Two (Totally Opposite) Ways to Save the Planet (Rebroadcast)
29 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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
22 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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
15 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We often look to other countries for smart policies on education, healthcare, infrastructure, etc. B...
468. Nap Time for Everyone!
08 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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)
01 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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?
24 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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
17 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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
10 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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?
03 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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
27 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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)
20 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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?
13 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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
06 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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
29 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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
22 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The state-by-state rollout of legalized weed has given economists a perfect natural experiment to me...
458. How to Manage Your Goal Hierarchy
15 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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?
08 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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
01 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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)
25 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Why do so many promising solutions — in education, medicine, criminal justice, etc. — fail to sc...
How Does New York City Keep Reinventing Itself? (Bonus)
21 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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?
18 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Behavioral scientists have been exploring if — and when — a psychological reset can lead to last...
454. Should Traffic Lights Be Abolished?
11 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Americans are so accustomed to the standard intersection that we rarely consider how dangerous it ca...
453. A Rescue Plan for Black America
04 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
New York Times columnist Charles Blow argues that white supremacy in America will never fully recede...
Am I Boring You? (Ep. 225 Rebroadcast)
25 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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
18 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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?
11 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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
04 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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
28 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
For all the progress made in fighting cancer, it still kills 10 million people a year, and some type...
448. The Downside of Disgust
21 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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?
14 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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.”
07 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve collected some of our favorite moments from People I (Mostly) Admire, the latest show from t...
Trust Me (Ep. 266 Rebroadcast)
31 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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?
24 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of No Stupid Questions — a Freakonomics Radio Network show launched earlier this y...
444. How Do You Cure a Compassion Crisis?
17 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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
10 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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?!
06 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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?
03 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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)
26 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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)
19 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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
12 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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)
05 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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
31 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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.
29 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A fine reading of most policies for “business interruption” reveals that viral outbreaks aren’...
436. Forget Everything You Know About Your Dog
22 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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?
15 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It isn’t just supply and demand. We look at the complicated history and skewed incentives that ma...
434. Is New York City Over?
08 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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
03 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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?
01 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Three leading researchers from the Mount Sinai Health System discuss how ketamine, cannabis, and ecs...
432. When Your Safety Becomes My Danger
24 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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
19 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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)
17 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Trump says it would destroy us. Biden needs the voters who support it (especially the Bernie voters)...
What if Your Company Had No Rules?
12 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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?
10 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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
05 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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)
03 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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?
27 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We explore the science, scalability, and (of course) economics surrounding the global vaccine race. ...
Introducing “People I (Mostly) Admire"
22 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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)
20 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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?
13 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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)
06 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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
30 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone agrees that massive deforestation is an environmental disaster. But most of the standard so...
427. The Pros and Cons of Reparations
23 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Most Americans agree that racial discrimination has been, and remains, a big problem. But that is wh...
426. Should America (and FIFA) Pay Reparations?
16 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The racial wealth gap in the U.S. is massive. We explore the causes, consequences, and potential sol...
425. Remembrance of Economic Crises Past
09 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Christina Romer was a top White House economist during the Great Recession. As a researcher, she spe...
424. How to Make Your Own Luck
02 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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
25 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Thanks to the pandemic, the telehealth revolution we’ve been promised for decades has finally arri...
422. Introducing "No Stupid Questions"
18 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this new addition to the Freakonomics Radio Network, co-hosts Stephen Dubner and Angela Duckworth...
421. How to Prevent Another Great Depression
11 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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?
04 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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)
28 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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
21 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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)?
14 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Three university presidents try to answer our listeners’ questions. The result? Not much pomp and ...
417. Reasons to Be Cheerful
07 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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?
30 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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
27 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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?
23 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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?
16 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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?
09 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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?
02 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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)?
26 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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
19 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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)
12 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As cities become ever-more expensive, politicians and housing advocates keep calling for rent contro...
408. Does Anyone Really Know What Socialism Is?
05 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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”?
27 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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?
20 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
When he became chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Ajit Pai announced that he was goi...
405. Policymaking Is Not a Science (Yet)
13 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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?
06 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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)
30 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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”
23 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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”
16 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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)
09 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We all like to throw around terms that describe human behavior — “bystander apathy” and “ste...
The Zero-Minute Workout (Rebroadcast)
02 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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?
26 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In a special holiday episode, Stephen Dubner and Angela Duckworth take turns asking each other quest...
Why Is This Man Running for President? (Update)
19 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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
12 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Every year, Americans short the I.R.S. nearly half a trillion dollars. Most ideas to increase compli...
399. Honey, I Grew the Economy
05 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Innovation experts have long overlooked where a lot of innovation actually happens. The personal com...
How to Change Your Mind (Rebroadcast)
28 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
There are a lot of barriers to changing your mind: ego, overconfidence, inertia — and cost. Politi...
398. The Truth About the Vaping Crisis
21 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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
14 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
For nearly a decade, governments have been using behavioral nudges to solve problems — and the str...
396. Why Does Tipping Still Exist?
07 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It’s an acutely haphazard way of paying workers, and yet it keeps expanding. We dig into the data ...