameday show using to get your blood pumping on Saturday mornings, and what tricks does ESPN have up it's sleeve to keep us tuned in each and every weekend?

Earlier this year, after broadcasting our episode with Dr. Jason Bara about microplastics, we got an email from a listener named Hank asking if we would consider doing an episode on forever chemicals. Turns out, these two things are often brought up together in conversation—they’re both pollutants, both a bit of a headache to get rid of, and both are indicative of the advancements of technology. As Dr. Bara said in our microplastics episode, there may never be a world where we completely stop the use of plastics. As it turns out, that may also be true for these forever chemicals, or PFAS. Non-stick cookware, water-repellent clothes, cosmetics, the carpet industry, even foam used by firefighters all have these pesky chemicals roaming about.

If you get uncomfortable just thinking about going to the dentist, there's a word for that: dental anxiety. Research published in the Journal of the American Dental Association indicates that about 73% of U.S. adults hold some level of fear about dental work or oral health visits. Some research suggests that up to 15% of U.S. adults avoid the dentist entirely due to being terrified of those needles, drills, and bright lights. I'm a big believer in exposure therapy, though. So if you're one of those that fear the chair, these two episodes may help you feel better.

The American Veterinary Medical Association says that roughly one third of all American homes have at least one house cat. That's a LOT of feline companions, especially when you consider that many of these homes have multiple kitties (you can never have just one). Simplified is a podcast committing to simplifying potentially confusing topics, and if you've ever had a pet cat, you can likely attest to its mannerisms and health needs being, at least at times, a bit confusing. But have no fear-- we made a call to our friends "On the Plains" to get some advice on how to best care for your four-legged besties.

You've likely heard all about the new skin care trends taking over cosmetics stores. What used to be a process as simple as "wash your face before bed" is now a massive industry, with some facial washes, creams, scrubs and oils costing as much as a car payment! (google 'most expensive skin care' at your own risk) While a moisturizer infused with caviar is not a necessity, healthy skin practices can look different for people across all ages, economic backgrounds, ethnicities, and genders. Here to discuss best practices for care, and bring us back down to earth as far as skin care is concerned, is Dr. Lauren Kole, MD.

Multiple sources say that there are roughly 400,000 kids in the foster care system in the United States currently. There are some things that humans won't fully understand unless they live through them, and the processes surrounding adoption and foster care are likely included in those things. But taking super nuanced concepts and making them less scary to approach is what we do best here at Simplified! Dr. Brian Gannon is an associate professor in the department of pediatrics at The University of Alabama College of Community Health Sciences. He is a general pediatrician at the University Medical Center as well as the founder of the FRESH Start Clinic at UMC, which serves children in state custody across West Alabama. He is a foster parent himself to eight (!!!) children and an advocate for foster families.

If you want to start an argument at the dinner table, I personally suggest bringing up Artificial Intelligence. There are some that believe AI to be the answer to all of the world's problems, and some that think it could bring about the world's demise. It's one of those topics where the spectrum of support and opinions is incredibly wide. Whether you consider this phenomenon an indicator of progress or a harbinger of doom, our chat with AI researcher Dr. Brian Butler is worth your time. He's been looking into this technology for several years and can tell us plainly what it is, where it's coming from, and where he and other experts think it's going. He brings us good news, bad news, and just, well, news about AI that he thinks our listeners should know!

A distrust and even dislike for news folk isn't necessarily new, (and in more than a few cases, not unwarranted) but in the last decade it seems that politics, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the endless void of Facebook has made many more civilians villainize "The Media™". So to break down what journalists SHOULD do, whether they do it or not, and why they should do it, we brought in someone who has made the clarification and explanation of media ethics their life's work. Dr. Chris Roberts at the University of Alabama is the authority on media ethics-- he's quite literally the vice chairman of the ethics committee of the Society of Professional Journalists. We're picking up right where we left off in part one of our discussion. In part two, we're going a bit more in-depth on the relationship between the public and the news media.