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631. Will "3 Summers of Lincoln" Make It to Broadway?

It’s been in development for five years and has at least a year to go. On the eve of its out-of-town debut, the actor playing Lincoln quit. And the producers still need to raise another $15 million to bring the show to New York. There really is no business like show business. (Part three of a<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast-tag/how-is-live-theater-still-alive/"> three-part series</a>.) <ul><li>SOURCES:<ul><li><a href="https://lajollaplayhouse.org/who-we-are/the-team/">Christopher Ashley</a>, artistic director of La Jolla Playhouse.</li><li><a href="https://lajollaplayhouse.org/who-we-are/the-team/">Debby Buchholz</a>, managing director of La Jolla Playhouse.</li><li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/cusackcarmen/?hl=en">Carmen Cusack</a>, actor.</li><li><a href="https://playbill.com/person/quentin-earl-darrington-vault-0000031341">Quentin Earl Darrington</a>, actor.</li><li><a href="https://playbill.com/person/joe-dipietro-vault-0000006553">Joe DiPietro</a>, playwright and lyricist.</li><li><a href="https://www.crystalmoneehall.com/">Crystal Monee Hall</a>, composer, singer, actor.</li><li><a href="https://playbill.com/person/ivan-hernandez-vault-0000126520">Ivan Hernandez</a>, actor.</li><li><a href="https://oneill.indiana.edu/faculty-research/directory/profiles/faculty/full-time/rushton-michael.html">Michael Rushton</a>, professor of arts administration at Indiana University.</li><li><a href="https://www.jeffreyseller.com/">Jeffrey Seller</a>, Broadway producer.</li><li><a href="https://broadwaylive.net/">Alan Shorr</a>, Broadway producer.</li><li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/dwattswords/?hl=en">Daniel Watts</a>, writer, choreographer, actor.</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>RESOURCES:<ul><li><a href="https://lajollaplayhouse.org/show/3-summers-of-lincoln/">3 Summers of Lincoln</a> (2025).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2025/03/03/review-visceral-3-summers-of-lincoln-is-thrilling-and-thought-provoking/">Review: Visceral ‘3 Summers of Lincoln’ is thrilling and thought-provoking</a>," by Pam Kragen (San Diego Union-Tribune, 2025).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.artsjournal.com/worth/2023/07/whats-wrong-with-the-theatre-is-whats-wrong-with-society/">What’s Wrong with the Theatre is What’s Wrong With Society,</a>" by Michael Rushton (ArtsJournal, 2023).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/19/opinion/theater-collapse-bailout.html">American Theater Is Imploding Before Our Eyes</a>," by Isaac Butler (New York Times, 2023).</li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/4cIRK1f">The Moral Foundations of Public Funding for the Arts</a>, by Michael Rushton (2023).</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>EXTRAS:<ul><li>“<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/how-to-make-the-coolest-show-on-broadway/">How to Make the Coolest Show on Broadway</a>,” by Freakonomics Radio (2024).</li><li>“<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/you-can-make-a-killing-but-not-a-living/">You Can Make a Killing, but Not a Living</a>,” by Freakonomics Radio (2024).</li></ul></li></ul>

Dauer: 46 min

Is It a Theater Piece or a Psychological Experiment? (Update)

In an episode from 2012, we looked at what Sleep No More and the Stanford Prison Experiment can tell us about who we really are. <ul><li>SOURCES:<ul><li><a href="https://www.punchdrunk.com/our-team/">Felix Barrett</a>, artistic director of Punchdrunk.</li><li><a href="https://pricetheory.uchicago.edu/levitt/">Steven Levitt</a>, professor of economics at the University of Chicago.</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/philzimbardo/">Philip Zimbardo</a>, professor emeritus at Stanford University.</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>RESOURCES:<ul><li>“<a href="https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2024/10/philip-zimbardo-the-psychologist-behind-stanford-prison-experiment-dies-at-age-91">Philip Zimbardo, the psychologist behind the ‘Stanford Prison Experiment,’ dies at 91,</a>” by Melissa De Witte (Stanford Report, 2024).</li><li>“<a href="https://gwern.net/doc/psychology/2019-letexier.pdf">Debunking the Stanford Prison Experiment,</a>” by Thibault Le Texier (American Psychologist, 2019).</li><li>“<a href="https://gen.medium.com/the-lifespan-of-a-lie-d869212b1f62">The Lifespan of a Lie,</a>” by Ben Blum (GEN, 2018).</li><li><a href="https://www.punchdrunk.com/">Punchdrunk</a>.</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>EXTRAS:<ul><li>“<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/how-is-live-theater-still-alive/">How Is Live Theater Still Alive?</a>” by Freakonomics Radio (2025).</li></ul></li></ul>

Dauer: 37 min

630. On Broadway, Nobody Knows Nothing

A hit like Hamilton can come from nowhere while a sure bet can lose $20 million in a flash. We speak with some of the biggest producers in the game — Sonia Friedman, Jeffrey Seller, Hal Luftig — and learn that there is only one guarantee: the theater owners always win. (Part two of a <a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast-tag/how-is-live-theater-still-alive/">three-part series</a>.) <ul><li>SOURCES:<ul><li><a href="https://lajollaplayhouse.org/who-we-are/the-team/">Debby Buchholz</a>, managing director of La Jolla Playhouse.</li><li><a href="https://www.soniafriedman.com/about">Sonia Friedman</a>, Broadway producer.</li><li><a href="https://www.arts.gov/about/what-is-the-nea/rocco-landesman-2009-12">Rocco Landesman</a>, Broadway producer, former owner of Jujamcyn Theaters, former chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts.</li><li><a href="https://www.halluftig.com/">Hal Luftig</a>, Broadway producer.</li><li><a href="https://www.relentlessthebook.com/">Luis Miranda Jr.</a>, political strategist, founding president of the Hispanic Federation, the Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance, Viva Broadway, and The Public Theater.</li><li><a href="https://oneill.indiana.edu/faculty-research/directory/profiles/faculty/full-time/rushton-michael.html">Michael Rushton</a>, professor of arts administration at Indiana University.</li><li><a href="https://www.jeffreyseller.com/">Jeffrey Seller</a>, Broadway producer.</li><li><a href="http://www.redhangerproductions.com/">Richard Winkler</a>, Broadway producer.</li><li><a href="https://effroncenter.princeton.edu/people/stacy-wolf">Stacy Wolf</a>, professor of theater at Princeton University.</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>RESOURCES:<ul><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3EmlK6y">Theater Kid: A Broadway Memoir</a>, by Jeffrey Seller (2025).</li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/42hgavq">Relentless: My Story of the Latino Spirit That Is Transforming America</a>, by Luis Miranda Jr. (2024).</li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/4lzU52w">Beyond Broadway: The Pleasure and Promise of Musical Theatre Across America</a>, by Stacy Wolf (2019).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/12/theater/hamilton-inc-the-path-to-a-billion-dollar-show.html">‘Hamilton’ Inc.: The Path to a Billion-Dollar Broadway Show</a>," by Michael Paulson and David Gelles (New York Times, 2016).</li><li>"<a href="https://pages.stern.nyu.edu/~wbaumol/OnThePerformingArtsTheAnatomyOfTheirEcoProbs.pdf">On the Performing Arts: The Anatomy of Their Economic Problems</a>," by W.J. Baumol and W.G. Bowen (The American Economic Review, 1965).</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>EXTRAS:<ul><li>“<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/how-to-make-the-coolest-show-on-broadway/">How to Make the Coolest Show on Broadway</a>,” by Freakonomics Radio (2024).</li><li>“<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/you-can-make-a-killing-but-not-a-living/">You Can Make a Killing, but Not a Living</a>,” by Freakonomics Radio (2024).</li></ul></li></ul>

Dauer: 62 min

629. How Is Live Theater Still Alive?

It has become fiendishly expensive to produce, and has more competition than ever. And yet the believers still believe. Why? And does the world really want a new musical about ... Abraham Lincoln?! (Part one of <a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast-tag/how-is-live-theater-still-alive/">a three-part series</a>.) <ul><li>SOURCES:<ul><li><a href="https://lajollaplayhouse.org/who-we-are/the-team/">Christopher Ashley</a>, artistic director of La Jolla Playhouse.</li><li><a href="https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Quentin-Earl-Darrington/">Quentin Darrington</a>, actor.</li><li><a href="https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Joe-DiPietro/">Joe DiPietro</a>, playwright and lyricist.</li><li><a href="https://www.crystalmoneehall.com/">Crystal Monee Hall</a>, composer, singer, actor.</li><li><a href="https://www.arts.gov/about/what-is-the-nea/rocco-landesman-2009-12">Rocco Landesman</a>, Broadway producer, former owner of Jujamcyn Theaters, former chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts.</li><li><a href="https://broadwaylive.net/">Alan Shorr</a>, Broadway producer.</li><li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/dwattswords/">Daniel Watts</a>, writer, choreographer, actor.</li><li><a href="http://www.redhangerproductions.com/">Richard Winkler</a>, Broadway producer.</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>RESOURCES:<ul><li><a href="https://lajollaplayhouse.org/show/3-summers-of-lincoln/">3 Summers of Lincoln</a> (2025)</li><li>“<a href="https://www.ibisworld.com/united-states/industry/live-performance-theaters/5359/">Live Performance Theaters in the US - Market Research Report (2014-2029)</a>,” by Grace Wood (IBISWorld, 2024). </li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Leadership-Turbulent-Doris-Kearns-Goodwin/dp/1476795924">Leadership: In Turbulent Times</a>, by Doris Kearns Goodwin (2018).</li><li><a href="https://www.concordtheatricals.com/p/44758/big-river">Big River</a> (1984)</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>EXTRAS:<ul><li>“<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/how-to-make-the-coolest-show-on-broadway/">How to Make the Coolest Show on Broadway</a>,” by Freakonomics Radio (2024).</li><li>“<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/you-can-make-a-killing-but-not-a-living/">You Can Make a Killing, but Not a Living</a>,” by Freakonomics Radio (2024).</li></ul></li></ul>

Dauer: 60 min

Policymaking Is Not a Science — Yet (Update)

Why do so many promising solutions in education, medicine, and criminal justice fail to scale up into great policy? And can a new breed of “implementation scientists” crack the code? <ul><li>SOURCES:<ul><li><a href="https://www.oslc.org/blog/scientist/patricia-chamberlain/">Patti Chamberlain</a>, senior research scientist at the Oregon Social Learning Center.</li><li><a href="https://voices.uchicago.edu/jlist/">John List</a>, professor of economics at the University of Chicago.</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-supplee-83aaba7/">Lauren Supplee</a>, former deputy chief operating officer at Child Trends.</li><li><a href="https://www.uchicagomedicine.org/find-a-physician/physician/dana-l-suskind">Dana L. Suskind</a>, professor of surgery at the University of Chicago.</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>RESOURCES:<ul><li>“<a href="https://ideas.repec.org/p/feb/artefa/00679.html">How Can Experiments Play a Greater Role in Public Policy? 12 Proposals from an Economic Model of Scaling</a>,” by Omar Al-Ubaydli, John List, Claire Mackevicius, Min Sok Lee, and Dana Suskind.</li><li>“<a href="https://ideas.repec.org/p/feb/artefa/00670.html">The Science of Using Science: Towards an Understanding of the Threats to Scaling Experiments</a>,” by Omar Al-Ubaydli, John List, and Dana Suskind (The Field Experiments Website, 2019).</li><li>“<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29299970">Inconsistent Device Use in Pediatric Cochlear Implant Users: Prevalence and Risk Factors</a>,” by K.B.Wiseman and A.D. Warner-Czyz (U.S. National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, 2018).</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>EXTRAS:<ul><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/why-do-most-ideas-fail-to-scale/">Why Do Most Ideas Fail to Scale?</a>" by Freakonomics Radio (2022).</li><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/the-price-of-doing-business-with-john-list/">The Price of Doing Business with John List,</a>" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022).</li><li><a href="https://www.childtrends.org/about-us">Child Trends.</a></li><li><a href="https://www.oslc.org/">Oregon Social Learning Center.</a></li><li><a href="https://tmwcenter.uchicago.edu/">T.M.W. Center for Early Learning and Public Health.</a></li><li><a href="http://www.fieldexperiments.com/">The Field Experiments Website</a>.</li></ul></li></ul>

Dauer: 45 min

628. Sludge, Part 2: Is Government the Problem, or the Solution?

There is no sludgier place in America than Washington, D.C. But there are signs of a change. We’ll hear about this progress — and ask where Elon Musk and DOGE fit in. (Part two of a <a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast-tag/sludge/">two-part series</a>.) <ul><li>SOURCES:<ul><li><a href="https://www.benjaminhandel.com/">Benjamin Handel</a>, professor of economics at UC Berkeley.</li><li><a href="https://nmahoney.people.stanford.edu/">Neale Mahoney</a>, professor of economics at Stanford University.</li><li><a href="https://www.jenniferpahlka.com/about">Jennifer Pahlka</a>, founder of Code for America.</li><li><a href="https://www.chicagobooth.edu/faculty/directory/t/richard-h-thaler">Richard Thaler</a>, professor of economics at The University of Chicago.</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>RESOURCES:<ul><li>"<a href="https://www.briefingbook.info/p/how-big-is-the-subscription-cancellation">How Big Is the Subscription Cancellation Problem?</a>" by Giacomo Fraccaroli, Neale Mahoney, and Zahra Thabet (Briefing Book, 2024).</li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3YdTp8Y">Recoding America: Why Government Is Failing in the Digital Age and How We Can Do Better</a>, by Jennifer Pahlka (2023).</li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/4iIjWDN">Nudge: The Final Edition</a>, by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein (2021).</li><li>"<a href="https://oig.hhs.gov/oei/reports/oei-06-14-00350.pdf">HealthCare.gov: Case Study of CMS Management of the Federal Marketplace</a>," by Daniel Levinson (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2016).</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>EXTRAS:<ul><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/sludge-part-1-the-world-is-drowning-in-it/">Sludge, Part 1: The World Is Drowning in It</a>," by Freakonomics Radio (2025).</li></ul></li></ul>

Dauer: 49 min

627. Sludge, Part 1: The World Is Drowning in It

Insurance forms that make no sense. Subscriptions that can’t be cancelled. A never-ending blizzard of automated notifications. Where does all this sludge come from — and how much is it costing us? (Part one of a <a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast-tag/sludge">two-part series</a>.) <ul><li>SOURCES:<ul><li><a href="https://www.benjaminhandel.com/">Benjamin Handel,</a> professor of economics at UC Berkeley.</li><li><a href="https://nmahoney.people.stanford.edu/">Neale Mahoney,</a> professor of economics at Stanford University.</li><li><a href="https://www.chicagobooth.edu/faculty/directory/t/richard-h-thaler">Richard Thaler,</a> professor of economics at The University of Chicago.</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>RESOURCES:<ul><li>"<a href="https://nmahoney.people.stanford.edu/sites/g/files/sbiybj23976/files/media/file/mahoney_subscriptions.pdf">Selling Subscriptions,</a>" by Liran Einav, Ben Klopack, and Neale Mahoney (Stanford University, 2023).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.wired.com/story/tiktok-platforms-cory-doctorow/">The ‘Enshittification’ of TikTok,</a>" by Cory Doctorow (WIRED, 2023).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/pol.20190312">Dominated Options in Health Insurance Plans,</a>" by Chenyuan Liu and Justin Sydnor (American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 2022).</li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/4iIjWDN">Nudge (The Final Edition)</a>, by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein (2021).</li><li>"<a href="https://eml.berkeley.edu/~bhandel/wp/JEP_Frictions.pdf">Frictions or Mental Gaps: What’s Behind the Information We (Don’t) Use and When Do We Care?</a>" by Benjamin Handel and Joshua Schwartzstein (Journal of Economic Perspectives, 2018).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w17459/w17459.pdf">Adverse Selection and Switching Costs in Health Insurance Markets: When Nudging Hurts,</a>" by Benjamin Handel (National Bureau of Economic Research, 2011).</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>EXTRAS:<ul><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/people-arent-dumb-the-world-is-hard-update/">People Aren’t Dumb. The World Is Hard. (Update)</a>" by Freakonomics Radio (2024).</li><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/all-you-need-is-nudge/">All You Need is Nudge,</a>" by Freakonomics Radio (2021).</li><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/how-to-fix-the-hot-mess-of-u-s-healthcare-ep-456/">How to Fix the Hot Mess of U.S. Healthcare,</a>" by Freakonomics Radio (2021).</li><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/should-we-really-behave-like-economists-say-we-do/">Should We Really Behave Like Economists Say We Do?</a>" by Freakonomics Radio (2015).</li></ul></li></ul>

Dauer: 55 min

Should America Be Run by … Trader Joe’s? (Update)

The quirky little grocery chain with California roots and German ownership has a lot to teach all of us about choice architecture, efficiency, frugality, collaboration, and team spirit. <ul><li>SOURCES:<ul><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirk-desermia-95954186">Kirk DesErmia</a>, facilities manager in Seward, Alaska.</li><li><a href="http://revolutionaryoldidea.squarespace.com/">Mark Gardiner</a>, journalist and author.</li><li><a href="https://www.sheenaiyengar.com/">Sheena Iyengar</a>, professor of business at Columbia Business School.</li><li><a href="http://michael-roberto.blogspot.com/">Michael Roberto</a>, professor of management at Bryant University.</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>RESOURCES:<ul><li>“<a href="https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=45557">Trader Joe’s</a>,” David Ager and Michael Roberto (Harvard Business School Case, 2014).</li><li>“<a href="https://www.eater.com/2017/8/9/16099028/trader-joes-products">What Brands Are Actually Behind Trader Joe’s Snacks?</a>,” Vince Dixon (Eater, 2017).</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0979167337/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=freakonomic08-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0979167337&linkId=8a85b1b699c570d4d90d2d656e845f20">Build a Brand Like Trader Joe’s</a> by Mark Gardiner (2012).</li><li>“<a href="https://faculty.washington.edu/jdb/345/345%20Articles/Iyengar%20%26%20Lepper%20(2000).pdf">When Choice is Demotivating: Can One Desire Too Much of a Good Thing?</a>,” Sheena Iyengar and Mark Lepper (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2000).</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/111954579X/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=freakonomic08-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=111954579X&linkId=9ffa80f738fbab40333e5ba748b8ecb5">Unlocking Creativity</a>, by Michael Roberto (2019).</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>EXTRAS:<ul><li>“<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/i-pencil/">How Can This Possibly Be True?</a>,” by Freakonomics Radio (2016).</li><li>“<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/how-to-save-1-billion-without-even-trying-a-new-freakonomics-radio-podcast/">How to Save $1 Billion Without Even Trying</a>,” by Freakonomics Radio (2016).</li></ul></li></ul>

Dauer: 48 min

626. Ten Myths About the U.S. Tax System

Nearly everything that politicians say about taxes is at least half a lie. They are also dishonest when it comes to the national debt. Stephen Dubner finds one of the few people in Washington who is willing to tell the truth — and it’s even worse than you think. <ul><li>SOURCES:<ul><li><a href="https://manhattan.institute/person/jessica-riedl">Jessica Riedl,</a> senior fellow in budget, tax, and economic policy at the Manhattan Institute.</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>RESOURCES:<ul><li>"<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/02/21/upshot/house-gop-budget-blueprint.html">The House Wants to Pass Trump’s Agenda in One Big Bill. Here’s What’s in It.</a>" by Margot Sanger-Katz and Alicia Parlapiano (New York Times, 2025).</li><li>"<a href="https://manhattan.institute/article/correcting-the-top-10-tax-myths?utm_source=press_release&utm_medium=email">Correcting the Top 10 Tax Myths,</a>" by Jessica Riedl (Manhattan Institute, 2024).</li><li>"<a href="https://media4.manhattan-institute.org/wp-content/uploads/Budget-Chart-Book-2024.pdf">Spending, Taxes, and Deficits: A Book of Charts,</a>" by Jessica Riedl (Manhattan Institute, 2024).</li><li>"<a href="https://reason.com/2024/07/13/the-debt-lies-we-tell-ourselves/">Why Did Americans Stop Caring About the National Debt?</a>" by Jessica Riedl (Reason, 2024).</li><li>"<a href="https://manhattan.institute/article/a-comprehensive-federal-budget-plan-to-avert-a-debt-crisis-2024">A Comprehensive Federal Budget Plan to Avert a Debt Crisis,</a>" by Jessica Riedl (Manhattan Institute, 2024).</li><li>"<a href="https://budgetmodel.wharton.upenn.edu/issues/2023/10/6/when-does-federal-debt-reach-unsustainable-levels">When Does Federal Debt Reach Unsustainable Levels?</a>" by Jagadeesh Gokhale, Kent Smetters, and Mariko Paulson (The Wharton School of Business, 2023).</li><li>"<a href="https://manhattan.institute/article/the-limits-of-taxing-the-rich">The Limits of Taxing the Rich,</a>" by Jessica Riedl (Manhattan Institute, 2023).</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>EXTRAS:<ul><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/farewell-to-a-generational-talent/">Farewell to a Generational Talent,</a>" by Freakonomics Radio (2024).</li></ul></li></ul>

Dauer: 64 min

625. The Biden Policy That Trump Hasn’t Touched

Lina Khan, the youngest F.T.C. chair in history, reset U.S. antitrust policy by thwarting mega-mergers and other monopolistic behavior. This earned her enemies in some places, and big fans in others — including the Trump administration. Stephen Dubner speaks with Khan about her tactics, her track record, and her future. <ul><li>SOURCES:<ul><li><a href="https://www.law.columbia.edu/faculty/lina-khan">Lina Khan,</a> former commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission and professor of law at Columbia Law School.</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>RESOURCES:<ul><li>"<a href="https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/2023_merger_guidelines_final_12.18.2023.pdf">Merger Guidelines</a>" (U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission, 2023).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.janeeckhout.com/wp-content/uploads/RMP.pdf">The Rise of Market Power and the Macroeconomic Implications,</a>" by Jan De Loecker, Jan Eeckhout, and Gabriel Unger (National Bureau of Economic Research, 2019).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.hbs.edu/ris/Publication%20Files/19-110_e21447ad-d98a-451f-8ef0-ba42209018e6.pdf">US Antitrust Law and Policy in Historical Perspective,</a>" by Laura Phillips Sawyer (Harvard Business School, 2019).</li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/4ibv5wz">The Curse of Bigness: Antitrust in the New Gilded Age,</a> by Tim Wu (2018).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.yalelawjournal.org/note/amazons-antitrust-paradox">Amazon’s Antitrust Paradox,</a>" by Lina Khan (Yale Law Journal, 2017).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/17/nyregion/education/a-tempest-in-a-coffee-shop.html">A Tempest In a Coffee Shop,</a>" by Tanya Mohn (New York Times, 2004).</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>EXTRAS:<ul><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast-tag/the-economics-of-eyeglasses/">The Economics of Eyeglasses,</a>" by Freakonomics Radio (2024).</li><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/should-you-trust-private-equity-to-take-care-of-your-dog/">Should You Trust Private Equity to Take Care of Your Dog?</a>" by Freakonomics Radio (2023).</li><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/are-private-equity-firms-plundering-the-u-s-economy/">Are Private Equity Firms Plundering the U.S. Economy?</a>" by Freakonomics Radio (2023).</li><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/is-the-u-s-really-less-corrupt-than-china-and-how-about-russia-update/">Is the U.S. Really Less Corrupt Than China — and How About Russia? (Update)</a>" by Freakonomics Radio (2022).</li></ul></li></ul>

Dauer: 63 min

EXTRA: The Downside of Disgust (Update)

It’s a powerful biological response that has preserved our species for millennia. But now it may be keeping us from pursuing strategies that would improve the environment, the economy, even our own health. So is it time to dial down our disgust reflex? You can help fix things — as Stephen Dubner does in this 2021 episode — by chowing down on some delicious insects. <ul><li>SOURCES:<ul><li><a href="https://psychology.sas.upenn.edu/people/paul-rozin">Paul Rozin,</a> professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania.</li><li><a href="https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/newsevents/news/2020/lshtm-pays-tribute-professor-val-curtis">Val Curtis</a>, late disgustologist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.</li><li><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/sandroambuehl/">Sandro Ambuehl</a>, economist at the University of Zurich.</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-kimmins-66535b10/">Emily Kimmins,</a> R&D lead for the sensory and consumer-science team for Kraft Heinz.</li><li>Iliana Sermeno, former chef at The Black Ant.</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>RESOURCES:<ul><li>“<a href="https://www.livescience.com/57626-stink-bugs-add-flavor-to-red-wine.html">Stink Bugs Could Add Cilantro Flavor to Red Win</a>e,” by Alex Berezow (Live Science, 2017).</li><li>“<a href="http://www.fao.org/3/i3253e/i3253e.pdf">Edible insects: Future Prospects for Food and Feed Security</a>,” by the F.A.O. (United Nations, 2013).</li><li>“<a href="https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/but-not-simpler/i-hate-to-break-it-to-you-but-you-already-eat-bugs/">I Hate to Break it to You, but You Already Eat Bugs</a>,” by Kyle Hill (Scientific American, 2013).</li><li>“<a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/five-banned-foods-and-one-that-maybe-should-be-48687965/">Five Banned Foods and One That Maybe Should Be</a>,” by Leah Binkovitz (Smithsonian Magazine, 2012).</li><li>“<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2775761/">Effects of Different Types of Antismoking Ads on Reducing Disparities in Smoking Cessation Among Socioeconomic Subgroups</a>,” by Sarah J. Durkin, Lois Biener, and Melanie A. Wakefield (American Journal of Public Health, 2009).</li><li>“<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/09/magazine/09wwln_freak.html">Flesh Trade</a>,” by Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt (The New York Times, 2006).</li><li>“<a href="https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/g2077">Feeding Poultry Litter to Beef Cattle</a>,” by Jay Daniel and K.C. Olson (University of Missouri, 2005).</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>EXTRAS:<ul><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/why-does-everyone-hate-rats/">Why Does Everyone Hate Rats?</a>" by Freakonomics Radio (2025).</li></ul></li></ul>

Dauer: 44 min

624. The Animal No One Loves, Until They Do

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To most people, the rat is vile and villainous. But not to everyone! We hear from a scientist who befriended rats and another who worked with them in the lab — and from the animator who made one the hero of a Pixar blockbuster. (Part three of a <a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast-tag/sympathy-for-the-rat/" target="_blank">three-part series</a>, “Sympathy for the Rat.”) <ul><li>SOURCES:<ul><li><a href="https://bethanybrookshire.com/">Bethany Brookshire</a>, author of Pests: How Humans Create Animal Villains</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jan-pinkava-202aa82a/?originalSubdomain=de">Jan Pinkava,</a> creator and co-writer of "Ratatouille," and director of the Animation Institute at the Film Academy Baden-Württemberg.</li><li><a href="https://hunter.cuny.edu/people/julia-marie-zichello/">Julia Zichello,</a> evolutionary biologist at Hunter College.</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>RESOURCES:<ul><li>"<a href="https://www.westsiderag.com/2024/10/05/weekend-column-rats-end-or-how-a-rat-dies">Weekend Column: Rat’s End, or, How a Rat Dies,</a>" by Julia Zichello (West Side Rag, 2024).</li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/4hQ725I">Pests: How Humans Create Animal Villains</a> by Bethany Brookshire (2022).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/shortcuts/2015/nov/18/rats-the-history-of-an-incendiary-cartoon-trope">Rats: the history of an incendiary cartoon trope,</a>" by Archie Bland (The Guardian, 2015).</li><li>"<a href="https://brill.com/view/journals/soan/22/1/article-p8_2.xml">Catching the Rat: Understanding Multiple and Contradictory Human-Rat Relations as Situated Practices,</a>" by Koen Beumer (Society & Animals, 2014).</li><li>"<a href="https://wakespace.lib.wfu.edu/bitstream/handle/10339/14812/brookshirebr_04_2010.pdf">Effects of Chronic Methylphenidate on Dopamine/Serotonin Interactions in the Mesolimbic DA System of the Mouse,</a>" by Bethany Brookshire (Wake Forest University, 2010).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-new-deal-for-mice/">A New Deal For Mice,</a>" by C.C. Little (Scientific American, 1935).</li></ul></li></ul>

Dauer: 45 min

623. Can New York City Win Its War on Rats?

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Even with a new rat czar, an arsenal of poisons, and a fleet of new garbage trucks, it won’t be easy — because, at root, the enemy is us. (Part two of <a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast-tag/sympathy-for-the-rat/">a three-part series</a>, “Sympathy for the Rat.”) <ul><li>SOURCES:<ul><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathleen-corradi-0678514a/">Kathy Corradi,</a> director of rodent mitigation for New York City.</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobby-corrigan-4aa02076/">Robert Corrigan,</a> urban rodentologist and pest consultant for New York City.</li><li><a href="https://scholar.harvard.edu/glaeser/home">Ed Glaeser,</a> professor of economics at Harvard University.</li><li><a href="https://us.macmillan.com/author/robertsullivanhttps://us.macmillan.com/author/robertsullivan">Robert Sullivan,</a> author of Rats: Observations on the History and Habitat of the City’s Most Unwanted Inhabitant.</li><li><a href="https://www.nyc.gov/site/nypd/about/leadership/commissioner.page">Jessica Tisch,</a> New York City police commissioner.</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>RESOURCES:<ul><li>"<a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.ads6782">Increasing rat numbers in cities are linked to climate warming, urbanization, and human population,</a>" by Jonathan Richardson, Elizabeth McCoy, Nicholas Parlavecchio, Ryan Szykowny, Eli Beech-Brown, Jan Buijs, Jacqueline Buckley, Robert Corrigan, Federico Costa, Ray Delaney, Rachel Denny, Leah Helms, Wade Lee, Maureen Murray, Claudia Riegel, Fabio Souza, John Ulrich, Adena Why, and Yasushi Kiyokawa (Science Advances, 2025).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/10/nyregion/nyc-rat-contraception-birth-control.html">The Next Frontier in New York's War on Rats: Birth Control,</a>" by Emma Fitzsimmons (New York Times, 2024).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/03/02/upshot/nyc-trash-rules.html">The Absurd Problem of New York City Trash,</a>" by Emily Badger and Larry Buchanan (New York Times, 2024).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-local-correspondents/mourning-flaco-the-owl-who-escaped">Mourning Flaco, the Owl Who Escaped,</a>" by Naaman Zhou (The New Yorker, 2024).</li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/416Nvas">Rats: Observations on the History & Habitat of the City's Most Unwanted Inhabitants,</a> by Robert Sullivan (2005).</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>EXTRAS:<ul><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/the-downside-of-disgust-ep-448/">The Downside of Disgust,</a>" by Freakonomics Radio (2021)</li></ul></li></ul>

