Why Is There So Much Fraud in Academia? (Update)
Thu, 26 Dec 2024
Some of the biggest names in behavioral science stand accused of faking their results. Last year, an...
Your Brain Doesn’t Work the Way You Think
Mon, 23 Dec 2024
David Eagleman upends myths and describes the vast possibilities of a brainscape that even neuroscie...
616. How to Make Something from Nothing
Thu, 19 Dec 2024
Adam Moss was the best magazine editor of his generation. When he retired, he took up painting. But ...
615. Is Ozempic as Magical as It Sounds?
Thu, 12 Dec 2024
In a wide-ranging conversation with Ezekiel Emanuel, the policymaking physician and medical gadfly, ...
How the Supermarket Helped America Win the Cold War (Update)
Mon, 9 Dec 2024
Last week, we heard a former U.S. ambassador describe Russia’s escalating conflict with the U.S. T...
614. Is the U.S. Sleeping on Threats from Russia and China?
Thu, 5 Dec 2024
John J. Sullivan, a former State Department official and U.S. ambassador, says yes: “Our politicia...
613. Dying Is Easy. Retail Is Hard.
Thu, 28 Nov 2024
Macy’s wants to recapture its glorious past. The author of the Wimpy Kid books wants to rebuild hi...
612. Is Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade Its Most Valuable Asset?
Thu, 21 Nov 2024
The 166-year-old chain, which is fighting extinction, calls the parade its “gift to the nation.”...
How to Stop Worrying and Love the Robot Apocalypse (Update)
Mon, 18 Nov 2024
It’s true that robots (and other smart technologies) will kill many jobs. It may also be true that...
611. Fareed Zakaria on What Just Happened, and What Comes Next
Thu, 14 Nov 2024
After a dramatic election, Donald Trump has returned from exile. We hear what to expect at home and ...
610. Who Wins and Who Loses Once the U.S. Legalizes Weed?
Thu, 7 Nov 2024
Some people want the new cannabis economy to look like the craft-beer movement. Others are hoping to...
609. What Does It Take to Run a Cannabis Farm?
Thu, 31 Oct 2024
Chris Weld worked for years in emergency rooms, then ditched that career and bought an old farm in M...
Abortion and Crime, Revisited (Update)
Mon, 28 Oct 2024
With abortion on the Nov. 5 ballot, we look back at Steve Levitt’s controversial research about an...
608. Cannabis Is Booming, So Why Isn’t Anyone Getting Rich?
Thu, 24 Oct 2024
There are a lot of reasons, including heavy regulations, high taxes, and competition from illegal we...
607. Is America Switching From Booze to Weed?
Thu, 17 Oct 2024
We have always been a nation of drinkers — but now there are more daily users of cannabis than al...
606. How to Predict the Presidency
Fri, 11 Oct 2024
Are betting markets more accurate than polls? What kind of chaos would a second Trump term bring? An...
Has the U.S. Presidency Become a Dictatorship? (Update)
Thu, 10 Oct 2024
Sure, we all pay lip service to the Madisonian system of checks and balances. But presidents have be...
605. What Do People Do All Day?
Thu, 3 Oct 2024
Sixty percent of the jobs that Americans do today didn’t exist in 1940. What happens as our labor ...
EXTRA: Roland Fryer Refuses to Lie to Black America (Update)
Mon, 30 Sep 2024
His research on police brutality and school incentives won him acclaim, but also enemies. He was sus...
604. Did the N.F.L. Solve Diversity Hiring? (Part 2)
Thu, 26 Sep 2024
What happened when the Rooney Rule made its way from pro football to corporate America? Some progres...
603. Did the N.F.L. Solve Diversity Hiring? (Part 1)
Thu, 19 Sep 2024
The biggest sports league in history had a problem: While most of its players were Black, almost non...
EXTRA: In Praise of Maintenance (Update)
Mon, 16 Sep 2024
We revisit an episode from 2016 that asks: Has our culture’s obsession with innovation led us to n...
602. Is Screen Time as Poisonous as We Think?
Thu, 12 Sep 2024
Young people have been reporting a sharp rise in anxiety and depression. This maps neatly onto the g...
601. Multitasking Doesn’t Work. So Why Do We Keep Trying?
Thu, 5 Sep 2024
Only a tiny number of “supertaskers” are capable of doing two things at once. The rest of us are...
What Is the Future of College — and Does It Have Room for Men? (Update)
Thu, 29 Aug 2024
Educators and economists tell us all the reasons college enrollment has been dropping, especially fo...
EXTRA: Why Quitting Is Usually Worth It
Mon, 26 Aug 2024
Stephen Dubner appears as a guest on Fail Better, a new podcast hosted by David Duchovny. The two of...
The University of Impossible-to-Get-Into (Update)
Thu, 22 Aug 2024
America’s top colleges are facing record demand. So why don’t they increase supply? (Part 2 of o...
What Exactly Is College For? (Update)
Thu, 15 Aug 2024
We think of them as intellectual enclaves and the surest route to a better life. But U.S. colleges a...
EXTRA: Here’s Why You’re Not an Elite Athlete (Update)
Mon, 12 Aug 2024
There are a lot of factors that go into greatness, many of which are not obvious. As the Olympics co...
600. “If We’re All in It for Ourselves, Who Are We?”
Thu, 8 Aug 2024
Tania Tetlow, a former federal prosecutor and now the president of Fordham University, thinks the mo...
599. The World's Most Valuable Unused Resource
Thu, 1 Aug 2024
It’s not oil or water or plutonium — it’s human hours. We've got an idea for putting them to u...
EXTRA: Why Rent Control Doesn’t Work (Update)
Mon, 29 Jul 2024
A new proposal from the Biden administration calls for a nationwide cap on rent increases. Economist...
598. Is Overconsolidation a Threat to Democracy?
Thu, 25 Jul 2024
That’s the worry. Even the humble eyeglass industry is dominated by a single firm. We look into t...
597. Why Do Your Eyeglasses Cost $1,000?
Thu, 18 Jul 2024
A single company, EssilorLuxottica, owns so much of the eyewear industry that it’s hard to escape ...
EXTRA: People Aren’t Dumb. The World Is Hard. (Update)
Mon, 15 Jul 2024
You wouldn’t think you could win a Nobel Prize for showing that humans tend to make irrational dec...
596. Farewell to a Generational Talent
Thu, 11 Jul 2024
Daniel Kahneman left his mark on academia (and the real world) in countless ways. A group of his fri...
595. Why Don't We Have Better Candidates for President?
Thu, 4 Jul 2024
American politics is trapped in a duopoly, with two all-powerful parties colluding to stifle competi...
594. Your Brand’s Spokesperson Just Got Arrested — Now What?
Thu, 27 Jun 2024
It’s hard to know whether the benefits of hiring a celebrity are worth the risk. We dig into one g...
593. You Can Make a Killing, but Not a Living
Thu, 20 Jun 2024
Broadway operates on a winner-take-most business model. A runaway hit like Stereophonic — which ju...
EXTRA: The Fascinatingly Mundane Secrets of the World’s Most Exclusive Nightclub
Mon, 17 Jun 2024
The Berlin dance mecca Berghain is known for its eight-hour line and inscrutable door policy. PJ Vog...
592. How to Make the Coolest Show on Broadway
Thu, 13 Jun 2024
Hit by Covid, runaway costs, and a zillion streams of competition, serious theater is in serious tro...
591. Signs of Progress, One Year at a Time
Thu, 6 Jun 2024
Every December, a British man named Tom Whitwell publishes a list of 52 things he’s learned that y...
EXTRA: The Opioid Tragedy — How We Got Here
Mon, 3 Jun 2024
An update of our 2020 series, in which we spoke with physicians, researchers, and addicts about the ...
590. Can $55 Billion End the Opioid Epidemic?
Thu, 30 May 2024
Thanks to legal settlements with drug makers and distributors, states have plenty of money to boost ...
589. Why Has the Opioid Crisis Lasted So Long?
Thu, 23 May 2024
Most epidemics flare up, do their damage, and fade away. This one has been raging for almost 30 year...
Extra: Car Colors & Storage Units
Mon, 20 May 2024
Presenting two stories from The Economics of Everyday Things: Why does it seem like every car is bla...
588. Confessions of a Black Conservative
Thu, 16 May 2024
The economist and social critic Glenn Loury has led a remarkably turbulent life, both professionally...
587. Should Companies Be Owned by Their Workers?
Thu, 9 May 2024
The employee ownership movement is growing, and one of its biggest champions is also a private equit...
586. How Does the Lost World of Vienna Still Shape Our Lives?
Thu, 2 May 2024
From politics and economics to psychology and the arts, many of the modern ideas we take for granted...
Extra: Why Is 23andMe Going Under? (Update)
Mon, 29 Apr 2024
Five years ago, we published an episode about the boom in home DNA testing kits, focusing on the hig...
585. A Social Activist in Prime Minister’s Clothing
Thu, 25 Apr 2024
Justin Trudeau, facing record-low approval numbers, is doubling down on his progressive agenda. But ...
584. How to Pave the Road to Hell
Thu, 18 Apr 2024
So you want to help people? That’s great — but beware the law of unintended consequences. Three ...
Extra: The Men Who Started a Thinking Revolution (Update)
Sun, 14 Apr 2024
The psychologist Daniel Kahneman — a Nobel laureate and the author of Thinking, Fast and Slow — ...
Why Are There So Many Bad Bosses? (Update)
Thu, 11 Apr 2024
People who are good at their jobs routinely get promoted into bigger jobs they’re bad at. We expla...
583. Are We Living Through the Most Revolutionary Period in History?
Thu, 4 Apr 2024
Fareed Zakaria says yes. But it’s not just political revolution — it’s economic, technological...
Extra: How Much Do You Know About Immigration?
Mon, 1 Apr 2024
The political debates over immigration can generate a lot of fuzzy facts. We wanted to test American...
582. Why Is Everyone Moving to Canada?
Thu, 28 Mar 2024
As the U.S. tries to fix its messy immigration system, our neighbor to the north is scooping up more...
581. What Both Parties Get Wrong About Immigration
Thu, 21 Mar 2024
The U.S. immigration system is a massively complicated machine, with a lot of worn-out parts. How to...
Extra: Madeleine Albright’s Warning on Immigration
Mon, 18 Mar 2024
She arrived in the U.S. as an 11-year-old refugee, then rose to become Secretary of State. Her views...
580. The True Story of America’s Supremely Messed-Up Immigration System
Thu, 14 Mar 2024
How did a nation of immigrants come to hate immigration? We start at the beginning, sort through the...
579. Are You Caught in a Social Media Trap?
Thu, 7 Mar 2024
Economists have discovered an odd phenomenon: many people who use social media (even you, maybe?) wi...
Extra: What Is Sportswashing — and Does It Work? (Update)
Mon, 4 Mar 2024
In ancient Rome, it was bread and circuses. Today, it’s a World Cup, an Olympics, and a new Saudi-...
578. Water, Water Everywhere — But You Have to Stop and Think
Thu, 29 Feb 2024
What surprises lurk in our sewage? How did racist city planners end up saving Black lives? Why does ...
Is Google Getting Worse? (Update)
Thu, 22 Feb 2024
It used to feel like magic. Now it can feel like a set of cheap tricks. Is the problem with Google —...
Extra: Mr. Feynman Takes a Trip — But Doesn’t Fall
Mon, 19 Feb 2024
A wide-open conversation with three women who guided Richard Feynman through some big adventures at ...
The Vanishing Mr. Feynman
Thu, 15 Feb 2024
In his final years, Richard Feynman's curiosity took him to some surprising places. We hear from his...
The Brilliant Mr. Feynman
Thu, 8 Feb 2024
What happens when an existentially depressed and recently widowed young physicist from Queens gets a...
How the San Francisco 49ers Stopped Being Losers (Update)
Mon, 5 Feb 2024
They’re heading to the Super Bowl for the second time in five years. But back in 2018, they were c...
The Curious Mr. Feynman
Thu, 1 Feb 2024
From the Manhattan Project to the Challenger investigation, the physicist Richard Feynman loved to s...
574. “A Low Moment in Higher Education”
Thu, 25 Jan 2024
Michael Roth of Wesleyan University doesn’t hang out with other university presidents. He also thi...
5 Psychology Terms You’re Probably Misusing (Replay)
Mon, 22 Jan 2024
We all like to throw around terms that describe human behavior — “bystander apathy” and “ste...
573. Can Academic Fraud Be Stopped?
Thu, 18 Jan 2024
Probably not — the incentives are too strong. Scholarly publishing is a $28 billion global industr...
572. Why Is There So Much Fraud in Academia?
Thu, 11 Jan 2024
Some of the biggest names in behavioral science stand accused of faking their results. Last year, an...
571. Greeting Cards, Pizza Boxes, and Personal Injury Lawyers
Thu, 4 Jan 2024
In a special episode of The Economics of Everyday Things, host Zachary Crockett explains what millen...
570. Is Gynecology the Best Innovation Ever?
Thu, 28 Dec 2023
In a special episode of People I (Mostly) Admire, Steve Levitt talks to Cat Bohannon about her new b...
569. Do You Need Closure?
Thu, 21 Dec 2023
In a special episode of No Stupid Questions, Angela Duckworth and Mike Maughan talk about unfinished...
568. Why Are People So Mad at Michael Lewis?
Thu, 14 Dec 2023
Lewis got incredible access to Sam Bankman-Fried, the billionaire behind the spectacular FTX fraud. ...
567. Do the Police Have a Management Problem?
Thu, 7 Dec 2023
In policing, as in most vocations, the best employees are often promoted into leadership without muc...
513. Should Public Transit Be Free? (Update)
Thu, 30 Nov 2023
It boosts economic opportunity and social mobility. It’s good for the environment. So why do we ch...
566. Why Is It So Hard (and Expensive) to Build Anything in America?
Thu, 23 Nov 2023
Most industries have become more productive over time. But not construction! We identify the causes ...
Extra: Jason Kelce Hates to Lose
Sun, 19 Nov 2023
Pro footballer and star podcaster Jason Kelce is ubiquitous right now (almost as ubiquitous as his b...
565. Are Private Equity Firms Plundering the U.S. Economy?
Thu, 16 Nov 2023
They say they make companies more efficient through savvy management. Critics say they bend the rule...
480. How Much Does Discrimination Hurt the Economy? (Replay)
Thu, 9 Nov 2023
Evidence from Nazi Germany and 1940’s America (and pretty much everywhere else) shows that discrim...
564. How to Succeed at Failing, Part 4: Extreme Resiliency
Thu, 2 Nov 2023
Everyone makes mistakes. How do you learn from them? Lessons from the classroom, the Air Force, and ...
563. How to Succeed at Failing, Part 3: Grit vs. Quit
Thu, 26 Oct 2023
Giving up can be painful. That's why we need to talk about it. Today: stories about glitchy apps, le...
562. How to Succeed at Failing, Part 2: Life and Death
Thu, 19 Oct 2023
In medicine, failure can be catastrophic. It can also produce discoveries that save millions of live...
561. How to Succeed at Failing, Part 1: The Chain of Events
Thu, 12 Oct 2023
We tend to think of tragedies as a single terrible moment, rather than the result of multiple bad de...
232. A New Nobel Laureate Explains the Gender Pay Gap (Replay)
Tue, 10 Oct 2023
Claudia Goldin is the newest winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics. We spoke with her in 2016 about...
560. Is This “the Worst Job in Corporate America” — or Maybe the Best?
Thu, 5 Oct 2023
John Ray is an emergency C.E.O., a bankruptcy expert who takes over companies that have succumbed to...
559. Are Two C.E.O.s Better Than One?
Thu, 28 Sep 2023
If two parents can run a family, why shouldn’t two executives run a company? We dig into the resea...
558. The Facts Are In: Two Parents Are Better Than One
Thu, 21 Sep 2023
In her new book The Two-Parent Privilege, the economist Melissa Kearney says it’s time for liberal...
557. When Is a Superstar Just Another Employee?
Thu, 14 Sep 2023
The union that represents N.F.L. players conducted their first-ever survey of workplace conditions, ...
556. A.I. Is Changing Everything. Does That Include You?
Thu, 7 Sep 2023
For all the speculation about the future, A.I. tools can be useful right now. Adam Davidson discover...
555. New Technologies Always Scare Us. Is A.I. Any Different?
Thu, 31 Aug 2023
Guest host Adam Davidson looks at what might happen to your job in a world of human-level artificial...
554. Can A.I. Take a Joke?
Thu, 24 Aug 2023
Artificial intelligence, we’ve been told, will destroy humankind. No, wait — it will usher in a ...
