Hyperfixed
Hyperfixed & Radiotopia
Maybe it’s just a quiet annoyance you’ve grudgingly learned to put up with, or a life defining issue that makes it hard to move forward. Whatever it is, Alex Goldman — reporter, radio producer, and overconfident idiot — will get to the bottom of it (if there’s a bottom to be found. Results may vary). Follow Alex as he figures out not only the vast hidden mechanisms that create these problems, but works with you, the listener, to find a solution. Or at least enough of an explanation that you’re ok with the annoyance. He’s not perfect. Hyperfixed is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX, a network of independent and listener-supported podcasts. Discover audio with vision at radiotopia.fm. Submit your problems and sign up for bonus episodes and much more at hyperfixedpod.com
Episodes
Mentioned books
7 snips
May 7, 2026 • 31min
Pretzels to the People
Ricky Alam, a longtime Wetzel's Pretzels franchisee who runs several Atlantic Avenue locations, and Alexi Horowitz-Gazi, an NPR Planet Money reporter, unpack why multiple pretzel stands cluster together. They explore site selection, impulse-product tactics, real estate strategy, commissary operations, and how nearby kiosks can all stay profitable.
19 snips
Apr 23, 2026 • 1h 7min
PRESENTING: Smart Girl, Dumb Questions
Dr. Justin Garcia, director and senior scientist at the Kinsey Institute and evolutionary biologist studying sexual and romantic behavior. He discusses kissing and cultural variation. He explores fetishes and sensory overlap. He traces the evolution of pair bonds, marriage shifts, and how the internet reshaped dating. He talks about misattributed arousal, brain chemistry of love, and whether sexual frequency is declining.
39 snips
Apr 9, 2026 • 41min
Fauxbituaries
Claire Atkin, CEO of Check My Ads and ad watchdog, and Joshua Braun, journalism professor at UMass Amherst, dig into AI-written obituaries and how bad actors monetize grief. They unpack programmatic ad auctions, opaque intermediaries, and why ad tech design makes failures likely. Practical fixes and regulatory reforms are explored.
7 snips
Apr 2, 2026 • 1h 18min
Amityvilleville
They commit to watching every Amityville film and launch a deep dive into Amityville 3-D. They riff on 1980s 3D tropes, the house's creepy aesthetics, and memorable practical effects. They laugh about casting surprises like young Meg Ryan and Lori Loughlin. They trace the movie’s weird lore shifts, gruesome deaths, and a chaotic supernatural finale.
Mar 26, 2026 • 38min
PREMIUM UNLOCKED: The Passion of the Fruit
Matt Nevins, a creative director who cooks up marketing stunts and influencer plans. Eric Staphne, a fruit crops researcher at Mississippi State who maps growers and production limits. They talk about why passion fruit is scarce in the U.S. and what regulatory, labor, and supply hurdles block it. Then they brainstorm bold marketing, guerrilla tactics, and jingles to make passion fruit trendy.
13 snips
Mar 12, 2026 • 40min
Chris's Watchlist
A movie lover with central vision loss recounts a lifetime of film passion and the frustration of missing audio descriptions. The team breaks down how audio description is written, timed, and constrained by rights and resources. They demo strong descriptive techniques and commit to producing a feature-length track, revealing legal and industry hurdles behind accessibility.
9 snips
Feb 26, 2026 • 29min
Crosswalk Jonny
Jonathan Hale, a second-year UCLA law student and grassroots safety activist who founded People’s Vision Zero. He talks about painting guerrilla crosswalks to improve pedestrian safety. He explains tactical urbanism, choosing dangerous corners using data, organizing neighbors and media, and how arrests and viral attention forced city accountability.
7 snips
Feb 12, 2026 • 42min
Desperately Seeking Sjowgren
Sjowgren — an anonymous indie project (singer-songwriter Maya plus producers Don and Sam) — recounts their accidental 2015 rise and why they chose to stay private. They explain how streaming sustained them, how rumors about their identity spread, and their plans for vinyl and Bandcamp releases. Short, mysterious, and full of music-world intrigue.
21 snips
Jan 29, 2026 • 32min
Cry Fowl
Sari Sofer-Sukenik, a Hyperfixed producer and reporter who led FOIA reporting, digs into the mysterious disappearance of Avondale Park’s ducks and geese. She walks through records requests and federal documents. Short scenes cover pond work, city denials, APHIS findings of euthanasia, and links to World Games preparations.
34 snips
Jan 15, 2026 • 40min
Brainsquatch
Matt, a new father and listener, shares his puzzling memory of an alternate Bob's Burgers episode. Joined by Wilma Bainbridge, a psychology professor studying memory, they dive into the Mandela effect and why people misremember details. Wilma explains how brains construct false memories through schema theory. Laura Silverman, a voice actor from Bob's Burgers, confirms that there was never an alternate version of 'Brunch Squatch.' Ultimately, they're able to clear up Matt's confusion, providing insights into the curious workings of memory.