Dauer: 50 min

The Show That Never Happened

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A brief meditation on loss, relativity, and the vagaries of show business.<ul><li>RESOURCES:<ul><li><a href="https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/billie-eilish-the-worlds-a-little-blurry/umc.cmc.5waz3hfo9r1133t8arap8b6nq?action=play">Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry,</a> documentary (2021)</li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3QqHi4k">Genius & Anxiety: How Jews Changed the World, 1847-1947</a>, by Norman Lebrecht (2019)</li><li><a href="https://play.max.com/movie/dea336e8-4feb-4628-93b7-f902380831a9?utm_source=universal_search">The War Room</a>, documentary (1993)</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>EXTRAS:<ul><li>“<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/is-san-francisco-a-failed-state-and-other-questions-you-shouldnt-ask-the-mayor/">Is San Francisco a Failed State? (And Other Questions You Shouldn’t Ask the Mayor)</a>” by Freakonomics Radio (2025)</li><li>“<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/ari-emanuel-is-never-indifferent/">Ari Emanuel Is Never Indifferent,</a>” by Freakonomics Radio (2023)</li></ul></li></ul>

Dauer: 14 min

622. Why Does Everyone Hate Rats?

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New York City’s mayor calls them “public enemy number one.” History books say they caused the Black Death — although recent scientific evidence disputes that claim. So is the rat a scapegoat? And what does our rat hatred say about us? (Part one of a <a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast-tag/sympathy-for-the-rat/">three-part series</a>.) <ul><li>SOURCES:<ul><li><a href="https://bethanybrookshire.com/">Bethany Brookshire</a>, author of Pests: How Humans Create Animal Villains.</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathleen-corradi-0678514a/">Kathy Corradi</a>, director of rodent mitigation for New York City.</li><li><a href="https://scholar.harvard.edu/glaeser/home">Ed Glaeser</a>, professor of economics at Harvard University.</li><li><a href="https://www.mn.uio.no/english/people/adm/fac/research/nilsst/">Nils Stenseth</a>, professor of ecology and evolution at the University of Oslo.</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>RESOURCES:<ul><li>"<a href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/rat-czar-kathleen-corradi-eric-adams.html">On Patrol With the Rat Czar,</a>" by Mark Chiusano (Intelligencer, 2024).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-rats-took-over-north-america/">How Rats Took Over North America,</a>" by Allison Parshall (Scientific American, 2024).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/24/realestate/rats-nyc-boroughs-study.html">Where Are the Rats in New York City,</a>" by Matt Yan (New York Times, 2024).</li><li>"<a href="https://amzn.to/4hQ725I">Pests: How Humans Create Animal Villains</a>" by Bethany Brookshire (2023).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1715640115">Human ectoparasites and the spread of plague in Europe during the Second Pandemic,</a>" by Nils Stenseth, Katharine Dean, Fabienne Krauer, Lars Walløe, Ole Christian Lingjærde, Barbara Bramanti, and Boris Schmid (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2018).</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>EXTRAS:<ul><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/freakonomics-radio-live-jesus-could-have-been-a-pigeon/">Freakonomics Radio Live: 'Jesus Could Have Been a Pigeon.'</a>" by Freakonomics Radio (2018).</li></ul></li></ul>

Dauer: 41 min

621. Is Professional Licensing a Racket?

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Licensing began with medicine and law; now it extends to 20 percent of the U.S. workforce, including hair stylists and auctioneers. In a new book, the legal scholar Rebecca Allensworth calls licensing boards “a thicket of self-dealing and ineptitude” and says they keep bad workers in their jobs and good ones out — while failing to protect the public. <ul><li>SOURCES:<ul><li><a href="https://law.vanderbilt.edu/bio/?pid=rebecca-allensworth">Rebecca Allensworth</a>, professor of law at Vanderbilt University.</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>RESOURCES:<ul><li>"<a href="https://amzn.to/4hDxlMm">The Licensing Racket: How We Decide Who Is Allowed to Work, and Why It Goes Wrong</a>" by Rebecca Allensworth (2025).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.nybooks.com/online/2020/07/21/licensed-to-pill/">Licensed to Pill,</a>" by Rebecca Allensworth (The New York Review of Books, 2020).</li><li>"<a href="https://research.upjohn.org/up_press/18/">Licensing Occupations: Ensuring Quality or Restricting Competition?</a>" by Morris Kleiner (W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, 2006).</li><li>"<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bjir.12470">How Much of Barrier to Entry is Occupational Licensing?</a>" by Peter Blair and Bobby Chung (British Journal of Industrial Relations, 2019).</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>EXTRAS:<ul><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/is-ozempic-as-magical-as-it-sounds/">Is Ozempic as Magical as It Sounds?</a>" by Freakonomics Radio (2024).</li></ul></li></ul>

Dauer: 55 min

When Is a Superstar Just Another Employee? (Update)

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In 2023, the N.F.L. players’ union conducted a workplace survey that revealed clogged showers, rats in the locker room — and some insights for those of us who don’t play football. Today we’re updating that episode, with extra commentary from Omnipresent Football Guy (and former Philadelphia Eagle) Jason Kelce. <ul><li>SOURCES:<ul><li><a href="https://www.miamidolphins.com/team/front-office-roster/tom-garfinkel">Tom Garfinkel</a>, vice chairman, C.E.O., and president of the Miami Dolphins.</li><li><a href="https://nflpa.com/profile/agent/19607">Jim Ivler</a>, certified contract advisor for players in the National Football League.</li><li><a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/14124/jason-kelce">Jason Kelce</a>, host of New Heights podcast and former center for the Philadelphia Eagles.</li><li><a href="https://www.detroitlions.com/team/players-roster/jalen-reeves-maybin/">Jalen Reeves-Maybin</a>, linebacker for the Detroit Lions and president of the National Football League Players Association.</li><li><a href="https://fordschool.umich.edu/faculty/betsey-stevenson">Betsey Stevenson</a>, professor of public policy and economics at the University of Michigan.</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JC_Tretter">J.C. Tretter</a>, former president of the National Football League Players Association and former offensive lineman.</li><li><a href="https://www.vikings.com/team/front-office-roster/mark-wilf">Mark Wilf</a>, owner and president of the Minnesota Vikings.</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>RESOURCES:<ul><li>“<a href="https://nflpa.com/nfl-player-team-report-cards-2024">N.F.L. Player Team Report Cards,</a>” by the National Football League Players Association (2024).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nflpa-team-report-cards-dolphins-rank-no-1-jaguars-jump-from-28th-to-fifth-commanders-earn-worst-grade/#:~:text=1%20thing%20they%20want%20changed,the%20start%20of%20training%20camp">NFLPA team report cards: Dolphins rank No. 1; Jaguars jump from 28th to fifth; Commanders earn worst grade,</a>" by Jonathan Jones (CBS Sports, 2024).</li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3sZL8bZ">Kelce</a>, documentary (2023).</li><li>“<a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/2022/08/25/jc-tretter-nflpa-president-daily-cover">The N.F.L. Cast Him Out; He Says That Only Makes Him More Powerful</a>,” by Alex Prewitt (Sports Illustrated, 2022).</li><li><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-heights-with-jason-and-travis-kelce/id1643745036">New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce</a>, (produced by Wave Sports + Entertainment).</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>EXTRAS:<ul><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/why-dont-running-backs-get-paid-anymore/">Why Don’t Running Backs Get Paid Anymore?</a>" by Freakonomics Radio (2025)</li><li>“<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/how-does-playing-football-affect-your-health/">How Does Playing Football Affect Your Health?</a>” by Freakonomics, M.D. (2023).</li><li>“<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/why-does-the-most-monotonous-job-in-the-world-pay-1-million/">Why Does the Most Monotonous Job in the World Pay $1 Million?</a>” by Freakonomics Radio (2022).</li></ul></li></ul>

Dauer: 69 min

620. Why Don’t Running Backs Get Paid Anymore?

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They used to be the N.F.L.’s biggest stars, with paychecks to match. Now their salaries are near the bottom, and their careers are shorter than ever. We speak with an analytics guru, an agent, some former running backs (including LeSean McCoy), and the economist Roland Fryer (a former Pop Warner running back himself) to understand why. <ul><li>SOURCES:<ul><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-burke-05326354/">Brian Burke,</a> sports data scientist at ESPN</li><li><a href="https://fryer.scholars.harvard.edu/">Roland Fryer,</a> professor of economics at Harvard University</li><li><a href="https://www.foxsports.com/presspass/bios/on-air/lesean-mccoy/">LeSean McCoy,</a> former running back in the N.F.L. and co-host for Fox's daily studio show, "The Facility"</li><li><a href="https://www.foxsports.com/presspass/bios/on-air/robert-smith/">Robert Smith,</a> former running back for the Minnesota Vikings and N.F.L. analyst</li><li><a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/14894/robert-turbin">Robert Turbin,</a> former running back, N.F.L. analyst for CBS Sports HQ, and college football announcer</li><li><a href="https://www.tsegllc.com/our-team?pgid=ln3hr9f8-69e396f0-25a0-4658-aa4d-91904af25d77">Jeffery Whitney,</a> founder and president at The Sports & Entertainment Group</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>RESOURCES:<ul><li>"<a href="https://www.wsj.com/opinion/the-economics-of-running-backs-football-nfl-salary-43a0fd63">The Economics of Running Backs,</a>" by Roland Fryer (Wall Street Journal, 2024)</li><li>"<a href="https://amzn.to/4hzu80l">Confessions of a Hero-Worshiper,</a>" by Stephen Dubner (2007)</li><li>"T<a href="https://amzn.to/4ayPN6J">he Rest of the Iceberg: An Insider’s View on the World of Sports and Celebrity,</a>" by Robert Smith (2004)</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>EXTRAS:<ul><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/roland-fryer-refuses-to-lie-to-black-america/">Roland Fryer Refuses to Lie to Black America,</a>" by Freakonomics Radio (2022)</li><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/why-does-the-most-monotonous-job-in-the-world-pay-1-million/">Why Does the Most Monotonous Job in the World Pay $1 Million?</a>" by Freakonomics Radio (2022)</li></ul></li></ul>

Dauer: 61 min

619. How to Poison the A.I. Machine

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When the computer scientist Ben Zhao learned that artists were having their work stolen by A.I. models, he invented a tool to thwart the machines. He also knows how to foil an eavesdropping Alexa and how to guard your online footprint. The big news, he says, is that the A.I. bubble is bursting. <ul><li>SOURCES:<ul><li><a href="https://economics.stanford.edu/people/erik-brynjolfsson">Erik Brynjolfsson</a>, professor of economics at Stanford University</li><li><a href="https://people.cs.uchicago.edu/~ravenben/">Ben Zhao</a>, professor of computer science at the University of Chicago</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>RESOURCES:<ul><li>"<a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/2024/11/13/1106837/ai-data-posioning-nightshade-glaze-art-university-of-chicago-exploitation/">The AI lab waging a guerrilla war over exploitative AI,</a>" by Melissa Heikkilä (MIT Technology Review, 2024)</li><li>"<a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2302.04222">Glaze: Protecting Artists from Style Mimicry by Text-to-Image Models,</a>" by Shawn Shan, Jenna Cryan, Emily Wenger, Haitao Zheng, Rana Hanocka, and Ben Y. Zhao (Cornell University, 2023)</li><li>"<a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2310.13828">Nightshade: Prompt-Specific Poisoning Attacks on Text-to-Image Generative Models,</a>" by Shawn Shan, Wenxin Ding, Josephine Passananti, Stanley Wu, Haitao Zheng, and Ben Y. Zhao (Cornell University, 2023)</li><li>"<a href="https://a.co/d/eTC9jpQ">A Brief History of Artificial Intelligence: What It Is, Where We Are, and Where We Are Going,</a>" by Michael Woodridge (2021)</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>EXTRAS:<ul><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/nuclear-power-isnt-perfect-is-it-good-enough/">Nuclear Power Isn’t Perfect. Is It Good Enough?</a>" by Freakonomics Radio (2022)</li></ul></li></ul>

Dauer: 52 min

Is San Francisco a Failed State? (And Other Questions You Shouldn’t Ask the Mayor)

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Stephen Dubner, live on stage, mixes it up with outbound mayor London Breed, and asks economists whether A.I. can be “human-centered” and if Tang is a gateway drug. <ul><li>SOURCES:<ul><li><a href="https://www.sf.gov/profile--london-breed">London Breed</a>, former mayor of San Francisco.</li><li><a href="https://economics.stanford.edu/people/erik-brynjolfsson">Erik Brynjolfsson</a>, professor of economics at Stanford University</li><li><a href="https://economics.wfu.edu/faculty-and-staff/koleman-strumpf/">Koleman Strumpf</a>, professor of economics at Wake Forest University</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>RESOURCES:<ul><li>"<a href="https://sfstandard.com/2025/01/07/san-francisco-crime-rate-fell-to-23-year-low-in-2024/">SF crime rate at lowest point in more than 20 years, mayor says,</a>" by George Kelly (The San Francisco Standard, 2025)</li><li>"<a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/how-the-trump-whale-and-prediction-markets-beat-the-pollsters-in-2024-dd11ec4e">How the Trump Whale and Prediction Markets Beat the Pollsters in 2024,</a>" by Niall Ferguson and Manny Rincon-Cruz (Wall Street Journal, 2024)</li><li>"<a href="https://aidantr.github.io/files/AI_innovation.pdf">Artificial Intelligence, Scientific Discovery, and Product Innovation,</a>" by Aidan Toner-Rodgers (MIT Department of Economics, 2024)</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>EXTRAS:<ul><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/why-are-cities-still-so-expensive-ep-435/">Why Are Cities (Still) So Expensive?</a>" by Freakonomics Radio (2020)</li></ul></li></ul>

Dauer: 59 min

618. Are Realtors Having an Existential Crisis?

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Their trade organization just lost a huge lawsuit. Their infamous commission model is under attack. And there are way too many of them. If they go the way of travel agents, will we miss them when they’re gone? <ul><li>SOURCES:<ul><li><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/gilbukh/">Sonia Gilbukh</a>, assistant professor of real estate at CUNY Baruch College.</li><li><a href="https://www.nar.realtor/kevin-sears">Kevin Sears</a>, 2025 president of the National Association of Realtors.</li><li><a href="https://www.chicagobooth.edu/faculty/directory/s/chad-syverson">Chad Syverson</a>, professor of economics at the University of Chicago.</li><li><a href="https://www.nar.realtor/lawrence-yun">Lawrence Yun</a>, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors.</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>RESOURCES:<ul><li>"<a href="https://paulgp.com/papers/Heterogeneous_Real_Estate_Agents_and_the_Housing_Cycle.pdf">Heterogeneous Real Estate Agents and the Housing Cycle</a>," by Sonia Gilbukh and Paul Goldsmith-Pinkham (NBER Working Paper, 2024).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.richmondfed.org/-/media/RichmondFedOrg/publications/research/working_papers/2024/wp24-01.pdf">Real Estate Commissions and Homebuying</a>," by Borys Grochulski and Zhu Wang (Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond Working Paper, 2024).</li><li>"<a href="https://consumerfed.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Real-Estate-Relationship-between-Home-Prices-and-Commission-Rates-Report-7-18-22.pdf">The Relationship Between Home Prices and Real Estate Commission Rates: Implications for Consumers and Public Policy</a>," by Stephen Brobeck (Consumer Federation of America, 2022).</li><li>"<a href="https://consumerfed.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Real-Estate-Commission-Rates-Uniformity-and-Industry-Structure-Report-11-30-21.pdf">The Relationship of Residential Real Estate Commission Rate to Industry Structure and Culture</a>," by Stephen Brobeck (Consumer Federation of America, 2021).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ES-12.12.19-Barwick-Wong.pdf">Competition in the Real Estate Brokerage Industry: A Critical Review</a>," by Panle Jia Barwick and Maisy Wong (Economic Studies at Brookings, 2019).</li><li>"<a href="https://consumerfed.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Real-Estate-Commissioner-Report.pdf">Hidden Real Estate Commissions: Consumer Costs and Improved Transparency</a>," by Stephen Brobeck (Consumer Federation of America, 2019).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.nber.org/papers/w11053">Market Distortions when Agents are Better Informed: The Value of Information in Real Estate Transactions</a>," by Steven D. Levitt and Chad Syverson (NBER Working Paper, 2005).</li><li><a href="https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/The-Residential-Real-Estate-Brokerage-Report--Butters-Report.pdf">The Residential Real Estate Brokerage Industry</a>, staff report by the Los Angeles Regional Office of the Federal Trade Commission (1983).</li></ul></li></ul>

Dauer: 53 min

617. Are You Really Allergic to Penicillin?

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Like tens of millions of people, Stephen Dubner thought he had a penicillin allergy. Like the vast majority, he didn’t. This misdiagnosis costs billions of dollars and causes serious health problems, so why hasn’t it been fixed? And how about all the other things we think we’re allergic to? <ul><li>SOURCES:<ul><li><a href="https://www.massgeneral.org/doctors/20124/kimberly-blumenthal">Kimberly Blumenthal</a>, allergist-immunologist and researcher at Mass General Hospital and Harvard Medical School.</li><li><a href="https://theresamacphail.com/">Theresa MacPhail</a>, associate professor of science and technology studies at Stevens Institute of Technology.</li><li><a href="https://uvahealth.com/findadoctor/Thomas-Platts-Mills-1649395674">Thomas Platts-Mills</a>, professor of medicine at the University of Virginia.</li><li><a href="https://profiles.mountsinai.org/elena-s-resnick">Elena Resnick</a>, allergist and immunologist at Mount Sinai Hospital.</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>RESOURCES:<ul><li><a href="https://amzn.to/4h9Atj2">Allergic: Our Irritated Bodies in a Changing World</a>, by Theresa MacPhail (2023).</li><li>"<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2720732">Evaluation and Management of Penicillin Allergy: A Review</a>," by Erica S. Shenoy, Eric Macy, and Theresa Rowe (JAMA, 2019).</li><li>"<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4617537/">The Allergy Epidemics: 1870–2010</a>," by Thomas Platts-Mills (The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2016).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1414850">Randomized Trial of Peanut Consumption in Infants at Risk for Peanut Allergy</a>," by George Du Toit, Graham Roberts, et al. (The New England Journal of Medicine, 2015).</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>EXTRAS:<ul><li><a href="https://freakonomics.com/series/bapu/">Freakonomics, M.D.</a></li></ul></li></ul>

Dauer: 64 min

Highway Signs and Prison Labor

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Incarcerated people grow crops, fight wildfires, and manufacture everything from prescription glasses to highway signs — often for pennies an hour. Zachary Crockett takes the next exit, in this special episode of The Economics of Everyday Things. <ul><li>SOURCES:<ul><li><a href="https://www.ali.org/members/member/477358/">Laura Appleman</a>, professor of law at Willamette University.</li><li>Christopher Barnes, inmate at the Franklin Correctional Center.</li><li><a href="https://www.correctionenterprises.com/organization-staff-dps/">Lee Blackman</a>, general manager at Correction Enterprises.</li><li><a href="https://www.kittelson.com/people/gene-hawkins/">Gene Hawkins</a>, senior principal engineer at Kittelson and professor emeritus of civil engineering at Texas A&M University.</li><li>Renee Roach, state signing and delineation engineer for the North Carolina Department of Transportation.</li><li>Brian Scott, ex-inmate, former worker at the Correction Enterprises printing plant.</li><li><a href="https://www.dac.nc.gov/news/press-releases/2023/09/12/louis-southall-named-warden-franklin-correctional-center">Louis Southall</a>, warden of Franklin Correctional Center.</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>RESOURCES:<ul><li>“<a href="https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/pdfs/11th_Edition/mutcd11thedition.pdf">Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways, 11th Edition</a>,” by the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration (2023).</li><li>“<a href="https://apnews.com/article/prison-to-plate-inmate-labor-investigation-c6f0eb4747963283316e494eadf08c4e#">Prisoners in the U.S. Are Part of a Hidden Workforce Linked to Hundreds of Popular Food Brands</a>,” by Robin McDowell and Margie Mason (AP News, 2024).</li><li>“<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/06/business/economy/jobs-hiring-after-prison.html">Ex-Prisoners Face Headwinds as Job Seekers, Even as Openings Abound</a>,” by Talmon Joseph Smith (The New York Times, 2023).</li><li>“<a href="https://wlr.law.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1263/2022/05/14-Appleman-Camera-Ready.pdf">Bloody Lucre: Carceral Labor and Prison Profit</a>,” by Laura Appleman (Wisconsin Law Review, 2022).</li><li>“<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/12/magazine/12fonts-t.html">The Road to Clarity</a>,” by Joshua Yaffa (The New York Times Magazine, 2007).</li><li><a href="https://www.correctionenterprises.com/">Correction Enterprises</a>.</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>EXTRAS:<ul><li>“<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/do-people-pay-attention-to-signs/">Do People Pay Attention to Signs?</a>” by No Stupid Questions (2022).</li><li><a href="https://freakonomics.com/series/everyday-things/">The Economics of Everyday Things</a>.</li></ul></li></ul>

Dauer: 39 min

Can Academic Fraud Be Stopped? (Update)

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Probably not — the incentives are too strong. But a few reformers are trying. We check in on their progress, in an update to an episode originally published last year. (Part 2 of 2) <ul><li>SOURCES:<ul><li><a href="https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=6420">Max Bazerman</a>, professor of business administration at Harvard Business School.</li><li><a href="https://haas.berkeley.edu/faculty/nelson-leif/">Leif Nelson</a>, professor of business administration at the University of California, Berkeley Haas School of Business.</li><li><a href="https://www.cos.io/team/brian-nosek">Brian Nosek</a>, professor of psychology at the University of Virginia and executive director at the Center for Open Science.</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivanoransky/">Ivan Oransky</a>, distinguished journalist-in-residence at New York University, editor-in-chief of The Transmitter, and co-founder of Retraction Watch.</li><li><a href="https://oid.wharton.upenn.edu/profile/jsimmo/">Joseph Simmons</a>, professor of applied statistics and operations, information, and decisions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.</li><li><a href="https://www.esade.edu/faculty/uri.simonsohn">Uri Simonsohn</a>, professor of behavioral science at Esade Business School.</li><li><a href="https://www.simine.com/">Simine Vazire</a>, professor of psychology at the University of Melbourne and editor-in-chief of Psychological Science.</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>RESOURCES:<ul><li>"<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/how-a-scientific-dispute-spiralled-into-a-defamation-lawsuit">How a Scientific Dispute Spiralled Into a Defamation Lawsuit</a>," by Gideon Lewis-Kraus (The New Yorker, 2024).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/30/business/the-harvard-professor-and-the-bloggers.html">The Harvard Professor and the Bloggers</a>," by Noam Scheiber (The New York Times, 2023).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/10/09/they-studied-dishonesty-was-their-work-a-lie">They Studied Dishonesty. Was Their Work a Lie?</a>" by Gideon Lewis-Kraus (The New Yorker, 2023).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.11.23.568476v1.full.pdf">Evolving Patterns of Extremely Productive Publishing Behavior Across Science</a>," by John P.A. Ioannidis, Thomas A. Collins, and Jeroen Baas (bioRxiv, 2023).</li><li>"<a href="https://retractionwatch.com/2023/12/19/hindawi-reveals-process-for-retracting-more-than-8000-paper-mill-articles/">Hindawi Reveals Process for Retracting More Than 8,000 Paper Mill Articles</a>," (Retraction Watch, 2023).</li><li>"<a href="https://retractionwatch.com/2019/07/18/exclusive-russian-site-says-it-has-brokered-authorships-for-more-than-10000-researchers/">Exclusive: Russian Site Says It Has Brokered Authorships for More Than 10,000 Researchers</a>," (Retraction Watch, 2019).</li><li>"<a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0005738">How Many Scientists Fabricate and Falsify Research? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Survey Data</a>," by Daniele Fanelli (PLOS One, 2009).</li><li><a href="https://www.cos.io/lifecyclejournal">Lifecycle Journal</a>.</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>EXTRAS:<ul><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/why-is-there-so-much-fraud-in-academia-update/">Why Is There So Much Fraud in Academia? (Update)</a>" by Freakonomics Radio (2024).</li><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/freakonomics-goes-to-college-part-1/">Freakonomics Goes to College, Part 1</a>," by Freakonomics Radio (2012).</li></ul></li></ul>

Dauer: 69 min

Why Is There So Much Fraud in Academia? (Update)

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Some of the biggest names in behavioral science stand accused of faking their results. Last year, an astonishing 10,000 research papers were retracted. In a series originally published in early 2024, we talk to whistleblowers, reformers, and a co-author who got caught up in the chaos. (Part 1 of 2) <ul><li>SOURCES:<ul><li><a href="https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=6420">Max Bazerman</a>, professor of business administration at Harvard Business School.</li><li><a href="https://haas.berkeley.edu/faculty/nelson-leif/">Leif Nelson</a>, professor of business administration at the University of California, Berkeley Haas School of Business.</li><li><a href="https://www.cos.io/team/brian-nosek">Brian Nosek</a>, professor of psychology at the University of Virginia and executive director at the Center for Open Science.</li><li><a href="https://oid.wharton.upenn.edu/profile/jsimmo/">Joseph Simmons</a>, professor of applied statistics and operations, information, and decisions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.</li><li><a href="https://www.esade.edu/faculty/uri.simonsohn">Uri Simonsohn</a>, professor of behavioral science at Esade Business School.</li><li><a href="https://www.simine.com/">Simine Vazire</a>, professor of psychology at the University of Melbourne and editor-in-chief of Psychological Science.</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>RESOURCES:<ul><li>"<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-03974-8">More Than 10,000 Research Papers Were Retracted in 2023 — a New Record</a>," by Richard Van Noorden (Nature, 2023).</li><li>"<a href="https://datacolada.org/109">Data Falsificada (Part 1): 'Clusterfake</a>,'" by Joseph Simmons, Leif Nelson, and Uri Simonsohn (Data Colada, 2023).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/07/27/1190568472/dan-ariely-francesca-gino-harvard-dishonesty-fabricated-data">Fabricated Data in Research About Honesty. You Can't Make This Stuff Up. Or, Can You?</a>" by Nick Fountain, Jeff Guo, Keith Romer, and Emma Peaslee (Planet Money, 2023).</li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/48RGBZ7">Complicit: How We Enable the Unethical and How to Stop</a>, by Max Bazerman (2022).</li><li>"<a href="https://datacolada.org/98">Evidence of Fraud in an Influential Field Experiment About Dishonesty</a>," by Joseph Simmons, Leif Nelson, and Uri Simonsohn (Data Colada, 2021).</li><li>"<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0956797611417632">False-Positive Psychology: Undisclosed Flexibility in Data Collection and Analysis Allows Presenting Anything as Significant</a>," by Joseph Simmons, Leif Nelson, and Uri Simonsohn (Psychological Science, 2011).</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>EXTRAS:<ul><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/why-do-we-cheat-and-why-shouldnt-we/">Why Do We Cheat, and Why Shouldn’t We?</a>" by No Stupid Questions (2023).</li><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/is-everybody-cheating-these-days/">Is Everybody Cheating These Days?</a>" by No Stupid Questions (2021).</li></ul></li></ul>

Dauer: 75 min

Your Brain Doesn’t Work the Way You Think

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David Eagleman upends myths and describes the vast possibilities of a brainscape that even neuroscientists are only beginning to understand. Steve Levitt interviews him in this special episode of People I (Mostly) Admire. <ul><li>SOURCES:<ul><li><a href="https://eagleman.com/about-david-eagleman/">David Eagleman</a>, professor of cognitive neuroscience at Stanford University and C.E.O. of Neosensory.</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>RESOURCES:<ul><li><a href="https://amzn.to/4hIwZF2">Livewired: The Inside Story of the Ever-Changing Brain</a>, by David Eagleman (2020).</li><li>"<a href="https://time.com/5925206/why-do-we-dream/">Why Do We Dream? A New Theory on How It Protects Our Brains</a>," by David Eagleman and Don Vaughn (TIME, 2020).</li><li>"<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4349591/">Prevalence of Learned Grapheme-Color Pairings in a Large Online Sample of Synesthetes</a>," by Nathan Witthoft, Jonathan Winawer, and David Eagleman (PLoS One, 2015).</li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3YVXVKi">Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives</a>, by David Eagleman (2009).</li><li><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=vOICe.vOICe&hl=en_US&pli=1">The vOICe app</a>.</li><li><a href="https://neosensory.com/">Neosensory</a>.</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>EXTRAS:<ul><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/feeling-sound-and-hearing-color/">Feeling Sound and Hearing Color</a>," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024).</li><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/whats-impacting-american-workers/">What’s Impacting American Workers?</a>" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024).</li><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/this-is-your-brain-on-podcasts/">This Is Your Brain on Podcasts</a>," by Freakonomics Radio (2016).</li></ul></li></ul>

Dauer: 48 min

616. How to Make Something from Nothing

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Adam Moss was the best magazine editor of his generation. When he retired, he took up painting. But he wasn’t very good, and that made him sad. So he wrote a book about how creative people work— and, in the process, he made himself happy again. <ul><li>SOURCE:<ul><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Moss">Adam Moss</a>, magazine editor and author.</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>RESOURCES:<ul><li><a href="https://amzn.to/4fsnYhd">The Work of Art: How Something Comes from Nothing</a>, by Adam Moss (2024).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/15/business/media/new-york-magazine-adam-moss-resigns.html">Goodbye, New York. Adam Moss Is Leaving the Magazine He Has Edited for 15 Years</a>," by Michael M. Grynbaum (The New York Times, 2019).</li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3CBWogT">Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking</a>, by Samin Nosrat (2017).</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>EXTRAS:<ul><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/david-simon-is-on-strike-heres-why/">David Simon Is On Strike. Here’s Why</a>," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023).</li><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/extra-samin-nosrat-always-wanted-to-be-famous/">Samin Nosrat Always Wanted to Be Famous</a>," by Freakonomics Radio (2023).</li><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/whats-wrong-with-being-a-one-hit-wonder/">What’s Wrong with Being a One-Hit Wonder?</a>" by Freakonomics Radio (2023).</li></ul></li></ul>

Dauer: 48 min

615. Is Ozempic as Magical as It Sounds?

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Dauer: 57 min

How the Supermarket Helped America Win the Cold War (Update)