553. The Suddenly Diplomatic Rahm Emanuel
Thu, 17 Aug 2023
The famously profane politician and operative is now U.S. ambassador to Japan, where he’s trying t...
Should Traffic Lights Be Abolished? (Ep. 454 Replay)
Thu, 10 Aug 2023
Americans are so accustomed to the standard intersection that we rarely consider how dangerous it ca...
Extra: A Modern Whaler Speaks Up
Sun, 6 Aug 2023
Bjorn Andersen killed 111 minke whales this season. He tells us how he does it, why he does it, and ...
552. Freakonomics Radio Presents: The Economics of Everyday Things
Thu, 3 Aug 2023
In three stories from our newest podcast, host Zachary Crockett digs into sports mascots, cashmere s...
551. What Can Whales Teach Us About Clean Energy, Workplace Harmony, and Living the Good Life?
Thu, 27 Jul 2023
In the final episode of our whale series, we learn about fecal plumes, shipping noise, and why "Moby...
550. Why Do People Still Hunt Whales?
Thu, 20 Jul 2023
For years, whale oil was used as lighting fuel, industrial lubricant, and the main ingredient in (yu...
549. The First Great American Industry
Thu, 13 Jul 2023
Whaling was, in the words of one scholar, “early capitalism unleashed on the high seas.” How did...
548. Why Is the U.S. So Good at Killing Pedestrians?
Thu, 6 Jul 2023
Actually, the reasons are pretty clear. The harder question is: Will we ever care enough to stop?
Why Did You Marry That Person? (Ep. 511 Replay)
Thu, 29 Jun 2023
Sure, you were “in love.” But economists — using evidence from Bridgerton to Tinder — point ...
547. Satya Nadella’s Intelligence Is Not Artificial
Thu, 22 Jun 2023
But as C.E.O. of the resurgent Microsoft, he is firmly at the center of the A.I. revolution. We spea...
546. Are E.S.G. Investors Actually Helping the Environment?
Thu, 15 Jun 2023
Probably not. The economist Kelly Shue argues that E.S.G. investing just gives more money to firms t...
545. Enough with the Slippery Slopes!
Thu, 8 Jun 2023
Gun control, abortion rights, drug legalization — it seems like every argument these days claims t...
544. Ari Emanuel Is Never Indifferent
Thu, 1 Jun 2023
He turned a small Hollywood talent agency into a massive sports-and-entertainment empire. In a freew...
Make Me a Match (Ep. 209 Update)
Thu, 25 May 2023
Sure, markets work well in general. But for some transactions — like school admissions and organ t...
543. How to Return Stolen Art
Thu, 18 May 2023
Museums are purging their collections of looted treasures. Can they also get something in return? An...
542. Is a Museum Just a Trophy Case?
Thu, 11 May 2023
The world’s great museums are full of art and artifacts that were plundered during an era when plu...
541. The Case of the $4 Million Gold Coffin
Thu, 4 May 2023
How did a freshly looted Egyptian antiquity end up in the Metropolitan Museum of Art? Why did it tak...
Why Your Projects Are Always Late — and What to Do About It (Ep. 323 Replay)
Thu, 27 Apr 2023
Whether it’s a giant infrastructure plan or a humble kitchen renovation, it’ll inevitably take w...
540. Swearing Is More Important Than You Think
Thu, 20 Apr 2023
Every language has its taboo words (which many people use all the time). But the list of forbidden w...
539. Why Does One Tiny State Set the Rules for Everyone?
Thu, 13 Apr 2023
Delaware is beloved by corporations, bankruptcy lawyers, tax avoiders, and money launderers. Critics...
538. A Radically Simple Way to Boost a Neighborhood
Thu, 6 Apr 2023
Many companies say they want to create more opportunities for Black Americans. One company is doing ...
How to Hate Taxes a Little Bit Less (Ep. 400 Replay)
Thu, 30 Mar 2023
Every year, Americans short the I.R.S. nearly half a trillion dollars. Most ideas to increase compli...
537. “Insurance Is Sexy.” Discuss.
Thu, 23 Mar 2023
In this installment of the Freakonomics Radio Book Club, the economist Amy Finkelstein explains why ...
Why Are There So Many Bad Bosses? (Ep. 495 Replay)
Thu, 16 Mar 2023
People who are good at their jobs routinely get promoted into bigger jobs they’re bad at. We expla...
536. Is Your Plane Ticket Too Expensive — or Too Cheap?
Thu, 9 Mar 2023
Most travelers want the cheapest flight they can find. Airlines, meanwhile, need to manage volatile ...
535. Why Is Flying Safer Than Driving?
Thu, 2 Mar 2023
Thanks to decades of work by airlines and regulators, plane crashes are nearly a thing of the past. ...
534. Air Travel Is a Miracle. Why Do We Hate It?
Thu, 23 Feb 2023
It’s an unnatural activity that has become normal. You’re stuck in a metal tube with hundreds of...
Why Does the Most Monotonous Job in the World Pay $1 Million? (Ep. 493 Update)
Thu, 16 Feb 2023
Adam Smith famously argued that specialization is the key to prosperity. In the N.F.L., the long sna...
The Economics of Everyday Things: Used Hotel Soaps
Mon, 13 Feb 2023
Hotel guests adore those cute little soaps, but is it just a one-night stand? In our fourth episode ...
533. Will the Democrats “Make America Great Again”?
Thu, 9 Feb 2023
For decades, the U.S. let globalization run its course and hoped China would be an ally. Now the Bid...
The Economics of Everyday Things: “My Sharona”
Mon, 6 Feb 2023
Can a hit single from four decades ago still pay the bills? Zachary Crockett f-f-f-finds out in the ...
Is Economic Growth the Wrong Goal? (Ep. 429 Update)
Thu, 2 Feb 2023
The economist Kate Raworth says the aggressive pursuit of G.D.P. is trashing the planet and shortcha...
The Economics of Everyday Things: Girl Scout Cookies
Mon, 30 Jan 2023
How does America's cutest sales force get billions of Thin Mints, Samoas, and Tagalongs into our han...
532. Do You Know Who Owns Your Vet?
Thu, 26 Jan 2023
When small businesses get bought by big investors, the name may stay the same — but customers and ...
Introducing “The Economics of Everyday Things”
Mon, 23 Jan 2023
A new podcast hosted by Zachary Crockett. In the first episode: Gas stations. When gas prices skyroc...
531. Should You Trust Private Equity to Take Care of Your Dog?
Thu, 19 Jan 2023
Big investors are buying up local veterinary practices (and pretty much everything else). What does ...
Extra: Samin Nosrat Always Wanted to Be Famous
Mon, 16 Jan 2023
And with her book "Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat," she succeeded. Now she's not so sure how to feel about al...
530. What's Wrong with Being a One-Hit Wonder?
Thu, 12 Jan 2023
We tend to look down on artists who can't match their breakthrough success. Should we be celebrating...
529. Can Our Surroundings Make Us Smarter?
Thu, 5 Jan 2023
In a special episode of No Stupid Questions, Stephen Dubner and Angela Duckworth discuss classroom d...
528. Yuval Noah Harari Thinks Life is Meaningless and Amazing
Thu, 29 Dec 2022
In this special episode of People I (Mostly) Admire, Steve Levitt talks to the best-selling author o...
527. Can Adam Smith Fix Our Economy?
Thu, 22 Dec 2022
Labor exploitation! Corporate profiteering! Government corruption! The 21st century can look a lot l...
526. Was Adam Smith Really a Right-Winger?
Thu, 15 Dec 2022
Economists and politicians have turned him into a mascot for free-market ideology. Some on the left ...
Freakonomics Radio Needs Your Help
Mon, 12 Dec 2022
A sneak peek at an upcoming series — and a call for would-be radio reporters.
525. In Search of the Real Adam Smith
Thu, 8 Dec 2022
How did an affable 18th-century “moral philosopher” become the patron saint of cutthroat capital...
524. How Important Is Breastfeeding, Really?
Thu, 1 Dec 2022
In this special episode of Freakonomics, M.D., host Bapu Jena looks at a clever new study that could...
523. Did Michael Lewis Just Get Lucky with “Moneyball”?
Thu, 24 Nov 2022
No — but he does have a knack for stumbling into the perfect moment, including the recent FTX deba...
522. Is Google Getting Worse?
Thu, 17 Nov 2022
It used to feel like magic. Now it can feel like a set of cheap tricks. Is the problem with Google —...
The Most Interesting Fruit in the World (Ep. 375 Update)
Thu, 10 Nov 2022
The banana, once a luxury good, rose to become America’s favorite fruit. Now a deadly fungus threa...
521. I’m Your Biggest Fan!
Thu, 3 Nov 2022
It’s fun to obsess over pop stars and racecar drivers — but is fandom making our politics even m...
520. The Unintended Consequences of Working from Home
Thu, 27 Oct 2022
The last two years have radically changed the way we work — producing winners, losers, and a lot o...
519. Has Globalization Failed?
Thu, 20 Oct 2022
It was supposed to boost prosperity and democracy at the same time. What really happened? According ...
518. Are Personal Finance Gurus Giving You Bad Advice?
Thu, 13 Oct 2022
One Yale economist certainly thinks so. But even if he’s right, are economists any better?
517. Are M.B.A.s to Blame for Wage Stagnation?
Thu, 6 Oct 2022
New research finds that bosses who went to business school pay their workers less. So what are M.B.A...
Please Get Your Noise Out of My Ears (Ep. 439 Update)
Thu, 29 Sep 2022
The pandemic provided city dwellers with a break from the din of the modern world. Now the noise is ...
516. Nuclear Power Isn’t Perfect. Is It Good Enough?
Thu, 22 Sep 2022
Liberals endorse harm reduction when it comes to the opioid epidemic. Are they ready to take the sam...
Extra: Ken Burns | People I (Mostly) Admire
Mon, 19 Sep 2022
The documentary filmmaker, known for The Civil War, Jazz, and Baseball, turns his attention to the H...
515. When You Pray to God Online, Who Else Is Listening?
Thu, 15 Sep 2022
The pandemic moved a lot of religious activity onto the internet. With faith-based apps, Silicon Val...
This Is Your Brain on Pollution (Ep. 472 Update)
Thu, 8 Sep 2022
As the Biden administration rushes to address climate change, Stephen Dubner looks at another, hidde...
514. Roland Fryer Refuses to Lie to Black America
Thu, 1 Sep 2022
The controversial Harvard economist, recently back from a suspension, “broke a lot of glass early ...
513. Should Public Transit Be Free?
Thu, 25 Aug 2022
It boosts economic opportunity and social mobility. It’s good for the environment. So why do we ch...
Why Is U.S. Media So Negative? (Ep. 477 Replay)
Thu, 18 Aug 2022
Breaking news! Sources say American journalism exploits our negativity bias to maximize profits, and...
The Pros and Cons of America’s (Extreme) Individualism (Ep. 470 Replay)
Thu, 11 Aug 2022
According to a decades-long research project, the U.S. is not only the most individualistic country ...
The U.S. Is Just Different — So Let’s Stop Pretending We’re Not (Ep. 469 Replay)
Thu, 4 Aug 2022
We often look to other countries for smart policies on education, healthcare, infrastructure, etc. B...
512. Does Philosophy Still Matter?
Thu, 28 Jul 2022
It used to be at the center of our conversations about politics and society. Scott Hershovitz (autho...
511. Why Did You Marry That Person?
Thu, 21 Jul 2022
Sure, you were “in love.” But economists — using evidence from Bridgerton to Tinder — point ...
The Economist’s Guide to Parenting: 10 Years Later (Ep. 479 Replay)
Thu, 14 Jul 2022
In one of the earliest Freakonomics Radio episodes, we asked a bunch of economists with young kids h...
510. What Problems Does Crypto Solve, Anyway?
Thu, 7 Jul 2022
Boosters say blockchain technology will usher in a brave new era of decentralization. Are they right...
509. Are N.F.T.s All Scams?
Thu, 30 Jun 2022
Some of them are. With others, it’s more complicated (and more promising). We try to get past the ...
508. Does the Crypto Crash Mean the Blockchain Is Over?
Thu, 23 Jun 2022
No. But now is a good time to sort out the potential from the hype. Whether you’re bullish, bearis...
507. 103 Pieces of Advice That May or May Not Work
Thu, 16 Jun 2022
Kevin Kelly calls himself “the most optimistic person in the world.” And he has a lot to say abo...
506. What Is Sportswashing (and Does It Work)?
Thu, 9 Jun 2022
In ancient Rome, it was bread and circuses. Today, it’s a World Cup, an Olympics, and a new Saudi-...
505. Did Domestic Violence Really Spike During the Pandemic?
Thu, 2 Jun 2022
When the world went into lockdown, experts predicted a rise in intimate-partner assaults. What actua...
504. Introducing “Off Leash”
Thu, 26 May 2022
In this new podcast from the Freakonomics Radio Network, dog-cognition expert and bestselling author...
503. What Is the Future of College — and Does It Have Room for Men?
Thu, 19 May 2022
Educators and economists tell us all the reasons college enrollment has been dropping, especially fo...
Abortion and Crime, Revisited (Ep. 384 Update)
Thu, 12 May 2022
As the Supreme Court considers overturning Roe v. Wade, we look back at Steve Levitt’s controversi...
502. “I Don’t Think the Country Is Turning Away From College.”
Thu, 5 May 2022
Enrollment is down for the first time in memory, and critics complain college is too expensive, too ...
501. The University of Impossible-to-Get-Into
Thu, 28 Apr 2022
America’s top colleges are facing record demand. So why don’t they increase supply? (Part 2 of “...
500. What Exactly Is College For?
Thu, 21 Apr 2022
We think of them as intellectual enclaves and the surest route to a better life. But U.S. colleges a...
Is the U.S. Really Less Corrupt Than China — and How About Russia? (Ep. 481 Update)
Thu, 14 Apr 2022
The political scientist Yuen Yuen Ang argues that different forms of government create different sty...
499. Don't Worry, Be Tacky
Thu, 7 Apr 2022
The British art superstar Flora Yukhnovich, the Freakonomist Steve Levitt, and the upstart American ...
498. In the 1890s, the Best-Selling Car Was … Electric
Thu, 31 Mar 2022
After a huge false start, electric cars are finally about to flourish. We speak with a technology hi...
497. Can the Big Bad Wolf Save Your Life?
Thu, 24 Mar 2022
Every year, there are more than a million collisions in the U.S. between drivers and deer. The resul...
How to Change Your Mind (Ep. 379 Update)
Thu, 17 Mar 2022
There are a lot of barriers to changing your mind: ego, overconfidence, inertia — and cost. Politi...
496. Do Unions Still Work?
Thu, 10 Mar 2022
Organized labor hasn’t had this much public support in 50 years, and yet the percentage of America...
495. Why Are There So Many Bad Bosses?
Thu, 3 Mar 2022
People who are good at their jobs routinely get promoted into bigger jobs they’re bad at. We expla...
494. Why Do Most Ideas Fail to Scale?
Thu, 24 Feb 2022
In a new book called The Voltage Effect, the economist John List — who has already revolutionized ...
Why Does the Richest Country in the World Have So Many Poor Kids? (Ep. 475 Update)
Thu, 17 Feb 2022
Among O.E.C.D. nations, the U.S. has one of the highest rates of child poverty. Until recently, it l...
493. Why Does the Most Monotonous Job in the World Pay $1 Million?
Thu, 10 Feb 2022
Adam Smith famously argued that specialization is the key to prosperity. In the N.F.L., the long sna...
Are You Ready for a Fresh Start? (Ep. 455 Replay)
Thu, 3 Feb 2022
Behavioral scientists have been exploring if — and when — a psychological reset can lead to last...
492. How Did a Hayfield Become One of America’s Hottest Cities?
Thu, 27 Jan 2022
Frisco used to be just another sleepy bedroom community outside of Dallas. Now it’s got corporate ...
491. Why Is Everyone Moving to Dallas?
Thu, 20 Jan 2022
When Stephen Dubner learned that Dallas–Fort Worth will soon overtake Chicago as the third-biggest...
490. What Do Broken-Hearted Knitters, Urinating Goalkeepers, and the C.I.A. Have in Common?
Thu, 13 Jan 2022
Curses and other superstitions may have no basis in reality, but that doesn’t stop us from believi...
489. Is “Toxic Positivity” a Thing?
Thu, 6 Jan 2022
In this special episode of No Stupid Questions, Stephen Dubner and Angela Duckworth discuss the co...
488. Does Death Have to Be a Death Sentence?
Thu, 30 Dec 2021
In this special episode of People I (Mostly) Admire, Steve Levitt speaks with the palliative physici...
487. Is It Okay to Have a Party Yet?
Thu, 23 Dec 2021
In this special episode of Freakonomics, M.D., host Bapu Jena looks at data from birthday parties, M...
486. “The Art Market Is in Massive Disruption.”
Thu, 16 Dec 2021
Is art really meant to be an “asset class”? Will the digital revolution finally democratize a ma...
485. “I’ve Been Working My Ass Off for You to Make that Profit?”
Thu, 9 Dec 2021
The more successful an artist is, the more likely their work will later be resold at auction for a h...
484. “A Fascinating, Sexy, Intellectually Compelling, Unregulated Global Market.”
Thu, 2 Dec 2021
The art market is so opaque and illiquid that it barely functions like a market at all. A handful of...
How Do You Cure a Compassion Crisis? (Ep. 444 Replay)
Thu, 25 Nov 2021
Patients in the U.S. healthcare system often feel they’re treated with a lack of empathy. Doctors ...
483. What’s Wrong With Shortcuts?
Thu, 18 Nov 2021
You know the saying: “There are no shortcuts in life.” What if that saying is just wrong? In his...
482. Is Venture Capital the Secret Sauce of the American Economy?
Thu, 11 Nov 2021
The U.S. is home to seven of the world’s 10 biggest companies. How did that happen? The answer may...
481. Is the U.S. Really Less Corrupt Than China?
Thu, 4 Nov 2021
A new book by an unorthodox political scientist argues that the two rivals have more in common than ...
480. How Much Does Discrimination Hurt the Economy?
Thu, 28 Oct 2021
Evidence from Nazi Germany and 1940’s America (and pretty much everywhere else) shows that discrim...
479. The Economist’s Guide to Parenting: 10 Years Later
Thu, 21 Oct 2021
In one of the earliest Freakonomics Radio episodes (No. 39!), we asked a bunch of economists with ...
478. How Can We Break Our Addiction to Contempt?
Thu, 14 Oct 2021
Arthur Brooks is an economist who for 10 years ran the American Enterprise Institute, one of the mos...
477. Why Is U.S. Media So Negative?
Thu, 7 Oct 2021
Breaking news! Sources say American journalism exploits our negativity bias to maximize profits, and...
That’s a Great Question! (Ep. 192 Rebroadcast)
Thu, 30 Sep 2021
Verbal tic or strategic rejoinder? Whatever the case: it’s rare to come across an interview these ...
“This Didn't End the Way It’s Supposed to End.” (Bonus)
Mon, 27 Sep 2021
The N.B.A. superstar Chris Bosh was still competing at the highest level when a blood clot abruptly ...
476. What Are the Police for, Anyway?
Thu, 23 Sep 2021
The U.S. is an outlier when it comes to policing, as evidenced by more than 1,000 fatal shootings by...
475. Why Does the Richest Country in the World Have So Many Poor Kids?
Thu, 16 Sep 2021
Among O.E.C.D. nations, the U.S. has one of the highest rates of child poverty. How can that be? To ...
474. All You Need Is Nudge
Thu, 9 Sep 2021
When Richard Thaler published Nudge in 2008 (with co-author Cass Sunstein), the world was just start...
Is There Really a “Loneliness Epidemic”? (Ep. 407 Rebroadcast)
Thu, 2 Sep 2021
That’s what some health officials are saying, but the data aren’t so clear. We look into what’...
473. These Jobs Were Not Posted on ZipRecruiter
Thu, 26 Aug 2021
In a conversation fresh from the Freakonomics Radio Network’s podcast laboratory, Michèle Flourno...
Reasons to Be Cheerful (Ep. 417 Rebroadcast)
Thu, 19 Aug 2021
Humans have a built-in “negativity bias,” which means we give bad news much more power than good...
472. This Is Your Brain on Pollution
Thu, 12 Aug 2021
Air pollution is estimated to cause 7 million deaths a year and cost the global economy nearly $3 tr...
471. Mayor Pete and Elaine Chao Hit the Road
Thu, 5 Aug 2021
While other countries seem to build spectacular bridges, dams, and even entire cities with ease, the...
Two (Totally Opposite) Ways to Save the Planet (Ep. 346 Rebroadcast)
Thu, 29 Jul 2021
The environmentalists say we’re doomed if we don’t drastically reduce consumption. The technolog...
470. The Pros and Cons of America’s (Extreme) Individualism
Thu, 22 Jul 2021
According to a decades-long research project, the U.S. is not only the most individualistic country ...
469. The U.S. Is Just Different — So Let’s Stop Pretending We’re Not
Thu, 15 Jul 2021
We often look to other countries for smart policies on education, healthcare, infrastructure, etc. B...
468. Nap Time for Everyone!
Thu, 8 Jul 2021
The benefits of sleep are by now well established, and yet many people don’t get enough. A new stu...
How Stupid Is Our Obsession With Lawns? (Ep. 289 Rebroadcast)
Thu, 1 Jul 2021
Nearly two percent of America is grassy green. Sure, lawns are beautiful and useful and they smell g...
467. Is the Future of Farming in the Ocean?
Thu, 24 Jun 2021
Bren Smith, who grew up fishing and fighting, is now part of a movement that seeks to feed the plane...
466. She’s From the Government, and She’s Here to Help
Thu, 17 Jun 2021
Cecilia Rouse, the chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisors, is as cold-blooded as any ...
465. Introducing a New “Freakonomics of Medicine” Podcast
Thu, 10 Jun 2021
Bapu Jena was already a double threat: a doctor who’s also an economist. Now he’s a podcast host...
464. Will Work-from-Home Work Forever?
Thu, 3 Jun 2021
The pandemic may be winding down, but that doesn’t mean we’ll return to full-time commuting and ...
463. How to Get Anyone to Do Anything
Thu, 27 May 2021
The social psychologist Robert Cialdini is a pioneer in the science of persuasion. His 1984 book Inf...
These Shoes Are Killing Me! (Ep. 296 Rebroadcast)
Thu, 20 May 2021
The human foot is an evolutionary masterpiece, far more functional than we give it credit for. So wh...
462. The Future of New York City Is in Question. Could Andrew Yang Be the Answer?
Thu, 13 May 2021
The man who wants America to “think harder” has parlayed his quixotic presidential campaign into...
461. How to Stop Worrying and Love the Robot Apocalypse
Thu, 6 May 2021
It’s true that robots (and other smart technologies) will kill many jobs. It may also be true that...
460. The True Story of the Minimum-Wage Fight
Thu, 29 Apr 2021
Backers of a $15 federal wage say it’s a no-brainer if you want to fight poverty. Critics say it’...
459. Let’s Be Blunt: Marijuana Is a Boon for Older Workers
Thu, 22 Apr 2021
The state-by-state rollout of legalized weed has given economists a perfect natural experiment to me...
458. How to Manage Your Goal Hierarchy
Thu, 15 Apr 2021
In this special crossover episode, People I (Mostly) Admire host Steve Levitt admits to No Stupid Qu...
457. Is Dialysis a Test Case of Medicare for All?
Thu, 8 Apr 2021
Kidney failure is such a catastrophic (and expensive) disease that Medicare covers treatment for any...
456. How to Fix the Hot Mess of U.S. Healthcare
Thu, 1 Apr 2021
Medicine has evolved from a calling into an industry, adept at dispensing procedures and pills (and ...
Policymaking Is Not a Science (Yet) (Ep. 405 Rebroadcast)
Thu, 25 Mar 2021
Why do so many promising solutions — in education, medicine, criminal justice, etc. — fail to sc...
How Does New York City Keep Reinventing Itself? (Bonus)
Sun, 21 Mar 2021
In a word: networks. Once it embraced information as its main currency, New York was able to climb o...
455. Are You Ready for a Fresh Start?
Thu, 18 Mar 2021
Behavioral scientists have been exploring if — and when — a psychological reset can lead to last...
454. Should Traffic Lights Be Abolished?
Thu, 11 Mar 2021
Americans are so accustomed to the standard intersection that we rarely consider how dangerous it ca...
453. A Rescue Plan for Black America
Thu, 4 Mar 2021
New York Times columnist Charles Blow argues that white supremacy in America will never fully recede...
Am I Boring You? (Ep. 225 Rebroadcast)
Thu, 25 Feb 2021
Researchers are trying to figure out who gets bored — and why — and what it means for ourselves ...
452. Jeff Immelt Knows He Let You Down
Thu, 18 Feb 2021
Not so long ago, G.E. was the most valuable company in the world, a conglomerate that included every...
451. Can I Ask You a Ridiculously Personal Question?
Thu, 11 Feb 2021
Most of us are are afraid to ask sensitive questions about money, sex, politics, etc. New research s...
450. How to Be Better at Death
Thu, 4 Feb 2021
Caitlin Doughty is a mortician who would like to put herself out of business. Our corporate funeral ...
449. How to Fix the Incentives in Cancer Research
Thu, 28 Jan 2021
For all the progress made in fighting cancer, it still kills 10 million people a year, and some type...
448. The Downside of Disgust
Thu, 21 Jan 2021
It’s a powerful biological response that has preserved our species for millennia. But now it may b...
447. How Much Do We Really Care About Children?
Thu, 14 Jan 2021
They can’t vote or hire lobbyists. The policies we create to help them aren’t always so helpful....
446. “We Get All Our Great Stuff from Europe — Including Witch Hunting.”
Thu, 7 Jan 2021
We’ve collected some of our favorite moments from People I (Mostly) Admire, the latest show from t...
Trust Me (Ep. 266 Rebroadcast)
Thu, 31 Dec 2020
Societies where people trust one another are healthier and wealthier. In the U.S. (and the U.K. and ...
445. Why Do We Seek Comfort in the Familiar?
Thu, 24 Dec 2020
In this episode of No Stupid Questions — a Freakonomics Radio Network show launched earlier this y...
444. How Do You Cure a Compassion Crisis?
Thu, 17 Dec 2020
Patients in the U.S. healthcare system often feel they’re treated with a lack of empathy. Doctors ...
443. A Sneak Peek at Biden’s Top Economist
Thu, 10 Dec 2020
The incoming president argues that the economy and the environment are deeply connected. This is ref...
PLAYBACK (2015): Could the Next Brooklyn Be ... Las Vegas?!
Sun, 6 Dec 2020
Tony Hsieh, the longtime C.E.O. of Zappos, was an iconoclast and a dreamer. Five years ago, we sat d...
442. Is it Too Late for General Motors to Go Electric?
Thu, 3 Dec 2020
G.M. produces more than 20 times as many cars as Tesla, but Tesla is worth nearly 10 times as much. ...
441. Does Advertising Actually Work? (Part 2: Digital)
Thu, 26 Nov 2020
Google and Facebook are worth a combined $2 trillion, with the vast majority of their revenue coming...
440. Does Advertising Actually Work? (Part 1: TV)
Thu, 19 Nov 2020
Companies around the world spend more than half-a-trillion dollars each year on ads. The ad industry...
439. Please Get Your Noise Out of My Ears
Thu, 12 Nov 2020
The modern world overwhelms us with sounds we didn’t ask for, like car alarms and cell-phone “ha...
438. How to Succeed by Being Authentic (Hint: Carefully)
Thu, 5 Nov 2020
John Mackey, the C.E.O. of Whole Foods, has learned the perils of speaking his mind. But he still sa...
Why the Left Had to Steal the Right’s Dark-Money Playbook
Sat, 31 Oct 2020
The sociologist Sudhir Venkatesh spent years studying crack dealers, sex workers, and the offspring ...
437. Many Businesses Thought They Were Insured for a Pandemic. They Weren’t.
Thu, 29 Oct 2020
A fine reading of most policies for “business interruption” reveals that viral outbreaks aren’...
436. Forget Everything You Know About Your Dog
Thu, 22 Oct 2020
As beloved and familiar as they are, we rarely stop to consider life from the dog’s point of view....
435. Why Are Cities (Still) So Expensive?
Thu, 15 Oct 2020
It isn’t just supply and demand. We look at the complicated history and skewed incentives that ma...
434. Is New York City Over?
Thu, 8 Oct 2020
The pandemic has hit America's biggest city particularly hard. Amidst a deep fiscal hole, rising hom...
“Don’t Neglect the Thing That Makes You Weird” | People I (Mostly) Admire: Ken Jennings
Sat, 3 Oct 2020
It was only in his late twenties that America’s favorite brainiac began to seriously embrace his l...
433. How Are Psychedelics and Other Party Drugs Changing Psychiatry?
Thu, 1 Oct 2020
Three leading researchers from the Mount Sinai Health System discuss how ketamine, cannabis, and ecs...
432. When Your Safety Becomes My Danger
Thu, 24 Sep 2020
The families of U.S. troops killed and wounded in Afghanistan are suing several companies that did r...
“One Does Not Know Where an Insight Will Come From” | People I (Mostly) Admire: Kerwin Charles
Sat, 19 Sep 2020
The dean of Yale’s School of Management grew up in a small village in Guyana. During his unlikely ...
Does Anyone Really Know What Socialism Is? (Ep. 408 Rebroadcast)
Thu, 17 Sep 2020
Trump says it would destroy us. Biden needs the voters who support it (especially the Bernie voters)...
What if Your Company Had No Rules?
Sat, 12 Sep 2020
Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings came to believe that corporate rules can kill creativity and innova...
431. Why Can’t Schools Get What the N.F.L. Has?
Thu, 10 Sep 2020
Thanks to daily Covid testing and regimented protocols, the new football season is underway. Meanwhi...
"I Started Crying When I Realized How Beautiful the Universe Is” | People I (Mostly) Admire Ep. 2: Mayim Bialik
Sat, 5 Sep 2020
She’s best known for playing neurobiologist Amy Farrah Fowler on The Big Bang Theory, but the awar...
America’s Hidden Duopoly (Ep. 356 Rebroadcast)
Thu, 3 Sep 2020
We all know our political system is “broken” — but what if that’s not true? Some say the Rep...
430. Will a Covid-19 Vaccine Change the Future of Medical Research?
Thu, 27 Aug 2020
We explore the science, scalability, and (of course) economics surrounding the global vaccine race. ...
Introducing “People I (Mostly) Admire"
Sat, 22 Aug 2020
A new interview show with host Steve Levitt. Today he speaks with the Harvard psychologist and lingu...
The Economics of Sports Gambling (Ep. 388 Rebroadcast)
Thu, 20 Aug 2020
What happens when tens of millions of fantasy-sports players are suddenly able to bet real money on ...
429. Is Economic Growth the Wrong Goal?
Thu, 13 Aug 2020
The endless pursuit of G.D.P., argues the economist Kate Raworth, shortchanges too many people and a...
How the Supermarket Helped America Win the Cold War (Ep. 386 Rebroadcast)
Thu, 6 Aug 2020
Aisle upon aisle of fresh produce, cheap meat, and sugary cereal — a delicious embodiment of free-...
428. The Simple Economics of Saving the Amazon Rain Forest
Thu, 30 Jul 2020
Everyone agrees that massive deforestation is an environmental disaster. But most of the standard so...
427. The Pros and Cons of Reparations
Thu, 23 Jul 2020
Most Americans agree that racial discrimination has been, and remains, a big problem. But that is wh...
426. Should America (and FIFA) Pay Reparations?
Thu, 16 Jul 2020
The racial wealth gap in the U.S. is massive. We explore the causes, consequences, and potential sol...
425. Remembrance of Economic Crises Past
Thu, 9 Jul 2020
Christina Romer was a top White House economist during the Great Recession. As a researcher, she spe...
424. How to Make Your Own Luck
Thu, 2 Jul 2020
Before she decided to become a poker pro, Maria Konnikova didn’t know how many cards are in a deck...
423. The Doctor Will Zoom You Now
Thu, 25 Jun 2020
Thanks to the pandemic, the telehealth revolution we’ve been promised for decades has finally arri...
422. Introducing "No Stupid Questions"
Thu, 18 Jun 2020
In this new addition to the Freakonomics Radio Network, co-hosts Stephen Dubner and Angela Duckworth...
421. How to Prevent Another Great Depression
Thu, 11 Jun 2020
Millions and millions are out of work, with some jobs never coming back. We speak with four economis...
420. Which Jobs Will Come Back, and When?
Thu, 4 Jun 2020
Covid-19 is the biggest job killer in a century. As the lockdown eases, what does re-employment look...
How to Make Meetings Less Terrible (Ep. 389 Rebroadcast)
Thu, 28 May 2020
In the U.S. alone, we hold 55 million meetings a day. Most of them are woefully unproductive, and ty...