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Dauer: 39 min

614. Is the U.S. Sleeping on Threats from Russia and China?

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Dauer: 51 min

613. Dying Is Easy. Retail Is Hard.

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Macy’s wants to recapture its glorious past. The author of the Wimpy Kid books wants to rebuild his dilapidated hometown. We just want to listen in. (Part two of a<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast-tag/can-the-macys-parade-save-macys/"> two-part series</a>.) <ul><li>SOURCES:<ul><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-cohen-b9886b7/">Mark Cohen</a>, former professor and director of retail studies at Columbia Business School.</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/willcoss/">Will Coss</a>, vice president and executive producer of Macy’s Studios.</li><li><a href="https://wimpykid.com/about-the-author/">Jeff Kinney</a>, author, cartoonist, and owner of An Unlikely Story Bookstore and Café.</li><li><a href="https://macysinc.com/investors/governance/board-of-directors/person-details/default.aspx?ItemId=59e54111-e049-4319-9d8a-260734f6d65a">Tony Spring</a>, chairman and C.E.O. of Macy’s Inc.</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>RESOURCES:<ul><li>"<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/25/business/macys-earnings-delay-accounting-error.html">Macy’s Discovers Employee Hid Millions in Delivery Expenses</a>," by Jordyn Holman and Danielle Kaye (The New York Times, 2024).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.wsj.com/business/media/nbc-ready-to-pay-triple-to-gobble-up-thanksgiving-parade-broadcast-rights-e18fd95f">NBC Ready to Pay Triple to Gobble Up Thanksgiving Parade Broadcast Rights</a>," by Joe Flint (The Wall Street Journal, 2024).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.retaildive.com/news/how-macys-set-out-to-conquer-the-department-store-business-and-lost/608277/">How Macy’s Set Out to Conquer the Department Store Business — and Lost</a>," by Daphne Howland (Retail Dive, 2022).</li><li><a href="https://www.anunlikelystory.com/">An Unlikely Story Bookstore and Café</a>.</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>EXTRA:<ul><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast-tag/can-the-macys-parade-save-macys/">Can the Macy's Parade Save Macy's?</a>" series by Freakonomics Radio (2024).</li></ul></li></ul>

Dauer: 62 min

612. Is Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade Its Most Valuable Asset?

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The 166-year-old chain, which is fighting extinction, calls the parade its “gift to the nation.” With 30 million TV viewers, it’s also a big moneymaker. At least we think it is — Macy’s is famously tight-lipped about parade economics. We try to loosen them up. (Part one of a<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast-tag/can-the-macys-parade-save-macys/"> two-part series</a>.)Please take our audience survey at <a href="http://freakonomics.com/survey">freakonomics.com/survey</a>. <ul><li>SOURCES:<ul><li>John Cheney, carpenter at Macy’s Studios.</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/willcoss/">Will Coss</a>, vice president and executive producer of Macy’s Studios.</li><li><a href="https://wimpykid.com/about-the-author/">Jeff Kinney</a>, author, cartoonist, and owner of An Unlikely Story Bookstore and Café.</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinjlynch23/">Kevin Lynch</a>, vice president of global helium at Messer.</li><li>Jen Neal, executive vice president of live events and specials for NBCUniversal Entertainment</li><li><a href="https://macysinc.com/investors/governance/board-of-directors/person-details/default.aspx?ItemId=59e54111-e049-4319-9d8a-260734f6d65a">Tony Spring</a>, chairman and C.E.O. of Macy's Inc.</li><li><a href="https://www.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/847-24/mayor-adams-appoints-jessica-tisch-nypd-commissioner#/0">Jessica Tisch</a>, commissioner of the New York City Department of Sanitation; incoming commissioner of the New York City Police Department.</li><li><a href="https://www.nyc.gov/site/cecm/about/about-the-executive-director.page">Dawn Tolson</a>, executive director of Citywide Event Coordination and Management and the Street Activity Permit Office for the City of New York.</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>RESOURCES:<ul><li><a href="https://amzn.to/40XwtNr">Macy's: The Store. The Star. The Story.</a>, by Robert M. Grippo (2009).</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/History-1858-1919-Harvard-Studies-Business/dp/0674863704">History of Macy's of New York, 1853-1919: Chapters in the Evolution of the Department Store</a>, by Ralph M. Hower (1943).</li><li><a href="https://www.macys.com/s/parade/">Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade</a>.</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>EXTRA:<ul><li><a href="https://freakonomics.com/series/everyday-things/">The Economics of Everyday Things</a>. </li></ul></li></ul>

Dauer: 54 min

How to Stop Worrying and Love the Robot Apocalypse (Update)

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Dauer: 49 min

611. Fareed Zakaria on What Just Happened, and What Comes Next

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Dauer: 59 min

610. Who Wins and Who Loses Once the U.S. Legalizes Weed?

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Dauer: 43 min

609. What Does It Take to Run a Cannabis Farm?

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Dauer: 40 min

Abortion and Crime, Revisited (Update)

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Dauer: 55 min

608. Cannabis Is Booming, So Why Isn’t Anyone Getting Rich?

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Dauer: 51 min

607. Is America Switching From Booze to Weed?

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Dauer: 46 min

606. How to Predict the Presidency

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Dauer: 56 min

Has the U.S. Presidency Become a Dictatorship? (Update)

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Dauer: 47 min

605. What Do People Do All Day?

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Dauer: 61 min

EXTRA: Roland Fryer Refuses to Lie to Black America (Update)

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Dauer: 60 min

604. Did the N.F.L. Solve Diversity Hiring? (Part 2)

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Dauer: 47 min

603. Did the N.F.L. Solve Diversity Hiring? (Part 1)

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Dauer: 48 min

EXTRA: In Praise of Maintenance (Update)

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Dauer: 43 min

602. Is Screen Time as Poisonous as We Think?

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Dauer: 40 min

601. Multitasking Doesn’t Work. So Why Do We Keep Trying?

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Dauer: 58 min

What Is the Future of College — and Does It Have Room for Men? (Update)

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Dauer: 49 min

EXTRA: Why Quitting Is Usually Worth It

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Dauer: 40 min

The University of Impossible-to-Get-Into (Update)

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Dauer: 71 min

What Exactly Is College For? (Update)

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Dauer: 50 min

EXTRA: Here’s Why You’re Not an Elite Athlete (Update)

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Dauer: 66 min

600. “If We’re All in It for Ourselves, Who Are We?”

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Dauer: 45 min

599. The World's Most Valuable Unused Resource

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Dauer: 40 min

EXTRA: Why Rent Control Doesn’t Work (Update)

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Dauer: 48 min

598. Is Overconsolidation a Threat to Democracy?

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Dauer: 37 min

597. Why Do Your Eyeglasses Cost $1,000?

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Dauer: 55 min

EXTRA: People Aren’t Dumb. The World Is Hard. (Update)

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Dauer: 53 min

596. Farewell to a Generational Talent

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Dauer: 53 min

595. Why Don't We Have Better Candidates for President?

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Dauer: 62 min

594. Your Brand’s Spokesperson Just Got Arrested — Now What?

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Dauer: 44 min

593. You Can Make a Killing, but Not a Living

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Dauer: 50 min

EXTRA: The Fascinatingly Mundane Secrets of the World’s Most Exclusive Nightclub

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Dauer: 45 min

592. How to Make the Coolest Show on Broadway

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Dauer: 65 min

591. Signs of Progress, One Year at a Time

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Dauer: 53 min

EXTRA: The Opioid Tragedy — How We Got Here

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Dauer: 42 min

590. Can $55 Billion End the Opioid Epidemic?

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Dauer: 41 min

589. Why Has the Opioid Crisis Lasted So Long?

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Dauer: 49 min

Extra: Car Colors & Storage Units

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Dauer: 35 min

588. Confessions of a Black Conservative

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Dauer: 57 min

587. Should Companies Be Owned by Their Workers?

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Dauer: 47 min

586. How Does the Lost World of Vienna Still Shape Our Lives?

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Dauer: 57 min

Extra: Why Is 23andMe Going Under? (Update)

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Dauer: 62 min

585. A Social Activist in Prime Minister’s Clothing

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Dauer: 52 min

584. How to Pave the Road to Hell

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Dauer: 44 min

Extra: The Men Who Started a Thinking Revolution (Update)

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Dauer: 35 min

Why Are There So Many Bad Bosses? (Update)

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Dauer: 50 min

583. Are We Living Through the Most Revolutionary Period in History?

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Dauer: 63 min

Extra: How Much Do You Know About Immigration?

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The political debates over immigration can generate a lot of fuzzy facts. We wanted to test Americans’ knowledge — so, to wrap up our <a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast-tag/the-true-story-of-americas-supremely-messed-up-immigration-system">special series on immigration</a>, we called some Freakonomics Radio listeners and quizzed them. <ul><li>SOURCES:<ul><li><a href="http://zekehernandez.net/">Zeke Hernandez</a>, professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>RESOURCES:<ul><li><a href="https://amzn.to/43k5D1s">The Truth About Immigration: Why Successful Societies Welcome Newcomers</a>, by Zeke Hernandez (2024, available for pre-order).</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>EXTRA:<ul><li>“<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast-tag/the-true-story-of-americas-supremely-messed-up-immigration-system/">The True Story of America’s Supremely Messed-Up Immigration System</a>,” series by Freakonomics Radio (2024).</li></ul></li></ul>

Dauer: 28 min

582. Why Is Everyone Moving to Canada?

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As the U.S. tries to fix its messy immigration system, our neighbor to the north is scooping up more talented newcomers every year. Are the Canadians stealing America’s bacon? (Part three of <a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast-tag/the-true-story-of-americas-supremely-messed-up-immigration-system/">a three-part series</a>.) <ul><li>SOURCES:<ul><li><a href="http://zekehernandez.net/">Zeke Hernandez</a>, professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.</li><li><a href="https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=337265">William Kerr</a>, professor of business administration at Harvard Business School.</li><li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/by/david-leonhardt">David Leonhardt</a>, senior writer at the New York Times.</li><li><a href="https://sindhum.substack.com/">Sindhu Mahadevan</a>, creator of This Immigrant Life newsletter.</li><li><a href="https://www.ourcommons.ca/members/en/marc-miller(88660)">Marc Miller</a>, Member of Parliament and Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship of Canada.</li><li><a href="https://observatoirevivreensemble.org/en/mike-savage">Mike Savage</a>, Mayor of Halifax, Nova Scotia.</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>RESOURCES:<ul><li><a href="https://amzn.to/43k5D1s">The Truth About Immigration: Why Successful Societies Welcome Newcomers</a>, by Zeke Hernandez (2024, available for pre-order).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/06/magazine/us-coast-guard-children-detained.html">The Border Where Different Rules Apply</a>," by Seth Freed Wessler (The New York Times Magazine, 2023).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/first-person-feeling-like-a-canadian-1.6717526">Last Year, Canada Became My Home. Feeling Like a Canadian Will Take a Bit Longer</a>," by Sindhu Mahadevan (CBC News, 2023).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2023/11/02/canadians-are-starting-to-sour-on-migration">Canadians Are Starting to Sour on Migration</a>," (The Economist, 2023).</li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3IQOYZX">The Gift of Global Talent: How Migration Shapes Business, Economy & Society</a>, by William Kerr (2018).</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>EXTRAS:<ul><li>“<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast-tag/the-true-story-of-americas-supremely-messed-up-immigration-system/">The True Story of America’s Supremely Messed-Up Immigration System</a>,” series by Freakonomics Radio (2024).</li><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/is-the-american-dream-really-dead/">Is the American Dream Really Dead?</a>" by Freakonomics Radio (2017).</li></ul></li></ul>

Dauer: 50 min

581. What Both Parties Get Wrong About Immigration

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The U.S. immigration system is a massively complicated machine, with a lot of worn-out parts. How to fix it? Step one: Get hold of some actual facts and evidence. (We did this step for you.) (Part two of <a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast-tag/the-true-story-of-americas-supremely-messed-up-immigration-system/">a three-part series</a>.) <ul><li>SOURCES:<ul><li><a href="http://zekehernandez.net/">Zeke Hernandez</a>, professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.</li><li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/by/david-leonhardt">David Leonhardt</a>, senior writer at the New York Times.</li><li><a href="https://sindhum.substack.com/">Sindhu Mahadevan</a>, creator of This Immigrant Life newsletter.</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>RESOURCES:<ul><li><a href="https://amzn.to/43k5D1s">The Truth About Immigration: Why Successful Societies Welcome Newcomers</a>, by Zeke Hernandez (2024, available for pre-order).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.wsj.com/us-news/illegal-immigration-record-border-6db29cad">Illegal Immigration Is a Bigger Problem Than Ever. These Five Charts Explain Why</a>," by Andrew Mollica, Alicia A. Caldwell, Michelle Hackman, and Santiago Pérez (The Wall Street Journal, 2023).</li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/4akRYJB">Ours Was the Shining Future: The Story of the American Dream</a>, by David Leonhardt (2023).</li><li><a href="https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/23550/the-economic-and-fiscal-consequences-of-immigration">The Economic and Fiscal Consequences of Immigration</a>, by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (2017).</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>EXTRAS:<ul><li>“<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast-tag/the-true-story-of-americas-supremely-messed-up-immigration-system/">The True Story of America’s Supremely Messed-Up Immigration System</a>,” series by Freakonomics Radio (2024).</li><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/2008/02/and-the-new-six-word-motto-for-the-us-is/">And the New Six-Word Motto for the U.S. Is …</a>," by Stephen Dubner (Freakonomics blog, 2008).</li></ul></li></ul>

Dauer: 56 min

Extra: Madeleine Albright’s Warning on Immigration

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She arrived in the U.S. as an 11-year-old refugee, then rose to become Secretary of State. Her views on immigration, nationalism, and borders, from this 2015 interview, are almost strangely appropriate to the present moment. <ul><li>SOURCE:<ul><li><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Madeleine-Albright">Madeleine Albright</a>, U.S. Secretary of State under President Bill Clinton and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>RESOURCES:<ul><li>"<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/23/us/madeleine-albright-dead.html">Madeleine Albright, First Woman to Serve as Secretary of State, Dies at 84</a>," by Robert D. McFadden (The New York Times, 2022).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/10/get-rid-borders-completely/409501/">The Case for Getting Rid of Borders — Completely</a>," by Alex Tabarrok (The Atlantic, 2015).</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>EXTRAS:<ul><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast-tag/the-true-story-of-americas-supremely-messed-up-immigration-system/">The True Story of America's Supremely Messed-Up Immigration System</a>," series by Freakonomics Radio (2024).</li><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/is-migration-a-basic-human-right/">Is Migration a Basic Human Right?</a>" by Freakonomics Radio (2015).</li></ul></li></ul>

Dauer: 29 min

580. The True Story of America’s Supremely Messed-Up Immigration System

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How did a nation of immigrants come to hate immigration? We start at the beginning, sort through the evidence, and explain why your grandfather was lying about Ellis Island. (Part one of <a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast-tag/the-true-story-of-americas-supremely-messed-up-immigration-system/">a three-part series</a>.) <ul><li>SOURCES:<ul><li><a href="https://lboustan.scholar.princeton.edu/">Leah Boustan</a>, professor of economics at Princeton University.</li><li><a href="http://zekehernandez.net">Zeke Hernandez</a>, professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.</li><li><a href="https://candler.emory.edu/faculty-profiles/roger-s-nam/">Roger Nam</a>, professor of Hebrew Bible at Emory University.</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>RESOURCES:<ul><li><a href="https://amzn.to/43k5D1s">The Truth About Immigration: Why Successful Societies Welcome Newcomers</a>, by Zeke Hernandez (2024, available for pre-order).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.nber.org/papers/w31730">The Refugee Advantage: English-Language Attainment in the Early Twentieth Century</a>," by Ran Abramitzky, Leah Platt Boustan, Peter Catron, Dylan Connor, and Rob Voigt (NBER Working Paper, 2023).</li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/48XSwE6">Streets of Gold: America's Untold Story of Immigrant Success</a>, by Leah Boustan and Ran Abramitzky (2022).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/04/david-frum-how-much-immigration-is-too-much/583252/">If Liberals Won't Enforce Borders, Fascists Will</a>," by David Frum (The Atlantic, 2019).</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>EXTRAS:<ul><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/is-migration-a-basic-human-right/">Is Migration a Basic Human Right?</a>" by Freakonomics Radio (2015).</li><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/who-are-the-most-successful-immigrants-in-the-world/">Who Are the Most Successful Immigrants in the World?</a>" by Freakonomics Radio (2013).</li></ul></li></ul>

Dauer: 55 min

579. Are You Caught in a Social Media Trap?

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Dauer: 42 min

Extra: What Is Sportswashing — and Does It Work? (Update)

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Dauer: 65 min

578. Water, Water Everywhere — But You Have to Stop and Think

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Dauer: 52 min

Is Google Getting Worse? (Update)

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Dauer: 57 min

Extra: Mr. Feynman Takes a Trip — But Doesn’t Fall

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A wide-open conversation with three women who guided Richard Feynman through some big adventures at the Esalen Institute. (Part of <a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast-tag/richard-feynman/">our Feynman series</a>.) <ul><li>SOURCES: <ul><li>Barbara Berg, friend of Richard Feynman.</li><li>Cheryl Haley, friend of Richard Feynman.</li><li>Debby Harlow, friend of Richard Feynma</li><li>Sam Stern, content creator at the Esalen Institute.</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>EXTRAS: <ul><li><a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast-tag/richard-feynman/">Richard Feynman Series</a>, by Freakonomics Radio (2024).</li><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/the-future-of-therapy-is-psychedelic/">The Future of Therapy Is Psychedelic</a>," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023).</li></ul></li></ul>

Dauer: 48 min

The Vanishing Mr. Feynman

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In his final years, Richard Feynman's curiosity took him to some surprising places. We hear from his companions on the trips he took — and one he wasn’t able to. (Part three of <a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast-tag/richard-feynman/">a three-part series</a>.) <ul><li>SOURCES: <ul><li><a href="https://www.alanalda.com/">Alan Alda</a>, actor and screenwriter.</li><li>Barbara Berg, friend of Richard Feynman.</li><li><a href="https://www.helenczerski.net/about-helen">Helen Czerski</a>, physicist and oceanographer at University College London.</li><li><a href="http://www.tedxcaltech.com/content/michelle-feynman.html">Michelle Feynman</a>, photographer and daughter of Richard Feynman.</li><li>Cheryl Haley, friend of Richard Feynman.</li><li>Debby Harlow, friend of Richard Feynman.</li><li><a href="https://bookshop.org/search?keywords=Ralph+Leighton">Ralph Leighton</a>, biographer and film producer.</li><li><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/60291/charles-c-mann/">Charles Mann</a>, science journalist and author.</li><li><a href="http://theory.caltech.edu/~preskill/bio.html">John Preskill</a>, professor of theoretical physics at the California Institute of Technology.</li><li><a href="https://www.physics.harvard.edu/people/facpages/randall">Lisa Randall</a>, professor of theoretical particle physics and cosmology at Harvard University.</li><li><a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0843051/bio/?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm">Christopher Sykes</a>, documentary filmmaker.</li><li><a href="https://www.stephenwolfram.com/">Stephen Wolfram</a>, founder and C.E.O. of Wolfram Research; creator of Mathematica, Wolfram|Alpha, and the Wolfram Language.</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>RESOURCES: <ul><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pd9M-d0fD5I">I Love My Wife...</a>, directed by Ian Tierney (2020).</li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/4bwHhVC">Quantum Man: Richard Feynman's Life in Science</a>, by Lawrence M. Krauss (2011).</li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3SGq3Ov">Perfectly Reasonable Deviations From the Beaten Track: Selected Letters of Richard P. Feynman</a>, edited by Michelle Feynman (2005).</li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3vZ1nI0">The Pleasure of Finding Things Out</a>, by Richard Feynman (1999).</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Demon-Haunted-World-Science-Candle-Dark/dp/0345409469">The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark</a>, by Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan (1995).</li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3UtXMf0">Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman</a>, by James Gleick (1992).</li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qeauwu2uIwM">The Quest for Tannu Tuva</a>, by Christopher Sykes (1988)</li><li><a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/what-do-you-care-what-other-people-think-further-adventures-of-a-curious-character-richard-p-feynman/10049716?ean=9780393355642">“What Do You Care What Other People Think?” </a>by Richard Feynman and Ralph Leighton (1988).</li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/48dJ933">The Second Creation: Makers of the Revolution in Twentieth-century Physics</a>, by Robert Crease and Charles Mann (1986).</li><li><a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/surely-you-re-joking-mr-feynman-adventures-of-a-curious-character-richard-p-feynman/8737624?ean=9780393355628">Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!</a>, by Richard Feynman and Ralph Leighton (1985).</li><li><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1118155/">Fun to Imagine</a>, BBC docuseries (1983).</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>EXTRAS: <ul><li>“<a href="https://freakonomics.com/the-curious-brilliant-vanishing-mr-feynman/">The Curious, Brilliant, Vanishing Mr. Feynman</a>,” series by Freakonomics Radio (2024).</li></ul></li></ul>

Dauer: 61 min

The Brilliant Mr. Feynman

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What happens when an existentially depressed and recently widowed young physicist from Queens gets a fresh start in California? We follow Richard Feynman out west, to explore his long and extremely fruitful second act. (Part two of <a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast-tag/richard-feynman/">a three-part series</a>.) <ul><li>SOURCES:<ul><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seamus_Blackley">Seamus Blackley</a>, video game designer and creator of the Xbox.</li><li><a href="https://independent.academia.edu/CarlFeynman">Carl Feynman</a>, computer scientist and son of Richard Feynman.</li><li><a href="http://www.tedxcaltech.com/content/michelle-feynman.html">Michelle Feynman</a>, photographer and daughter of Richard Feynman.</li><li><a href="https://bookshop.org/search?keywords=Ralph+Leighton">Ralph Leighton</a>, biographer and film producer.</li><li><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/60291/charles-c-mann/">Charles Mann</a>, science journalist and author.</li><li><a href="http://theory.caltech.edu/~preskill/bio.html">John Preskill</a>, professor of theoretical physics at the California Institute of Technology.</li><li><a href="https://www.physics.harvard.edu/people/facpages/randall">Lisa Randall</a>, professor of theoretical particle physics and cosmology at Harvard University.</li><li><a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0843051/bio/?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm">Christopher Sykes</a>, documentary filmmaker.</li><li><a href="https://www.stephenwolfram.com/">Stephen Wolfram</a>, founder and C.E.O. of Wolfram Research; creator of Mathematica, Wolfram|Alpha, and the Wolfram Language.</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-zorthian-0b122675/">Alan Zorthian</a>, architect.</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>RESOURCES:<ul><li>"<a href="https://www.themarginalian.org/2017/10/17/richard-feynman-arline-letter/">Love After Life: Nobel-Winning Physicist Richard Feynman’s Extraordinary Letter to His Departed Wife</a>," by Maria Popova (The Marginalian, 2017).</li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/4bwHhVC">Quantum Man: Richard Feynman's Life in Science</a>, by Lawrence M. Krauss (2011).</li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3vZ1nI0">The Pleasure of Finding Things Out</a>, by Richard Feynman (1999).</li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3UtXMf0">Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman</a>, by James Gleick (1992).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-01-03-mn-8-story.html">G. Feynman; Landscape Expert, Physicist’s Widow</a>," (Los Angeles Times, 1990).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-02-16-mn-42968-story.html">Nobel Physicist R. P. Feynman of Caltech Dies</a>," by Lee Dye (Los Angeles Times, 1988).</li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/48dJ933">The Second Creation: Makers of the Revolution in Twentieth-century Physics</a>, by Robert Crease and Charles Mann (1986).</li><li><a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/surely-you-re-joking-mr-feynman-adventures-of-a-curious-character-richard-p-feynman/8737624?ean=9780393355628">Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!</a>, by Richard Feynman and Ralph Leighton (1985).</li><li><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1118155/">Fun to Imagine</a>, BBC docuseries (1983).</li><li>"<a href="https://calteches.library.caltech.edu/2398/1/Nobel.pdf">Richard P. Feynman: Nobel Prize Winner</a>," by Tim Hendrickson, Stuart Galley, and Fred Lamb (Engineering and Science, 1965).</li><li><a href="https://www.muckrock.com/foi/united-states-of-america-10/fbi-files-on-richard-feynman-1165/#file-4617">F.B.I. files on Richard Feynman</a>.</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>EXTRAS:<ul><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/the-curious-mr-feynman/">The Curious Mr. Feynman</a>," by Freakonomics Radio (2024).</li></ul></li></ul>

Dauer: 53 min

How the San Francisco 49ers Stopped Being Losers (Update)

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Dauer: 64 min

The Curious Mr. Feynman

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From the Manhattan Project to the Challenger investigation, the physicist Richard Feynman loved to shoot down what he called “lousy ideas.” Today, the world is awash in lousy ideas — so maybe it’s time to get some more Feynman in our lives? (Part one of a three-part series.) <ul><li>SOURCES:<ul><li><a href="https://www.helenczerski.net/about-helen">Helen Czerski</a>, physicist and oceanographer at University College London.</li><li><a href="http://www.tedxcaltech.com/content/michelle-feynman.html">Michelle Feynman</a>, photographer and daughter of Richard Feynman.</li><li><a href="https://bookshop.org/search?keywords=Ralph+Leighton">Ralph Leighton</a>, biographer and film producer.</li><li><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/60291/charles-c-mann/">Charles Mann</a>, science journalist and author.</li><li><a href="http://theory.caltech.edu/~preskill/bio.html">John Preskill</a>, professor of theoretical physics at the California Institute of Technology.</li><li><a href="https://www.stephenwolfram.com/">Stephen Wolfram</a>, founder and C.E.O. of Wolfram Research; creator of Mathematica, Wolfram|Alpha, and the Wolfram Language.</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>RESOURCES:<ul><li>"<a href="https://lithub.com/how-legendary-physicist-richard-feynman-helped-crack-the-case-on-the-challenger-disaster/">How Legendary Physicist Richard Feynman Helped Crack the Case on the Challenger Disaster</a>," by Kevin Cook (Literary Hub, 2021).</li><li><a href="https://www.netflix.com/watch/81012174?trackId=255824129&tctx=0%2C0%2Cd665a67a-45cf-47bf-9dd7-d2309dc5b791-416051258%2Cd665a67a-45cf-47bf-9dd7-d2309dc5b791-416051258%7C2%2Cunknown%2C%2C%2CtitlesResults%2C81012137%2CVideo%3A81012174%2CdetailsPageEpisodePlayButton">Challenger: The Final Flight</a>, docuseries (2020).</li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3SGq3Ov">Perfectly Reasonable Deviations From the Beaten Track: Selected Letters of Richard P. Feynman</a>, edited by Michelle Feynman (2005).</li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3vZ1nI0">The Pleasure of Finding Things Out</a>, by Richard Feynman (1999).</li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3UtXMf0">Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman</a>, by James Gleick (1992).</li><li><a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/what-do-you-care-what-other-people-think-further-adventures-of-a-curious-character-richard-p-feynman/10049716?ean=9780393355642">“What Do You Care What Other People Think?” </a>by Richard Feynman and Ralph Leighton (1988).</li><li>"<a href="https://calteches.library.caltech.edu/3570/1/Feynman.pdf">Mr. Feynman Goes to Washington</a>," by Richard Feynman and Ralph Leighton (Engineering & Science, 1987).</li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/48dJ933">The Second Creation: Makers of the Revolution in Twentieth-century Physics</a>, by Robert Crease and Charles Mann (1986).</li><li><a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/surely-you-re-joking-mr-feynman-adventures-of-a-curious-character-richard-p-feynman/8737624?ean=9780393355628">Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!</a>, by Richard Feynman and Ralph Leighton (1985).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1024912/">The Pleasure of Finding Things Out</a>," (Horizon S18.E9, 1981).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uY-u1qyRM5w">Los Alamos From Below</a>," by Richard Feynman (UC Santa Barbara lecture, 1975).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNhlNSLQAFE">The World from Another Point of View</a>," (PBS Nova, 1973).</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>EXTRAS:<ul><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/exploring-physics-from-eggshells-to-oceans/">Exploring Physics, from Eggshells to Oceans</a>," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023).</li></ul></li></ul>

Dauer: 62 min

574. “A Low Moment in Higher Education”

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Dauer: 47 min

5 Psychology Terms You’re Probably Misusing (Replay)

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Dauer: 49 min

573. Can Academic Fraud Be Stopped?

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Dauer: 63 min

572. Why Is There So Much Fraud in Academia?

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Dauer: 74 min

571. Greeting Cards, Pizza Boxes, and Personal Injury Lawyers

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Dauer: 49 min

570. Is Gynecology the Best Innovation Ever?

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Dauer: 46 min

569. Do You Need Closure?

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Dauer: 40 min

568. Why Are People So Mad at Michael Lewis?

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Dauer: 61 min

567. Do the Police Have a Management Problem?

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Dauer: 48 min

513. Should Public Transit Be Free? (Update)

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Dauer: 56 min

566. Why Is It So Hard (and Expensive) to Build Anything in America?

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Dauer: 55 min

Extra: Jason Kelce Hates to Lose

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Dauer: 57 min

565. Are Private Equity Firms Plundering the U.S. Economy?

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Dauer: 51 min

480. How Much Does Discrimination Hurt the Economy? (Replay)

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Dauer: 58 min

564. How to Succeed at Failing, Part 4: Extreme Resiliency

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Everyone makes mistakes. How do you learn from them? Lessons from the classroom, the Air Force, and the world’s deadliest infectious disease. RESOURCES:<ul><li><a href="https://amzn.to/45mpkoA">Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well</a>, by Amy Edmondson (2023).</li><li>"<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/17456916211059817">You Think Failure Is Hard? So Is Learning From It</a>," by Lauren Eskreis-Winkler and Ayelet Fishbach (Perspectives on Psychological Science, 2022).</li><li>"<a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1547268">The Market for R&D Failures</a>," by Manuel Trajtenberg and Roy Shalem (SSRN, 2010).</li><li>"<a href="https://cltr.nl/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Project-Pre-Mortem-HBR-Gary-Klein.pdf">Performing a Project Premortem</a>," by Gary Klein (Harvard Business Review, 2007).</li></ul>EXTRAS:<ul><li>“<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast-tag/how-to-succeed-at-failing/">How to Succeed at Failing</a>,” series by Freakonomics Radio (2023).</li><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/moncef-slaoui-its-unfortunate-that-it-takes-a-crisis-for-this-to-happen/">Moncef Slaoui: 'It’s Unfortunate That It Takes a Crisis for This to Happen</a>,'" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2020).</li></ul>SOURCES:<ul><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-coleman/">Will Coleman</a>, founder and C.E.O. of Alto.</li><li><a href="https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=6451">Amy Edmondson</a>, professor of leadership management at Harvard Business School.</li><li><a href="https://tb.ucsf.edu/people/babak-javid-mb-phd">Babak Javid</a>, physician-scientist and associate director of the University of California, San Francisco Center for Tuberculosis.</li><li><a href="https://www.gary-klein.com/welcome">Gary Klein</a>, cognitive psychologist and pioneer in the field of naturalistic decision making.</li><li><a href="https://theresamacphail.com/">Theresa MacPhail</a>, medical anthropologist and associate professor of science & technology studies at the Stevens Institute of Technology.</li><li><a href="https://english.tau.ac.il/profile/shalemro">Roy Shalem</a>, lecturer at Tel Aviv University.</li><li><a href="https://samuelwest.org/">Samuel West</a>, curator and founder of The Museum of Failure.</li></ul>

Dauer: 52 min

563. How to Succeed at Failing, Part 3: Grit vs. Quit

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Giving up can be painful. That's why we need to talk about it. Today: stories about glitchy apps, leaky paint cans, broken sculptures — and a quest for the perfect bowl of ramen. RESOURCES<ul><li>"<a href="https://www.aaup.org/sites/default/files/AAUP%20Data%20Snapshot.pdf">Data Snapshot: Tenure and Contingency in US Higher Education</a>," by Glenn Colby (American Association of University Professors, 2023).</li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3SejjaI">Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance</a>, by Angela Duckworth (2016).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.bls.gov/bdm/entrepreneurship/bdm_chart3.htm">Entrepreneurship and the U.S. Economy</a>," by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2016).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nj7322-467a">A CV of Failures</a>," by Melanie Stefan (Nature, 2010).</li></ul>EXTRAS<ul><li>“<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast-tag/how-to-succeed-at-failing/">How to Succeed at Failing</a>,” series by Freakonomics Radio (2023).</li><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/annie-duke-thinks-you-should-quit/">Annie Duke Thinks You Should Quit</a>," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022).</li><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/how-do-you-know-when-its-time-to-quit-nsq-ep-29/">How Do You Know When It’s Time to Quit?</a>" by No Stupid Questions (2020).</li><li>“<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/honey-i-grew-the-economy/">Honey, I Grew the Economy,</a>” by Freakonomics Radio (2019).</li><li>“<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/the-upside-of-quitting-3/">The Upside of Quitting</a>," by Freakonomics Radio (2011).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1644339685/the-ramen-now-rapid-desktop-cooking-for-delicious-meals?ref=discovery&term=ramen%20now">The Ramen Now - Rapid Desktop Cooking for Delicious Meals</a>," Kickstarter campaign by Travis Thul.</li></ul>SOURCES:<ul><li><a href="https://applegatellc.com/john/">John Boykin</a>, website designer and failed paint can re-inventor.</li><li><a href="https://angeladuckworth.com/">Angela Duckworth</a>, host of No Stupid Questions, co-founder of Character Lab, and professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania.</li><li><a href="https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=6451">Amy Edmondson</a>, professor of leadership management at Harvard Business School.</li><li><a href="https://helenfisher.com/">Helen Fisher</a>, senior research fellow at The Kinsey Institute and chief science advisor to Match.com.</li><li><a href="https://evhippel.mit.edu/">Eric von Hippel,</a> professor of technological innovation at M.I.T.’s Sloan School of Management.</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillrutanhoffman/">Jill Hoffman</a>, founder and C.E.O. of Path 2 Flight.</li><li><a href="https://www.gary-klein.com/welcome">Gary Klein</a>, cognitive psychologist and pioneer in the field of naturalistic decision making.</li><li><a href="https://freakonomics.com/about/the-hosts/#:~:text=New%20York%20City.-,STEVEN%20D.%20LEVITT,-Steve%20is%20the">Steve Levitt</a>, host of People I (Mostly) Admire, co-author of the Freakonomics books, and professor of economics at the University of Chicago.</li><li><a href="https://www.josephoconnell.art/">Joseph O’Connell</a>, artist.</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-ridgeman-211428248">Mike Ridgeman</a>, advocacy manager at Trek Bicycles and former professor.</li><li><a href="http://melaniestefan.net/">Melanie Stefan</a>, professor of physiology at Medical School Berlin.</li><li><a href="https://cse.umn.edu/tli/travis-thul-d-eng-pe">Travis Thul</a>, director of operations and senior fellow at the University of Minnesota Technological Leadership Institute.</li></ul>

Dauer: 64 min

562. How to Succeed at Failing, Part 2: Life and Death

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In medicine, failure can be catastrophic. It can also produce discoveries that save millions of lives. Tales from the front line, the lab, and the I.T. department. RESOURCES:<ul><li><a href="https://amzn.to/45mpkoA">Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well</a>, by Amy Edmondson (2023).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9724400/">Reconsidering the Application of Systems Thinking in Healthcare: The RaDonda Vaught Case</a>," by Connor Lusk, Elise DeForest, Gabriel Segarra, David M. Neyens, James H. Abernathy III, and Ken Catchpole (British Journal of Anaesthesia, 2022).</li><li>"<a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2776873">Dispelling the Myth That Organizations Learn From Failure</a>," by Jeffrey Ray (SSRN, 2016).</li><li>"<a href="https://journals.lww.com/journalpatientsafety/Fulltext/2013/09000/A_New,_Evidence_based_Estimate_of_Patient_Harms.2.aspx">A New, Evidence-Based Estimate of Patient Harms Associated With Hospital Care</a>," by John T. James (Journal of Patient Safety, 2013).</li><li><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25077248/">To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System</a>, by the National Academy of Sciences (1999).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/263797a0">Polymers for the Sustained Release of Proteins and Other Macromolecules</a>," by Robert Langer and Judah Folkman (Nature, 1976).</li></ul>EXTRAS:<ul><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast-tag/how-to-succeed-at-failing/">How to Succeed at Failing</a>," series by Freakonomics Radio (2023).</li><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/will-a-covid-19-vaccine-change-the-future-of-medical-research-ep-430/">Will a Covid-19 Vaccine Change the Future of Medical Research?</a>" by Freakonomics Radio (2020).</li><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/bad-medicine-part-3-death-by-diagnosis/">Bad Medicine, Part 3: Death by Diagnosis</a>," by Freakonomics Radio (2016).</li></ul>SOURCES:<ul><li><a href="https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=6451">Amy Edmondson</a>, professor of leadership management at Harvard Business School.</li><li><a href="https://www.medstarhealth.org/innovation-and-research/institute-for-quality-and-safety/about-us/iqs-team/carole-hemmelgarn">Carole Hemmelgarn</a>, co-founder of Patients for Patient Safety U.S. and director of the Clinical Quality, Safety & Leadership Master’s program at Georgetown University.</li><li><a href="https://www.gary-klein.com/welcome">Gary Klein</a>, cognitive psychologist and pioneer in the field of naturalistic decision making.</li><li><a href="https://langerlab.mit.edu/langer-bio/">Robert Langer</a>, institute professor and head of the Langer Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.</li><li><a href="https://www.lse.ac.uk/economics/people/faculty/john-van-reenen">John Van Reenen</a>, professor at the London School of Economics.</li></ul>

Dauer: 54 min

561. How to Succeed at Failing, Part 1: The Chain of Events

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We tend to think of tragedies as a single terrible moment, rather than the result of multiple bad decisions. Can this pattern be reversed? We try — with stories about wildfires, school shootings, and love. RESOURCES<ul><li><a href="https://amzn.to/45mpkoA">Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well</a>, by Amy Edmondson (2023).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/29/us/ethan-crumbley-sentence-life-without-parole.html">Michigan School Shooter Is Found Eligible for Life Sentence Without Parole</a>," by Stephanie Saul and Dana Goldstein (The New York Times, 2023).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/15/us/hawaii-maui-lahaina-fire.html">How Fire Turned Lahaina Into a Death Trap</a>," by Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs, Serge F. Kovaleski, Shawn Hubler, and Riley Mellen (The New York Times, 2023).</li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3rF24EF">The Violence Project: How to Stop a Mass Shooting Epidemic</a>, by Jillian Peterson and James Densley (2021).</li><li>"<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azRl1dI-Cts">I Was Almost A School Shooter</a>," by Aaron Stark (TEDxBoulder, 2018).</li></ul>EXTRAS <ul><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/is-perfectionism-ruining-your-life/">Is Perfectionism Ruining Your Life?</a>" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023).</li><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/why-did-you-marry-that-person/">Why Did You Marry That Person?</a>" by Freakonomics Radio (2022).</li><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/what-do-we-really-learn-from-failure/">What Do We Really Learn From Failure?</a>" by No Stupid Questions (2021).</li><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/how-to-fail-like-a-pro/">How to Fail Like a Pro</a>," by Freakonomics Radio (2019).</li><li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/failure-is-your-friend-2/">Failure Is Your Friend</a>," by Freakonomics Radio (2014).</li></ul>SOURCES:<ul><li><a href="https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=6451">Amy Edmondson</a>, professor of leadership management at Harvard Business School.</li><li><a href="https://helenfisher.com/">Helen Fisher</a>, senior research fellow at The Kinsey Institute and chief science advisor to Match.com.</li><li><a href="https://www.gre.ac.uk/people/rep/faculty-of-engineering-and-science/ed-galea">Ed Galea</a>, founding director of the Fire Safety Engineering Group at the University of Greenwich.</li><li><a href="https://www.gary-klein.com/welcome">Gary Klein</a>, cognitive psychologist and pioneer in the field of naturalistic decision making.</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-riedman/">David Riedman</a>, founder of the K-12 School Shooting Database.</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Stark">Aaron Stark</a>, assistant manager at Kum & Go and keynote speaker.</li><li><a href="https://www.lse.ac.uk/economics/people/faculty/john-van-reenen">John Van Reenen</a>, professor at the London School of Economics.</li></ul>

Dauer: 55 min

232. A New Nobel Laureate Explains the Gender Pay Gap (Replay)

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Dauer: 45 min

560. Is This “the Worst Job in Corporate America” — or Maybe the Best?

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Dauer: 40 min

559. Are Two C.E.O.s Better Than One?

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Dauer: 51 min

558. The Facts Are In: Two Parents Are Better Than One

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Dauer: 64 min

557. When Is a Superstar Just Another Employee?

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Dauer: 61 min

556. A.I. Is Changing Everything. Does That Include You?

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For all the speculation about the future, A.I. tools can be useful right now. Adam Davidson discovers what they can help us do, how we can get the most from them — and why the things that make them helpful also make them dangerous. (Part 3 of "<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast-tag/how-to-think-about-a-i/">How to Think About A.I."</a>)

Dauer: 49 min

555. New Technologies Always Scare Us. Is A.I. Any Different?

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Guest host Adam Davidson looks at what might happen to your job in a world of human-level artificial intelligence, and asks when it might be time to worry that the machines have become too powerful. (Part 2 of "<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast-tag/how-to-think-about-a-i/">How to Think About A.I.</a>")

Dauer: 48 min

554. Can A.I. Take a Joke?

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Artificial intelligence, we’ve been told, will destroy humankind. No, wait — it will usher in a new age of human flourishing! Guest host Adam Davidson (co-founder of Planet Money) sorts through the big claims about A.I.'s future by exploring its past and present — and whether it has a sense of humor. (Part 1 of "<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast-tag/how-to-think-about-a-i/">How to Think About A.I.</a>")

Dauer: 48 min

553. The Suddenly Diplomatic Rahm Emanuel

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Dauer: 56 min

Should Traffic Lights Be Abolished? (Ep. 454 Replay)

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Dauer: 47 min

Extra: A Modern Whaler Speaks Up

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Bjorn Andersen killed 111 minke whales this season. He tells us how he does it, why he does it, and what he thinks would happen if whale-hunting ever stopped. (This bonus episode is a follow-up to our series “<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast-tag/everything-you-never-knew-about-whaling/">Everything You Never Knew About Whaling</a>.")

Dauer: 27 min

552. Freakonomics Radio Presents: The Economics of Everyday Things

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Dauer: 47 min

551. What Can Whales Teach Us About Clean Energy, Workplace Harmony, and Living the Good Life?

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In the final episode of our whale series, we learn about fecal plumes, shipping noise, and why "Moby-Dick" is still worth reading. (Part 3 of "<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast-tag/everything-you-never-knew-about-whaling/">Everything You Never Knew About Whaling</a>.")

Dauer: 48 min

550. Why Do People Still Hunt Whales?

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For years, whale oil was used as lighting fuel, industrial lubricant, and the main ingredient in (yum!) margarine. Whale meat was also on a few menus. But today, demand for whale products is at a historic low. And yet some countries still have a whaling industry. We find out why. (Part 2 of “<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast-tag/everything-you-never-knew-about-whaling/">Everything You Never Knew About Whaling</a>.”)

Dauer: 37 min

549. The First Great American Industry

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Whaling was, in the words of one scholar, “early capitalism unleashed on the high seas.” How did the U.S. come to dominate the whale market? Why did whale hunting die out here — and continue to grow elsewhere? And is that whale vomit in your perfume? (Part 1 of “Everything You Never Knew About Whaling.”)

Dauer: 44 min

548. Why Is the U.S. So Good at Killing Pedestrians?

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Dauer: 45 min

Why Did You Marry That Person? (Ep. 511 Replay)

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Dauer: 47 min

547. Satya Nadella’s Intelligence Is Not Artificial

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Dauer: 37 min

546. Are E.S.G. Investors Actually Helping the Environment?

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Dauer: 55 min

545. Enough with the Slippery Slopes!

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Dauer: 44 min

544. Ari Emanuel Is Never Indifferent

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Dauer: 66 min

Make Me a Match (Ep. 209 Update)

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Dauer: 69 min

543. How to Return Stolen Art

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Dauer: 52 min

542. Is a Museum Just a Trophy Case?

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Dauer: 52 min

541. The Case of the $4 Million Gold Coffin

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Dauer: 53 min

Why Your Projects Are Always Late — and What to Do About It (Ep. 323 Replay)

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Dauer: 43 min

540. Swearing Is More Important Than You Think

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Dauer: 45 min

539. Why Does One Tiny State Set the Rules for Everyone?

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Dauer: 47 min

538. A Radically Simple Way to Boost a Neighborhood

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Dauer: 48 min

How to Hate Taxes a Little Bit Less (Ep. 400 Replay)

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Dauer: 43 min

537. “Insurance Is Sexy.” Discuss.

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Dauer: 53 min

Why Are There So Many Bad Bosses? (Ep. 495 Replay)

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Dauer: 50 min

536. Is Your Plane Ticket Too Expensive — or Too Cheap?

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Dauer: 58 min

535. Why Is Flying Safer Than Driving?

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Dauer: 56 min

534. Air Travel Is a Miracle. Why Do We Hate It?

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Dauer: 58 min

Why Does the Most Monotonous Job in the World Pay $1 Million? (Ep. 493 Update)

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Dauer: 53 min

The Economics of Everyday Things: Used Hotel Soaps

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Dauer: 17 min

533. Will the Democrats “Make America Great Again”?

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Dauer: 51 min

The Economics of Everyday Things: “My Sharona”

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Dauer: 18 min

Is Economic Growth the Wrong Goal? (Ep. 429 Update)

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Dauer: 42 min

The Economics of Everyday Things: Girl Scout Cookies

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Dauer: 14 min

532. Do You Know Who Owns Your Vet?

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Dauer: 47 min

Introducing “The Economics of Everyday Things”

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Dauer: 15 min

531. Should You Trust Private Equity to Take Care of Your Dog?

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Dauer: 42 min

Extra: Samin Nosrat Always Wanted to Be Famous

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Dauer: 39 min

530. What's Wrong with Being a One-Hit Wonder?

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Dauer: 49 min

529. Can Our Surroundings Make Us Smarter?

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Dauer: 47 min

528. Yuval Noah Harari Thinks Life is Meaningless and Amazing

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Dauer: 52 min

527. Can Adam Smith Fix Our Economy?

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Dauer: 49 min

526. Was Adam Smith Really a Right-Winger?

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Dauer: 69 min

Freakonomics Radio Needs Your Help

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Dauer: 6 min

525. In Search of the Real Adam Smith

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Dauer: 47 min

524. How Important Is Breastfeeding, Really?

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Dauer: 32 min

523. Did Michael Lewis Just Get Lucky with “Moneyball”?

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Dauer: 53 min

522. Is Google Getting Worse?

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Dauer: 53 min

The Most Interesting Fruit in the World (Ep. 375 Update)

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Dauer: 39 min

521. I’m Your Biggest Fan!

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Dauer: 44 min

520. The Unintended Consequences of Working from Home

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Dauer: 40 min

519. Has Globalization Failed?

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Dauer: 46 min

518. Are Personal Finance Gurus Giving You Bad Advice?

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Dauer: 62 min

517. Are M.B.A.s to Blame for Wage Stagnation?

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Dauer: 48 min

Please Get Your Noise Out of My Ears (Ep. 439 Update)

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Dauer: 52 min

516. Nuclear Power Isn’t Perfect. Is It Good Enough?

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Dauer: 54 min

Extra: Ken Burns | People I (Mostly) Admire

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Dauer: 46 min

515. When You Pray to God Online, Who Else Is Listening?

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Dauer: 45 min

This Is Your Brain on Pollution (Ep. 472 Update)

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Dauer: 48 min

514. Roland Fryer Refuses to Lie to Black America

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Dauer: 60 min

513. Should Public Transit Be Free?

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Dauer: 46 min

Why Is U.S. Media So Negative? (Ep. 477 Replay)

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Dauer: 48 min

The Pros and Cons of America’s (Extreme) Individualism (Ep. 470 Replay)

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Dauer: 48 min

The U.S. Is Just Different — So Let’s Stop Pretending We’re Not (Ep. 469 Replay)

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Dauer: 52 min

512. Does Philosophy Still Matter?

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Dauer: 50 min

511. Why Did You Marry That Person?

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Dauer: 46 min

The Economist’s Guide to Parenting: 10 Years Later (Ep. 479 Replay)

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Dauer: 51 min

510. What Problems Does Crypto Solve, Anyway?

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Dauer: 52 min

509. Are N.F.T.s All Scams?

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Dauer: 48 min

508. Does the Crypto Crash Mean the Blockchain Is Over?

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Dauer: 50 min

507. 103 Pieces of Advice That May or May Not Work

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Dauer: 40 min

506. What Is Sportswashing (and Does It Work)?

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Dauer: 50 min

505. Did Domestic Violence Really Spike During the Pandemic?

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Dauer: 51 min

504. Introducing “Off Leash”

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Dauer: 39 min

503. What Is the Future of College — and Does It Have Room for Men?

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Dauer: 48 min

Abortion and Crime, Revisited (Ep. 384 Update)

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Dauer: 58 min

502. “I Don’t Think the Country Is Turning Away From College.”

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Dauer: 44 min

501. The University of Impossible-to-Get-Into

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Dauer: 59 min

500. What Exactly Is College For?

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Dauer: 46 min

Is the U.S. Really Less Corrupt Than China — and How About Russia? (Ep. 481 Update)

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Dauer: 68 min

499. Don't Worry, Be Tacky

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Dauer: 38 min

498. In the 1890s, the Best-Selling Car Was … Electric

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Dauer: 43 min

497. Can the Big Bad Wolf Save Your Life?

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Dauer: 47 min

How to Change Your Mind (Ep. 379 Update)

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Dauer: 48 min

496. Do Unions Still Work?

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Dauer: 52 min

495. Why Are There So Many Bad Bosses?

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Dauer: 49 min

494. Why Do Most Ideas Fail to Scale?

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Dauer: 49 min

Why Does the Richest Country in the World Have So Many Poor Kids? (Ep. 475 Update)

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Dauer: 54 min

493. Why Does the Most Monotonous Job in the World Pay $1 Million?

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Dauer: 51 min

Are You Ready for a Fresh Start? (Ep. 455 Replay)

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Dauer: 45 min

492. How Did a Hayfield Become One of America’s Hottest Cities?

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Dauer: 39 min

491. Why Is Everyone Moving to Dallas?

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Dauer: 48 min

490. What Do Broken-Hearted Knitters, Urinating Goalkeepers, and the C.I.A. Have in Common?

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Dauer: 47 min

489. Is “Toxic Positivity” a Thing?

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Dauer: 36 min

488. Does Death Have to Be a Death Sentence?

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Dauer: 54 min

487. Is It Okay to Have a Party Yet?

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Dauer: 31 min

486. “The Art Market Is in Massive Disruption.”

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Dauer: 42 min

485. “I’ve Been Working My Ass Off for You to Make that Profit?”

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Dauer: 46 min

484. “A Fascinating, Sexy, Intellectually Compelling, Unregulated Global Market.”

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Dauer: 53 min

How Do You Cure a Compassion Crisis? (Ep. 444 Replay)

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Dauer: 51 min

483. What’s Wrong With Shortcuts?

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Dauer: 43 min

482. Is Venture Capital the Secret Sauce of the American Economy?

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Dauer: 46 min

481. Is the U.S. Really Less Corrupt Than China?

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Dauer: 56 min

480. How Much Does Discrimination Hurt the Economy?

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Dauer: 53 min

479. The Economist’s Guide to Parenting: 10 Years Later

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Dauer: 51 min

478. How Can We Break Our Addiction to Contempt?

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Dauer: 42 min

477. Why Is U.S. Media So Negative?

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Dauer: 47 min

That’s a Great Question! (Ep. 192 Rebroadcast)

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Dauer: 19 min

“This Didn't End the Way It’s Supposed to End.” (Bonus)

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Dauer: 33 min

476. What Are the Police for, Anyway?

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The U.S. is an outlier when it comes to policing, as evidenced by more than 1,000 fatal shootings by police each year. But we’re an outlier in other ways too: a heavily-armed populace, a fragile mental-health system, and the fact that we spend so much time in our cars. Add in a history of racism and it’s no surprise that barely half of all Americans have a lot of confidence in the police. So what if we start to think about policing as … philanthropy?

Dauer: 46 min

475. Why Does the Richest Country in the World Have So Many Poor Kids?

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Among O.E.C.D. nations, the U.S. has one of the highest rates of child poverty. How can that be? To find out, Stephen Dubner speaks with a Republican senator, a Democratic mayor, and a large cast of econo-nerds. Along the way, we hear some surprisingly good news: Washington is finally ready to attack the problem head-on.

Dauer: 49 min

474. All You Need Is Nudge

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When Richard Thaler published Nudge in 2008 (with co-author Cass Sunstein), the world was just starting to believe in his brand of behavioral economics. How did nudge theory hold up in the face of a global financial meltdown, a pandemic, and other existential crises? With the publication of a new, radically updated edition, Thaler tries to persuade Stephen Dubner that nudging is more relevant today than ever.

Dauer: 59 min

Is There Really a “Loneliness Epidemic”? (Ep. 407 Rebroadcast)

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That’s what some health officials are saying, but the data aren’t so clear. We look into what’s known (and not known) about the prevalence and effects of loneliness — including the possible upsides.

Dauer: 36 min

473. These Jobs Were Not Posted on ZipRecruiter

transcribed

In a conversation fresh from the Freakonomics Radio Network’s podcast laboratory, Michèle Flournoy (one of the highest-ranking women in Defense Department history) speaks with Cecil Haney (one of the U.S. Navy’s first Black four-star admirals) about nuclear deterrence, smart leadership, and how to do inclusion right.

Dauer: 47 min

Reasons to Be Cheerful (Ep. 417 Rebroadcast)

transcribed

Humans have a built-in “negativity bias,” which means we give bad news much more power than good. Would the Covid-19 crisis be an opportune time to reverse this tendency?

Dauer: 53 min

472. This Is Your Brain on Pollution

transcribed

Air pollution is estimated to cause 7 million deaths a year and cost the global economy nearly $3 trillion. But is the true cost even higher? Stephen Dubner explores the links between pollution and cognitive function, and enlists two fellow Freakonomics Radio Network hosts in a homegrown experiment.

Dauer: 46 min

471. Mayor Pete and Elaine Chao Hit the Road

transcribed

While other countries seem to build spectacular bridges, dams, and even entire cities with ease, the U.S. is stuck in pothole-fixing mode. We speak with an array of transportation nerds — including the secretary of transportation and his immediate predecessor — to see if a massive federal infrastructure package can put America back in the driver’s seat.

Dauer: 49 min

Two (Totally Opposite) Ways to Save the Planet (Ep. 346 Rebroadcast)

transcribed

The environmentalists say we’re doomed if we don’t drastically reduce consumption. The technologists say that human ingenuity can solve just about any problem. A debate that’s been around for decades has become a shouting match. Is anyone right?

Dauer: 53 min

470. The Pros and Cons of America’s (Extreme) Individualism

transcribed

According to a decades-long research project, the U.S. is not only the most individualistic country on earth; we’re also high on indulgence, short-term thinking, and masculinity (but low on “uncertainty avoidance,” if that makes you feel better). We look at how these traits affect our daily lives and why we couldn’t change them even if we wanted to.

Dauer: 48 min

469. The U.S. Is Just Different — So Let’s Stop Pretending We’re Not

transcribed

We often look to other countries for smart policies on education, healthcare, infrastructure, etc. But can a smart policy be simply transplanted into a country as culturally unusual (and as supremely WEIRD) as America?

Dauer: 50 min

468. Nap Time for Everyone!

transcribed

The benefits of sleep are by now well established, and yet many people don’t get enough. A new study suggests we should channel our inner toddler and get 30 minutes of shut-eye in the afternoon. But are we ready for a napping revolution?

Dauer: 37 min

How Stupid Is Our Obsession With Lawns? (Ep. 289 Rebroadcast)

transcribed

Nearly two percent of America is grassy green. Sure, lawns are beautiful and useful and they smell great. But are the costs — financial, environmental and otherwise — worth the benefits?

Dauer: 27 min

467. Is the Future of Farming in the Ocean?

transcribed

Bren Smith, who grew up fishing and fighting, is now part of a movement that seeks to feed the planet while putting less environmental stress on it. He makes his argument in a book called Eat Like a Fish; his secret ingredient: kelp. But don’t worry, you won’t have to eat it (not much, at least). An installment of The Freakonomics Radio Book Club.

Dauer: 43 min

466. She’s From the Government, and She’s Here to Help

transcribed

Cecilia Rouse, the chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisors, is as cold-blooded as any economist. But she admits that her profession would do well to focus on policy that actually helps people. Rouse explains why President Biden wants to spend trillions of dollars to reshape the economy, and why — as the first Black chair of the C.E.A. — she has a good idea of what needs fixing.

Dauer: 45 min

465. Introducing a New “Freakonomics of Medicine” Podcast

transcribed

Bapu Jena was already a double threat: a doctor who’s also an economist. Now he’s a podcast host too. In this sneak preview of the Freakonomics Radio Network’s newest show, Bapu discovers that marathons can be deadly — but not for the reasons you may think.

Dauer: 23 min

464. Will Work-from-Home Work Forever?

transcribed

The pandemic may be winding down, but that doesn’t mean we’ll return to full-time commuting and packed office buildings. The greatest accidental experiment in the history of labor has lessons to teach us about productivity, flexibility, and even reversing the brain drain. But don’t buy another dozen pairs of sweatpants just yet.

Dauer: 48 min

463. How to Get Anyone to Do Anything

transcribed

The social psychologist Robert Cialdini is a pioneer in the science of persuasion. His 1984 book Influence is a classic, and he has just published an expanded and revised edition. In this episode of the Freakonomics Radio Book Club, he gives a master class in the seven psychological levers that bewitch our rational minds and lead us to buy, behave, or believe without a second thought.

Dauer: 58 min

These Shoes Are Killing Me! (Ep. 296 Rebroadcast)

transcribed

The human foot is an evolutionary masterpiece, far more functional than we give it credit for. So why do we encase it in “a coffin” (as one foot scholar calls it) that stymies so much of its ability — and may create more problems than it solves?

Dauer: 40 min

462. The Future of New York City Is in Question. Could Andrew Yang Be the Answer?

transcribed

The man who wants America to “think harder” has parlayed his quixotic presidential campaign into front-runner status in New York’s mayoral election. And he has some big plans.

Dauer: 43 min

461. How to Stop Worrying and Love the Robot Apocalypse

transcribed

It’s true that robots (and other smart technologies) will kill many jobs. It may also be true that newer collaborative robots (“cobots”) will totally reinvigorate how work gets done. That, at least, is what the economists are telling us. Should we believe them?

Dauer: 48 min

460. The True Story of the Minimum-Wage Fight

transcribed

Backers of a $15 federal wage say it’s a no-brainer if you want to fight poverty. Critics say it’s a blunt instrument that leads to job loss. Even the economists can’t agree! We talk to a bunch of them — and a U.S. Senator — to sort it out, and learn there’s a much bigger problem to worry about.

Dauer: 44 min

459. Let’s Be Blunt: Marijuana Is a Boon for Older Workers

transcribed

The state-by-state rollout of legalized weed has given economists a perfect natural experiment to measure its effects. Here’s what we know so far — and don’t know — about the costs and benefits of legalization.

Dauer: 35 min

458. How to Manage Your Goal Hierarchy

transcribed

In this special crossover episode, People I (Mostly) Admire host Steve Levitt admits to No Stupid Questions co-host Angela Duckworth that he knows almost nothing about psychology. But once Angela gives Steve a quick tutorial on “goal conflict,” he is suddenly a fan. They also talk parenting, self-esteem, and how easy it is to learn econometrics if you feel like it.

Dauer: 51 min

457. Is Dialysis a Test Case of Medicare for All?

transcribed

Kidney failure is such a catastrophic (and expensive) disease that Medicare covers treatment for anyone, regardless of age. Since Medicare reimbursement rates are fairly low, the dialysis industry had to find a way to tweak the system if they wanted to make big profits. They succeeded.

Dauer: 53 min

456. How to Fix the Hot Mess of U.S. Healthcare

transcribed

Medicine has evolved from a calling into an industry, adept at dispensing procedures and pills (and gigantic bills), but less good at actual health. Most reformers call for big, bold action. What happens if, instead, you think small?

Dauer: 50 min

Policymaking Is Not a Science (Yet) (Ep. 405 Rebroadcast)

transcribed

Why do so many promising solutions — in education, medicine, criminal justice, etc. — fail to scale up into great policy? And can a new breed of “implementation scientists” crack the code?

Dauer: 46 min

How Does New York City Keep Reinventing Itself? (Bonus)

transcribed

In a word: networks. Once it embraced information as its main currency, New York was able to climb out of a deep fiscal (and psychic) pit. Will that magic trick still work after Covid? In this installment of the Freakonomics Radio Book Club, guest host Kurt Andersen interviews Thomas Dyja, author of New York, New York, New York: Four Decades of Success, Excess and Transformation.

Dauer: 52 min

455. Are You Ready for a Fresh Start?

transcribed

Behavioral scientists have been exploring if — and when — a psychological reset can lead to lasting change. We survey evidence from the London Underground, Major League Baseball, and New Year’s resolutions; we look at accidental fresh starts, forced fresh starts, and fresh starts that backfire. And we wonder: will the pandemic’s end provide the biggest fresh start ever?

Dauer: 42 min

454. Should Traffic Lights Be Abolished?

transcribed

Americans are so accustomed to the standard intersection that we rarely consider how dangerous it can be — as well as costly, time-wasting, and polluting. Is it time to embrace the lowly, lovely roundabout?