419. 68 Ways to Be Better at Life
Thu, 21 May 2020
The accidental futurist Kevin Kelly on why enthusiasm beats intelligence, how to really listen, and ...
418. What Will College Look Like in the Fall (and Beyond)?
Thu, 14 May 2020
Three university presidents try to answer our listeners’ questions. The result? Not much pomp and ...
417. Reasons to Be Cheerful
Thu, 7 May 2020
Humans have a built-in “negativity bias,” which means we give bad news much more power than good...
416. How Do You Reopen a Country?
Thu, 30 Apr 2020
We speak with a governor, a former C.D.C. director, a pandemic forecaster, a hard-charging pharmacis...
415. How Rahm Emanuel Would Run the World
Mon, 27 Apr 2020
As a former top adviser to presidents Clinton and Obama, he believes in the power of the federal gov...
414. Will Covid-19 Spark a Cold War (or Worse) With China?
Thu, 23 Apr 2020
The U.S. spent the past few decades waiting for China to act like the global citizen it said it want...
413. Who Gets the Ventilator?
Thu, 16 Apr 2020
Should a nurse or doctor who gets sick treating Covid-19 patients have priority access to a potentia...
412. What Happens When Everyone Stays Home to Eat?
Thu, 9 Apr 2020
Covid-19 has shocked our food-supply system like nothing in modern history. We examine the winners, ...
411. Is $2 Trillion the Right Medicine for a Sick Economy?
Thu, 2 Apr 2020
Congress just passed the biggest aid package in modern history. We ask six former White House econom...
410. What Does Covid-19 Mean for Cities (and Marriages)?
Thu, 26 Mar 2020
There are a lot of upsides to urban density — but viral contagion is not one of them. Also: a nati...
409. The Side Effects of Social Distancing
Thu, 19 Mar 2020
In just a few weeks, the novel coronavirus has undone a century’s worth of our economic and social...
Why Rent Control Doesn’t Work (Ep. 373 Rebroadcast)
Thu, 12 Mar 2020
As cities become ever-more expensive, politicians and housing advocates keep calling for rent contro...
408. Does Anyone Really Know What Socialism Is?
Thu, 5 Mar 2020
Trump says it would destroy us. Sanders says it will save us. The majority of millennials would like...
407. Is There Really a “Loneliness Epidemic”?
Thu, 27 Feb 2020
That’s what some health officials are saying, but the data aren’t so clear. We look into what’...
406. Can You Hear Me Now?
Thu, 20 Feb 2020
When he became chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Ajit Pai announced that he was goi...
405. Policymaking Is Not a Science (Yet)
Thu, 13 Feb 2020
Why do so many promising solutions — in education, medicine, criminal justice, etc. — fail to sc...
404. Does the President Matter as Much as You Think?
Thu, 6 Feb 2020
We asked this same question nearly a decade ago. The answer then: probably not. But a lot has change...
How the San Francisco 49ers Stopped Being Losers (Ep. 350 Update)
Thu, 30 Jan 2020
One of the most storied (and valuable) sports franchises in the world had fallen far. So they decide...
403. The Opioid Tragedy, Part 2: “It’s Not a Death Sentence”
Thu, 23 Jan 2020
One prescription drug is keeping some addicts from dying. So why isn’t it more widespread? A story...
402. The Opioid Tragedy, Part 1: “We’ve Addicted an Entire Generation”
Thu, 16 Jan 2020
How pharma greed, government subsidies, and a push to make pain the “fifth vital sign” kicked of...
5 Psychology Terms You’re Probably Misusing (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 9 Jan 2020
We all like to throw around terms that describe human behavior — “bystander apathy” and “ste...
The Zero-Minute Workout (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 2 Jan 2020
There is strong evidence that exercise is wildly beneficial. There is even stronger evidence that mo...
401. How Many Prince Charleses Can There Be in One Room?
Thu, 26 Dec 2019
In a special holiday episode, Stephen Dubner and Angela Duckworth take turns asking each other quest...
Why Is This Man Running for President? (Update)
Thu, 19 Dec 2019
A year ago, nobody was taking Andrew Yang very seriously. Now he is America’s favorite entrepre-ne...
400. How to Hate Taxes a Little Bit Less
Thu, 12 Dec 2019
Every year, Americans short the I.R.S. nearly half a trillion dollars. Most ideas to increase compli...
399. Honey, I Grew the Economy
Thu, 5 Dec 2019
Innovation experts have long overlooked where a lot of innovation actually happens. The personal com...
How to Change Your Mind (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 28 Nov 2019
There are a lot of barriers to changing your mind: ego, overconfidence, inertia — and cost. Politi...
398. The Truth About the Vaping Crisis
Thu, 21 Nov 2019
A recent outbreak of illness and death has gotten everyone’s attention — including late-to-the-g...
397. How to Save $32 Million in One Hour
Thu, 14 Nov 2019
For nearly a decade, governments have been using behavioral nudges to solve problems — and the str...
396. Why Does Tipping Still Exist?
Thu, 7 Nov 2019
It’s an acutely haphazard way of paying workers, and yet it keeps expanding. We dig into the data ...
395. Speak Softly and Carry Big Data
Thu, 31 Oct 2019
Do economic sanctions work? Are big democracies any good at spreading democracy? What is the root ca...
394. Does Hollywood Still Have a Princess Problem?
Thu, 24 Oct 2019
For decades, there’s been a huge gender disparity both on-screen and behind the scenes. But it see...
393. Can Britain Get Its “Great” Back?
Thu, 17 Oct 2019
It used to be a global capital of innovation, invention, and exploration. Now it’s best known for ...
392. The Prime Minister Who Cried Brexit
Thu, 10 Oct 2019
In 2016, David Cameron held a referendum on whether the U.K. should stay in the European Union. A lo...
391. America’s Math Curriculum Doesn’t Add Up
Thu, 3 Oct 2019
Most high-school math classes are still preparing students for the Sputnik era. Steve Levitt wants t...
390. Fed Up
Thu, 26 Sep 2019
Mary Daly rose from high-school dropout to president of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. S...
389. How to Make Meetings Less Terrible
Thu, 19 Sep 2019
In the U.S. alone, we hold 55 million meetings a day. Most of them are woefully unproductive, and ty...
Yes, the Open Office Is Terrible — But It Doesn’t Have to Be (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 12 Sep 2019
It began as a post-war dream for a more collaborative and egalitarian workplace. It has evolved into...
388. The Economics of Sports Gambling
Thu, 5 Sep 2019
What happens when tens of millions of fantasy-sports players are suddenly able to bet real money on ...
The Future of Meat (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 29 Aug 2019
Global demand for beef, chicken, and pork continues to rise. So do concerns about environmental and ...
Should America Be Run by … Trader Joe’s? (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 22 Aug 2019
The quirky little grocery chain with California roots and German ownership has a lot to teach all of...
387. Hello, My Name Is Marijuana Pepsi!
Thu, 15 Aug 2019
Research shows that having a distinctively black name doesn’t affect your economic future. But wha...
How Much Does Your Name Matter? (Rebroadcast )
Thu, 8 Aug 2019
A kid’s name can tell us something about his parents — their race, social standing, even their p...
386. How the Supermarket Helped America Win the Cold War
Thu, 1 Aug 2019
Aisle upon aisle of fresh produce, cheap meat, and sugary cereal — a delicious embodiment of free-...
America’s Hidden Duopoly (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 25 Jul 2019
We all know our political system is “broken” — but what if that’s not true? Some say the Rep...
385. What Do Nancy Pelosi, Taylor Swift, and Serena Williams Have in Common?
Thu, 18 Jul 2019
They — along with a great many other high-achieving women — were all once Girl Scouts. So was Sy...
384. Abortion and Crime, Revisited
Thu, 11 Jul 2019
The controversial theory linking Roe v. Wade to a massive crime drop is back in the spotlight as sev...
A Better Way to Eat (Rebroadcast )
Thu, 4 Jul 2019
Takeru Kobayashi revolutionized the sport of competitive eating. What can the rest of us learn from ...
383. The Zero-Minute Workout
Thu, 27 Jun 2019
There is strong evidence that exercise is wildly beneficial. There is even stronger evidence that mo...
382. How Goes the Behavior-Change Revolution?
Thu, 20 Jun 2019
An all-star team of behavioral scientists discovers that humans are stubborn (and lazy, and sometime...
381. Long-Term Thinking in a Start-Up Town
Thu, 13 Jun 2019
Recorded live in San Francisco. Guests include the keeper of a 10,000-year clock, the co-founder of ...
380. Notes From an Imperfect Paradise
Thu, 6 Jun 2019
Recorded live in Los Angeles. Guests include Mayor Eric Garcetti, the “Earthquake Lady,” the hea...
379. How to Change Your Mind
Thu, 30 May 2019
There are a lot of barriers to changing your mind: ego, overconfidence, inertia — and cost. Politi...
Here’s Why All Your Projects Are Always Late — and What to Do About It (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 23 May 2019
Whether it’s a giant infrastructure plan or a humble kitchen renovation, it’ll inevitably take w...
378. 23andMe (and You, and Everyone Else)
Thu, 16 May 2019
The revolution in home DNA testing is giving consumers important, possibly life-changing information...
377. The $1.5 Trillion Question-How to fix student loan debt?
Thu, 9 May 2019
As the cost of college skyrocketed, it created a debt burden that’s putting a drag on the economy....
376. The Data-Driven Guide to Sane Parenting
Thu, 2 May 2019
Humans have been having kids forever, so why are modern parents so bewildered? The economist Emily O...
The Invisible Paw (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 25 Apr 2019
Humans, it has long been thought, are the only animal to engage in economic activity. But what if we...
375. The Most Interesting Fruit in the World
Thu, 18 Apr 2019
The banana used to be a luxury good. Now it’s the most popular fruit in the U.S. and elsewhere. Bu...
374. How Spotify Saved the Music Industry (But Not Necessarily Musicians)
Thu, 11 Apr 2019
Daniel Ek, a 23-year-old Swede who grew up on pirated music, made the record labels an offer they co...
373. Why Rent Control Doesn’t Work
Thu, 4 Apr 2019
As cities become ever-more expensive, politicians and housing advocates keep calling for rent contro...
372. Freakonomics Radio Live: “Would You Eat a Piece of Chocolate Shaped Like Dog Poop?”
Thu, 28 Mar 2019
What your disgust level says about your politics, how Napoleon influenced opera, why New York City’...
Why You Shouldn’t Open a Restaurant (Update)
Thu, 21 Mar 2019
Kenji Lopez-Alt became a rock star of the food world by bringing science into the kitchen in a way t...
371. A Free-Trade Democrat in the Trump White House
Thu, 14 Mar 2019
For years, Gary Cohn thought he’d be the next C.E.O. of Goldman Sachs. Instead, he became the “a...
370. How to Fail Like a Pro
Thu, 7 Mar 2019
The road to success is paved with failure, so you might as well learn to do it right. (Ep. 5 of the ...
369. A Good Idea Is Not Good Enough
Thu, 28 Feb 2019
Whether you’re building a business or a cathedral, execution is everything. We ask artists, scient...
368. Where Do Good Ideas Come From?
Thu, 21 Feb 2019
Whether you’re mapping the universe, hosting a late-night talk show, or running a meeting, there a...
367. The Future of Meat
Thu, 14 Feb 2019
Global demand for beef, chicken, and pork continues to rise. So do concerns about environmental and ...
366. This Economist Predicted the Last Crisis. What’s the Next One?
Thu, 7 Feb 2019
In 2005, Raghuram Rajan said the financial system was at risk “of a catastrophic meltdown.” Afte...
Extra: Domonique Foxworth Full Interview
Sat, 2 Feb 2019
Stephen Dubner’s conversation with the former N.F.L. player, union official, and all-around sports...
365. Not Just Another Labor Force
Thu, 31 Jan 2019
If you think talent and hard work give top athletes all the leverage to succeed, think again. As emp...
Extra: Mark Cuban Full Interview
Sat, 26 Jan 2019
A conversation with the Shark Tank star, entrepreneur, and Dallas Mavericks owner recorded for the F...
364. Inside the Sports-Industrial Complex
Thu, 24 Jan 2019
For most of us, the athletes are what make sports interesting. But if you own the team or run the le...
Extra: Mark Teixeira Full Interview
Sat, 19 Jan 2019
A conversation with former Major League Baseball player and current ESPN analyst Mark Teixeira, reco...
363. Think Like a Winner
Thu, 17 Jan 2019
Great athletes aren’t just great at the physical stuff. They’ve also learned how to handle press...
Hacking the World Bank (Update)
Sat, 12 Jan 2019
Jim Yong Kim has an unorthodox background for a World Bank president — and his reign has been just...
362. Why Is This Man Running for President?
Thu, 10 Jan 2019
In the American Dream sweepstakes, Andrew Yang was a pretty big winner. But for every winner, he cam...
How to Be Happy (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 3 Jan 2019
The U.N.’s World Happiness Report — created to curtail our unhealthy obsession with G.D.P. — i...
How to Win Games and Beat People (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 27 Dec 2018
Games are as old as civilization itself, and some people think they have huge social value regardles...
People Aren’t Dumb. The World Is Hard. (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 20 Dec 2018
You wouldn’t think you could win a Nobel Prize for showing that humans tend to make irrational dec...
Freakonomics Radio Live: “Where Does Fear Live in the Brain?”
Sat, 15 Dec 2018
Our co-host is comedian Christian Finnegan, and we learn: the difference between danger and fear; th...
361. Freakonomics Radio Live: “Jesus Could Have Been a Pigeon.”
Thu, 13 Dec 2018
Our co-host is Grit author Angela Duckworth, and we learn fascinating, Freakonomical facts from a pa...
360. Is the Protestant Work Ethic Real?
Thu, 6 Dec 2018
In the early 20th century, Max Weber argued that Protestantism created wealth. Finally, there are da...
359. Should America Be Run by … Trader Joe’s?
Thu, 29 Nov 2018
The quirky little grocery chain with California roots and German ownership has a lot to teach all of...
There’s a War on Sugar. Is It Justified? (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 22 Nov 2018
Some people argue that sugar should be regulated, like alcohol and tobacco, on the grounds that it’...
358. Yes, the Open Office Is Terrible — But It Doesn’t Have to Be
Thu, 15 Nov 2018
It began as a post-war dream for a more collaborative and egalitarian workplace. It has evolved into...
357. Can an Industrial Giant Become a Tech Darling?
Thu, 8 Nov 2018
The Ford Motor Company is ditching its legacy sedans, doubling down on trucks, and trying to steer i...
356. America’s Hidden Duopoly
Thu, 1 Nov 2018
We all know our political system is “broken” — but what if that’s not true? Some say the Rep...
Extra: Elvis Costello Full Interview
Sat, 27 Oct 2018
A conversation with the iconic singer-songwriter, recorded for the Freakonomics Radio series “How ...
355. Where Does Creativity Come From (and Why Do Schools Kill It Off)?
Thu, 25 Oct 2018
Family environments and “diversifying experiences” (including the early death of a parent); intr...
Extra: Jeremy Lin Full Interview
Sat, 20 Oct 2018
A conversation with veteran NBA point guard Jeremy Lin, recorded for the Freakonomics Radio series “...
354. How to Be Creative
Thu, 18 Oct 2018
There are thousands of books on the subject, but what do we actually know about creativity? In this ...
353. How to Optimize Your Apology
Thu, 11 Oct 2018
You said, “I’m sorry,” but somehow you haven’t been forgiven. Why? Because you’re doing it...
352. Can This Man Stop a Trade War?
Thu, 4 Oct 2018
The World Trade Organization is the referee for 164 trading partners, each with their own political ...
Extra: Shawn Johnson Full Interview
Mon, 1 Oct 2018
A conversation with 2008 Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson, recorded for the Freakonomics Radio se...
351. Here’s Why You’re Not an Elite Athlete
Thu, 27 Sep 2018
There are a lot of factors that go into greatness, many of which are not obvious. A variety of Olymp...
Extra: Full Interviews With Jimmy Garoppolo, Joe Staley, Mike McGlinchey, and Kyle Juszczyk
Sun, 23 Sep 2018
Stephen Dubner’s conversations with members of the San Francisco 49ers offense, recorded for Freak...
350. How to Stop Being a Loser
Thu, 20 Sep 2018
The San Francisco 49ers, one of the most valuable sports franchises in the world, also used to be on...
349. How Sports Became Us
Thu, 13 Sep 2018
Dollar-wise, the sports industry is surprisingly small, about the same size as the cardboard-box ind...
348. Is the Government More Entrepreneurial Than You Think?
Thu, 6 Sep 2018
We all know the standard story: our economy would be more dynamic if only the government would get o...