Dauer: 45 min

453. A Rescue Plan for Black America

transcribed

New York Times columnist Charles Blow argues that white supremacy in America will never fully recede, and that it’s time for Black people to do something radical about it. In The Devil You Know: A Black Power Manifesto, he urges a “reverse migration” to the South to consolidate political power and create a region where it’s safe to be Black. (This is an episode of the Freakonomics Radio Book Club.)

Dauer: 57 min

Am I Boring You? (Ep. 225 Rebroadcast)

transcribed

Researchers are trying to figure out who gets bored — and why — and what it means for ourselves and the economy. But maybe there’s an upside to boredom?

Dauer: 39 min

452. Jeff Immelt Knows He Let You Down

transcribed

Not so long ago, G.E. was the most valuable company in the world, a conglomerate that included everything from light bulbs and jet engines to financial services and The Apprentice. Now it’s selling off body parts to survive. What does the C.E.O. who presided over the decline have to say for himself?

Dauer: 46 min

451. Can I Ask You a Ridiculously Personal Question?

transcribed

Most of us are are afraid to ask sensitive questions about money, sex, politics, etc. New research shows this fear is largely unfounded. Time for some interesting conversations!

Dauer: 43 min

450. How to Be Better at Death

transcribed

Caitlin Doughty is a mortician who would like to put herself out of business. Our corporate funeral industry, she argues, has made us forget how to offer our loved ones an authentic sendoff. Doughty is the author of Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons From the Crematory. In this installment of the Freakonomics Radio Book Club, she is interviewed by guest host Maria Konnikova.

Dauer: 58 min

449. How to Fix the Incentives in Cancer Research

transcribed

For all the progress made in fighting cancer, it still kills 10 million people a year, and some types remain especially hard to detect and treat. Pancreatic cancer, for instance, is nearly always fatal. A new clinical-trial platform could change that by aligning institutions that typically compete against one another.

Dauer: 44 min

448. The Downside of Disgust

transcribed

Dauer: 46 min

447. How Much Do We Really Care About Children?

transcribed

They can’t vote or hire lobbyists. The policies we create to help them aren’t always so helpful. Consider the car seat: parents hate it, the safety data are unconvincing, and new evidence suggests an unintended consequence that is as anti-child as it gets.

Dauer: 48 min

446. “We Get All Our Great Stuff from Europe — Including Witch Hunting.”

transcribed

We’ve collected some of our favorite moments from People I (Mostly) Admire, the latest show from the Freakonomics Radio Network. Host Steve Levitt seeks advice from scientists and inventors, memory wizards and basketball champions — even his fellow economists. He also asks about quitting, witch trials, and whether we need a Manhattan Project for climate change.

Dauer: 40 min

Trust Me (Ep. 266 Rebroadcast)

transcribed

Societies where people trust one another are healthier and wealthier. In the U.S. (and the U.K. and elsewhere), social trust has been falling for decades — in part because our populations are more diverse. What can we do to fix it?

Dauer: 31 min

445. Why Do We Seek Comfort in the Familiar?

transcribed

In this episode of No Stupid Questions — a Freakonomics Radio Network show launched earlier this year — Stephen Dubner and Angela Duckworth debate why we watch, read, and eat familiar things during a crisis, and if it might in fact be better to try new things instead. Also: is a little knowledge truly as dangerous as they say?

Dauer: 37 min

444. How Do You Cure a Compassion Crisis?

transcribed

Patients in the U.S. healthcare system often feel they’re treated with a lack of empathy. Doctors and nurses have tragically high levels of burnout. Could fixing the first problem solve the second? And does the rest of society need more compassion too?

Dauer: 49 min

443. A Sneak Peek at Biden’s Top Economist

transcribed

The incoming president argues that the economy and the environment are deeply connected. This is reflected in his choice for National Economic Council director — Brian Deese, a climate-policy wonk and veteran of the no-drama-Obama era. But don’t mistake Deese’s lack of drama for a lack of intensity.

Dauer: 43 min

PLAYBACK (2015): Could the Next Brooklyn Be ... Las Vegas?!

transcribed

Tony Hsieh, the longtime C.E.O. of Zappos, was an iconoclast and a dreamer. Five years ago, we sat down with him around a desert campfire to talk about those dreams. Hsieh died recently from injuries sustained in a house fire; he was 46.

Dauer: 57 min

442. Is it Too Late for General Motors to Go Electric?

transcribed

G.M. produces more than 20 times as many cars as Tesla, but Tesla is worth nearly 10 times as much. Mary Barra, the C.E.O. of G.M., is trying to fix that. We speak with her about the race toward an electrified (and autonomous) future, China and Trump, and what it’s like to be the “fifth-most powerful woman in the world.”

Dauer: 45 min

441. Does Advertising Actually Work? (Part 2: Digital)

transcribed

Google and Facebook are worth a combined $2 trillion, with the vast majority of their revenue coming from advertising. In our previous episode, we learned that TV advertising is much less effective than the industry says. Is digital any better? Some say yes, some say no — and some say we’re in a full-blown digital-ad bubble.

Dauer: 48 min

440. Does Advertising Actually Work? (Part 1: TV)

transcribed

Companies around the world spend more than half-a-trillion dollars each year on ads. The ad industry swears by its efficacy — but a massive new study tells a different story.

Dauer: 37 min

439. Please Get Your Noise Out of My Ears

transcribed

The modern world overwhelms us with sounds we didn’t ask for, like car alarms and cell-phone “halfalogues.” What does all this noise cost us in terms of productivity, health, and basic sanity?

Dauer: 50 min

438. How to Succeed by Being Authentic (Hint: Carefully)

transcribed

John Mackey, the C.E.O. of Whole Foods, has learned the perils of speaking his mind. But he still says what he thinks about everything from “conscious leadership” to the behavioral roots of the obesity epidemic. He also argues for a style of capitalism and politics that at this moment seems like a fantasy. What does he know that we don’t?

Dauer: 48 min

Why the Left Had to Steal the Right’s Dark-Money Playbook

transcribed

The sociologist Sudhir Venkatesh spent years studying crack dealers, sex workers, and the offspring of billionaires. Then he wandered into an even stranger world: social media. He spent the past five years at Facebook and Twitter. Now that he’s back in the real world, he’s here to tell us how the digital universe really works. In this pilot episode of a new podcast, Venkatesh interviews the progressive political operative Tara McGowan about her digital successes with the Obama campaign, her noisy failure with the Iowa caucus app, and why the best way for Democrats to win more elections was to copy the Republicans.

Dauer: 45 min

437. Many Businesses Thought They Were Insured for a Pandemic. They Weren’t.

transcribed

A fine reading of most policies for “business interruption” reveals that viral outbreaks aren’t covered. Some legislators are demanding that insurance firms pay up anyway. Is it time to rethink insurance entirely?

Dauer: 41 min

436. Forget Everything You Know About Your Dog

transcribed

As beloved and familiar as they are, we rarely stop to consider life from the dog’s point of view. That stops now. In this latest installment of the Freakonomics Radio Book Club, we discuss Inside of a Dog with the cognitive scientist (and dog devotee) Alexandra Horowitz.

Dauer: 58 min

435. Why Are Cities (Still) So Expensive?

transcribed

It isn’t just supply and demand. We look at the complicated history and skewed incentives that make “affordable housing” more punch line than reality in cities from New York and San Francisco to Flint, Michigan (!).

Dauer: 45 min

434. Is New York City Over?

transcribed

The pandemic has hit America's biggest city particularly hard. Amidst a deep fiscal hole, rising homicides, and a flight to the suburbs, some people think the city is heading back to the bad old 1970s. We look at the history — and the data — to see why that’s probably not the case.

Dauer: 49 min

“Don’t Neglect the Thing That Makes You Weird” | People I (Mostly) Admire: Ken Jennings

transcribed

It was only in his late twenties that America’s favorite brainiac began to seriously embrace his love of trivia. Now he holds the “Greatest of All Time” title on Jeopardy! Steve Levitt digs into how he trained for the show, what it means to have a "geographic memory," and why we lie to our children.

Dauer: 47 min

433. How Are Psychedelics and Other Party Drugs Changing Psychiatry?

transcribed

Three leading researchers from the Mount Sinai Health System discuss how ketamine, cannabis, and ecstasy are being used (or studied) to treat everything from severe depression to addiction to PTSD. We discuss the upsides, downsides, and regulatory puzzles.

Dauer: 54 min

432. When Your Safety Becomes My Danger

transcribed

The families of U.S. troops killed and wounded in Afghanistan are suing several companies that did reconstruction there. Why? These companies, they say, paid the Taliban protection money, which gave them the funding — and opportunity — to attack U.S. soldiers instead. A look at the messy, complicated, and heart-breaking tradeoffs of conflict-zone economies.

Dauer: 48 min

“One Does Not Know Where an Insight Will Come From” | People I (Mostly) Admire: Kerwin Charles

transcribed

The dean of Yale’s School of Management grew up in a small village in Guyana. During his unlikely journey, he has researched video-gaming habits, communicable disease, and why so many African-Americans haven’t had the kind of success he’s had. Steve Levitt talks to Charles about his parents’ encouragement, his love of Sports Illustrated, and how he talks to his American-born kids about the complicated history of Blackness in America.

Dauer: 39 min

Does Anyone Really Know What Socialism Is? (Ep. 408 Rebroadcast)

transcribed

Trump says it would destroy us. Biden needs the voters who support it (especially the Bernie voters). The majority of millennials would like it to replace capitalism. But what is “it”? We bring in the economists to sort things out and tell us what the U.S. can learn from the good (and bad) experiences of other (supposedly) socialist countries.

Dauer: 44 min

What if Your Company Had No Rules?

transcribed

Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings came to believe that corporate rules can kill creativity and innovation. In this latest edition of the Freakonomics Radio Book Club, guest host Maria Konnikova talks to Hastings about his new book, No Rules Rules, and why for some companies the greatest risk is taking no risks at all.

Dauer: 55 min

431. Why Can’t Schools Get What the N.F.L. Has?

transcribed

Thanks to daily Covid testing and regimented protocols, the new football season is underway. Meanwhile, most teachers, students, and parents are essentially waiting for the storm to pass. And school isn’t even a contact sport (usually).

Dauer: 50 min

"I Started Crying When I Realized How Beautiful the Universe Is” | People I (Mostly) Admire Ep. 2: Mayim Bialik

transcribed

She’s best known for playing neurobiologist Amy Farrah Fowler on The Big Bang Theory, but the award-winning actress has a rich life outside of her acting career, as a teacher, mother — and a real-life neuroscientist. Steve Levitt tries to learn more about this one-time academic and Hollywood non-conformist, who is both very similar to him and also quite his opposite.

Dauer: 45 min

America’s Hidden Duopoly (Ep. 356 Rebroadcast)

transcribed

We all know our political system is “broken” — but what if that’s not true? Some say the Republicans and Democrats constitute a wildly successful industry that has colluded to kill off competition, stifle reform, and drive the country apart. So what are you going to do about it?

Dauer: 53 min

430. Will a Covid-19 Vaccine Change the Future of Medical Research?

transcribed

We explore the science, scalability, and (of course) economics surrounding the global vaccine race. Guests include the chief medical officer of the first U.S. firm to go to Phase 3 trials with a vaccine candidate; a former F.D.A. commissioner who’s been warning of a pandemic for years; and an economist who thinks Covid-19 may finally change how diseases are cured.

Dauer: 58 min

Introducing “People I (Mostly) Admire"

transcribed

A new interview show with host Steve Levitt. Today he speaks with the Harvard psychologist and linguist Steven Pinker. By cataloging the steady march of human progress, the self-declared “polite Canadian” has managed to enrage people on opposite ends of the political spectrum. Levitt tries to understand why.

Dauer: 43 min

The Economics of Sports Gambling (Ep. 388 Rebroadcast)

transcribed

What happens when tens of millions of fantasy-sports players are suddenly able to bet real money on real games? We’re about to find out. A recent Supreme Court decision has cleared the way to bring an estimated $300 billion in black-market sports betting into the light. We sort out the winners and losers.

Dauer: 55 min

429. Is Economic Growth the Wrong Goal?

transcribed

The endless pursuit of G.D.P., argues the economist Kate Raworth, shortchanges too many people and also trashes the planet. Economic theory, she says, “needs to be rewritten” — and Raworth has tried, in a book called Doughnut Economics. It has found an audience among reformers, and now the city of Amsterdam is going whole doughnut.

Dauer: 41 min

How the Supermarket Helped America Win the Cold War (Ep. 386 Rebroadcast)

transcribed

Aisle upon aisle of fresh produce, cheap meat, and sugary cereal — a delicious embodiment of free-market capitalism, right? Not quite. The supermarket was in fact the endpoint of the U.S. government’s battle for agricultural abundance against the U.S.S.R. Our farm policies were built to dominate, not necessarily to nourish — and we are still living with the consequences.

Dauer: 44 min

428. The Simple Economics of Saving the Amazon Rain Forest

transcribed

Everyone agrees that massive deforestation is an environmental disaster. But most of the standard solutions — scolding the Brazilians, invoking universal morality — ignore the one solution that might actually work

Dauer: 32 min

427. The Pros and Cons of Reparations

transcribed

Most Americans agree that racial discrimination has been, and remains, a big problem. But that is where the agreement ends.

Dauer: 40 min

426. Should America (and FIFA) Pay Reparations?

transcribed

The racial wealth gap in the U.S. is massive. We explore the causes, consequences, and potential solutions. Also: another story of discrimination and economic disparity, this one perpetrated by an international sporting authority. The first of a two-part series.

Dauer: 44 min

425. Remembrance of Economic Crises Past

transcribed

Christina Romer was a top White House economist during the Great Recession. As a researcher, she specializes in the Great Depression. She tells us what those disasters can (and can’t) teach us about the Covid crash.

Dauer: 52 min

424. How to Make Your Own Luck

transcribed

Before she decided to become a poker pro, Maria Konnikova didn’t know how many cards are in a deck. But she did have a Ph.D. in psychology, a brilliant coach, and a burning desire to know whether life is driven more by skill or chance. She found some answers in poker — and in her new book The Biggest Bluff, she’s willing to tell us everything she learned.

Dauer: 60 min

423. The Doctor Will Zoom You Now

transcribed

Thanks to the pandemic, the telehealth revolution we’ve been promised for decades has finally arrived. Will it stick? Will it cut costs — and improve outcomes? We ring up two doctors and, of course, an economist to find out.

Dauer: 53 min

422. Introducing "No Stupid Questions"

transcribed

In this new addition to the Freakonomics Radio Network, co-hosts Stephen Dubner and Angela Duckworth discuss the relationship between age and happiness. Also: does all creativity come from pain? New episodes of "No Stupid Questions" are released every Sunday evening — please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Dauer: 34 min

421. How to Prevent Another Great Depression

transcribed

Millions and millions are out of work, with some jobs never coming back. We speak with four economists — and one former presidential candidate — about the best policy options and the lessons (good and bad) from the past.

Dauer: 38 min

420. Which Jobs Will Come Back, and When?

transcribed

Covid-19 is the biggest job killer in a century. As the lockdown eases, what does re-employment look like? Who will be first and who last? Which sectors will surge and which will disappear? Welcome to the Great Labor Reallocation of 2020.

Dauer: 42 min

How to Make Meetings Less Terrible (Ep. 389 Rebroadcast)

transcribed

In the U.S. alone, we hold 55 million meetings a day. Most of them are woefully unproductive, and tyrannize our offices. The revolution begins now — with better agendas, smaller invite lists, and an embrace of healthy conflict.

Dauer: 43 min

419. 68 Ways to Be Better at Life

transcribed

The accidental futurist Kevin Kelly on why enthusiasm beats intelligence, how to really listen, and why the solution to bad technology is more technology.

Dauer: 37 min

418. What Will College Look Like in the Fall (and Beyond)?

transcribed

Three university presidents try to answer our listeners’ questions. The result? Not much pomp and a whole lot of circumstance.

Dauer: 56 min

417. Reasons to Be Cheerful

transcribed

Humans have a built-in “negativity bias,” which means we give bad news much more power than good. Would the Covid-19 crisis be an opportune time to reverse this tendency?

Dauer: 50 min

416. How Do You Reopen a Country?

transcribed

We speak with a governor, a former C.D.C. director, a pandemic forecaster, a hard-charging pharmacist, and a pair of economists — who say it’s all about the incentives. (Pandemillions, anyone?)

Dauer: 54 min

415. How Rahm Emanuel Would Run the World

transcribed

As a former top adviser to presidents Clinton and Obama, he believes in the power of the federal government. But as former mayor of Chicago, he says that cities are where real problems get solved — especially in the era of Covid-19.

Dauer: 47 min

414. Will Covid-19 Spark a Cold War (or Worse) With China?

transcribed

The U.S. spent the past few decades waiting for China to act like the global citizen it said it wanted to be. The waiting may be over.

Dauer: 58 min

413. Who Gets the Ventilator?

transcribed

Should a nurse or doctor who gets sick treating Covid-19 patients have priority access to a potentially life-saving healthcare device? Americans aren’t used to rationing in medicine, but it’s time to think about it. We consult a lung specialist, a bioethicist, and (of course) an economist.

Dauer: 48 min

412. What Happens When Everyone Stays Home to Eat?

transcribed

Covid-19 has shocked our food-supply system like nothing in modern history. We examine the winners, the losers, the unintended consequences — and just how much toilet paper one household really needs.

Dauer: 46 min

411. Is $2 Trillion the Right Medicine for a Sick Economy?

transcribed

Congress just passed the biggest aid package in modern history. We ask six former White House economic advisors and one U.S. Senator: Will it actually work? What are its best and worst features? Where does $2 trillion come from, and what are the long-term effects of all that government spending?

Dauer: 53 min

410. What Does Covid-19 Mean for Cities (and Marriages)?

transcribed

There are a lot of upsides to urban density — but viral contagion is not one of them. Also: a nationwide lockdown will show if familiarity really breeds contempt. And: how to help your neighbor.

Dauer: 40 min

409. The Side Effects of Social Distancing

transcribed

In just a few weeks, the novel coronavirus has undone a century’s worth of our economic and social habits. What consequences will this have on our future — and is there a silver lining in this very black pandemic cloud?

Dauer: 48 min

Why Rent Control Doesn’t Work (Ep. 373 Rebroadcast)

transcribed

As cities become ever-more expensive, politicians and housing advocates keep calling for rent control. Economists think that’s a terrible idea. They say it helps a small (albeit noisy) group of renters, but keeps overall rents artificially high by disincentivizing new construction. So what happens next?

Dauer: 47 min

408. Does Anyone Really Know What Socialism Is?

transcribed

Trump says it would destroy us. Sanders says it will save us. The majority of millennials would like it to replace capitalism. But what is “it”? We bring in the economists to sort things out and tell us what the U.S. can learn from the good (and bad) experiences of other (supposedly) socialist countries.

Dauer: 43 min

407. Is There Really a “Loneliness Epidemic”?

transcribed

Dauer: 33 min

406. Can You Hear Me Now?

transcribed

When he became chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Ajit Pai announced that he was going to take a “weed whacker” to Obama-era regulations. So far, he’s kept his promise, and earned the internet’s ire for reversing the agency’s position on net neutrality. Pai defends his actions and explains how the U.S. can “win” everything from the 5G race to the war on robocalls.

Dauer: 48 min

405. Policymaking Is Not a Science (Yet)

transcribed

Dauer: 45 min

404. Does the President Matter as Much as You Think?

transcribed

We asked this same question nearly a decade ago. The answer then: probably not. But a lot has changed since then, and we’re three years into one of the most anomalous presidencies in American history. So once again we try to sort out presidential signal from noise. What we hear from legal and policy experts may leave you surprised, befuddled — and maybe infuriated.

Dauer: 52 min

How the San Francisco 49ers Stopped Being Losers (Ep. 350 Update)

transcribed

One of the most storied (and valuable) sports franchises in the world had fallen far. So they decided to do a full reboot — and it worked: this week, they are headed back to the Super Bowl. Before the 2018 season, we sat down with the team’s owner, head coach, general manager, and players as they were plotting their turnaround. Here’s an update of that episode.

Dauer: 61 min

403. The Opioid Tragedy, Part 2: “It’s Not a Death Sentence”

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One prescription drug is keeping some addicts from dying. So why isn’t it more widespread? A story of regulation, stigma, and the potentially fatal faith in abstinence.

Dauer: 46 min

402. The Opioid Tragedy, Part 1: “We’ve Addicted an Entire Generation”

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How pharma greed, government subsidies, and a push to make pain the “fifth vital sign” kicked off a crisis that costs $80 billion a year and has killed hundreds of thousands of Americans.

Dauer: 48 min

5 Psychology Terms You’re Probably Misusing (Rebroadcast)

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We all like to throw around terms that describe human behavior — “bystander apathy” and “steep learning curve” and “hard-wired.” Most of the time, they don’t actually mean what we think they mean. But don’t worry — the experts are getting it wrong, too.

Dauer: 48 min

The Zero-Minute Workout (Rebroadcast)

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There is strong evidence that exercise is wildly beneficial. There is even stronger evidence that most people hate to exercise. So if a pill could mimic the effects of working out, why wouldn’t we want to take it?

Dauer: 39 min

401. How Many Prince Charleses Can There Be in One Room?

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In a special holiday episode, Stephen Dubner and Angela Duckworth take turns asking each other questions about charisma, wealth vs. intellect, and (of course) grit.

Dauer: 34 min

Why Is This Man Running for President? (Update)

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A year ago, nobody was taking Andrew Yang very seriously. Now he is America’s favorite entrepre-nerd, with a candidacy that keeps gaining momentum. This episode includes our Jan. 2019 conversation with the leader of the Yang Gang and a fresh interview recorded from the campaign trail in Iowa.

Dauer: 59 min

400. How to Hate Taxes a Little Bit Less

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Every year, Americans short the I.R.S. nearly half a trillion dollars. Most ideas to increase compliance are more stick than carrot — scary letters, audits, and penalties. But what if we gave taxpayers a chance to allocate how their money is spent, or even bribed them with a thank-you gift?

Dauer: 43 min

399. Honey, I Grew the Economy

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Innovation experts have long overlooked where a lot of innovation actually happens. The personal computer, the mountain bike, the artificial pancreas — none of these came from some big R&D lab, but from users tinkering in their homes. Acknowledging this reality — and encouraging it — would be good for the economy (and the soul too).

Dauer: 43 min

How to Change Your Mind (Rebroadcast)

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There are a lot of barriers to changing your mind: ego, overconfidence, inertia — and cost. Politicians who flip-flop get mocked; family and friends who cross tribal borders are shunned. But shouldn’t we be encouraging people to change their minds? And how can we get better at it ourselves?

Dauer: 45 min

398. The Truth About the Vaping Crisis

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A recent outbreak of illness and death has gotten everyone’s attention — including late-to-the-game regulators. But would a ban on e-cigarettes do more harm than good? We smoke out the facts.

Dauer: 44 min

397. How to Save $32 Million in One Hour

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For nearly a decade, governments have been using behavioral nudges to solve problems — and the strategy is catching on in healthcare, firefighting, and policing. But is that thinking too small? Could nudging be used to fight income inequality and achieve world peace? Recorded live in London, with commentary from Andy Zaltzman (The Bugle).

Dauer: 45 min

396. Why Does Tipping Still Exist?

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It’s an acutely haphazard way of paying workers, and yet it keeps expanding. We dig into the data to find out why.

Dauer: 47 min

395. Speak Softly and Carry Big Data

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Do economic sanctions work? Are big democracies any good at spreading democracy? What is the root cause of terrorism? It turns out that data analysis can help answer all these questions — and make better foreign-policy decisions. Guests include former Department of Defense officials Chuck Hagel and Michèle Flournoy and Chicago Project on Security and Threats researchers Robert Pape and Paul Poast. Recorded live in Chicago; Steve Levitt is co-host.

Dauer: 63 min

394. Does Hollywood Still Have a Princess Problem?

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For decades, there’s been a huge gender disparity both on-screen and behind the scenes. But it seems like cold, hard data — with an assist from the actor Geena Davis — may finally be moving the needle.

Dauer: 50 min

393. Can Britain Get Its “Great” Back?

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It used to be a global capital of innovation, invention, and exploration. Now it’s best known for its messy European divorce. We visit London to see if the British spirit of discovery is still alive. Guests include the mayor of London, undersea explorers, a time-use researcher, and a theoretical physicist who helped Liverpool win the Champions League. Dan Schreiber from No Such Thing as a Fish rides shotgun.

Dauer: 60 min

392. The Prime Minister Who Cried Brexit

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In 2016, David Cameron held a referendum on whether the U.K. should stay in the European Union. A longtime Euroskeptic, he nevertheless led the Remain campaign. So what did Cameron really want? We ask him that and much more — including why he left office as soon as his side lost and what he’d do differently if given another chance. (Hint: not much.)

Dauer: 52 min

391. America’s Math Curriculum Doesn’t Add Up

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Most high-school math classes are still preparing students for the Sputnik era. Steve Levitt wants to get rid of the “geometry sandwich” and instead have kids learn what they really need in the modern era: data fluency.

Dauer: 46 min

390. Fed Up

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Mary Daly rose from high-school dropout to president of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. She thinks the central bank needs an upgrade too. It starts with recognizing that the economy is made up of actual humans.

Dauer: 42 min

389. How to Make Meetings Less Terrible

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Dauer: 42 min

Yes, the Open Office Is Terrible — But It Doesn’t Have to Be (Rebroadcast)

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It began as a post-war dream for a more collaborative and egalitarian workplace. It has evolved into a nightmare of noise and discomfort. Can the open office be saved, or should we all just be working from home?

Dauer: 42 min

388. The Economics of Sports Gambling

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Dauer: 55 min

The Future of Meat (Rebroadcast)

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Global demand for beef, chicken, and pork continues to rise. So do concerns about environmental and other costs. Will reconciling these two forces be possible — or, even better, Impossible™?

Dauer: 53 min

Should America Be Run by … Trader Joe’s? (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

The quirky little grocery chain with California roots and German ownership has a lot to teach all of us about choice architecture, efficiency, frugality, collaboration, and team spirit.

Dauer: 48 min

387. Hello, My Name Is Marijuana Pepsi!

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Research shows that having a distinctively black name doesn’t affect your economic future. But what is the day-to-day reality of living with such a name? Marijuana Pepsi Vandyck, a newly-minted Ph.D., is well-qualified to answer this question. Her verdict: the data don’t tell the whole story.

Dauer: 39 min

How Much Does Your Name Matter? (Rebroadcast )

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A kid’s name can tell us something about his parents — their race, social standing, even their politics. But is your name really your destiny?

Dauer: 51 min

386. How the Supermarket Helped America Win the Cold War

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Dauer: 40 min

America’s Hidden Duopoly (Rebroadcast)

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Dauer: 53 min

385. What Do Nancy Pelosi, Taylor Swift, and Serena Williams Have in Common?

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They — along with a great many other high-achieving women — were all once Girl Scouts. So was Sylvia Acevedo. Raised in a poor, immigrant family, she was told that “girls like her” didn’t go to college. But she did, and then became a rocket scientist and tech executive. Now she’s C.E.O. of the very organization she credits with shaping her life. Acevedo tells us how the Girl Scouts are trying to stay relevant, why they’re suing the Boy Scouts, and how they sell so many cookies.

Dauer: 36 min

384. Abortion and Crime, Revisited

transcribed

The controversial theory linking Roe v. Wade to a massive crime drop is back in the spotlight as several states introduce abortion restrictions. Steve Levitt and John Donohue discuss their original research, the challenges to its legitimacy, and their updated analysis. Also: what this means for abortion policy, crime policy, and having intelligent conversations about contentious topics.

Dauer: 55 min

A Better Way to Eat (Rebroadcast )

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Takeru Kobayashi revolutionized the sport of competitive eating. What can the rest of us learn from his breakthrough?

Dauer: 27 min

383. The Zero-Minute Workout

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Dauer: 37 min

382. How Goes the Behavior-Change Revolution?

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An all-star team of behavioral scientists discovers that humans are stubborn (and lazy, and sometimes dumber than dogs). We also hear about binge drinking, humblebragging, and regrets. Recorded live in Philadelphia with guests including Richard Thaler, Angela Duckworth, Katy Milkman, and Tom Gilovich.

Dauer: 51 min

381. Long-Term Thinking in a Start-Up Town

transcribed

Recorded live in San Francisco. Guests include the keeper of a 10,000-year clock, the co-founder of Lyft, a pioneer in male birth control, a specialist in water security, and a psychology professor who is also a puppy. With co-host Angela Duckworth, fact-checker Mike Maughan, and the Freakonomics Radio Orchestra.

Dauer: 50 min

380. Notes From an Imperfect Paradise

transcribed

Recorded live in Los Angeles. Guests include Mayor Eric Garcetti, the “Earthquake Lady,” the head of the Port of L.A., and a scientist with NASA’s Planetary Protection team. With co-host Angela Duckworth, fact-checker Mike Maughan, and the worldwide debut of Luis Guerra and the Freakonomics Radio Orchestra.

Dauer: 50 min

379. How to Change Your Mind

transcribed

Dauer: 46 min

Here’s Why All Your Projects Are Always Late — and What to Do About It (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

Whether it’s a giant infrastructure plan or a humble kitchen renovation, it’ll inevitably take way too long and cost way too much. That’s because you suffer from “the planning fallacy.” (You also have an “optimism bias” and a bad case of overconfidence.) But don’t worry: we’ve got the solution.

Dauer: 42 min

378. 23andMe (and You, and Everyone Else)

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The revolution in home DNA testing is giving consumers important, possibly life-changing information. It’s also building a gigantic database that could lead to medical breakthroughs. But how will you deal with upsetting news? What if your privacy is compromised? And are you prepared to have your DNA monetized? We speak with Anne Wojcicki, founder and C.E.O. of 23andMe.

Dauer: 49 min

377. The $1.5 Trillion Question-How to fix student loan debt?

transcribed

As the cost of college skyrocketed, it created a debt burden that’s putting a drag on the economy. One possible solution: shifting the risk of debt away from students and onto investors looking for a cut of the graduates’ earning power.

Dauer: 48 min

376. The Data-Driven Guide to Sane Parenting

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Humans have been having kids forever, so why are modern parents so bewildered? The economist Emily Oster marshals the evidence on the most contentious topics — breastfeeding and sleep training, vaccines and screen time — and tells her fellow parents to calm the heck down.

Dauer: 50 min

The Invisible Paw (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

Humans, it has long been thought, are the only animal to engage in economic activity. But what if we've had it exactly backward?

Dauer: 47 min

375. The Most Interesting Fruit in the World

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The banana used to be a luxury good. Now it’s the most popular fruit in the U.S. and elsewhere. But the production efficiencies that made it so cheap have also made it vulnerable to a deadly fungus that may wipe out the one variety most of us eat. Scientists do have a way to save it — but will Big Banana let them?

Dauer: 37 min

374. How Spotify Saved the Music Industry (But Not Necessarily Musicians)

transcribed

Daniel Ek, a 23-year-old Swede who grew up on pirated music, made the record labels an offer they couldn’t refuse: a legal platform to stream all the world’s music. Spotify reversed the labels’ fortunes, made Ek rich, and thrilled millions of music fans. But what has it done for all those musicians stuck in the long tail?

Dauer: 58 min

373. Why Rent Control Doesn’t Work

transcribed

Dauer: 48 min

372. Freakonomics Radio Live: “Would You Eat a Piece of Chocolate Shaped Like Dog Poop?”

transcribed

What your disgust level says about your politics, how Napoleon influenced opera, why New York City’s subways may finally run on time, and more. Five compelling guests tell Stephen Dubner, co-host Angela Duckworth, and fact-checker Jody Avirgan lots of things they didn’t know.

Dauer: 54 min

Why You Shouldn’t Open a Restaurant (Update)

transcribed

Kenji Lopez-Alt became a rock star of the food world by bringing science into the kitchen in a way that everyday cooks can appreciate. Then he dared to start his own restaurant — and discovered problems that even science can’t solve.

Dauer: 49 min

371. A Free-Trade Democrat in the Trump White House

transcribed

For years, Gary Cohn thought he’d be the next C.E.O. of Goldman Sachs. Instead, he became the “adult in the room” in a chaotic administration. Cohn talks about the fights he won, the fights he lost, and the fights he was no longer willing to have. Also: why he and Trump are still on speaking terms even after he reportedly called the president “a professional liar.”

Dauer: 48 min

370. How to Fail Like a Pro

transcribed

The road to success is paved with failure, so you might as well learn to do it right. (Ep. 5 of the <a href="http://freakonomics.com/how-to-be-creative/" target="_blank">“How to Be Creative” series</a>.)

Dauer: 41 min

369. A Good Idea Is Not Good Enough

transcribed

Whether you’re building a business or a cathedral, execution is everything. We ask artists, scientists, and inventors how they turned ideas into reality. And we find out why it’s so hard for a group to get things done — and what you can do about it. (Ep. 4 of the <a href="http://freakonomics.com/how-to-be-creative/" target="_blank">“How to Be Creative” series</a>.)

Dauer: 54 min

368. Where Do Good Ideas Come From?

transcribed

Whether you’re mapping the universe, hosting a late-night talk show, or running a meeting, there are a lot of ways to up your idea game. Plus: the truth about brainstorming. (Ep. 3 of the <a href="http://freakonomics.com/how-to-be-creative/" target="_blank">“How to Be Creative” series</a>.)

Dauer: 62 min

367. The Future of Meat

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Dauer: 52 min

366. This Economist Predicted the Last Crisis. What’s the Next One?

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In 2005, Raghuram Rajan said the financial system was at risk “of a catastrophic meltdown.” After stints at the I.M.F. and India’s central bank, he sees another potential crisis — and he offers a solution. Is it stronger governments? Freer markets? Rajan’s answer: neither.

Dauer: 49 min

Extra: Domonique Foxworth Full Interview

transcribed

Stephen Dubner’s conversation with the former N.F.L. player, union official, and all-around sports thinker, recorded for our <a href="http://freakonomics.com/hidden-sports/" target="_blank">“Hidden Side of Sports” series</a>.

Dauer: 90 min

365. Not Just Another Labor Force

transcribed

If you think talent and hard work give top athletes all the leverage to succeed, think again. As employees in the Sports-Industrial Complex, they’ve got a tight earnings window, a high injury rate, little choice in where they work — and a very early forced retirement. (Ep. 6 of <a href="http://freakonomics.com/hidden-sports/" target="_blank">“The Hidden Side of Sports” series</a>.)

Dauer: 60 min

Extra: Mark Cuban Full Interview

transcribed

A conversation with the Shark Tank star, entrepreneur, and Dallas Mavericks owner recorded for the Freakonomics Radio series <a href="http://freakonomics.com/hidden-sports/" target="_blank">“The Hidden Side of Sports.”</a>

Dauer: 42 min

364. Inside the Sports-Industrial Complex

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For most of us, the athletes are what make sports interesting. But if you own the team or run the league, your players are essentially very expensive migrant workers who eat into your profits. We talk to N.F.L., N.B.A., and U.F.C. executives about labor costs, viewership numbers, legalized gambling, and the rise of e-sports. (Ep. 5 of <a href="http://freakonomics.com/hidden-sports/" target="_blank">“The Hidden Side of Sports” series</a>.)

Dauer: 53 min

Extra: Mark Teixeira Full Interview

transcribed

A conversation with former Major League Baseball player and current ESPN analyst Mark Teixeira, recorded for the Freakonomics Radio series <a href="http://freakonomics.com/hidden-sports/" target="_blank">“The Hidden Side of Sports.”</a>

Dauer: 59 min

363. Think Like a Winner

transcribed

Great athletes aren’t just great at the physical stuff. They’ve also learned how to handle pressure, overcome fear, and stay focused. Here’s the good news: you don’t have to be an athlete to use what they know. (Ep. 4 of <a href="http://freakonomics.com/hidden-sports/" target="_blank">“The Hidden Side of Sports” series</a>.)

Dauer: 55 min

Hacking the World Bank (Update)

transcribed

Jim Yong Kim has an unorthodox background for a World Bank president — and his reign has been just as unorthodox. He has just announced he’s stepping down, well before his term is over; we recorded this interview with him in 2015.

Dauer: 36 min

362. Why Is This Man Running for President?

transcribed

In the American Dream sweepstakes, Andrew Yang was a pretty big winner. But for every winner, he came to realize, there are thousands upon thousands of losers — a “war on normal people,” he calls it. Here’s what he plans to do about it.

Dauer: 52 min

How to Be Happy (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

The U.N.’s World Happiness Report — created to curtail our unhealthy obsession with G.D.P. — is dominated every year by the Nordic countries. We head to Denmark to learn the secrets of this happiness epidemic (and to see if we should steal them).

Dauer: 38 min

How to Win Games and Beat People (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

Games are as old as civilization itself, and some people think they have huge social value regardless of whether you win or lose. Tom Whipple is not one of those people. That’s why he consulted an army of preposterously overqualified experts to find the secret to winning any game.

Dauer: 52 min

People Aren’t Dumb. The World Is Hard. (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

You wouldn’t think you could win a Nobel Prize for showing that humans tend to make irrational decisions. But that’s what Richard Thaler has done. The founder of behavioral economics describes his unlikely route to success; his reputation for being lazy; and his efforts to fix the world — one nudge at a time.

Dauer: 58 min

Freakonomics Radio Live: “We Thought of a Way to Manipulate Your Perception of Time.”

transcribed

We learn how to be less impatient, how to tell fake news from real, and the simple trick that nurses used to make better predictions than doctors. Journalist Manoush Zomorodi co-hosts; our real-time fact-checker is the author and humorist A.J. Jacobs.

Dauer: 57 min

Freakonomics Radio Live: “The World’s a Mess. But Oysters, They Hold it Down.”

transcribed

Celebrity chef Alex Guarnaschelli joins us to co-host an evening of delicious fact-finding: where a trillion oysters went, whether a soda tax can work, and how beer helped build an empire. Washington Post columnist Alexandra Petri is our real-time fact-checker.

Dauer: 57 min

Freakonomics Radio Live: “Where Does Fear Live in the Brain?”

transcribed

Our co-host is comedian Christian Finnegan, and we learn: the difference between danger and fear; the role of clouds in climate change; and why (and when) politicians are bad at math. Washington Post columnist Alexandra Petri is our real-time fact-checker.

Dauer: 55 min

361. Freakonomics Radio Live: “Jesus Could Have Been a Pigeon.”

transcribed

Our co-host is Grit author Angela Duckworth, and we learn fascinating, Freakonomical facts from a parade of guests. For instance: what we all get wrong about Darwin; what an iPod has in common with the “hell ant”; and how a “memory athlete” memorizes a deck of cards. Mike Maughan is our real-time fact-checker.

Dauer: 60 min

360. Is the Protestant Work Ethic Real?

transcribed

In the early 20th century, Max Weber argued that Protestantism created wealth. Finally, there are data to prove if he was right. All it took were some missionary experiments in the Philippines and a clever map-matching trick that goes back to 16th-century Germany.

Dauer: 41 min

359. Should America Be Run by … Trader Joe’s?

transcribed

The quirky little grocery chain with California roots and German ownership has a lot to teach all of us about choice architecture, efficiency, frugality, collaboration, and team spirit.

Dauer: 47 min

There’s a War on Sugar. Is It Justified? (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

Some people argue that sugar should be regulated, like alcohol and tobacco, on the grounds that it’s addictive and toxic. How much sense does that make? We hear from a regulatory advocate, an evidence-based skeptic, a former F.D.A. commissioner — and the organizers of Milktoberfest.

Dauer: 47 min

358. Yes, the Open Office Is Terrible — But It Doesn’t Have to Be

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Dauer: 41 min

357. Can an Industrial Giant Become a Tech Darling?

transcribed

The Ford Motor Company is ditching its legacy sedans, doubling down on trucks, and trying to steer its stock price out of a long skid. But C.E.O. Jim Hackett has even bigger plans: to turn a century-old automaker into the nucleus of a “transportation operating system.” Is Hackett just whistling past the graveyard, or does he see what others can’t?

Dauer: 54 min

356. America’s Hidden Duopoly

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Dauer: 54 min

Extra: Elvis Costello Full Interview

transcribed

A conversation with the iconic singer-songwriter, recorded for the Freakonomics Radio series “How to Be Creative.”

Dauer: 80 min

355. Where Does Creativity Come From (and Why Do Schools Kill It Off)?

transcribed

Family environments and “diversifying experiences” (including the early death of a parent); intrinsic versus extrinsic motivations; schools that value assessments, but don't assess the things we value. All these elements factor into the long, mysterious march towards a creative life. To learn more, we examine the early years of Ai Weiwei, Rosanne Cash, Elvis Costello, Maira Kalman, Wynton Marsalis, Jennifer Egan, and others. (Ep. 2 of the “How to Be Creative” series.)

Dauer: 74 min

Extra: Jeremy Lin Full Interview

transcribed

A conversation with veteran NBA point guard Jeremy Lin, recorded for the Freakonomics Radio series “<a href="http://www.freakonomics.com/hidden-sports" target="_blank">The Hidden Side of Sports</a>.”

Dauer: 43 min

354. How to Be Creative

transcribed

There are thousands of books on the subject, but what do we actually know about creativity? In this new series, we talk to the researchers who study it as well as artists, inventors, and pathbreakers who live it every day: Ai Weiwei, James Dyson, Elvis Costello, Jennifer Egan, Rosanne Cash, Wynton Marsalis, Maira Kalman, and more. (Ep. 1 of the “How to Be Creative” series.)

Dauer: 53 min

353. How to Optimize Your Apology

transcribed

You said, “I’m sorry,” but somehow you haven’t been forgiven. Why? Because you’re doing it wrong! A report from the front lines of apology science.

Dauer: 49 min

352. Can This Man Stop a Trade War?

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The World Trade Organization is the referee for 164 trading partners, each with their own political and economic agendas. Lately, those agendas have gotten more complicated — especially with President Trump’s tariff blitz. Roberto Azevêdo, head of the W.T.O., tells us why it’s so hard to balance protectionism and globalism; what’s really behind the loss of jobs; and what he’d say to Trump (if he ever gets the chance).

Dauer: 43 min

Extra: Shawn Johnson Full Interview

transcribed

A conversation with 2008 Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson, recorded for the Freakonomics Radio series “<a href="http://freakonomics.com/hidden-sports" target="_blank">The Hidden Side of Sports</a>.”

Dauer: 67 min

351. Here’s Why You’re Not an Elite Athlete

transcribed

There are a lot of factors that go into greatness, many of which are not obvious. A variety of Olympic and professional athletes tell us how they made it and what they sacrificed to get there. And if you can identify the sport most likely to get a kid into a top college — well then, touché! (Ep. 3 of “<a href="http://freakonomics.com/hidden-sports" target="_blank">The Hidden Side of Sports</a>” series.)

Dauer: 68 min

Extra: Full Interviews With Jimmy Garoppolo, Joe Staley, Mike McGlinchey, and Kyle Juszczyk

transcribed

Stephen Dubner’s conversations with members of the San Francisco 49ers offense, recorded for Freakonomics Radio episode No. 350, part of the “<a href="http://freakonomics.com/hidden-sports" target="_blank">Hidden Side of Sports</a>” series.

Dauer: 80 min

350. How to Stop Being a Loser

transcribed

The San Francisco 49ers, one of the most valuable sports franchises in the world, also used to be one of the best. But they’ve been losing lately — a lot — and one of their players launched a controversy by taking a knee during the national anthem. So why is everyone there so optimistic? To find out, we speak with the team’s owner, head coach, general manager, and star players, including their new $137.5 million quarterback. (Ep. 2 of “The Hidden Side of Sports” series.)

Dauer: 61 min

349. How Sports Became Us

transcribed

Dollar-wise, the sports industry is surprisingly small, about the same size as the cardboard-box industry. So why does it make so much noise? Because it reflects — and often amplifies — just about every political, economic, and social issue of the day. Introducing a new series, “The Hidden Side of Sports.”

Dauer: 52 min

348. Is the Government More Entrepreneurial Than You Think?

transcribed

We all know the standard story: our economy would be more dynamic if only the government would get out of the way. The economist Mariana Mazzucato says we’ve got that story backward. She argues that the government, by funding so much early-stage research, is hugely responsible for big successes in tech, pharma, energy, and more. But the government also does a terrible job in claiming credit — and, more important, getting a return on its investment.

Dauer: 35 min

347. Why You Shouldn’t Open a Restaurant

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Dauer: 37 min

346. Two (Totally Opposite) Ways to Save the Planet

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Dauer: 51 min

345. How to Be Happy

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Dauer: 38 min

344. Who Decides How Much a Life Is Worth?

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After every mass shooting or terrorist attack, victims and survivors receive a huge outpouring of support — including a massive pool of compensation money. How should that money be allocated? We speak with the man who’s done that job after many tragedies, including 9/11. The hard part, it turns out, isn’t attaching a dollar figure to each victim; the hard part is acknowledging that dollars can’t heal the pain.

Dauer: 38 min

A Conversation With PepsiCo C.E.O. Indra Nooyi (Ep. 316 Update)

transcribed

One of the world’s biggest and best-known companies just announced that its C.E.O. would be stepping down in the fall. We interviewed her as part of our series “The Secret Life of a C.E.O.," and we thought you might like to hear that episode again, or for the first time if you missed it back then.

Dauer: 46 min

343. An Astronaut, a Catalan, and Two Linguists Walk Into a Bar…

transcribed

In this live episode of “Tell Me Something I Don’t Know,” we learn why New York has skinny skyscrapers, how to weaponize water, and what astronauts talk about in space. Joining Stephen J. Dubner as co-host is the linguist John McWhorter; Bari Weiss (The New York Times) is the real-time fact-checker.

Dauer: 54 min

342. Has Lance Armstrong Finally Come Clean?

transcribed

He was once the most lionized athlete on the planet, with seven straight Tour de France wins and a victory over cancer too. Then the doping charges caught up with him. When he finally confessed to Oprah, he admits, “it didn’t go well at all.” That’s because he wasn’t actually contrite yet. Now, five years later, he says he is. Do you believe him?

Dauer: 51 min

341. Why We Choke Under Pressure (and How Not To)

transcribed

It happens to just about everyone, whether you’re going for Olympic gold or giving a wedding toast. We hear from psychologists, economists, and the golfer who some say committed the greatest choke of all time.

Dauer: 45 min

340. People Aren’t Dumb. The World Is Hard.

transcribed

Dauer: 57 min

339. The Future of Freakonomics Radio

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After 8 years and more than 300 episodes, it was time to either 1) quit, or 2) make the show bigger and better. We voted for number 2. Here’s a peek behind the curtain and a preview of what you’ll be hearing next.

Dauer: 36 min

In Praise of Incrementalism (Rebroadcast)

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What do Renaissance painting, civil-rights movements, and Olympic cycling have in common? In each case, huge breakthroughs came from taking tiny steps. In a world where everyone is looking for the next moonshot, we shouldn’t ignore the power of incrementalism.

Dauer: 49 min

In Praise of Maintenance (Rebroadcast)

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Has our culture's obsession with innovation led us to neglect the fact that things also need to be taken care of?

Dauer: 42 min

338. How to Catch World Cup Fever

transcribed

For soccer fans, it's easy. For the rest of us? Not so much, especially since the U.S. team didn't qualify. So here's what to watch for even if you have no team to root for. Because the World Cup isn't just a gargantuan sporting evént; it's a microcosm of human foibles and (yep) economic theory brought to life.

Dauer: 57 min

337. How to Build a Smart City

transcribed

We are in the midst of a historic (and wholly unpredicted) rise in urbanization. But it's hard to retrofit old cities for the 21st century. Enter Dan Doctoroff. The man who helped modernize New York City — and tried to bring the Olympics there — is now C.E.O. of a Google-funded startup that is building, from scratch, the city of the future.

Dauer: 39 min

How Stupid Is Our Obsession With Lawns? (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

Nearly two percent of America is grassy green. Sure, lawns are beautiful and useful and they smell great. But are the costs — financial, environmental and otherwise — worth the benefits?

Dauer: 28 min

336. The Most Vilified Industry in America Is Also the Most Charitable

transcribed

Pharmaceutical firms donate an enormous amount of their products (and some cash too). But it doesn't seem to be helping their reputation. We ask Pfizer's generosity chief why the company gives so much, who it really helps, and whether all this philanthropy is just corporate whitewashing.

Dauer: 33 min

335. Does Doing Good Give You License to Be Bad?

transcribed

Corporate Social Responsibility programs can attract better job applicants who'll work for less money. But they also encourage employees to misbehave. Don't laugh — you too probably engage in “moral licensing,” even if you don't know it.

Dauer: 37 min

334. 5 Psychology Terms You’re Probably Misusing

transcribedtranscribed

We all like to throw around terms that describe human behavior — “bystander apathy” and “steep learning curve” and “hard-wired.” Most of the time, they don't actually mean what we think they mean. But don't worry — the experts are getting it wrong, too.

Dauer: 50 min

Evolution, Accelerated (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

Dauer: 36 min

333. The Most Ambitious Thing Humans Have Ever Attempted

transcribed

Sure, medical progress has been astounding. But today the U.S. spends more on healthcare than any other country, with so-so outcomes. Atul Gawande — cancer surgeon, public-health researcher, and best-selling author — has some simple ideas for treating a painfully complex system.

Dauer: 52 min

332. Why the Trump Tax Cuts Are Terrible/Awesome (Part 2)

transcribed

Three former White House economists weigh in on the new tax bill. A sample: "The overwhelming evidence is that the trickle-down, magic-beanstalk beans argument — that's just nonsense."

Dauer: 45 min

331. Why the Trump Tax Cuts are Awesome/Terrible (Part 1)

transcribed

Kevin Hassett, chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, explains the thinking behind the controversial new Republican tax package — and why its critics are wrong. (Next week, we'll hear from the critics.)

Dauer: 45 min

330. Extra: Ray Dalio Full Interview

transcribed

Stephen Dubner's conversation with the founder and longtime C.E.O. of Bridgewater Associates, recorded for the Freakonomics Radio series “The Secret Life of a C.E.O.”

Dauer: 77 min

329. The Invisible Paw

transcribed

Humans, it has long been thought, are the only animal to engage in economic activity. But what if we've had it exactly backward?

Dauer: 48 min

328. Extra: Mark Zuckerberg Full Interview

transcribed

Stephen Dubner's conversation with the Facebook founder and C.E.O., recorded for the Freakonomics Radio series “The Secret Life of a C.E.O.”

Dauer: 46 min

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Money (But Were Afraid to Ask) (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

The bad news: roughly 70 percent of Americans are financially illiterate. The good news: all the important stuff can fit on one index card. Here's how to become your own financial superhero.

Dauer: 45 min

327. Extra: Carol Bartz Full Interview

transcribed

Stephen Dubner's conversation with the former C.E.O. of Yahoo, recorded for the Freakonomics Radio series “The Secret Life of a C.E.O.”

Dauer: 51 min

The Stupidest Thing You Can Do With Your Money (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

It's hard enough to save for a house, tuition, or retirement. So why are we willing to pay big fees for subpar investment returns? Enter the low-cost index fund. The revolution will not be monetized.

Dauer: 47 min

326. Extra: Jack Welch Full Interview

transcribed

Stephen Dubner's conversation with the former longtime C.E.O. of General Electric, recorded for the Freakonomics Radio series “The Secret Life of a C.E.O.”

Dauer: 56 min

325. How to Train Your Dragon Child

transcribed

Every 12 years, there's a spike in births among certain communities across the globe, including the U.S. Why? Because the Year of the Dragon, according to Chinese folk belief, confers power, fortune, and more. We look at what happens to Dragon babies when they grow up, and why timing your kid's birth based on the zodiac isn't as ridiculous it sounds.

Dauer: 36 min

324. Extra: Satya Nadella Full Interview

transcribed

Stephen Dubner's conversation with the C.E.O. of Microsoft, recorded for the Freakonomics Radio series “The Secret Life of a C.E.O.”

Dauer: 40 min

323. Here’s Why All Your Projects Are Always Late — and What to Do About It

transcribed

Whether it's a giant infrastructure plan or a humble kitchen renovation, it'll inevitably take way too long and cost way too much. That's because you suffer from “the planning fallacy.” (You also have an “optimism bias” and a bad case of overconfidence.) But don't worry: we've got the solution.

Dauer: 41 min

322. Extra: David Rubenstein Full Interview

transcribed

Stephen Dubner's conversation with the co-founder and longtime co-C.E.O. of the Carlyle Group, recorded for the Freakonomics Radio series “The Secret Life of a C.E.O.”

Dauer: 89 min

Does “Early Education” Come Way Too Late? (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

In our collective zeal to reform schools and close the achievement gap, we may have lost sight of where most learning really happens — at home.

Dauer: 47 min

321. Extra: Richard Branson Full Interview

transcribed

Stephen Dubner's conversation with the Virgin Group founder, recorded for the Freakonomics Radio series “The Secret Life of a C.E.O.”

Dauer: 54 min

320. Letting Go

transcribed

If you're a C.E.O., there are a lot of ways to leave your job, from abrupt firing to carefully planned succession (which may still go spectacularly wrong). In this final episode of our "Secret Life of a C.E.O." series, we hear those stories and many more. Also: what happens when you no longer have a corner office to go to — and how will you spend all that money?

Dauer: 45 min

319. After the Glass Ceiling, a Glass Cliff

transcribed

Only 5 percent of Fortune 500 companies are run by women. Why? Research shows that female executives are more likely to be put in charge of firms that are already in crisis. Are they being set up to fail? (Part 5 of a special series, "The Secret Life of C.E.O.'s.")

Dauer: 52 min

318. It’s Your Problem Now

transcribed

No, it's not your fault the economy crashed. Or that consumer preferences changed. Or that new technologies have blown apart your business model. But if you're the C.E.O., it is your problem. So what are you going to do about it? First-hand stories of disaster (and triumph) from Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Ballmer, Satya Nadella, Jack Welch, Ellen Pao, Richard Branson, and more. (Part 4 of a special series, "The Secret Life of C.E.O.'s.")

Dauer: 44 min

317. What Can Uber Teach Us About the Gender Pay Gap?

transcribed

The gig economy offers the ultimate flexibility to set your own hours. That's why economists thought it would help eliminate the gender pay gap. A new study, using data from over a million Uber drivers, finds the story isn't so simple.

Dauer: 43 min

An Egghead’s Guide to the Super Bowl (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

We assembled a panel of smart dudes -- a two-time Super Bowl champ; a couple of N.F.L. linemen, including one who's getting a math Ph.D. at MIT; and our resident economist -- to tell you what to watch for, whether you're a football fanatic or a total newbie.

Dauer: 28 min

316. “I Wasn’t Stupid Enough to Say This Could Be Done Overnight”

transcribed

Indra Nooyi became C.E.O. of PepsiCo just in time for a global financial meltdown. She also had a portfolio full of junk food just as the world decided that junk food is borderline toxic. Here's the story of how she overhauled that portfolio, stared down activist investors, and learned to "leave the crown in the garage." (Part 3 of a special series, "The Secret Life of C.E.O.'s")

Dauer: 48 min

315. How to Become a C.E.O.

transcribed

Mark Zuckerberg's dentist dad was an early adopter of digital x-rays. Jack Welch blew the roof off a factory. Carol Bartz was a Wisconsin farm girl who got into computers. No two C.E.O.'s have the same origin story — so we tell them all! How the leaders of Facebook, G.E., Yahoo!, PepsiCo, Microsoft, Virgin, the Carlyle Group, Reddit, and Bridgewater Associates made it to the top. (Part 2 of a special series, "The Secret Life of C.E.O.'s.")

Dauer: 44 min

314. What Does a C.E.O. Actually Do?

transcribed

They're paid a fortune — but for what, exactly? What makes a good C.E.O. — and how can you even tell? Is "leadership science" a real thing — or just airport-bookstore mumbo jumbo? We put these questions to Mark Zuckerberg, Richard Branson, Indra Nooyi, Satya Nadella, Jack Welch, Ray Dalio, Carol Bartz, David Rubenstein, and Ellen Pao. (Part 1 of a special series, "The Secret Life of C.E.O.'s.")

Dauer: 39 min

313. How to Be a Modern Democrat — and Win

transcribed

Gina Raimondo, the governor of tiny Rhode Island, has taken on unions, boosted big business, and made friends with Republicans. She is also one of just 15 Democratic governors in the country. Would there be more of them if there were more like her?

Dauer: 38 min

Why Is My Life So Hard? (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

Most of us feel we face more headwinds and obstacles than everyone else — which breeds resentment. We also undervalue the tailwinds that help us — which leaves us ungrateful and unhappy. How can we avoid this trap?

Dauer: 30 min

Trust Me (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

Dauer: 30 min

Make Me a Match (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

Sure, markets generally work well. But for some transactions — like school admissions and organ transplants — money alone can't solve the problem. That's when you need a market-design wizard like Al Roth.

Dauer: 53 min

312. Not Your Grandmother’s I.M.F.

transcribed

The International Monetary Fund has long been the "lender of last resort" for economies in crisis. Christine Lagarde, who runs the institution, would like to prevent those crises from ever happening. She tells us her plans.

Dauer: 38 min

311. Why Is the Live-Event Ticket Market So Screwed Up?

transcribed

The public has almost no chance to buy good tickets to the best events. Ticket brokers, meanwhile, make huge profits on the secondary markets. Here's the story of how this market got so dysfunctional, how it can be fixed – and why it probably won't be.

Dauer: 48 min

310. Are We Running Out of Ideas?

transcribed

Economists have a hard time explaining why productivity growth has been shrinking. One theory: true innovation has gotten much harder – and much more expensive. So what should we do next?

Dauer: 37 min

Is America Ready for a “No-Lose Lottery”? (Update)

transcribed

Most people don't enjoy the simple, boring act of putting money in a savings account. But we do love to play the lottery. So what if you combine the two, creating a new kind of savings account with a lottery payout?

Dauer: 45 min

309. Nurses to the Rescue!

transcribed

They are the most-trusted profession in America (and with good reason). They are critical to patient outcomes (especially in primary care). Could the growing army of nurse practitioners be an answer to the doctor shortage? The data say yes but — big surprise — doctors' associations say no.

Dauer: 58 min

308. How Can I Do the Most Social Good With $100? And Other FREAK-quently Asked Questions

transcribed

Dubner and his Freakonomics co-author Steve Levitt answer your questions about crime, traffic, real-estate agents, the Ph.D. glut, and how to not get eaten by a bear.

Dauer: 43 min

Why Is There So Much Ground Beef in the World? (Special Feature)

transcribed

In this live episode of "Tell Me Something I Don't Know," you'll learn about carcass balancing, teen sleeping, and brand naming. Joining Stephen J. Dubner as co-host is Alex Wagner (CBS This Morning Saturday); author A.J. Jacobs (It's All Relative) is the live fact-checker.

Dauer: 43 min

307. Thinking Is Expensive. Who’s Supposed to Pay for It?

transcribed

Corporations and rich people donate billions to their favorite think tanks and foundations. Should we be grateful for their generosity — or suspicious of their motives?

Dauer: 39 min

306. How to Launch a Behavior-Change Revolution

transcribed

Academic studies are nice, and so are Nobel Prizes. But to truly prove the value of a new idea, you have to unleash it to the masses. That's what a dream team of social scientists is doing — and we sat in as they drew up their game plan.

Dauer: 45 min

305. The Demonization of Gluten

transcribed

Celiac disease is thought to affect roughly one percent of the population. The good news: it can be treated by quitting gluten. The bad news: many celiac patients haven't been diagnosed. The weird news: millions of people without celiac disease have quit gluten – which may be a big mistake.

Dauer: 44 min

304. What Are the Secrets of the German Economy — and Should We Steal Them?

transcribed

Smart government policies, good industrial relations, and high-end products have helped German manufacturing beat back the threats of globalization.

Dauer: 57 min

“Tell Me Something I Don't Know” on the topic of Behavior Change (Special Feature)

transcribed

Stephen J. Dubner hosts an episode full of the world's most renowned behavior change experts, including Colin Camerer, Ayelet Fishbach, David Laibson, Max Bazerman, Katy Milkman, and Kevin Volpp. Angela Duckworth (psychologist and author of Grit) is our special guest co-host, with Mike Maughan (head of global insights at Qualtrics) as real-time fact-checker.

Dauer: 54 min

303. Why Larry Summers Is the Economist Everyone Hates to Love

transcribed

He's been U.S. Treasury Secretary, a chief economist for the Obama White House and the World Bank, and president of Harvard. He's one of the most brilliant economists of his generation (and perhaps the most irascible). And he thinks the Trump Administration is wrong on just about everything.

Dauer: 50 min

302. Why Learn Esperanto?

transcribed

A language invented in the 19th century, and meant to be universal, it never really caught on. So why does a group of Esperantists from around the world gather once a year to celebrate their bond?

Dauer: 31 min

301. What Would Be the Best Universal Language? (Earth 2.0 Series)

transcribed

We explore votes for English, Indonesian, and … Esperanto! The search for a common language goes back millennia, but so much still gets lost in translation. Will technology finally solve that?

Dauer: 41 min

300. Why Don’t We All Speak the Same Language? (Earth 2.0 Series)

transcribed

There are 7,000 languages spoken on Earth. What are the costs — and benefits — of our modern-day Tower of Babel?