347. Why You Shouldn’t Open a Restaurant
Thu, 30 Aug 2018
Kenji Lopez-Alt became a rock star of the food world by bringing science into the kitchen in a way t...
346. Two (Totally Opposite) Ways to Save the Planet
Thu, 23 Aug 2018
The environmentalists say we’re doomed if we don’t drastically reduce consumption. The technolog...
345. How to Be Happy
Thu, 16 Aug 2018
The U.N.’s World Happiness Report — created to curtail our unhealthy obsession with G.D.P. — i...
344. Who Decides How Much a Life Is Worth?
Thu, 9 Aug 2018
After every mass shooting or terrorist attack, victims and survivors receive a huge outpouring of su...
A Conversation With PepsiCo C.E.O. Indra Nooyi (Ep. 316 Update)
Tue, 7 Aug 2018
One of the world’s biggest and best-known companies just announced that its C.E.O. would be steppi...
343. An Astronaut, a Catalan, and Two Linguists Walk Into a Bar…
Thu, 2 Aug 2018
In this live episode of “Tell Me Something I Don’t Know,” we learn why New York has skinny sky...
342. Has Lance Armstrong Finally Come Clean?
Thu, 26 Jul 2018
He was once the most lionized athlete on the planet, with seven straight Tour de France wins and a v...
341. Why We Choke Under Pressure (and How Not To)
Thu, 19 Jul 2018
It happens to just about everyone, whether you’re going for Olympic gold or giving a wedding toast...
340. People Aren’t Dumb. The World Is Hard.
Thu, 12 Jul 2018
You wouldn’t think you could win a Nobel Prize for showing that humans tend to make irrational dec...
339. The Future of Freakonomics Radio
Tue, 3 Jul 2018
After 8 years and more than 300 episodes, it was time to either 1) quit, or 2) make the show bigger ...
In Praise of Incrementalism (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 28 Jun 2018
What do Renaissance painting, civil-rights movements, and Olympic cycling have in common? In each ca...
In Praise of Maintenance (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 21 Jun 2018
Has our culture's obsession with innovation led us to neglect the fact that things also need to be t...
338. How to Catch World Cup Fever
Thu, 14 Jun 2018
For soccer fans, it's easy. For the rest of us? Not so much, especially since the U.S. team didn't q...
337. How to Build a Smart City
Thu, 7 Jun 2018
We are in the midst of a historic (and wholly unpredicted) rise in urbanization. But it's hard to re...
How Stupid Is Our Obsession With Lawns? (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 31 May 2018
Nearly two percent of America is grassy green. Sure, lawns are beautiful and useful and they smell g...
336. The Most Vilified Industry in America Is Also the Most Charitable
Thu, 24 May 2018
Pharmaceutical firms donate an enormous amount of their products (and some cash too). But it doesn't...
335. Does Doing Good Give You License to Be Bad?
Thu, 17 May 2018
Corporate Social Responsibility programs can attract better job applicants who'll work for less mone...
334. 5 Psychology Terms You’re Probably Misusing
Thu, 10 May 2018
We all like to throw around terms that describe human behavior — “bystander apathy” and “ste...
Evolution, Accelerated (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 3 May 2018
A breakthrough in genetic technology has given humans more power than ever to change nature. It coul...
333. The Most Ambitious Thing Humans Have Ever Attempted
Thu, 26 Apr 2018
Sure, medical progress has been astounding. But today the U.S. spends more on healthcare than any ot...
332. Why the Trump Tax Cuts Are Terrible/Awesome (Part 2)
Thu, 19 Apr 2018
Three former White House economists weigh in on the new tax bill. A sample: "The overwhelming e...
331. Why the Trump Tax Cuts are Awesome/Terrible (Part 1)
Thu, 12 Apr 2018
Kevin Hassett, chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, explains the thinking behind the contro...
330. Extra: Ray Dalio Full Interview
Mon, 9 Apr 2018
Stephen Dubner's conversation with the founder and longtime C.E.O. of Bridgewater Associates, record...
329. The Invisible Paw
Thu, 5 Apr 2018
Humans, it has long been thought, are the only animal to engage in economic activity. But what if we...
328. Extra: Mark Zuckerberg Full Interview
Mon, 2 Apr 2018
Stephen Dubner's conversation with the Facebook founder and C.E.O., recorded for the Freakonomics Ra...
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Money (But Were Afraid to Ask) (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 29 Mar 2018
The bad news: roughly 70 percent of Americans are financially illiterate. The good news: all the imp...
327. Extra: Carol Bartz Full Interview
Mon, 26 Mar 2018
Stephen Dubner's conversation with the former C.E.O. of Yahoo, recorded for the Freakonomics Radio s...
The Stupidest Thing You Can Do With Your Money (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 22 Mar 2018
It's hard enough to save for a house, tuition, or retirement. So why are we willing to pay big fees ...
326. Extra: Jack Welch Full Interview
Mon, 19 Mar 2018
Stephen Dubner's conversation with the former longtime C.E.O. of General Electric, recorded for the ...
325. How to Train Your Dragon Child
Thu, 15 Mar 2018
Every 12 years, there's a spike in births among certain communities across the globe, including the ...
324. Extra: Satya Nadella Full Interview
Mon, 12 Mar 2018
Stephen Dubner's conversation with the C.E.O. of Microsoft, recorded for the Freakonomics Radio seri...
323. Here’s Why All Your Projects Are Always Late — and What to Do About It
Thu, 8 Mar 2018
Whether it's a giant infrastructure plan or a humble kitchen renovation, it'll inevitably take way t...
322. Extra: David Rubenstein Full Interview
Mon, 5 Mar 2018
Stephen Dubner's conversation with the co-founder and longtime co-C.E.O. of the Carlyle Group, recor...
Does “Early Education” Come Way Too Late? (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 1 Mar 2018
In our collective zeal to reform schools and close the achievement gap, we may have lost sight of wh...
321. Extra: Richard Branson Full Interview
Mon, 26 Feb 2018
Stephen Dubner's conversation with the Virgin Group founder, recorded for the Freakonomics Radio ser...
320. Letting Go
Thu, 22 Feb 2018
If you're a C.E.O., there are a lot of ways to leave your job, from abrupt firing to carefully plann...
319. After the Glass Ceiling, a Glass Cliff
Thu, 15 Feb 2018
Only 5 percent of Fortune 500 companies are run by women. Why? Research shows that female executives...
318. It’s Your Problem Now
Thu, 8 Feb 2018
No, it's not your fault the economy crashed. Or that consumer preferences changed. Or that new techn...
317. What Can Uber Teach Us About the Gender Pay Gap?
Tue, 6 Feb 2018
The gig economy offers the ultimate flexibility to set your own hours. That's why economists thought...
An Egghead’s Guide to the Super Bowl (Rebroadcast)
Sat, 3 Feb 2018
We assembled a panel of smart dudes -- a two-time Super Bowl champ; a couple of N.F.L. linemen, incl...
316. “I Wasn’t Stupid Enough to Say This Could Be Done Overnight”
Thu, 1 Feb 2018
Indra Nooyi became C.E.O. of PepsiCo just in time for a global financial meltdown. She also had a po...
315. How to Become a C.E.O.
Thu, 25 Jan 2018
Mark Zuckerberg's dentist dad was an early adopter of digital x-rays. Jack Welch blew the roof off a...
314. What Does a C.E.O. Actually Do?
Thu, 18 Jan 2018
They're paid a fortune — but for what, exactly? What makes a good C.E.O. — and how can you even ...
313. How to Be a Modern Democrat — and Win
Thu, 11 Jan 2018
Gina Raimondo, the governor of tiny Rhode Island, has taken on unions, boosted big business, and mad...
Why Is My Life So Hard? (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 4 Jan 2018
Most of us feel we face more headwinds and obstacles than everyone else — which breeds resentment....
Trust Me (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 28 Dec 2017
Societies where people trust one another are healthier and wealthier. In the U.S. (and the U.K. and ...
Make Me a Match (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 21 Dec 2017
Sure, markets generally work well. But for some transactions — like school admissions and organ tr...
312. Not Your Grandmother’s I.M.F.
Thu, 14 Dec 2017
The International Monetary Fund has long been the "lender of last resort" for economies in crisis. C...
311. Why Is the Live-Event Ticket Market So Screwed Up?
Thu, 7 Dec 2017
The public has almost no chance to buy good tickets to the best events. Ticket brokers, meanwhile, m...
310. Are We Running Out of Ideas?
Thu, 30 Nov 2017
Economists have a hard time explaining why productivity growth has been shrinking. One theory: true ...
Is America Ready for a “No-Lose Lottery”? (Update)
Thu, 23 Nov 2017
Most people don't enjoy the simple, boring act of putting money in a savings account. But we do love...
309. Nurses to the Rescue!
Thu, 16 Nov 2017
They are the most-trusted profession in America (and with good reason). They are critical to patient...
308. How Can I Do the Most Social Good With $100? And Other FREAK-quently Asked Questions
Thu, 9 Nov 2017
Dubner and his Freakonomics co-author Steve Levitt answer your questions about crime, traffic, real-...
Why Is There So Much Ground Beef in the World? (Special Feature)
Tue, 7 Nov 2017
In this live episode of "Tell Me Something I Don't Know," you'll learn about carcass balan...
307. Thinking Is Expensive. Who’s Supposed to Pay for It?
Thu, 2 Nov 2017
Corporations and rich people donate billions to their favorite think tanks and foundations. Should w...
306. How to Launch a Behavior-Change Revolution
Thu, 26 Oct 2017
Academic studies are nice, and so are Nobel Prizes. But to truly prove the value of a new idea, you ...
305. The Demonization of Gluten
Thu, 19 Oct 2017
Celiac disease is thought to affect roughly one percent of the population. The good news: it can be ...
304. What Are the Secrets of the German Economy — and Should We Steal Them?
Thu, 12 Oct 2017
Smart government policies, good industrial relations, and high-end products have helped German manuf...
“Tell Me Something I Don't Know” on the topic of Behavior Change (Special Feature)
Sun, 1 Oct 2017
Stephen J. Dubner hosts an episode full of the world's most renowned behavior change experts, includ...
303. Why Larry Summers Is the Economist Everyone Hates to Love
Thu, 28 Sep 2017
He's been U.S. Treasury Secretary, a chief economist for the Obama White House and the World Bank, a...
302. Why Learn Esperanto?
Tue, 26 Sep 2017
A language invented in the 19th century, and meant to be universal, it never really caught on. So wh...
301. What Would Be the Best Universal Language? (Earth 2.0 Series)
Thu, 21 Sep 2017
We explore votes for English, Indonesian, and … Esperanto! The search for a common language goes b...
300. Why Don’t We All Speak the Same Language? (Earth 2.0 Series)
Thu, 14 Sep 2017
There are 7,000 languages spoken on Earth. What are the costs — and benefits — of our modern-day...
299. "How Much Brain Damage Do I Have?"
Thu, 7 Sep 2017
John Urschel was the only player in the N.F.L. simultaneously getting a math Ph.D. at M.I.T. But aft...
Bad Medicine, Part 3: Death by Diagnosis (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 31 Aug 2017
By some estimates, medical error is the third-leading cause of death in the U.S. How can that be? An...
Bad Medicine, Part 2: (Drug) Trials and Tribulations (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 24 Aug 2017
How do so many ineffective and even dangerous drugs make it to market? One reason is that clinical t...
Bad Medicine, Part 1: The Story of 98.6 (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 17 Aug 2017
We tend to think of medicine as a science, but for most of human history it has been scientific-ish ...
What Are You Waiting For? (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 10 Aug 2017
Standing in line represents a particularly sloppy — and frustrating — way for supply and demand ...
298. Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Money (But Were Afraid to Ask)
Thu, 3 Aug 2017
The bad news: roughly 70 percent of Americans are financially illiterate. The good news: all the imp...
297. The Stupidest Thing You Can Do With Your Money
Thu, 27 Jul 2017
It's hard enough to save for a house, tuition, or retirement. So why are we willing to pay big fees ...
296. These Shoes Are Killing Me!
Thu, 20 Jul 2017
The human foot is an evolutionary masterpiece, far more functional than we give it credit for. So wh...
295. When Helping Hurts
Thu, 13 Jul 2017
Good intentions are nice, but with so many resources poured into social programs, wouldn't it be eve...
294. The Fracking Boom, a Baby Boom, and the Retreat From Marriage
Thu, 6 Jul 2017
Over 40 percent of U.S. births are to unmarried mothers, and the numbers are especially high among t...
The Harvard President Will See You Now (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 29 Jun 2017
How a pain-in-the-neck girl from rural Virginia came to run the most powerful university in the worl...
293. Why Hate the Koch Brothers? (Part 2)
Fri, 23 Jun 2017
Charles Koch, the mega-billionaire CEO of Koch Industries and half of the infamous political machine...
292. Why Hate the Koch Brothers? (Part 1)
Thu, 22 Jun 2017
Charles Koch, the mega-billionaire CEO of Koch Industries and half of the infamous political machine...
"Tell Me Something I Don't Know" on the topic of Rivalry
Tue, 20 Jun 2017
Steve Levitt, Scott Turow and Bridget Gainer are panelists. For the "Freakonomics" co-auth...
291. Evolution, Accelerated
Thu, 15 Jun 2017
A breakthrough in genetic technology has given humans more power than ever to change nature. It coul...
290. He’s One of the Most Famous Political Operatives in America. America Just Doesn’t Know It Yet.
Thu, 8 Jun 2017
Steve Hilton was the man behind David Cameron's push to remake British politics. Things didn't work ...
289. How Stupid Is Our Obsession With Lawns?
Thu, 1 Jun 2017
Nearly two percent of America is grassy green. Sure, lawns are beautiful and useful and they smell g...
288. Are the Rich Really Less Generous Than the Poor?
Thu, 25 May 2017
A series of academic studies suggest that the wealthy are, to put it bluntly, selfish jerks. It's an...
287. Hoopers! Hoopers! Hoopers!
Thu, 18 May 2017
As CEO of Microsoft, Steve Ballmer was famous for over-the-top enthusiasm. Now he's brought that sam...
286. How Big is My Penis? (And Other Things We Ask Google)
Thu, 11 May 2017
On the Internet, people say all kinds of things they'd never say aloud -- about sex and race, about ...
Food + Science = Victory! (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 4 May 2017
A kitchen wizard and a nutrition detective talk about the perfect hamburger, getting the most out of...
285. There’s a War on Sugar. Is It Justified?
Thu, 27 Apr 2017
Some people argue that sugar should be regulated, like alcohol and tobacco, on the grounds that it's...
284. Is Income Inequality Inevitable? (Earth 2.0 Series)
Thu, 20 Apr 2017
In pursuit of a more perfect economy, we discuss the future of work; the toxic remnants of colonizat...
283. What Would Our Economy Look Like? (Earth 2.0 Series)
Thu, 13 Apr 2017
If we could reboot the planet and create new systems and institutions from scratch, would they be an...
282. Could Solving This One Problem Solve All the Others?
Thu, 6 Apr 2017
The biggest problem with humanity is humans themselves. Too often, we make choices — what we eat, ...
281. Big Returns from Thinking Small
Thu, 30 Mar 2017
By day, two leaders of Britain's famous Nudge Unit use behavioral tricks to make better government p...
280. “Tell Me Something I Don’t Know” on the topic of Collections.
Tue, 28 Mar 2017
Hear live journalism wrapped in a game show package and hosted by Stephen J. Dubner. In this episode...
How Safe Is Your Job? (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 23 Mar 2017
Economists preach the gospel of "creative destruction," whereby new industries -- and jobs...
279. Why Is My Life So Hard?
Thu, 16 Mar 2017
Most of us feel we face more headwinds and obstacles than everyone else — which breeds resentment....
278. Chuck E. Cheese’s: Where a Kid Can Learn Price Theory
Thu, 9 Mar 2017
The pizza-and-gaming emporium prides itself on affordability, which means its arcade games are reall...
277. The Taboo Trifecta
Thu, 2 Mar 2017
The serial entrepreneur Miki Agrawal loves to talk about the bodily functions that make most people ...
276. No Hollywood Ending for the Visual-Effects Industry
Thu, 23 Feb 2017
In their chase for a global audience, American movie studios spend billions to make their films look...
275. Professor Hendryx vs. Big Coal
Thu, 16 Feb 2017
What happens when a public-health researcher deep in coal country argues that mountaintop mining end...
How to Get More Grit in Your Life
Thu, 9 Feb 2017
The psychologist Angela Duckworth argues that a person's level of stick-to-itiveness is directly rel...
274. An Egghead’s Guide to the Super Bowl
Thu, 2 Feb 2017
We assembled a panel of smart dudes -- a two-time Super Bowl champ; a couple of NFL linemen, includi...
273. Did China Eat America’s Jobs?
Thu, 26 Jan 2017
For years, economists promised that global free trade would be mostly win-win. Now they admit the pa...
Is the American Dream Really Dead?
Thu, 19 Jan 2017
Just a few decades ago, more than 90 percent of 30-year-olds earned more than their parents had earn...
272. Trevor Noah Has a Lot to Say
Thu, 12 Jan 2017
The Daily Show host grew up as a poor, mixed-race South African kid going to three churches every Su...
271. The Men Who Started a Thinking Revolution
Thu, 5 Jan 2017
Starting in the late 1960s, the Israeli psychologists Amos Tversky and Danny Kahneman began to redef...
How to Become Great at Just About Anything (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 29 Dec 2016
What if the thing we call "talent" is grotesquely overrated? And what if deliberate practi...
How to Be More Productive (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 22 Dec 2016
In this busy time of year, we could all use some tips on how to get more done in less time. First, h...
270. Bad Medicine, Part 3: Death by Diagnosis
Thu, 15 Dec 2016
By some estimates, medical error is the third-leading cause of death in the U.S. How can that be? An...
269. Bad Medicine, Part 2: (Drug) Trials and Tribulations
Thu, 8 Dec 2016
How do so many ineffective and even dangerous drugs make it to market? One reason is that clinical t...
268. Bad Medicine, Part 1: The Story of 98.6
Thu, 1 Dec 2016
We tend to think of medicine as a science, but for most of human history it has been scientific-ish ...
The No-Tipping Point (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 24 Nov 2016
The restaurant business model is warped: kitchen wages are too low to hire cooks, while diners are p...
267. How to Make a Bad Decision
Thu, 17 Nov 2016
Some of our most important decisions are shaped by something as random as the order in which we make...
Introducing Stephen J. Dubner's new podcast, "Tell Me Something I Don't Know"
Tue, 15 Nov 2016
"Tell Me Something I Don't Know" is a live game show hosted by Stephen J. Dubner of "...
266. Trust Me
Thu, 10 Nov 2016
Societies where people trust one another are healthier and wealthier. In the U.S. (and the U.K. and ...
How Much Does the President Really Matter? (Rebroadcast )
Wed, 9 Nov 2016
The U.S. president is often called the "leader of free world." But if you ask an economist...
265. The White House Gets Into the Nudge Business
Thu, 3 Nov 2016
A tiny behavioral-sciences startup is trying to improve the way federal agencies do their work. Cons...
264. In Praise of Incrementalism
Thu, 27 Oct 2016
What do Renaissance painting, civil-rights movements, and Olympic cycling have in common? In each ca...
263. In Praise of Maintenance
Thu, 20 Oct 2016
Has our culture's obsession with innovation led us to neglect the fact that things also need to be t...
262. This Is Your Brain on Podcasts
Thu, 13 Oct 2016
Neuroscientists still have a great deal to learn about the human brain. One recent MRI study sheds s...
How To Win A Nobel Prize (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 6 Oct 2016
The process is famously secretive (and conducted in Swedish!) but we pry the lid off at least a litt...
261. Why Are We Still Using Cash?
Thu, 29 Sep 2016
It facilitates crime, bribery, and tax evasion -- and yet some governments (including ours) are prin...
260. Has the U.S. Presidency Become a Dictatorship?
Thu, 22 Sep 2016
Sure, we all pay lip service to the Madisonian system of checks and balances. But as one legal schol...
259. Ten Signs You Might Be a Libertarian
Thu, 15 Sep 2016
Gary Johnson, the Libertarian Party's presidential candidate, likes to say that most Americans are l...
258. Why Uber Is an Economist’s Dream
Thu, 8 Sep 2016
To you, it's just a ride-sharing app that gets you where you're going. But to an economist, Uber is ...
257. The Future (Probably) Isn’t as Scary as You Think
Thu, 1 Sep 2016
Internet pioneer Kevin Kelly tries to predict the future by identifying what's truly inevitable. How...
Are You Ready for a Glorious Sunset? (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 25 Aug 2016
The gist: we spend billions on end-of-life healthcare that doesn’t do much good. So what if a pati...
Aziz Ansari Needs Another Toothbrush (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 18 Aug 2016
The comedian, actor -- and now, author -- answers our FREAK-quently Asked Questions.
256. What Are You Waiting For?
Thu, 11 Aug 2016
Standing in line represents a particularly sloppy - and frustrating - way for supply and demand to m...
Is It Okay for Restaurants to Racially Profile Their Employees? (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 4 Aug 2016
We seem to have decided that ethnic food tastes better when it's served by people of that ethnicity ...
255. Ten Ideas to Make Politics Less Rotten
Thu, 28 Jul 2016
We Americans may love our democracy -- at least in theory -- but at the moment our feelings toward t...
254. What Are Gender Barriers Made Of?
Thu, 21 Jul 2016
Overt discrimination in the labor markets may be on the wane, but women are still subtly penalized b...
253. Is the Internet Being Ruined?
Thu, 14 Jul 2016
It's a remarkable ecosystem that allows each of us to exercise control over our lives. But how much ...
252. Confessions of a Pothole Politician
Thu, 7 Jul 2016
Eric Garcetti, the mayor of Los Angeles, has big ambitions but knows he must first master the small ...
The Suicide Paradox (Rebroadcast )
Thu, 30 Jun 2016
There are more than twice as many suicides as murders in the U.S., but suicide attracts far less scr...
How Much Does the President Really Matter? (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 23 Jun 2016
The U.S. president is often called the "leader of free world." But if you ask an economist...
Why Do We Really Follow the News? (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 16 Jun 2016
There are all kinds of civics-class answers to that question. But how true are they? Could it be tha...
Time to Take Back the Toilet
Thu, 9 Jun 2016
Public bathrooms are noisy, poorly designed, and often nonexistent. What to do?
250. Why Does Everyone Hate Flying? And Other Questions Only a Pilot Can Answer
Thu, 2 Jun 2016
Patrick Smith, the author of Cockpit Confidential, answers every question we can throw at him about ...
249. The Longest Long Shot
Thu, 26 May 2016
When the uncelebrated Leicester City Football Club won the English Premier League, it wasn't just th...
248. How to Be Tim Ferriss
Thu, 19 May 2016
Our Self-Improvement Month concludes with a man whose entire life and career are one big pile of sel...
247. How to Win Games and Beat People
Thu, 12 May 2016
Games are as old as civilization itself, and some people think they have huge social value regardles...
246. How to Get More Grit in Your Life
Thu, 5 May 2016
The psychologist Angela Duckworth argues that a person's level of stick-to-itiveness is directly rel...
245. Being Malcolm Gladwell
Mon, 2 May 2016
"Books are a pain in the ass," says Gladwell, who has written some of the most popular, in...
244. How to Become Great at Just About Anything
Thu, 28 Apr 2016
What if the thing we call "talent" is grotesquely overrated? And what if deliberate practice is the ...
243. How to Be More Productive
Thu, 21 Apr 2016
It's Self-Improvement Month at Freakonomics Radio. We begin with a topic that seems to be on everyon...
242. Is the World Ready for a Guaranteed Basic Income?
Thu, 14 Apr 2016
A lot of full-time jobs in the modern economy simply don't pay a living wage. And even those jobs ma...
241. Are Payday Loans Really as Evil as People Say?
Thu, 7 Apr 2016
Critics -- including President Obama -- say short-term, high-interest loans are predatory, trapping ...
The Economics of Sleep, Part 2 (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 31 Mar 2016
People who sleep better earn more money. Now all we have to do is teach everyone to sleep better.
The Economics of Sleep, Part 1 (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 24 Mar 2016
Could a lack of sleep help explain why some people get much sicker than others?
240. Yes, the American Economy Is in a Funk -- But Not for the Reasons You Think
Thu, 17 Mar 2016
As sexy as the digital revolution may be, it can't compare to the Second Industrial Revolution (elec...
239. The No-Tipping Point
Fri, 11 Mar 2016
The restaurant business model is warped: kitchen wages are too low to hire cooks, while diners are p...
238. The United States of Cory Booker
Thu, 3 Mar 2016
The junior U.S. Senator from New Jersey thinks bipartisanship is right around the corner. Is he just...
237. Ask Not What Your Podcast Can Do for You
Thu, 25 Feb 2016
Now and again, Freakonomics Radio puts hat in hand and asks listeners to donate to the public-radio ...
236. How Can This Possibly Be True?
Thu, 18 Feb 2016
A famous economics essay features a pencil (yes, a pencil) arguing that “not a single person on th...
235. Who Needs Handwriting?
Thu, 11 Feb 2016
The digital age is making pen and paper seem obsolete. But what are we giving up if we give up on ha...
How to Fix a Broken High Schooler, in Four Easy Steps (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 4 Feb 2016
Okay, maybe the steps aren't so easy. But a program run out of a Toronto housing project has had gre...
Is America’s Education Problem Really Just a Teacher Problem? (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 28 Jan 2016
If U.S. schoolteachers are indeed "just a little bit below average," it's not really their...
234. Do Boycotts Work?
Thu, 21 Jan 2016
The Montgomery Bus Boycott, the South African divestment campaign, Chick-fil-A! Almost anyone can la...
233. How to Be Less Terrible at Predicting the Future
Thu, 14 Jan 2016
Experts and pundits are notoriously bad at forecasting, in part because they aren't punished for bad...
232. The True Story of the Gender Pay Gap
Thu, 7 Jan 2016
Discrimination can't explain why women earn so much less than men. If only it were that easy.
When Willpower Isn’t Enough (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 31 Dec 2015
Sure, we all want to make good personal decisions, but it doesn't always work out. That's where &quo...
Fixing the World, Bang-for-the-Buck Edition (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 24 Dec 2015
A team of economists has been running the numbers on the U.N.'s development goals. They have a diffe...
231. Is Migration a Basic Human Right?
Thu, 17 Dec 2015
The argument for open borders is compelling -- and deeply problematic.
230. The Cheeseburger Diet
Thu, 10 Dec 2015
One woman's quest to find the best burger in town can teach all of us to eat smarter.
229. Ben Bernanke Gives Himself a Grade
Thu, 3 Dec 2015
He was handed the keys to the global economy just as it started heading off a cliff. Fortunately, he...
Why Do People Keep Having Children? (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 26 Nov 2015
Even a brutal natural disaster doesn't diminish our appetite for procreating. This surely means we'r...
228. Does “Early Education” Come Way Too Late?
Thu, 19 Nov 2015
In our collective zeal to reform schools and close the achievement gap, we may have lost sight of wh...
227. Should Everyone Be in a Rock Band?
Thu, 12 Nov 2015
Lessons from Tom Petty's rise and another rocker's fall.
226. Food + Science = Victory!
Thu, 5 Nov 2015
A kitchen wizard and a nutrition detective talk about the perfect hamburger, getting the most out of...
225. Am I Boring You?
Thu, 29 Oct 2015
Researchers are trying to figure out who gets bored - and why - and what it means for ourselves and ...
How to Save $1 Billion Without Even Trying (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 22 Oct 2015
Doctors, chefs, and other experts are much more likely than the rest of us to buy store-brand produc...
224. How To Win A Nobel Prize
Thu, 15 Oct 2015
The process is famously secretive (and conducted in Swedish!) but we pry the lid off at least a litt...
223. Should Kids Pay Back Their Parents for Raising Them?
Thu, 8 Oct 2015
When one athlete turned pro, his mom asked him for $1 million. Our modern sensibilities tell us she ...
222. Meet the Woman Who Said Women Can’t Have It All
Thu, 1 Oct 2015
Anne-Marie Slaughter was best known for her adamant views on Syria when she accidentally became a po...
221. How Did the Belt Win?
Thu, 24 Sep 2015
Suspenders may work better, but the dork factor is too high. How did an organ-squeezing belly tourni...
220. “I Don't Know What You've Done With My Husband, But He's a Changed Man.”
Thu, 17 Sep 2015
From domestic abusers to former child soldiers, there is increasing evidence that behavioral therapy...
219. Preventing Crime for Pennies on the Dollar
Thu, 10 Sep 2015
Conventional programs tend to be expensive, onerous, and ineffective. Could something as simple (and...
218. The Harvard President Will See You Now
Thu, 3 Sep 2015
How a pain-in-the-neck girl from rural Virginia came to run the most powerful university in the worl...
217. Are You Ready for a Glorious Sunset?
Thu, 27 Aug 2015
We spend billions on end-of-life healthcare that doesn't do much good. So what if a patient could fo...
216. How to Make a Smart TV Ad
Thu, 20 Aug 2015
Step 1: Hire a Harvard psych professor as the pitchman. Step 2: Have him help write the script ...
The Dangers of Safety (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 13 Aug 2015
What do NASCAR drivers, Glenn Beck and the hit men of the NFL have in common?
215. Why Do We Really Follow the News?
Thu, 6 Aug 2015
There are all kinds of civics-class answers to that question. But how true are they? Could it be tha...
214. How to Create Suspense
Thu, 30 Jul 2015
Why is soccer the best sport? How has Harlan Coben sold 70 million books? And why does "Apollo ...
213. Aziz Ansari Needs Another Toothbrush
Thu, 23 Jul 2015
The comedian, actor -- and now, author -- answers our FREAK-quently Asked Questions
212. The Economics of Sleep, Part 2
Thu, 16 Jul 2015
People who sleep better earn more money. Now all we have to do is teach everyone to sleep better.
211. The Economics of Sleep, Part 1
Thu, 9 Jul 2015
Could a lack of sleep help explain why some people get much sicker than others?
A Better Way to Eat (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 2 Jul 2015
Takeru Kobayashi revolutionized the sport of competitive eating. What can the rest of us learn from ...
210. Is It Okay for Restaurants to Racially Profile Their Employees?
Thu, 25 Jun 2015
We seem to have decided that ethnic food tastes better when it's served by people of that ethnicity ...
209. Make Me a Match
Thu, 18 Jun 2015
Sure, markets generally work well. But for some transactions -- like school admissions and organ tra...
208. Making Sex Offenders Pay -- and Pay and Pay and Pay
Thu, 11 Jun 2015
Sure, sex crimes are horrific, and the perpetrators deserve to be punished harshly. But society keep...
207. Should We Really Behave Like Economists Say We Do?
Thu, 4 Jun 2015
One man's attempt to remake his life in the mold of homo economicus.
Tell Me Something I Don’t Know (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 28 May 2015
The debut of a live game show from Freakonomics Radio, with judges Malcolm Gladwell, Ana Gasteyer, a...
Failure Is Your Friend (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 21 May 2015
In which we argue that failure should not only be tolerated but celebrated.
206. Ten Years of Freakonomics
Thu, 14 May 2015
Dubner and Levitt are live onstage at the 92nd Street Y in New York to celebrate their new book &quo...
205. Could the Next Brooklyn Be ... Las Vegas?!
Thu, 7 May 2015
Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh has a wild vision and the dollars to try to make it real. But it still might b...
Think Like a Child (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 30 Apr 2015
When it comes to generating ideas and asking questions it can be really fruitful to have the mentali...
204. Nate Silver Says: “Everyone Is Kind of Weird”
Thu, 23 Apr 2015
America's favorite statistical guru answers our FREAK-quently Asked Questions, and more.
203. Diamonds Are a Marriage Counselor’s Best Friend
Thu, 16 Apr 2015
It may seem like winning a valuable diamond is an unalloyed victory. It's not. It's not even clear t...
202. How Many Doctors Does It Take to Start a Healthcare Revolution?
Thu, 9 Apr 2015
The practice of medicine has been subsumed by the business of medicine. This is great news for healt...
201. How Do We Know What Really Works in Healthcare?
Thu, 2 Apr 2015
A lot of the conventional wisdom in medicine is nothing more than hunch or wishful thinking. A new b...
The Perfect Crime (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 26 Mar 2015
If you are driving and kill a pedestrian, there's a good chance you'll barely be punished. Why?
What You Don’t Know About Online Dating (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 19 Mar 2015
Thick markets, thin markets, and the triumph of attributes over compatibility.
200. When Willpower Isn’t Enough
Thu, 12 Mar 2015
Sure, we all want to make good personal decisions, but it doesn't always work out. That's where &quo...
199. This Idea Must Die
Thu, 5 Mar 2015
Every year, Edge.org asks its salon of big thinkers to answer one big question. This year's question...
198. The Maddest Men of All
Thu, 26 Feb 2015
Advertisers have always been adept at manipulating our emotions. Now they're using behavioral econom...