Dauer: 43 min

299. "How Much Brain Damage Do I Have?"

transcribed

John Urschel was the only player in the N.F.L. simultaneously getting a math Ph.D. at M.I.T. But after a new study came out linking football to brain damage, he abruptly retired. Here's the inside story — and a look at how we make decisions in the face of risk versus uncertainty.

Dauer: 47 min

Bad Medicine, Part 3: Death by Diagnosis (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

By some estimates, medical error is the third-leading cause of death in the U.S. How can that be? And what's to be done? Our third and final episode in this series offers some encouraging answers.

Dauer: 49 min

Bad Medicine, Part 2: (Drug) Trials and Tribulations (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

How do so many ineffective and even dangerous drugs make it to market? One reason is that clinical trials are often run on "dream patients" who aren't representative of a larger population. On the other hand, sometimes the only thing worse than being excluded from a drug trial is being included.

Dauer: 46 min

Bad Medicine, Part 1: The Story of 98.6 (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

We tend to think of medicine as a science, but for most of human history it has been scientific-ish at best. In the first episode of a three-part series, we look at the grotesque mistakes produced by centuries of trial-and-error, and ask whether the new era of evidence-based medicine is the solution.

Dauer: 44 min

What Are You Waiting For? (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

Standing in line represents a particularly sloppy — and frustrating — way for supply and demand to meet. Why haven't we found a better way to get what we want? Is it possible that we secretly enjoy waiting in line? And might it even be (gulp) good for us?

Dauer: 36 min

298. Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Money (But Were Afraid to Ask)

transcribed

The bad news: roughly 70 percent of Americans are financially illiterate. The good news: all the important stuff can fit on one index card. Here's how to become your own financial superhero.

Dauer: 44 min

297. The Stupidest Thing You Can Do With Your Money

transcribed

Dauer: 48 min

296. These Shoes Are Killing Me!

transcribed

The human foot is an evolutionary masterpiece, far more functional than we give it credit for. So why do we encase it in "a coffin" (as one foot scholar calls it) that stymies so much of its ability — and may create more problems than it solves?

Dauer: 39 min

295. When Helping Hurts

transcribed

Good intentions are nice, but with so many resources poured into social programs, wouldn't it be even nicer to know what actually works?

Dauer: 51 min

294. The Fracking Boom, a Baby Boom, and the Retreat From Marriage

transcribed

Over 40 percent of U.S. births are to unmarried mothers, and the numbers are especially high among the less-educated. Why? One argument is that the decline in good manufacturing jobs led to a decline in "marriageable" men. Surely the fracking boom reversed that trend, right?

Dauer: 44 min

The Harvard President Will See You Now (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

How a pain-in-the-neck girl from rural Virginia came to run the most powerful university in the world.

Dauer: 39 min

293. Why Hate the Koch Brothers? (Part 2)

transcribed

Charles Koch, the mega-billionaire CEO of Koch Industries and half of the infamous political machine, sees himself as a classical liberal. So why do most Democrats hate him so much? In a rare series of interviews, he explains his political awakening, his management philosophy, and why he supports legislation that goes against his self-interest.

Dauer: 37 min

292. Why Hate the Koch Brothers? (Part 1)

transcribed

Charles Koch, the mega-billionaire CEO of Koch Industries and half of the infamous political machine, sees himself as a classical liberal. So why do most Democrats hate him so much? In a rare series of interviews, he explains his political awakening, his management philosophy and why he supports legislation that goes against his self-interest.

Dauer: 45 min

"Tell Me Something I Don't Know" on the topic of Rivalry

transcribed

Steve Levitt, Scott Turow and Bridget Gainer are panelists. For the "Freakonomics" co-author, the attorney and novelist, and the Cook County commissioner it's "game on!" as they tackle competition of all kinds: athletic, sexual, geopolitical, and the little-known battle between butter and margarine that landed in the Supreme Court. WBEZ's Tricia Bobeda, co-host of the "Nerdette" podcast, is fact-checker.

Dauer: 57 min

291. Evolution, Accelerated

transcribed

A breakthrough in genetic technology has given humans more power than ever to change nature. It could help eliminate hunger and disease; it could also lead to the sort of dystopia we used to only read about in sci-fi novels. So what happens next? Help us meet the Freakonomics Radio listener challenge. If 500 of you become sustaining members at just $7/month before June 30th we'll unlock an additional $25,000 from the Tow Foundation. Become a member now!

Dauer: 36 min

290. He’s One of the Most Famous Political Operatives in America. America Just Doesn’t Know It Yet.

transcribed

Steve Hilton was the man behind David Cameron's push to remake British politics. Things didn't work out so well there. Now he's trying to launch a new political revolution – from sunny California.

Dauer: 42 min

289. How Stupid Is Our Obsession With Lawns?

transcribed

Nearly two percent of America is grassy green. Sure, lawns are beautiful and useful and they smell great. But are the costs — financial, environmental and otherwise — worth the benefits?

Dauer: 28 min

288. Are the Rich Really Less Generous Than the Poor?

transcribed

A series of academic studies suggest that the wealthy are, to put it bluntly, selfish jerks. It's an easy narrative to swallow — but is it true? A trio of economists set out to test the theory. All it took was a Dutch postal worker's uniform, some envelopes stuffed with cash, and a slight sense of the absurd.

Dauer: 42 min

287. Hoopers! Hoopers! Hoopers!

transcribed

As CEO of Microsoft, Steve Ballmer was famous for over-the-top enthusiasm. Now he's brought that same passion to the N.B.A. -- and to a pet project called USAFacts, which performs a sort of fiscal colonoscopy on the American government.

Dauer: 39 min

286. How Big is My Penis? (And Other Things We Ask Google)

transcribed

On the Internet, people say all kinds of things they'd never say aloud -- about sex and race, about their true wants and fears. Seth Stephens-Davidowitz has spent years parsing the data. His conclusion: our online searches are the reflection of our true selves. In the real world, everybody lies.

Dauer: 34 min

Food + Science = Victory! (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

A kitchen wizard and a nutrition detective talk about the perfect hamburger, getting the most out of garlic, and why you should use vodka in just about everything.

Dauer: 37 min

285. There’s a War on Sugar. Is It Justified?

transcribed

Some people argue that sugar should be regulated, like alcohol and tobacco, on the grounds that it's addictive and toxic. How much sense does that make? We hear from a regulatory advocate, an evidence-based skeptic, a former FDA commissioner — and the organizers of Milktoberfest.

Dauer: 46 min

284. Is Income Inequality Inevitable? (Earth 2.0 Series)

transcribed

In pursuit of a more perfect economy, we discuss the future of work; the toxic remnants of colonization; and whether giving everyone a basic income would be genius -- or maybe the worst idea ever.

Dauer: 41 min

283. What Would Our Economy Look Like? (Earth 2.0 Series)

transcribed

If we could reboot the planet and create new systems and institutions from scratch, would they be any better than what we've blundered our way into through trial and error? This is the first of a series of episodes that we'll release over several months. Today we start with — what else? — economics. You'll hear from Nobel laureate Angus Deaton, the poverty-fighting superhero Jeff Sachs; and many others.

Dauer: 43 min

282. Could Solving This One Problem Solve All the Others?

transcribed

The biggest problem with humanity is humans themselves. Too often, we make choices — what we eat, how we spend our money and time — that undermine our well-being. An all-star team of academic researchers thinks it has the solution: perfecting the science of behavior change. Will it work?

Dauer: 35 min

281. Big Returns from Thinking Small

transcribed

By day, two leaders of Britain's famous Nudge Unit use behavioral tricks to make better government policy. By night, they repurpose those tricks to improve their personal lives. They want to help you do the same.

Dauer: 31 min

280. “Tell Me Something I Don’t Know” on the topic of Collections.

transcribed

Hear live journalism wrapped in a game show package and hosted by Stephen J. Dubner. In this episode, Tim Ferriss, Eugene Mirman and Anne Pasternak are panelists. The self-help guru, the comedian and the Brooklyn Museum director talk about brainwaves, sugar, stars and — thanks to fact-checker AJ Jacobs — barf bags.

Dauer: 51 min

How Safe Is Your Job? (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

Economists preach the gospel of "creative destruction," whereby new industries -- and jobs -- replace the old ones. But has creative destruction become too destructive?

Dauer: 33 min

279. Why Is My Life So Hard?

transcribed

Dauer: 31 min

278. Chuck E. Cheese’s: Where a Kid Can Learn Price Theory

transcribed

The pizza-and-gaming emporium prides itself on affordability, which means its arcade games are really cheap to play. Does that lead to kids hogging the best games — and parents starting those infamous YouTube brawls?

Dauer: 31 min

277. The Taboo Trifecta

transcribed

The serial entrepreneur Miki Agrawal loves to talk about the bodily functions that make most people flinch. That's why she's building a business around the three P's: periods, pee, and poop.

Dauer: 32 min

276. No Hollywood Ending for the Visual-Effects Industry

transcribed

In their chase for a global audience, American movie studios spend billions to make their films look amazing. But almost none of those dollars stay in America. What would it take to bring those jobs back -- and would it be worth it?

Dauer: 56 min

275. Professor Hendryx vs. Big Coal

transcribed

What happens when a public-health researcher deep in coal country argues that mountaintop mining endangers the entire community? Hint: it doesn't go very well.

Dauer: 37 min

How to Get More Grit in Your Life

transcribed

The psychologist Angela Duckworth argues that a person's level of stick-to-itiveness is directly related to their level of success. No big surprise there. But grit, she says, isn't something you're born with — it can be learned. Here's how.

Dauer: 42 min

274. An Egghead’s Guide to the Super Bowl

transcribed

We assembled a panel of smart dudes -- a two-time Super Bowl champ; a couple of NFL linemen, including one who's getting a math Ph.D. at MIT; and our resident economist -- to tell you what to watch for, whether you're a football fanatic or a total newbie.

Dauer: 28 min

273. Did China Eat America’s Jobs?

transcribed

For years, economists promised that global free trade would be mostly win-win. Now they admit the pace of change has been "traumatic." This has already led to a political insurrection -- so what's next?

Dauer: 38 min

Is the American Dream Really Dead?

transcribed

Just a few decades ago, more than 90 percent of 30-year-olds earned more than their parents had earned at the same age. Now it's only about 50 percent. What happened -- and what can be done about it?

Dauer: 39 min

272. Trevor Noah Has a Lot to Say

transcribed

The Daily Show host grew up as a poor, mixed-race South African kid going to three churches every Sunday. So he has a sui generis view of America — especially on race, politics, and religion — and he's not afraid to speak his mind.

Dauer: 35 min

271. The Men Who Started a Thinking Revolution

transcribed

Starting in the late 1960s, the Israeli psychologists Amos Tversky and Danny Kahneman began to redefine how the human mind actually works. Michael Lewis's new book The Undoing Project explains how the movement they started -- now known as behavioral economics -- has had such a profound effect on academia, governments, and society at large.

Dauer: 35 min

How to Become Great at Just About Anything (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

What if the thing we call "talent" is grotesquely overrated? And what if deliberate practice is the secret to excellence? Those are the claims of the research psychologist Anders Ericsson, who has been studying the science of expertise for decades. He tells us everything he's learned.

Dauer: 50 min

How to Be More Productive (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

In this busy time of year, we could all use some tips on how to get more done in less time. First, however, a warning: there's a big difference between being busy and being productive.

Dauer: 39 min

270. Bad Medicine, Part 3: Death by Diagnosis

transcribed

Dauer: 49 min

269. Bad Medicine, Part 2: (Drug) Trials and Tribulations

transcribed

Dauer: 45 min

268. Bad Medicine, Part 1: The Story of 98.6

transcribed

Dauer: 45 min

The No-Tipping Point (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

The restaurant business model is warped: kitchen wages are too low to hire cooks, while diners are put in charge of paying the waitstaff. So what happens if you eliminate tipping, raise menu prices, and redistribute the wealth? New York restaurant maverick Danny Meyer is about to find out.

Dauer: 44 min

267. How to Make a Bad Decision

transcribed

Some of our most important decisions are shaped by something as random as the order in which we make them. The gambler's fallacy, as it's known, affects loan officers, federal judges -- and probably you too. How to avoid it? The first step is to admit just how fallible we all are.

Dauer: 36 min

Introducing Stephen J. Dubner's new podcast, "Tell Me Something I Don't Know"

transcribed

"Tell Me Something I Don't Know" is a live game show hosted by Stephen J. Dubner of "Freakonomics Radio." He has always had a mission: to tell you the things you thought you knew but didn't, and things you never thought you wanted to know, but do. Now, with "TMSIDK," he has a new way of doing just that. This new show is still journalism, still factual -- but disguised in the most entertaining, unexpected, and occasionally ridiculous conversation you're likely to hear. Audience contestants come on stage and try to wow a panel of experts with a fascinating fact, a historical wrinkle, a new line of research -- anything, really, as long as it's interesting, useful and true (or at least true-ish). The panel -- an ever-changing mix of comedians, brainiacs, and other high achievers -- poke and prod the contestants, and ultimately choose a winner. And there's a real-time, human fact-checker on hand to filter out the bull. This debut episode features Barnard College president Debora Spar, New York Public Library president Tony Marx, and comedian Andy Zaltzman; Jody Avirgan from FiveThirtyEight handles the fact-checking. You can subscribe now on iTunes. And don't worry, Freakonomics Radio isn't going anywhere -- this is just a special bonus episode of Dubner's new side gig.

Dauer: 53 min

266. Trust Me

transcribed

Societies where people trust one another are healthier and wealthier. In the U.S. (and the U.K. and elsewhere), social trust has been falling for decades -- in part because our populations are more diverse. What can we do to fix it?

Dauer: 28 min

How Much Does the President Really Matter? (Rebroadcast )

transcribed

The U.S. president is often called the "leader of free world." But if you ask an economist or a Constitutional scholar how much the occupant of the Oval Office matters, they won't say much. We look at what the data have to say about measuring leadership, and its impact on the economy and the country.

Dauer: 33 min

265. The White House Gets Into the Nudge Business

transcribed

A tiny behavioral-sciences startup is trying to improve the way federal agencies do their work. Considering the size (and habits) of most federal agencies, this isn't so simple. But after a series of early victories -- and a helpful executive order from President Obama -- they are well on their way.

Dauer: 42 min

264. In Praise of Incrementalism

transcribed

Dauer: 49 min

263. In Praise of Maintenance

transcribed

Has our culture's obsession with innovation led us to neglect the fact that things also need to be taken care of?

Dauer: 42 min

262. This Is Your Brain on Podcasts

transcribed

Neuroscientists still have a great deal to learn about the human brain. One recent MRI study sheds some light, finding that a certain kind of storytelling stimulates enormous activity across broad swaths of the brain. The takeaway is obvious: you should be listening to even more podcasts.

Dauer: 45 min

How To Win A Nobel Prize (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

The process is famously secretive (and conducted in Swedish!) but we pry the lid off at least a little bit.

Dauer: 45 min

261. Why Are We Still Using Cash?

transcribed

It facilitates crime, bribery, and tax evasion -- and yet some governments (including ours) are printing more cash than ever. Other countries, meanwhile, are ditching cash entirely. And if Star Trek is right, we won't have money of any sort in the 24th century.

Dauer: 43 min

260. Has the U.S. Presidency Become a Dictatorship?

transcribed

Sure, we all pay lip service to the Madisonian system of checks and balances. But as one legal scholar argues, presidents have been running roughshod over the system for decades. The result? An accumulation of power that's turned the presidency into a position the founders wouldn't have recognized.

Dauer: 48 min

259. Ten Signs You Might Be a Libertarian

transcribed

Gary Johnson, the Libertarian Party's presidential candidate, likes to say that most Americans are libertarians but don't know it yet. So why can't Libertarians (and other third parties) gain more political traction?

Dauer: 51 min

258. Why Uber Is an Economist’s Dream

transcribed

To you, it's just a ride-sharing app that gets you where you're going. But to an economist, Uber is a massive repository of moment-by-moment data that is helping answer some of the field's most elusive questions.

Dauer: 38 min

257. The Future (Probably) Isn’t as Scary as You Think

transcribed

Internet pioneer Kevin Kelly tries to predict the future by identifying what's truly inevitable. How worried should we be? Yes, robots will probably take your job -- but the future will still be pretty great.

Dauer: 35 min

Are You Ready for a Glorious Sunset? (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

The gist: we spend billions on end-of-life healthcare that doesn’t do much good. So what if a patient could forego the standard treatment and get a cash rebate instead?

Dauer: 38 min

Aziz Ansari Needs Another Toothbrush (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

The comedian, actor -- and now, author -- answers our FREAK-quently Asked Questions.

Dauer: 31 min

256. What Are You Waiting For?

transcribed

Standing in line represents a particularly sloppy - and frustrating - way for supply and demand to meet. Why haven't we found a better way to get what we want? Is it possible that we secretly enjoy waiting in line? And might it even be (gulp) good for us?

Dauer: 35 min

Is It Okay for Restaurants to Racially Profile Their Employees? (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

We seem to have decided that ethnic food tastes better when it's served by people of that ethnicity (or at least something close). Does this make sense -- and is it legal?

Dauer: 52 min

255. Ten Ideas to Make Politics Less Rotten

transcribed

We Americans may love our democracy -- at least in theory -- but at the moment our feelings toward the federal government lie somewhere between disdain and hatred. Which electoral and political ideas should be killed off to make way for a saner system?

Dauer: 43 min

254. What Are Gender Barriers Made Of?

transcribed

Overt discrimination in the labor markets may be on the wane, but women are still subtly penalized by all sorts of societal conventions. How can those penalties be removed without burning down the house?

Dauer: 37 min

253. Is the Internet Being Ruined?

transcribed

It's a remarkable ecosystem that allows each of us to exercise control over our lives. But how much control do we truly have? How many of our decisions are really being made by Google and Facebook and Apple? And, perhaps most importantly: is the Internet's true potential being squandered?

Dauer: 48 min

252. Confessions of a Pothole Politician

transcribed

Eric Garcetti, the mayor of Los Angeles, has big ambitions but knows he must first master the small stuff. He's also a polymath who relies heavily on data and new technologies. Could this be what modern politics is supposed to look like?

Dauer: 44 min

The Suicide Paradox (Rebroadcast )

transcribed

There are more than twice as many suicides as murders in the U.S., but suicide attracts far less scrutiny. Freakonomics Radio digs through the numbers and finds all kinds of surprises.

Dauer: 57 min

How Much Does the President Really Matter? (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

Dauer: 33 min

Why Do We Really Follow the News? (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

There are all kinds of civics-class answers to that question. But how true are they? Could it be that we like to read about war, politics, and miscellaneous heartbreak simply because it's (gasp) entertaining?

Dauer: 36 min

Time to Take Back the Toilet

transcribed

Public bathrooms are noisy, poorly designed, and often nonexistent. What to do?

Dauer: 32 min

251. Are We in a Mattress-Store Bubble?

transcribed

You've seen them — everywhere! — and often clustered together, as if central planners across America decided that what every city really needs is a Mattress District. There are now dozens of online rivals too. Why are there so many stores selling something we buy so rarely?

Dauer: 37 min

250. Why Does Everyone Hate Flying? And Other Questions Only a Pilot Can Answer

transcribed

Patrick Smith, the author of Cockpit Confidential, answers every question we can throw at him about what really happens up in the air. Just don't get him started on pilotless planes -- or whether the autopilot is actually doing the flying.

Dauer: 44 min

249. The Longest Long Shot

transcribed

When the uncelebrated Leicester City Football Club won the English Premier League, it wasn't just the biggest underdog story in recent history. It was a sign of changing economics — and that other impossible, wonderful events might be lurking just around the corner.

Dauer: 43 min

248. How to Be Tim Ferriss

transcribed

Our Self-Improvement Month concludes with a man whose entire life and career are one big pile of self-improvement. Nutrition? Check. Bizarre physical activities? Check. Working less and earning more? Check. Tim Ferriss, creator of the Four-Hour universe, may at first glance look like a charlatan, but it seems more likely that he's a wizard -- and the kind of self-improvement ally we all want on our side.

Dauer: 42 min

247. How to Win Games and Beat People

transcribed

Games are as old as civilization itself, and some people think they have huge social value regardless of whether you win or lose. Tom Whipple is not one of those people. That's why he consulted an army of preposterously overqualified experts to find the secret to winning any game.

Dauer: 53 min

246. How to Get More Grit in Your Life

transcribed

Dauer: 44 min

245. Being Malcolm Gladwell

transcribed

"Books are a pain in the ass," says Gladwell, who has written some of the most popular, influential, and beloved non-fiction books in recent history. In this wide-ranging and candid conversation, he describes other pains in the ass -- as well as his passions, his limits, and why he'll never take up golf.

Dauer: 28 min

244. How to Become Great at Just About Anything

transcribed

Dauer: 48 min

243. How to Be More Productive

transcribed

It's Self-Improvement Month at Freakonomics Radio. We begin with a topic that seems to be on everyone's mind: how to get more done in less time. First, however, a warning: there's a big difference between being busy and being productive.

Dauer: 39 min

242. Is the World Ready for a Guaranteed Basic Income?

transcribed

A lot of full-time jobs in the modern economy simply don't pay a living wage. And even those jobs may be obliterated by new technologies. What's to be done so that financially vulnerable people aren't just crushed? It may finally be time for an idea that economists have promoted for decades.

Dauer: 37 min

241. Are Payday Loans Really as Evil as People Say?

transcribed

Critics -- including President Obama -- say short-term, high-interest loans are predatory, trapping borrowers in a cycle of debt. But some economists see them as a useful financial instrument for people who need them. As the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau promotes new regulation, we ask: who's right?

Dauer: 50 min

The Economics of Sleep, Part 2 (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

People who sleep better earn more money. Now all we have to do is teach everyone to sleep better.

Dauer: 43 min

The Economics of Sleep, Part 1 (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

Could a lack of sleep help explain why some people get much sicker than others?

Dauer: 46 min

240. Yes, the American Economy Is in a Funk -- But Not for the Reasons You Think

transcribed

As sexy as the digital revolution may be, it can't compare to the Second Industrial Revolution (electricity! the gas engine! antibiotics!), which created the biggest standard-of-living boost in U.S. history. The only problem, argues the economist Robert Gordon, is that the Second Industrial Revolution was a one-time event. So what happens next?

Dauer: 34 min

239. The No-Tipping Point

transcribed

Dauer: 43 min

238. The United States of Cory Booker

transcribed

The junior U.S. Senator from New Jersey thinks bipartisanship is right around the corner. Is he just an idealistic newbie or does he see a way forward that everyone else has missed?

Dauer: 39 min

237. Ask Not What Your Podcast Can Do for You

transcribed

Now and again, Freakonomics Radio puts hat in hand and asks listeners to donate to the public-radio station that produces the show. Why on earth should anyone pay good money for something that can be had for free? Here are a few reasons.

Dauer: 42 min

236. How Can This Possibly Be True?

transcribed

A famous economics essay features a pencil (yes, a pencil) arguing that “not a single person on the face of this earth knows how to make me.” Is the pencil just bragging? In any case, what can the pencil teach us about our global interdependence — and the proper role of government in the economy?

Dauer: 41 min

235. Who Needs Handwriting?

transcribed

The digital age is making pen and paper seem obsolete. But what are we giving up if we give up on handwriting?

Dauer: 40 min

How to Fix a Broken High Schooler, in Four Easy Steps (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

Okay, maybe the steps aren't so easy. But a program run out of a Toronto housing project has had great success in turning around kids who were headed for trouble.

Dauer: 29 min

Is America’s Education Problem Really Just a Teacher Problem? (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

If U.S. schoolteachers are indeed "just a little bit below average," it's not really their fault. So what should be done about it?

Dauer: 37 min

234. Do Boycotts Work?

transcribed

The Montgomery Bus Boycott, the South African divestment campaign, Chick-fil-A! Almost anyone can launch a boycott, and the media loves to cover them. But do boycotts actually produce the change they're fighting for?

Dauer: 37 min

233. How to Be Less Terrible at Predicting the Future

transcribed

Experts and pundits are notoriously bad at forecasting, in part because they aren't punished for bad predictions. Also, they tend to be deeply unscientific. The psychologist Philip Tetlock is finally turning prediction into a science -- and now even you could become a superforecaster.

Dauer: 47 min

232. The True Story of the Gender Pay Gap

transcribed

Discrimination can't explain why women earn so much less than men. If only it were that easy.

Dauer: 43 min

When Willpower Isn’t Enough (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

Sure, we all want to make good personal decisions, but it doesn't always work out. That's where "temptation bundling" comes in.

Dauer: 31 min

Fixing the World, Bang-for-the-Buck Edition (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

A team of economists has been running the numbers on the U.N.'s development goals. They have a different view of how those billions of dollars should be spent.

Dauer: 42 min

231. Is Migration a Basic Human Right?

transcribed

The argument for open borders is compelling -- and deeply problematic.

Dauer: 61 min

230. The Cheeseburger Diet

transcribed

One woman's quest to find the best burger in town can teach all of us to eat smarter.

Dauer: 32 min

229. Ben Bernanke Gives Himself a Grade

transcribed

He was handed the keys to the global economy just as it started heading off a cliff. Fortunately, he'd seen this movie before.

Dauer: 47 min

Why Do People Keep Having Children? (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

Even a brutal natural disaster doesn't diminish our appetite for procreating. This surely means we're heading toward massive overpopulation, right? Probably not.

Dauer: 40 min

228. Does “Early Education” Come Way Too Late?

transcribed

In our collective zeal to reform schools and close the achievement gap, we may have lost sight of where most learning really happens -- at home.

Dauer: 46 min

227. Should Everyone Be in a Rock Band?

transcribed

Lessons from Tom Petty's rise and another rocker's fall.

Dauer: 46 min

226. Food + Science = Victory!

transcribed

A kitchen wizard and a nutrition detective talk about the perfect hamburger, getting the most out of garlic, and why you should use vodka in just about everything.

Dauer: 38 min

225. Am I Boring You?

transcribed

Researchers are trying to figure out who gets bored - and why - and what it means for ourselves and the economy. But maybe there's an upside to boredom?

Dauer: 40 min

How to Save $1 Billion Without Even Trying (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

Doctors, chefs, and other experts are much more likely than the rest of us to buy store-brand products. What do they know that we don't?

Dauer: 36 min

224. How To Win A Nobel Prize

transcribed

The process is famously secretive (and conducted in Swedish!) but we pry the lid off at least a little bit.

Dauer: 45 min

223. Should Kids Pay Back Their Parents for Raising Them?

transcribed

When one athlete turned pro, his mom asked him for $1 million. Our modern sensibilities tell us she doesn't have a case. But should she?

Dauer: 47 min

222. Meet the Woman Who Said Women Can’t Have It All

transcribed

Anne-Marie Slaughter was best known for her adamant views on Syria when she accidentally became a poster girl for modern feminism. As it turns out, she can be pretty adamant in that realm as well.

Dauer: 42 min

221. How Did the Belt Win?

transcribed

Suspenders may work better, but the dork factor is too high. How did an organ-squeezing belly tourniquet become part of our everyday wardrobe -- and what other suboptimal solutions do we routinely put up with?

Dauer: 31 min

220. “I Don't Know What You've Done With My Husband, But He's a Changed Man.”

transcribed

From domestic abusers to former child soldiers, there is increasing evidence that behavioral therapy can turn them around.

Dauer: 47 min

219. Preventing Crime for Pennies on the Dollar

transcribed

Conventional programs tend to be expensive, onerous, and ineffective. Could something as simple (and cheap) as cognitive behavioral therapy do the trick?

Dauer: 42 min

218. The Harvard President Will See You Now

transcribed

How a pain-in-the-neck girl from rural Virginia came to run the most powerful university in the world.

Dauer: 39 min

217. Are You Ready for a Glorious Sunset?

transcribed

We spend billions on end-of-life healthcare that doesn't do much good. So what if a patient could forego the standard treatment and get a cash rebate instead?

Dauer: 37 min

216. How to Make a Smart TV Ad

transcribed

Step 1: Hire a Harvard psych professor as the pitchman. Step 2: Have him help write the script ...

Dauer: 31 min

The Dangers of Safety (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

What do NASCAR drivers, Glenn Beck and the hit men of the NFL have in common?

Dauer: 31 min

215. Why Do We Really Follow the News?

transcribed

Dauer: 36 min

214. How to Create Suspense

transcribed

Why is soccer the best sport? How has Harlan Coben sold 70 million books? And why does "Apollo 13" keep you enthralled even when you know the ending?

Dauer: 39 min

213. Aziz Ansari Needs Another Toothbrush

transcribed

The comedian, actor -- and now, author -- answers our FREAK-quently Asked Questions

Dauer: 32 min

212. The Economics of Sleep, Part 2

transcribed

People who sleep better earn more money. Now all we have to do is teach everyone to sleep better.

Dauer: 43 min

211. The Economics of Sleep, Part 1

transcribed

Could a lack of sleep help explain why some people get much sicker than others?

Dauer: 45 min

A Better Way to Eat (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

Takeru Kobayashi revolutionized the sport of competitive eating. What can the rest of us learn from his breakthrough?

Dauer: 28 min

210. Is It Okay for Restaurants to Racially Profile Their Employees?

transcribed

We seem to have decided that ethnic food tastes better when it's served by people of that ethnicity (or at least something close). Does this make sense -- and is it legal?

Dauer: 54 min

209. Make Me a Match

transcribed

Sure, markets generally work well. But for some transactions -- like school admissions and organ transplants -- money alone can't solve the problem. That's when you need a market-design wizard like Al Roth.

Dauer: 50 min

208. Making Sex Offenders Pay -- and Pay and Pay and Pay

transcribed

Sure, sex crimes are horrific, and the perpetrators deserve to be punished harshly. But society keeps exacting costs -- out-of-pocket and otherwise -- long after the prison sentence has been served.

Dauer: 35 min

207. Should We Really Behave Like Economists Say We Do?

transcribed

One man's attempt to remake his life in the mold of homo economicus.

Dauer: 55 min

Tell Me Something I Don’t Know (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

The debut of a live game show from Freakonomics Radio, with judges Malcolm Gladwell, Ana Gasteyer, and David Paterson.

Dauer: 63 min

Failure Is Your Friend (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

In which we argue that failure should not only be tolerated but celebrated.

Dauer: 32 min

206. Ten Years of Freakonomics

transcribed

Dubner and Levitt are live onstage at the 92nd Street Y in New York to celebrate their new book "When to Rob a Bank" -- and a decade of working together.

Dauer: 46 min

205. Could the Next Brooklyn Be ... Las Vegas?!

transcribed

Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh has a wild vision and the dollars to try to make it real. But it still might be the biggest gamble in town.