197. Hacking the World Bank
Thu, 19 Feb 2015
Jim Yong Kim has an unorthodox background for a World Bank president — and his reign thus far is j...
196. Is There a Better Way to Fight Terrorism?
Thu, 12 Feb 2015
The White House is hosting an anti-terror summit next week. Summits being what they are, we try to o...
195. How Efficient Is Energy Efficiency?
Thu, 5 Feb 2015
It's a centerpiece of U.S. climate policy and a sacred cow among environmentalists. Does it work?
194. How Safe Is Your Job?
Thu, 29 Jan 2015
Economists preach the gospel of "creative destruction," whereby new industries -- and jobs...
193. Someone Else’s Acid Trip
Thu, 22 Jan 2015
As Kevin Kelly tells it, the hippie revolution and the computer revolution are nearly one and the sa...
192. That’s a Great Question!
Thu, 15 Jan 2015
Verbal tic or strategic rejoinder? Whatever the case: it’s rare to come across an interview these ...
191. Why Doesn’t Everyone Get the Flu Vaccine?
Thu, 8 Jan 2015
Influenza kills, but you’d never know it by how few of us get the vaccine.
What’s the “Best” Exercise? (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 1 Jan 2015
Most people blame lack of time for being out of shape. So maybe the solution is to exercise more eff...
What’s More Dangerous: Marijuana or Alcohol? (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 25 Dec 2014
Imagine that both substances were undiscovered until today. How would we think about their relative ...
190. Time to Take Back the Toilet
Thu, 18 Dec 2014
Public bathrooms are noisy, poorly designed, and often nonexistent. What to do?
The Troubled Cremation of Stevie the Cat (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 11 Dec 2014
We spend billions on our pets, and one of the fastest-growing costs is pet "aftercare." Bu...
189. How to Fix a Broken High Schooler, in Four Easy Steps
Thu, 4 Dec 2014
Okay, maybe the steps aren’t so easy. But a program run out of a Toronto housing project has had g...
188. Is America’s Education Problem Really Just a Teacher Problem?
Thu, 27 Nov 2014
If U.S. schoolteachers are indeed “just a little bit below average,” it’s not really their fau...
187. The Man Who Would Be Everything
Thu, 20 Nov 2014
Boris Johnson -- mayor of London, biographer of Churchill, cheese-box painter and tennis-racket coll...
186. Why Do People Keep Having Children?
Thu, 13 Nov 2014
Even a brutal natural disaster doesn’t diminish our appetite for procreating. This surely means we...
185. Should the U.S. Merge With Mexico?
Thu, 6 Nov 2014
Corporations around the world are consolidating like never before. If it’s good enough for compani...
184. What Can Vampires Teach Us About Economics?
Thu, 30 Oct 2014
A lot! “The Economics of the Undead” is a book about dating strategy, job creation, and whether ...
183. “Tell Me Something I Don’t Know”
Thu, 23 Oct 2014
The debut of a live game show from Freakonomics Radio, with judges Malcolm Gladwell, Ana Gasteyer, a...
182. How Can Tiny Norway Afford to Buy So Many Teslas?
Thu, 16 Oct 2014
The Norwegian government parleys massive oil wealth into huge subsidies for electric cars. Is that c...
How to Raise Money Without Killing a Kitten (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 9 Oct 2014
The science of what works -- and doesn't work -- in fund-raising
181. Fixing the World, Bang-for-the-Buck Edition
Thu, 2 Oct 2014
A team of economists has been running the numbers on the U.N.'s development goals. They have a diffe...
180. Fitness Apartheid
Thu, 25 Sep 2014
Markets are hardly perfect, but the results can be ugly when you try to subvert them.
179. Outsiders by Design
Thu, 18 Sep 2014
What does it mean to pursue something that everyone else thinks is nuts? And what does it take to su...
178. How to Save $1 Billion Without Even Trying
Thu, 11 Sep 2014
Doctors, chefs, and other experts are much more likely than the rest of us to buy store-brand produc...
177. Regulate This!
Thu, 4 Sep 2014
Airbnb, Uber, Lyft, EatWith, and other companies in the “sharing economy” are practically daring...
Who Runs the Internet? (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 28 Aug 2014
The online universe doesn't have nearly as many rules, or rulemakers, as the real world. Discuss.
Parking Is Hell (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 21 Aug 2014
There ain't no such thing as a free parking spot. Somebody has to pay for it -- and that somebody is...
What Do Medieval Nuns and Bo Jackson Have in Common? (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 14 Aug 2014
A look at whether spite pays -- and if it even exists.
Should Tipping be Banned? (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 7 Aug 2014
It's awkward, random, confusing -- and probably discriminatory too.
How Much Does Your Name Matter? (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 31 Jul 2014
A kid's name can tell us something about his parents -- their race, social standing, even their poli...
176. Does Religion Make You Happy?
Thu, 24 Jul 2014
It’s a hard question to answer, but we do our best.
175. Why You Should Bribe Your Kids
Thu, 17 Jul 2014
Educational messaging looks good on paper but kids don’t respond to it -- and adults aren’t much...
174. What Do King Solomon and David Lee Roth Have in Common?
Thu, 10 Jul 2014
It isn’t easy to separate the guilty from the innocent, but a clever bit of game theory can help.
173. A Better Way to Eat
Thu, 3 Jul 2014
Takeru Kobayashi revolutionized the sport of competitive eating. What can the rest of us learn from ...
172. How to Screen Job Applicants, Act Your Age, and Get Your Brain Off Autopilot
Thu, 26 Jun 2014
Dubner and Levitt answer reader questions in this first installment of the “Think Like a Freak” ...
171. There’s No Such Thing as a Free Appetizer
Thu, 19 Jun 2014
Is it really in a restaurant’s best interest to give customers free bread or chips before they eve...
170. Why America Doesn’t Love Soccer (Yet)
Thu, 12 Jun 2014
Every four years, the U.S. takes a look at the World Cup and develops a slight crush. What would it ...
169. Failure Is Your Friend
Thu, 5 Jun 2014
In which we argue that failure should not only be tolerated but celebrated.
The Upside of Quitting (Rebroadcast )
Thu, 29 May 2014
You know the saying: a winner never quits and a quitter never wins. To which Freakonomics Radio says...
168. Think Like a Child
Thu, 22 May 2014
When it comes to generating ideas and asking questions it can be really fruitful to have the mentali...
167. The Three Hardest Words in the English Language
Thu, 15 May 2014
Why learning to say “I don’t know” is one of the best things you can do.
166. How to Think Like a Freak -- and Other FREAK-quently Asked Questions
Thu, 8 May 2014
Stephen Dubner and Steve Levitt talk about their new book and field questions about prestige, univer...
165. The Perfect Crime
Thu, 1 May 2014
If you are driving and kill a pedestrian, there's a good chance you'll barely be punished. Why?
164. Which Came First, the Chicken or the Avocado?
Thu, 24 Apr 2014
When it comes to exercising outrage, people tend to be very selective. Could it be that humans are o...
163. What’s More Dangerous: Marijuana or Alcohol?
Thu, 17 Apr 2014
Imagine that both substances were undiscovered until today. How would we think about their relative ...
162. “If Mayors Ruled the World”
Thu, 10 Apr 2014
Unlike certain elected officials in Washington, mayors all over the country actually get stuff done....
161. How to Make People Quit Smoking
Thu, 3 Apr 2014
The war on cigarettes has been fairly successful in some places. But 1 billion humans still smoke --...
160. Why Everybody Who Doesn’t Hate Bitcoin Loves It
Thu, 27 Mar 2014
Thinking of Bitcoin as just a digital currency is like thinking about the Internet as just e-mail. I...
Women Are Not Men (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 20 Mar 2014
In many ways, the gender gap is closing. In others, not so much. And that's not always a bad thing.
159. “It’s Fun to Smoke Marijuana”
Thu, 13 Mar 2014
A psychology professor argues that the brain's greatest attribute is knowing what other people are t...
158. Is Learning a Foreign Language Really Worth It?
Thu, 6 Mar 2014
Yes, it expands the mind but we usually don't retain much -- and then there's the opportunity cost.
157. Why Are Japanese Homes Disposable?
Thu, 27 Feb 2014
In most countries, houses get more valuable over time. In Japan, a new buyer will often bulldoze the...
156. Why Marry? (Part 2)
Thu, 20 Feb 2014
The consequences of our low marriage rate -- and if the old model is less attractive, how about a ne...
155. Why Marry? (Part 1)
Thu, 13 Feb 2014
The myths of modern marriage.
154. What You Don’t Know About Online Dating
Thu, 6 Feb 2014
Thick markets, thin markets, and the triumph of attributes over compatibility.This episode is includ...
153. Reasons to Not Be Ugly
Thu, 30 Jan 2014
The "beauty premium" is real, for everyone from babies to NFL quarterbacks.
152. Everybody Gossips (and That’s a Good Thing)
Thu, 23 Jan 2014
The benefits of rumor-mongering
Fear Thy Nature (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 16 Jan 2014
What "Sleep No More" and the Stanford Prison Experiment tell us about who we really are.
151. Are We Ready to Legalize Drugs? And Other FREAK-Quently Asked Questions
Thu, 9 Jan 2014
Dubner and Levitt talk about fixing the post office, putting cameras in the classroom, and wearing h...
150. What’s the “Best” Exercise?
Thu, 2 Jan 2014
Most people blame lack of time for being out of shape. So maybe the solution is to exercise more eff...
Save Me From Myself (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 26 Dec 2013
A commitment device forces you to be the person you really want to be. What could possibly go wrong?...
149. Pontiff-icating on the Free-Market System
Thu, 19 Dec 2013
The Pope just gave it to the global economy with both barrels. Was he right to do so?
148. Are Gay Men Really Rich?
Thu, 12 Dec 2013
It’s easy to get that idea. But is the stereotype true?
147. The Most Dangerous Machine
Thu, 5 Dec 2013
More than 1 million people die worldwide each year from traffic accidents. But there's never been a ...
146. Fighting Poverty With Actual Evidence
Wed, 27 Nov 2013
It's time to do away with feel-good stories, gut hunches, and magical thinking.
145. What Do Skating Rinks, Ultimate Frisbee, and the World Have in Common?
Thu, 21 Nov 2013
Spontaneous order is everywhere if you know where to look for it.
144. Who Runs the Internet?
Thu, 14 Nov 2013
The online universe doesn't have nearly as many rules, or rulemakers, as the real world. Discuss.
Freakonomics Goes to College, Part 2 (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 7 Nov 2013
College tends to make people happier, healthier, and wealthier. But how?
Freakonomics Goes to College, Part 1 (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 31 Oct 2013
What's a college degree really worth these days?
143. Why Bad Environmentalism Is Such an Easy Sell
Thu, 24 Oct 2013
Being green is rarely a black-and-white issue -- but that doesn't stop marketers and politicians fro...
142. The Troubled Cremation of Stevie the Cat
Mon, 14 Oct 2013
We spend billions on our pets, and one of the fastest-growing costs is pet "aftercare." Bu...
141. How to Raise Money Without Killing a Kitten
Thu, 10 Oct 2013
The science of what works -- and doesn't work -- in fund-raising
140. How to Think About Money, Choose Your Hometown, and Buy an Electric Toothbrush
Thu, 3 Oct 2013
Dubner and Levitt field your queries in this latest installment of our FREAK-quently Asked Questions...
139. Would a Big Bucket of Cash Really Change Your Life?
Thu, 26 Sep 2013
A 19th-century Georgia land lottery may have something to teach us about today's income inequality.
The Economist’s Guide to Parenting (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 19 Sep 2013
Think you know how much parents matter? Think again. Economists crunch the numbers to learn the ROI ...
138. Whatever Happened to the Carpal Tunnel Epidemic?
Thu, 12 Sep 2013
Once upon a time, office workers across America lived in fear of a dreaded infirmity. Was the comput...
The Suicide Paradox (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 5 Sep 2013
There are more than twice as many suicides as murders in the U.S., but suicide attracts far less scr...
137. Who Are the Most Successful Immigrants in the World?
Thu, 29 Aug 2013
It's impossible to say for sure, but the Lebanese do remarkably well. Why?
The Folly of Prediction (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 22 Aug 2013
Human beings love to predict the future, but we're quite terrible at it. So how about punishing all ...
136. The Middle of Everywhere
Thu, 15 Aug 2013
Chicago has given the world more than sausage, crooked politics, and Da Bears.
The Church of "Scionology" (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 8 Aug 2013
We worship the tradition of handing off a family business to the next generation. But is that really...
135. Do Baby Girls Cause Divorce?
Thu, 1 Aug 2013
Even American parents have a strong "son preference" -- which means that a newborn daughte...
The Upside of Quitting (Rebroadcast)
Mon, 22 Jul 2013
You know the saying: a winner never quits and a quitter never wins. To which Freakonomics Radio says...
134. Government Employees Gone Wild
Thu, 18 Jul 2013
The Encyclopedia of Ethical Failures catalogs the fiscal, sexual, and mental lapses of federal worke...
133. A Burger a Day
Thu, 11 Jul 2013
Is junk food an abomination or a modern miracle?
132. Jane Austen, Game Theorist
Wed, 3 Jul 2013
What does "Pride and Prejudice" have to do with nuclear deterrence?
Legacy of a Jerk (Rebroadcast)
Thu, 27 Jun 2013
What happens to your reputation when you're no longer around to defend it?
131. Do You Really Want to Know Your Future?
Thu, 20 Jun 2013
You might think that someone with a 50-50 chance of getting a fatal disease would want to know for s...
130. Why Family and Business Don’t Mix
Wed, 12 Jun 2013
Yet another reason to blame your parents for pretty much everything.
129. Should Tipping be Banned?
Mon, 3 Jun 2013
It's awkward, random, confusing -- and probably discriminatory too.
128. Baby, You Can Program My Car
Wed, 29 May 2013
A glimpse into our driverless future.
127. Can You Be Too Smart for Your Own Good? And Other FREAK-quently Asked Questions
Thu, 23 May 2013
Dubner and Levitt talk about circadian rhythms, gay marriage, autism, and whether "pay what you...
The Hidden Cost of False Alarms (Rebroadcast)
Wed, 15 May 2013
If any other product failed 94 percent of the time, you'd probably stop using it. So why do we put u...
126. What Do Medieval Nuns and Bo Jackson Have in Common?
Thu, 9 May 2013
A look at whether spite pays — and if it even exists.
125. It’s Crowded at the Top
Wed, 1 May 2013
Why is unemployment still so high? It may be because of something that happened well before the Grea...
124. Running to Do Evil
Thu, 25 Apr 2013
An interview with Unabomber Ted Kaczynski, whose younger brother turned him in -- and what it says a...
123. Help Wanted. No Smokers Need Apply
Wed, 17 Apr 2013
In many states, it is perfectly legal to not hire someone who smokes. Should employers also be able ...
122. How Much Does Your Name Matter?
Mon, 8 Apr 2013
A kid's name can tell us something about his parents -- their race, social standing, even their poli...
121. The Tax Man Nudgeth
Wed, 3 Apr 2013
Real tax reform may or may not ever happen. In the meantime, how about making the current system wor...
120. 100 Ways to Fight Obesity
Wed, 27 Mar 2013
Freakonomics asks a dozen smart people for their best ideas. Get ready for a fat tax, a sugar ban, a...
119. How Money Is March Madness?
Thu, 21 Mar 2013
The NCAA basketball tournament grabs a lot of eyeballs, but turning them into dollars hasn't always ...
118. Parking Is Hell
Wed, 13 Mar 2013
There ain't no such thing as a free parking spot. Somebody has to pay for it -- and that somebody is...
117. When Is a Negative a Positive?
Wed, 6 Mar 2013
Sure, we all like to hear compliments. But if you're truly looking to get better at something, it's ...
116. Women Are Not Men
Sun, 24 Feb 2013
In many ways, the gender gap is closing. In others, not so much. And that's not always a bad thing.
115. The Downside of More Miles Per Gallon
Wed, 20 Feb 2013
The gas tax doesn't work well, and it's only going to get worse. What's next?
114. How to Think About Guns
Wed, 13 Feb 2013
No one wants mass shootings. Unfortunately, no one has a workable plan to stop them either.
113. Sure, I Remember That
Wed, 6 Feb 2013
It is startlingly easy to create false memories, especially in politics.
112. Would You Let a Coin Toss Decide Your Future?
Wed, 30 Jan 2013
Levitt and Dubner go deep on "Freakonomics Experiments," a new research project that lets ...
111. Introducing “Freakonomics Experiments”
Wed, 23 Jan 2013
Steve Levitt has a novel idea for helping people make tough decisions
110. Who Owns the Words That Come Out of Your Mouth?
Wed, 16 Jan 2013
The very long reach of Winston Churchill -- and how the British government is remaking copyright law...
109. How to Live Longer
Wed, 9 Jan 2013
Why do Hall of Fame inductees, Oscar winners, and Nobel laureates outlive their peers?
108. How Did “Freakonomics” Get Its Name? … and Other FREAK-quently Asked Questions
Wed, 2 Jan 2013
Levitt and Dubner answer your questions about driving, sneezing, and ladies’ nights. Plus a rememb...
107. How Much Does a Good Boss Really Matter?
Wed, 26 Dec 2012
It's harder than you'd think to measure the value of a boss. But some enterprising economists have d...
106. The House of Dreams
Wed, 19 Dec 2012
Dubner's childhood home goes from sacred to profane -- and then back again.
105. Have a Very Homo Economicus Christmas
Wed, 12 Dec 2012
Who better than an economist to help with your shopping list?
104. The Things They Taught Me
Wed, 5 Dec 2012
College, at its best, is about learning to think. Stephen Dubner chats up three of his former profes...
103. Free-conomics
Wed, 28 Nov 2012
Economists are a notoriously self-interested bunch. But a British outfit called Pro Bono Economics i...
102. I Consult, Therefore I Am
Wed, 21 Nov 2012
There are enough management consultants these days to form a small nation. But what do they actually...
101. Mass Transit Hysteria
Wed, 14 Nov 2012
Adding more train and bus lines looks like an environmental slam dunk. Until you start to do the mat...
100. Our 100th Episode!
Mon, 5 Nov 2012
Turkey sex and chicken wings, selling souls and swapping organs, the power of the president and the ...
99. How to Maximize Your Halloween Candy Haul
Wed, 31 Oct 2012
Is it as simple as going to the richest neighborhood you can find? Of course not ...
98. We the Sheeple
Wed, 24 Oct 2012
Politicians tell voters exactly what they want to hear, even when it makes no sense. Which is pretty...
97. Lying to Ourselves
Wed, 17 Oct 2012
We rely on polls and surveys to tell us how people will behave in the future. Too bad they're comple...
96. The Cobra Effect
Wed, 10 Oct 2012
When you want to get rid of a nasty pest, one obvious solution comes to mind: just offer a cash rewa...
95. Why America’s Economic Growth May Be (Shh!) Over
Wed, 3 Oct 2012
Sure, we love our computers and all the rest of our digital toys. But when it comes to real economic...
94. The Tale of the $15 Tomato
Sun, 23 Sep 2012
Trying to go rustic by baking, brewing, and knitting at home can be terribly inefficient. And that's...
93. Why Online Poker Should Be Legal
Wed, 19 Sep 2012
The data show that poker is indeed a game of skill, not chance, and a Federal judge agrees. So why ...
92. Fear Thy Nature
Wed, 12 Sep 2012
What "Sleep No More" and the Stanford Prison Experiment tell us about who we really are.
91. Can Selling Beer Cut Down on Public Drunkenness?
Wed, 5 Sep 2012
Binge drinking is a big problem at college football games. Oliver Luck -- father of No. 1 NFL pick A...
90. How Deep Is the Shadow Economy?
Wed, 29 Aug 2012
What we know -- and don't know -- about the gazillions of dollars that never show up on anyone's boo...
89. There’s Cake in the Breakroom!
Wed, 22 Aug 2012
If you think working from home offers too many distractions, just think about what happens at the of...
88. Freakonomics Goes to College, Part 2
Wed, 15 Aug 2012
College tends to make people happier, healthier, and wealthier. But how?
87. The Season of Death
Wed, 8 Aug 2012
We know that summertime brings far too many fatal accidents. But you may be surprised if you dig int...
86. Freakonomics Goes to College, Part 1
Sun, 29 Jul 2012
What's a college degree really worth these days?
85. Olympian Economics
Wed, 25 Jul 2012
Do host cities really get the benefits their boosters promise, or are they just engaging in some fis...
84. Legacy of a Jerk
Wed, 18 Jul 2012
What happens to your reputation when you're no longer around to defend it?
83. What's Wrong With Cash for Grades?
Tue, 10 Jul 2012
If we want our kids to thrive in school, maybe we should just pay them.
82. Please Steal My Car
Wed, 4 Jul 2012
Levitt and Dubner answer your FREAK-quently Asked Questions about junk food, insurance, and how to m...
81. Star-Spangled Banter?
Tue, 26 Jun 2012
Once a week, the British Prime Minister goes before the House of Commons for a lightning round of ha...
80. Riding the Herd Mentality
Wed, 20 Jun 2012
How using peer pressure -- and good, old-fashioned shame -- can push people to do the right thing.
79. A Cheap Employee Is … a Cheap Employee
Wed, 13 Jun 2012
Paying workers as little as possible seems smart -- unless you can make more money by paying them mo...
78. You Eat What You Are, Part 2
Wed, 6 Jun 2012
To feed 7 billion people while protecting the environment, it would seem that going local is a no-br...
77. Playing the Nerd Card
Wed, 30 May 2012
The NBA’s superstars are suddenly sporting Urkel glasses -- but is it more than a fashion stateme...
76. You Eat What You Are, Part 1
Wed, 23 May 2012
How American food so got bad -- and why it's getting so much better.
75. Retirement Kills
Wed, 16 May 2012
Sure, we all dream of leaving the office forever. But what if it's bad for your health?
74. Soul Possession
Mon, 7 May 2012
In a world where nearly everything is for sale, is it always okay to buy what isn’t yours?
73. A Rose By Any Other Distance
Wed, 2 May 2012
At a time when people worry about every mile their food must travel, why is it okay to import most o...
72. Lottery Loopholes and Deadly Doctors
Wed, 25 Apr 2012
What do you do when smart people keep making stupid mistakes? And: are we a nation of financial illi...
71. Is Good Corporate Citizenship Also Good for the Bottom Line?
Wed, 18 Apr 2012
A new study says that yes, it is -- but try telling that to the United Nations officials who are pre...
70. Eating and Tweeting
Wed, 11 Apr 2012
Does the future of food lie in its past – or inside a tank of liquid nitrogen? Also: how anti-soci...
69. The Hidden Cost of False Alarms
Tue, 3 Apr 2012
If any other product failed 94 percent of the time, you’d probably stop using it. So why do we put...
68. The Power of the President -- and the Thumb
Wed, 28 Mar 2012
How much does the President of the United States really matter? And: where did all the hitchhikers g...
67. The Patent Gap
Thu, 22 Mar 2012
Women hold fewer than one in 10 patents. Why? And what are we missing out on?
66. Show and Yell
Wed, 14 Mar 2012
Is booing an act of verbal vandalism or the last true expression of democracy? And: when you drive a...
65. It’s Not the President, Stupid
Wed, 7 Mar 2012
Isn’t it time to admit that the U.S. economy doesn’t have a commander in chief?
64. The Days of Wine and Mouses
Mon, 27 Feb 2012
Do more expensive wines taste better? And: what does one little rodent in a salad say about a restau...
63. The Dilbert Index?
Wed, 22 Feb 2012
Measuring workplace morale -- and how to game the sick-day system.
62. How Biased Is Your Media?
Wed, 15 Feb 2012
The left and the right blame each other for pretty much everything, including slanted media coverage...
61. Does This Recession Make Me Look Fat?
Wed, 8 Feb 2012
A look at some non-obvious ways to lose weight.
60. Save Me From Myself
Wed, 1 Feb 2012
A commitment device forces you to be the person you really want to be. What could possibly go wrong...
59. The Hidden Side of the Super Bowl
Wed, 25 Jan 2012
A football cheat sheet to help you sound like the smartest person at the party.
58. What Do Hand-Washing and Financial Illiteracy Have in Common?
Thu, 19 Jan 2012
Education is the surest solution to a lot of problems. Except when it’s not.
57. Does Money Really Buy Elections?
Wed, 11 Jan 2012
We all know the answer is yes. But the data -- and Rudy Giuliani -- say no.
56. Why Is “I Don’t Know” So Hard to Say?
Wed, 4 Jan 2012
Levitt and Dubner answer your FREAK-quently Asked Questions about certifying politicians, irrational...
55. The Perils of Drunk Walking
Tue, 27 Dec 2011
We know it's terribly dangerous to drive drunk. But heading home on foot isn't the solution.
54. How Is a Bad Radio Station Like Our Public-School System? (Encore)
Wed, 21 Dec 2011
The thrill of customization, via Pandora and a radical new teaching method
53. How American Food Got So Bad
Tue, 13 Dec 2011
Tyler Cowen points fingers. There's plenty of blame to go around.
52. Weird Recycling
Fri, 2 Dec 2011
Clever ways to not waste our waste.
51. What Makes a Donor Donate?
Tue, 29 Nov 2011
The science of charity, with economist John List.
50. The Truth Is Out There…Isn’t It?
Tue, 22 Nov 2011
There’s a nasty secret about hot-button topics like global warming: knowledge is not always power....
49. Unnatural Turkeys
Wed, 16 Nov 2011
Our appetite for breast meat renders our holiday birds unable to reproduce.
48. Boo…Who?
Tue, 8 Nov 2011
Is booing an act of verbal vandalism—or the last true expression of democracy?
47. Wildfires, Cops, and Keggers
Wed, 2 Nov 2011
On Election Day, most people focus on the obvious winners and losers -- that is, the candidates. But...
46. Misadventures in Baby-Making
Tue, 25 Oct 2011
We are constantly wowed by new technologies and policies meant to make childbirth better. But bewar...
45. Those Cheating Teachers!
Tue, 18 Oct 2011
High-stakes testing has produced some rotten apples. But they can be caught.
44. Where Have All the Hitchhikers Gone?
Mon, 10 Oct 2011
Did we needlessly scare ourselves into ditching a good thing? And, with millions of cars driving aro...
43. The Decline and Fall of Violence
Wed, 5 Oct 2011
The world is a more peaceful place today that at any time in history -- by a long, long shot.
42. The Upside of Quitting
Wed, 28 Sep 2011
You know the saying: a winner never quits and a quitter never wins. To which Freakonomics Radio says...
41. The Folly of Prediction
Wed, 14 Sep 2011
Human beings love to predict the future, but we're quite terrible at it. So how about punishing all ...
40. The Suicide Paradox
Wed, 31 Aug 2011
There are more than twice as many suicides as murders in the U.S., but suicide attracts far less scr...
39. The Economist’s Guide to Parenting
Tue, 16 Aug 2011
Think you know how much parents matter? Think again. Economists crunch the numbers to learn the ROI ...
38. The Church of "Scionology"
Wed, 3 Aug 2011
We worship the tradition of handing off a family business to the next generation. But is that really...
37. Mouse in the Salad
Wed, 20 Jul 2011
In restaurants and in life, bad things happen. But what happens next is just as important.
36. Hey Baby, Is That a Prius You're Driving?
Wed, 6 Jul 2011
"Conspicuous conservation" is about showing off your environmental bona fides. In other wo...
35. Live From St. Paul!
Wed, 22 Jun 2011
Freakonomics Radio hits the road, and plays some Quiz Bowl
34. Things Our Fathers Gave Us
Wed, 8 Jun 2011
What did Levitt and Dubner learn as kids from their dads?
33. To Catch a Fugitive
Wed, 25 May 2011
Who is likelier to get to the fugitive first? When a fugitive is on the run, it’s not only the pol...
32. Growing Up Buffett
Wed, 11 May 2011
What’s it like to wake up one day and realize Dad is a multi-billionaire? That's what happened to ...
31. Gambling With Your Life
Wed, 27 Apr 2011
Does Las Vegas increase your risk of suicide? A researcher embeds himself in the city where America...
30. Does College Still Matter? And Other Freaky Questions Answered ...
Wed, 13 Apr 2011
In our second round of FREAK-quently Asked Questions, Steve Levitt answers some queries from listene...
29. Smarter Kids at 10 Bucks a Pop
Wed, 6 Apr 2011
It won’t work for everyone, but there’s a cheap, quick, and simple way to lift some students’ ...
28. Why Can’t We Predict Earthquakes?
Wed, 30 Mar 2011
We talk to a U.S. Geological Survey physicist about the science -- and folly -- of predicting earthq...
27. Death by Fire? Probably Not
Wed, 23 Mar 2011
Fire deaths in the U.S. have fallen 90 percent over the past 100 years, a great and greatly underapp...
26. The Health of Nations
Wed, 16 Mar 2011
For decades, GDP has been the yardstick for measuring living standards around the world. Martha Nuss...
25. Is Twitter a Two-Way Street?
Wed, 9 Mar 2011
To get a lot of followers on Twitter, do you need to follow a lot of other Tweeps? And if not, why n...
24. The Power of Poop
Wed, 2 Mar 2011
Since the beginning of civilization, we’ve thought that human waste was worthless and dangerous. W...
23. Millionaires vs. Billionaires
Thu, 24 Feb 2011
Five things you don’t know about the NFL labor standoff
22. Why Cities Rock
Thu, 17 Feb 2011
Could it be that cities are "our greatest invention" -- that, despite a reputation as blac...
21. Bring on the Pain!
Wed, 9 Feb 2011
It's not about how much something hurts -- it's how you remember the pain. This week, lessons on pai...
20. Waiter, There’s a Physicist in My Soup! (Part 2)
Wed, 2 Feb 2011
What do a computer hacker, an Indiana farm boy, and Napoleon Bonaparte have in common? The past, pre...
19. Waiter, There’s a Physicist in My Soup! (Part 1)
Wed, 26 Jan 2011
The "molecular gastronomy" movement -- which gets a bump in visibility next month with the...
18. Freakonomics FAQ, No. 1
Wed, 19 Jan 2011
Levitt and Dubner field questions from the public and hold forth on everything from dating strategie...
17. Trashed
Thu, 13 Jan 2011
How economics -- and emotion -- have turned our garbage into such a mess
16. Exit Interview: Schools Chancellor, NYC
Wed, 5 Jan 2011
Having already amassed an eventful resume -- the Clinton White House, the Department of Justice, and...
15. You Say Repugnant, I Say … Let's Do It!
Wed, 29 Dec 2010
What happens when the most disturbing ideas are also the best?
14. Do More Expensive Wines Taste Better?
Wed, 15 Dec 2010
They should! It's a cardinal rule: more expensive items are supposed to be qualitatively better than...
13. The "No-Lose Lottery," Part 2
Wed, 1 Dec 2010
It’s the banking tool that got millions of people around the world to stop wasting money on the lo...
12. Is America Ready for a "No-Lose Lottery"?
Wed, 17 Nov 2010
For the most part, Americans don't like the simple, boring act of putting money in a savings account...
11. How Much Does the President of the U.S. Really Matter?
Wed, 3 Nov 2010
The U.S. president is often called the "leader of free world." But if you ask an economist or a Cons...
10. The NFL's Best Real Estate Isn't For Sale. Yet.
Thu, 28 Oct 2010
The NFL is very good at making money. So why on earth doesn't it sell ad space on the one piece of r...
9. Reading, Rockets, and 'Rithmetic
Thu, 21 Oct 2010
Government and the private sector often feel far apart. One is filled with compliance-driven bureau...
8. Who Stole All the Runs in Major League Baseball?
Thu, 7 Oct 2010
It was a pretty good baseball season -- especially if you're a fan of the Yankees, Rays, Twins, Rang...
7. Two Book Authors and a Microphone
Thu, 30 Sep 2010
The next chapter in the adventures of Dubner and Levitt has begun. Listen to a preview of what's to ...
6. Why the World Cup Is an Economist's Dream
Thu, 10 Jun 2010
Steve Levitt talks about why the center cannot hold in penalty kicks, why a running track hurts home...
5. How Is a Bad Radio Station Like Our Public-School System?
Thu, 13 May 2010
In this episode of Freakonomics Radio, we explore a way to make 1.1 million schoolkids feel like the...
4. Faking It
Tue, 13 Apr 2010
Do you "fake it"? If so, you're hardly alone. In this episode, you'll hear how everyone fr...
3. What Would the World Look Like if Economists Were in Charge?
Wed, 24 Mar 2010
In this episode we speculate what would happen if economists got to run the world. Hear from a high-...
2. Is America's Obesity Epidemic For Real?
Fri, 26 Feb 2010
Americans keep putting on pounds. So is it time for a cheeseburger tax? Or would a chill pill be the...
1. The Dangers of Safety
Sat, 6 Feb 2010
What do NASCAR drivers, Glenn Beck and the hit men of the NFL have in common?