Dauer: 55 min

Think Like a Child (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

When it comes to generating ideas and asking questions it can be really fruitful to have the mentality of an eight year old.

Dauer: 30 min

204. Nate Silver Says: “Everyone Is Kind of Weird”

transcribed

America's favorite statistical guru answers our FREAK-quently Asked Questions, and more.

Dauer: 39 min

203. Diamonds Are a Marriage Counselor’s Best Friend

transcribed

It may seem like winning a valuable diamond is an unalloyed victory. It's not. It's not even clear that a diamond is so valuable.

Dauer: 40 min

202. How Many Doctors Does It Take to Start a Healthcare Revolution?

transcribed

The practice of medicine has been subsumed by the business of medicine. This is great news for healthcare shareholders -- and bad news for pretty much everyone else.

Dauer: 54 min

201. How Do We Know What Really Works in Healthcare?

transcribed

A lot of the conventional wisdom in medicine is nothing more than hunch or wishful thinking. A new breed of data detectives is hoping to change that.

Dauer: 42 min

The Perfect Crime (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

If you are driving and kill a pedestrian, there's a good chance you'll barely be punished. Why?

Dauer: 30 min

What You Don’t Know About Online Dating (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

Thick markets, thin markets, and the triumph of attributes over compatibility.

Dauer: 40 min

200. When Willpower Isn’t Enough

transcribed

Sure, we all want to make good personal decisions, but it doesn't always work out. That's where "temptation bundling" comes in.

Dauer: 33 min

199. This Idea Must Die

transcribed

Every year, Edge.org asks its salon of big thinkers to answer one big question. This year's question borders on heresy: what scientific idea is ready for retirement?

Dauer: 55 min

198. The Maddest Men of All

transcribed

Advertisers have always been adept at manipulating our emotions. Now they're using behavioral economics to get even better.

Dauer: 33 min

197. Hacking the World Bank

transcribed

Jim Yong Kim has an unorthodox background for a World Bank president — and his reign thus far is just as unorthodox.

Dauer: 36 min

196. Is There a Better Way to Fight Terrorism?

transcribed

The White House is hosting an anti-terror summit next week. Summits being what they are, we try to offer some useful advice.

Dauer: 43 min

195. How Efficient Is Energy Efficiency?

transcribed

It's a centerpiece of U.S. climate policy and a sacred cow among environmentalists. Does it work?

Dauer: 33 min

194. How Safe Is Your Job?

transcribed

Economists preach the gospel of "creative destruction," whereby new industries -- and jobs -- replace the old ones. But has creative destruction become too destructive?

Dauer: 34 min

193. Someone Else’s Acid Trip

transcribed

As Kevin Kelly tells it, the hippie revolution and the computer revolution are nearly one and the same.

Dauer: 29 min

192. That’s a Great Question!

transcribed

Verbal tic or strategic rejoinder? Whatever the case: it’s rare to come across an interview these days where at least one question isn’t a “great” one.

Dauer: 25 min

191. Why Doesn’t Everyone Get the Flu Vaccine?

transcribed

Influenza kills, but you’d never know it by how few of us get the vaccine.

Dauer: 36 min

What’s the “Best” Exercise? (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

Most people blame lack of time for being out of shape. So maybe the solution is to exercise more efficiently.

Dauer: 15 min

What’s More Dangerous: Marijuana or Alcohol? (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

Imagine that both substances were undiscovered until today. How would we think about their relative risks?

Dauer: 25 min

190. Time to Take Back the Toilet

transcribed

Public bathrooms are noisy, poorly designed, and often nonexistent. What to do?

Dauer: 35 min

The Troubled Cremation of Stevie the Cat (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

We spend billions on our pets, and one of the fastest-growing costs is pet "aftercare." But are those cremated remains you got back really from your pet?

Dauer: 45 min

189. How to Fix a Broken High Schooler, in Four Easy Steps

transcribed

Okay, maybe the steps aren’t so easy. But a program run out of a Toronto housing project has had great success in turning around kids who were headed for trouble.

Dauer: 29 min

188. Is America’s Education Problem Really Just a Teacher Problem?

transcribed

If U.S. schoolteachers are indeed “just a little bit below average,” it’s not really their fault. So what should be done about it?

Dauer: 34 min

187. The Man Who Would Be Everything

transcribed

Boris Johnson -- mayor of London, biographer of Churchill, cheese-box painter and tennis-racket collector -- answers our FREAK-quently Asked Questions.

Dauer: 28 min

186. Why Do People Keep Having Children?

transcribed

Even a brutal natural disaster doesn’t diminish our appetite for procreating. This surely means we’re heading toward massive overpopulation, right? Probably not.

Dauer: 39 min

185. Should the U.S. Merge With Mexico?

transcribed

Corporations around the world are consolidating like never before. If it’s good enough for companies, why not countries? Welcome to Amexico!

Dauer: 56 min

184. What Can Vampires Teach Us About Economics?

transcribed

A lot! “The Economics of the Undead” is a book about dating strategy, job creation, and whether there should be a legal market for blood.

Dauer: 25 min

183. “Tell Me Something I Don’t Know”

transcribed

The debut of a live game show from Freakonomics Radio, with judges Malcolm Gladwell, Ana Gasteyer, and David Paterson.

Dauer: 62 min

182. How Can Tiny Norway Afford to Buy So Many Teslas?

transcribed

The Norwegian government parleys massive oil wealth into huge subsidies for electric cars. Is that carbon laundering or just pragmatic environmentalism?

Dauer: 36 min

How to Raise Money Without Killing a Kitten (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

The science of what works -- and doesn't work -- in fund-raising

Dauer: 33 min

181. Fixing the World, Bang-for-the-Buck Edition

transcribed

A team of economists has been running the numbers on the U.N.'s development goals. They have a different view of how those billions of dollars should be spent.

Dauer: 42 min

180. Fitness Apartheid

transcribed

Markets are hardly perfect, but the results can be ugly when you try to subvert them.

Dauer: 31 min

179. Outsiders by Design

transcribed

What does it mean to pursue something that everyone else thinks is nuts? And what does it take to succeed?

Dauer: 40 min

178. How to Save $1 Billion Without Even Trying

transcribed

Doctors, chefs, and other experts are much more likely than the rest of us to buy store-brand products. What do they know that we don’t?

Dauer: 34 min

177. Regulate This!

transcribed

Airbnb, Uber, Lyft, EatWith, and other companies in the “sharing economy” are practically daring government regulators to shut them down. The regulators are happy to comply.

Dauer: 56 min

Who Runs the Internet? (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

The online universe doesn't have nearly as many rules, or rulemakers, as the real world. Discuss.

Dauer: 32 min

Parking Is Hell (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

There ain't no such thing as a free parking spot. Somebody has to pay for it -- and that somebody is everybody.

Dauer: 35 min

What Do Medieval Nuns and Bo Jackson Have in Common? (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

A look at whether spite pays -- and if it even exists.

Dauer: 39 min

Should Tipping be Banned? (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

It's awkward, random, confusing -- and probably discriminatory too.

Dauer: 41 min

How Much Does Your Name Matter? (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

A kid's name can tell us something about his parents -- their race, social standing, even their politics. But is your name really your destiny?

Dauer: 52 min

176. Does Religion Make You Happy?

transcribed

It’s a hard question to answer, but we do our best.

Dauer: 29 min

175. Why You Should Bribe Your Kids

transcribed

Educational messaging looks good on paper but kids don’t respond to it -- and adults aren’t much better.

Dauer: 28 min

174. What Do King Solomon and David Lee Roth Have in Common?

transcribed

It isn’t easy to separate the guilty from the innocent, but a clever bit of game theory can help.

Dauer: 33 min

173. A Better Way to Eat

transcribed

Takeru Kobayashi revolutionized the sport of competitive eating. What can the rest of us learn from his breakthrough?

Dauer: 26 min

172. How to Screen Job Applicants, Act Your Age, and Get Your Brain Off Autopilot

transcribed

Dubner and Levitt answer reader questions in this first installment of the “Think Like a Freak” Book Club.

Dauer: 26 min

171. There’s No Such Thing as a Free Appetizer

transcribed

Is it really in a restaurant’s best interest to give customers free bread or chips before they even order?

Dauer: 36 min

170. Why America Doesn’t Love Soccer (Yet)

transcribed

Every four years, the U.S. takes a look at the World Cup and develops a slight crush. What would it take to really fall in love?

Dauer: 37 min

169. Failure Is Your Friend

transcribed

In which we argue that failure should not only be tolerated but celebrated.

Dauer: 31 min

The Upside of Quitting (Rebroadcast )

transcribed

You know the saying: a winner never quits and a quitter never wins. To which Freakonomics Radio says ... Are you sure?

Dauer: 58 min

168. Think Like a Child

transcribed

When it comes to generating ideas and asking questions it can be really fruitful to have the mentality of an eight year old.

Dauer: 28 min

167. The Three Hardest Words in the English Language

transcribed

Why learning to say “I don’t know” is one of the best things you can do.

Dauer: 29 min

166. How to Think Like a Freak -- and Other FREAK-quently Asked Questions

transcribed

Stephen Dubner and Steve Levitt talk about their new book and field questions about prestige, university life, and (yum yum) bacon.

Dauer: 27 min

165. The Perfect Crime

transcribed

If you are driving and kill a pedestrian, there's a good chance you'll barely be punished. Why?

Dauer: 28 min

164. Which Came First, the Chicken or the Avocado?

transcribed

When it comes to exercising outrage, people tend to be very selective. Could it be that humans are our least favorite animal?

Dauer: 29 min

163. What’s More Dangerous: Marijuana or Alcohol?

transcribed

Imagine that both substances were undiscovered until today. How would we think about their relative risks?

Dauer: 25 min

162. “If Mayors Ruled the World”

transcribed

Unlike certain elected officials in Washington, mayors all over the country actually get stuff done. So maybe we should ask them to do more?

Dauer: 31 min

161. How to Make People Quit Smoking

transcribed

The war on cigarettes has been fairly successful in some places. But 1 billion humans still smoke -- so what comes next?

Dauer: 33 min

160. Why Everybody Who Doesn’t Hate Bitcoin Loves It

transcribed

Thinking of Bitcoin as just a digital currency is like thinking about the Internet as just e-mail. Its potential is much more exciting than that.

Dauer: 35 min

Women Are Not Men (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

In many ways, the gender gap is closing. In others, not so much. And that's not always a bad thing.

Dauer: 37 min

159. “It’s Fun to Smoke Marijuana”

transcribed

A psychology professor argues that the brain's greatest attribute is knowing what other people are thinking. And that a Queen song, played backwards, can improve your mind-reading skills.

Dauer: 23 min

158. Is Learning a Foreign Language Really Worth It?

transcribed

Yes, it expands the mind but we usually don't retain much -- and then there's the opportunity cost.

Dauer: 21 min

157. Why Are Japanese Homes Disposable?

transcribed

In most countries, houses get more valuable over time. In Japan, a new buyer will often bulldoze the home. We'll tell you why.

Dauer: 23 min

156. Why Marry? (Part 2)

transcribed

The consequences of our low marriage rate -- and if the old model is less attractive, how about a new one?

Dauer: 23 min

155. Why Marry? (Part 1)

transcribed

The myths of modern marriage.

Dauer: 20 min

154. What You Don’t Know About Online Dating

transcribed

Thick markets, thin markets, and the triumph of attributes over compatibility. This episode is included in the Freakonomics #smartbinge podcast playlist at wnyc.org/smartbinge

Dauer: 36 min

153. Reasons to Not Be Ugly

transcribed

The "beauty premium" is real, for everyone from babies to NFL quarterbacks.

Dauer: 25 min

152. Everybody Gossips (and That’s a Good Thing)

transcribed

The benefits of rumor-mongering

Dauer: 35 min

Fear Thy Nature (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

What "Sleep No More" and the Stanford Prison Experiment tell us about who we really are.

Dauer: 37 min

151. Are We Ready to Legalize Drugs? And Other FREAK-Quently Asked Questions

transcribed

Dubner and Levitt talk about fixing the post office, putting cameras in the classroom, and wearing hats.

Dauer: 28 min

150. What’s the “Best” Exercise?

transcribed

Most people blame lack of time for being out of shape. So maybe the solution is to exercise more efficiently.

Dauer: 15 min

Save Me From Myself (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

A commitment device forces you to be the person you really want to be. What could possibly go wrong?

Dauer: 36 min

149. Pontiff-icating on the Free-Market System

transcribed

The Pope just gave it to the global economy with both barrels. Was he right to do so?

Dauer: 37 min

148. Are Gay Men Really Rich?

transcribed

It’s easy to get that idea. But is the stereotype true?

Dauer: 20 min

147. The Most Dangerous Machine

transcribed

More than 1 million people die worldwide each year from traffic accidents. But there's never been a safer time to drive.

Dauer: 32 min

146. Fighting Poverty With Actual Evidence

transcribed

It's time to do away with feel-good stories, gut hunches, and magical thinking.

Dauer: 37 min

145. What Do Skating Rinks, Ultimate Frisbee, and the World Have in Common?

transcribed

Spontaneous order is everywhere if you know where to look for it.

Dauer: 46 min

144. Who Runs the Internet?

transcribed

The online universe doesn't have nearly as many rules, or rulemakers, as the real world. Discuss.

Dauer: 32 min

Freakonomics Goes to College, Part 2 (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

College tends to make people happier, healthier, and wealthier. But how?

Dauer: 33 min

Freakonomics Goes to College, Part 1 (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

What's a college degree really worth these days?

Dauer: 30 min

143. Why Bad Environmentalism Is Such an Easy Sell

transcribed

Being green is rarely a black-and-white issue -- but that doesn't stop marketers and politicians from pretending it is.

Dauer: 24 min

142. The Troubled Cremation of Stevie the Cat

transcribed

We spend billions on our pets, and one of the fastest-growing costs is pet "aftercare." But are those cremated remains you got back really from your pet?

Dauer: 46 min

141. How to Raise Money Without Killing a Kitten

transcribed

The science of what works -- and doesn't work -- in fund-raising

Dauer: 33 min

140. How to Think About Money, Choose Your Hometown, and Buy an Electric Toothbrush

transcribed

Dubner and Levitt field your queries in this latest installment of our FREAK-quently Asked Questions.

Dauer: 25 min

139. Would a Big Bucket of Cash Really Change Your Life?

transcribed

A 19th-century Georgia land lottery may have something to teach us about today's income inequality.

Dauer: 28 min

The Economist’s Guide to Parenting (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

Think you know how much parents matter? Think again. Economists crunch the numbers to learn the ROI on child-rearing.

Dauer: 57 min

138. Whatever Happened to the Carpal Tunnel Epidemic?

transcribed

Once upon a time, office workers across America lived in fear of a dreaded infirmity. Was the computer keyboard really the villain -- and did carpal tunnel syndrome really go away?

Dauer: 17 min

The Suicide Paradox (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

There are more than twice as many suicides as murders in the U.S., but suicide attracts far less scrutiny. Freakonomics Radio digs through the numbers and finds all kinds of surprises.

Dauer: 57 min

137. Who Are the Most Successful Immigrants in the World?

transcribed

It's impossible to say for sure, but the Lebanese do remarkably well. Why?

Dauer: 26 min

The Folly of Prediction (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

Human beings love to predict the future, but we're quite terrible at it. So how about punishing all those bad predictions?

Dauer: 57 min

136. The Middle of Everywhere

transcribed

Chicago has given the world more than sausage, crooked politics, and Da Bears.

Dauer: 30 min

The Church of "Scionology" (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

We worship the tradition of handing off a family business to the next generation. But is that really such a good idea?

Dauer: 57 min

135. Do Baby Girls Cause Divorce?

transcribed

Even American parents have a strong "son preference" -- which means that a newborn daughter can be bad news for a marriage.

Dauer: 19 min

The Upside of Quitting (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

You know the saying: a winner never quits and a quitter never wins. To which Freakonomics Radio says ... Are you sure?

Dauer: 58 min

134. Government Employees Gone Wild

transcribed

The Encyclopedia of Ethical Failures catalogs the fiscal, sexual, and mental lapses of federal workers -- all with an eye toward preventing the next big mistake.

Dauer: 19 min

133. A Burger a Day

transcribed

Is junk food an abomination or a modern miracle?

Dauer: 7 min

132. Jane Austen, Game Theorist

transcribed

What does "Pride and Prejudice" have to do with nuclear deterrence?

Dauer: 27 min

Legacy of a Jerk (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

What happens to your reputation when you're no longer around to defend it?

Dauer: 43 min

131. Do You Really Want to Know Your Future?

transcribed

You might think that someone with a 50-50 chance of getting a fatal disease would want to know for sure -- but you would be wrong. What does this say about our supposed thirst for certainty?

Dauer: 31 min

130. Why Family and Business Don’t Mix

transcribed

Yet another reason to blame your parents for pretty much everything.

Dauer: 6 min

129. Should Tipping be Banned?

transcribed

It's awkward, random, confusing -- and probably discriminatory too.

Dauer: 37 min

128. Baby, You Can Program My Car

transcribed

A glimpse into our driverless future.

Dauer: 6 min

127. Can You Be Too Smart for Your Own Good? And Other FREAK-quently Asked Questions

transcribed

Dubner and Levitt talk about circadian rhythms, gay marriage, autism, and whether "pay what you want" is everything it's cracked up to be.

Dauer: 26 min

The Hidden Cost of False Alarms (Rebroadcast)

transcribed

If any other product failed 94 percent of the time, you'd probably stop using it. So why do we put up with burglar alarms?

Dauer: 6 min

126. What Do Medieval Nuns and Bo Jackson Have in Common?

transcribed

A look at whether spite pays — and if it even exists.

Dauer: 38 min

125. It’s Crowded at the Top

transcribed

Why is unemployment still so high? It may be because of something that happened well before the Great Recession.

Dauer: 6 min

124. Running to Do Evil

transcribed

An interview with Unabomber Ted Kaczynski, whose younger brother turned him in -- and what it says about the Boston bombers.

Dauer: 25 min

123. Help Wanted. No Smokers Need Apply

transcribed

In many states, it is perfectly legal to not hire someone who smokes. Should employers also be able to weed out junk-food lovers or motorcyclists -- or anyone who wants to have a baby?

Dauer: 6 min

122. How Much Does Your Name Matter?

transcribed

A kid's name can tell us something about his parents -- their race, social standing, even their politics. But is your name really your destiny?

Dauer: 50 min

121. The Tax Man Nudgeth

transcribed

Real tax reform may or may not ever happen. In the meantime, how about making the current system work a bit better?

Dauer: 10 min

120. 100 Ways to Fight Obesity

transcribed

Freakonomics asks a dozen smart people for their best ideas. Get ready for a fat tax, a sugar ban, and a calorie-chomping tapeworm.

Dauer: 36 min

119. How Money Is March Madness?

transcribed

The NCAA basketball tournament grabs a lot of eyeballs, but turning them into dollars hasn't always been easy -- even when the "talent" is playing for free.

Dauer: 6 min

118. Parking Is Hell

transcribed

There ain't no such thing as a free parking spot. Somebody has to pay for it -- and that somebody is everybody.

Dauer: 35 min

117. When Is a Negative a Positive?

transcribed

Sure, we all like to hear compliments. But if you're truly looking to get better at something, it's the negative feedback that will get you there.

Dauer: 8 min

116. Women Are Not Men

transcribed

In many ways, the gender gap is closing. In others, not so much. And that's not always a bad thing.

Dauer: 37 min

115. The Downside of More Miles Per Gallon

transcribed

The gas tax doesn't work well, and it's only going to get worse. What's next?

Dauer: 6 min

114. How to Think About Guns

transcribed

No one wants mass shootings. Unfortunately, no one has a workable plan to stop them either.

Dauer: 29 min

113. Sure, I Remember That

transcribed

It is startlingly easy to create false memories, especially in politics.

Dauer: 6 min

112. Would You Let a Coin Toss Decide Your Future?

transcribed

Levitt and Dubner go deep on "Freakonomics Experiments," a new research project that lets you take a chance on life.

Dauer: 26 min

111. Introducing “Freakonomics Experiments”

transcribed

Steve Levitt has a novel idea for helping people make tough decisions

Dauer: 5 min

110. Who Owns the Words That Come Out of Your Mouth?

transcribed

The very long reach of Winston Churchill -- and how the British government is remaking copyright law.

Dauer: 31 min

109. How to Live Longer

transcribed

Why do Hall of Fame inductees, Oscar winners, and Nobel laureates outlive their peers?

Dauer: 6 min

108. How Did “Freakonomics” Get Its Name? … and Other FREAK-quently Asked Questions

transcribed

Levitt and Dubner answer your questions about driving, sneezing, and ladies’ nights. Plus a remembrance of Levitt’s sister Linda.

Dauer: 27 min

107. How Much Does a Good Boss Really Matter?

transcribed

It's harder than you'd think to measure the value of a boss. But some enterprising economists have done just that -- and the news is good.

Dauer: 14 min

106. The House of Dreams

transcribed

Dubner's childhood home goes from sacred to profane -- and then back again.

Dauer: 22 min

105. Have a Very Homo Economicus Christmas

transcribed

Who better than an economist to help with your shopping list?

Dauer: 15 min

104. The Things They Taught Me

transcribed

College, at its best, is about learning to think. Stephen Dubner chats up three of his former professors who made the magic happen.

Dauer: 23 min

103. Free-conomics

transcribed

Economists are a notoriously self-interested bunch. But a British outfit called Pro Bono Economics is giving away its services to selected charities.

Dauer: 6 min

102. I Consult, Therefore I Am

transcribed

There are enough management consultants these days to form a small nation. But what do they actually do? And does it work?

Dauer: 36 min

101. Mass Transit Hysteria

transcribed

Adding more train and bus lines looks like an environmental slam dunk. Until you start to do the math.

Dauer: 7 min

100. Our 100th Episode!

transcribed

Turkey sex and chicken wings, selling souls and swapping organs, the power of the president and the price of wine: these are a few of our favorite things.

Dauer: 15 min

99. How to Maximize Your Halloween Candy Haul

transcribed

Is it as simple as going to the richest neighborhood you can find? Of course not ...

Dauer: 6 min

98. We the Sheeple

transcribed

Politicians tell voters exactly what they want to hear, even when it makes no sense. Which is pretty much all the time.

Dauer: 23 min

97. Lying to Ourselves

transcribed

We rely on polls and surveys to tell us how people will behave in the future. Too bad they're completely unreliable.

Dauer: 6 min

96. The Cobra Effect

transcribed

When you want to get rid of a nasty pest, one obvious solution comes to mind: just offer a cash reward. But be careful -- because nothing backfires quite like a bounty.

Dauer: 34 min

95. Why America’s Economic Growth May Be (Shh!) Over

transcribed

Sure, we love our computers and all the rest of our digital toys. But when it comes to real economic gains, can we ever match old-school innovations like the automobile and electricity?

Dauer: 6 min

94. The Tale of the $15 Tomato

transcribed

Trying to go rustic by baking, brewing, and knitting at home can be terribly inefficient. And that's a wonderful thing.

Dauer: 9 min

93. Why Online Poker Should Be Legal

transcribed

The data show that poker is indeed a game of skill, not chance, and a Federal judge agrees. So why are players still being treated like criminals?

Dauer: 5 min

92. Fear Thy Nature

transcribed

What "Sleep No More" and the Stanford Prison Experiment tell us about who we really are.

Dauer: 37 min

91. Can Selling Beer Cut Down on Public Drunkenness?

transcribed

Binge drinking is a big problem at college football games. Oliver Luck -- father of No. 1 NFL pick Andrew, and the athletic director at West Virginia University -- had an unusual idea to help solve it.

Dauer: 6 min

90. How Deep Is the Shadow Economy?

transcribed

What we know -- and don't know -- about the gazillions of dollars that never show up on anyone's books.

Dauer: 19 min

89. There’s Cake in the Breakroom!

transcribed

If you think working from home offers too many distractions, just think about what happens at the office.

Dauer: 6 min

88. Freakonomics Goes to College, Part 2

transcribed

College tends to make people happier, healthier, and wealthier. But how?

Dauer: 34 min

87. The Season of Death

transcribed

We know that summertime brings far too many fatal accidents. But you may be surprised if you dig into the numbers.

Dauer: 6 min

86. Freakonomics Goes to College, Part 1

transcribed

What's a college degree really worth these days?

Dauer: 29 min

85. Olympian Economics

transcribed

Do host cities really get the benefits their boosters promise, or are they just engaging in some fiscal gymnastics?

Dauer: 7 min

84. Legacy of a Jerk

transcribed

What happens to your reputation when you're no longer around to defend it?

Dauer: 43 min

83. What's Wrong With Cash for Grades?

transcribed

If we want our kids to thrive in school, maybe we should just pay them.

Dauer: 6 min

82. Please Steal My Car

transcribed

Levitt and Dubner answer your FREAK-quently Asked Questions about junk food, insurance, and how to make an economist happy.

Dauer: 23 min

81. Star-Spangled Banter?

transcribed

Once a week, the British Prime Minister goes before the House of Commons for a lightning round of hard questions. Should the U.S. give it a try?

Dauer: 7 min

80. Riding the Herd Mentality

transcribed

How using peer pressure -- and good, old-fashioned shame -- can push people to do the right thing.

Dauer: 36 min

79. A Cheap Employee Is … a Cheap Employee

transcribed

Paying workers as little as possible seems smart -- unless you can make more money by paying them more.

Dauer: 6 min

78. You Eat What You Are, Part 2

transcribed

To feed 7 billion people while protecting the environment, it would seem that going local is a no-brainer -- until you start looking at the numbers.

Dauer: 29 min

77. Playing the Nerd Card

transcribed

The NBA’s superstars are suddenly sporting Urkel glasses -- but is it more than a fashion statement?

Dauer: 5 min

76. You Eat What You Are, Part 1

transcribed

How American food so got bad -- and why it's getting so much better.

Dauer: 30 min

75. Retirement Kills

transcribed

Sure, we all dream of leaving the office forever. But what if it's bad for your health?

Dauer: 6 min

74. Soul Possession

transcribed

In a world where nearly everything is for sale, is it always okay to buy what isn’t yours?

Dauer: 28 min

73. A Rose By Any Other Distance

transcribed

At a time when people worry about every mile their food must travel, why is it okay to import most of our cut flowers from thousands of miles away?

Dauer: 6 min

72. Lottery Loopholes and Deadly Doctors

transcribed

What do you do when smart people keep making stupid mistakes? And: are we a nation of financial illiterates?

Dauer: 57 min

71. Is Good Corporate Citizenship Also Good for the Bottom Line?

transcribed

A new study says that yes, it is -- but try telling that to the United Nations officials who are preaching sustainability practices.

Dauer: 6 min

70. Eating and Tweeting

transcribed

Does the future of food lie in its past – or inside a tank of liquid nitrogen? Also: how anti-social can you be on a social network?

Dauer: 57 min

69. The Hidden Cost of False Alarms

transcribed

If any other product failed 94 percent of the time, you’d probably stop using it. So why do we put up with burglar alarms?

Dauer: 6 min

68. The Power of the President -- and the Thumb

transcribed

How much does the President of the United States really matter? And: where did all the hitchhikers go? A pair of "attribution errors."

Dauer: 57 min

67. The Patent Gap

transcribed

Women hold fewer than one in 10 patents. Why? And what are we missing out on?

Dauer: 5 min

66. Show and Yell

transcribed

Is booing an act of verbal vandalism or the last true expression of democracy? And: when you drive a Prius, are you guilty of “conspicuous conservation”?

Dauer: 58 min

65. It’s Not the President, Stupid

transcribed

Isn’t it time to admit that the U.S. economy doesn’t have a commander in chief?

Dauer: 5 min

64. The Days of Wine and Mouses

transcribed

Do more expensive wines taste better? And: what does one little rodent in a salad say about a restaurant’s future?

Dauer: 56 min

63. The Dilbert Index?

transcribed

Measuring workplace morale -- and how to game the sick-day system.

Dauer: 5 min

62. How Biased Is Your Media?

transcribed

The left and the right blame each other for pretty much everything, including slanted media coverage. Can they both be right?

Dauer: 36 min

61. Does This Recession Make Me Look Fat?

transcribed

A look at some non-obvious ways to lose weight.

Dauer: 5 min

60. Save Me From Myself

transcribed

A commitment device forces you to be the person you really want to be. What could possibly go wrong?

Dauer: 34 min

59. The Hidden Side of the Super Bowl

transcribed

A football cheat sheet to help you sound like the smartest person at the party.

Dauer: 5 min

58. What Do Hand-Washing and Financial Illiteracy Have in Common?

transcribed

Education is the surest solution to a lot of problems. Except when it’s not.

Dauer: 34 min

57. Does Money Really Buy Elections?

transcribed

We all know the answer is yes. But the data -- and Rudy Giuliani -- say no.

Dauer: 6 min

56. Why Is “I Don’t Know” So Hard to Say?

transcribed

Levitt and Dubner answer your FREAK-quently Asked Questions about certifying politicians, irrational fears, and the toughest three words in the English language.

Dauer: 16 min

55. The Perils of Drunk Walking

transcribed

We know it's terribly dangerous to drive drunk. But heading home on foot isn't the solution.

Dauer: 5 min

54. How Is a Bad Radio Station Like Our Public-School System? (Encore)

transcribed

The thrill of customization, via Pandora and a radical new teaching method

Dauer: 30 min

53. How American Food Got So Bad

transcribed

Tyler Cowen points fingers. There's plenty of blame to go around.

Dauer: 5 min

52. Weird Recycling

transcribed

Clever ways to not waste our waste.

Dauer: 24 min

51. What Makes a Donor Donate?

transcribed

The science of charity, with economist John List.

Dauer: 5 min

50. The Truth Is Out There…Isn’t It?

transcribed

There’s a nasty secret about hot-button topics like global warming: knowledge is not always power.

Dauer: 30 min

49. Unnatural Turkeys

transcribed

Our appetite for breast meat renders our holiday birds unable to reproduce.

Dauer: 5 min

48. Boo…Who?

transcribed

Is booing an act of verbal vandalism—or the last true expression of democracy?

Dauer: 30 min

47. Wildfires, Cops, and Keggers

transcribed

On Election Day, most people focus on the obvious winners and losers -- that is, the candidates. But we went looking for some of the strange side effects that elections produce.

Dauer: 5 min

46. Misadventures in Baby-Making

transcribed

We are constantly wowed by new technologies and policies meant to make childbirth better. But beware the unintended consequences.

Dauer: 27 min

45. Those Cheating Teachers!

transcribed

High-stakes testing has produced some rotten apples. But they can be caught.

Dauer: 5 min

44. Where Have All the Hitchhikers Gone?

transcribed

Did we needlessly scare ourselves into ditching a good thing? And, with millions of cars driving around with no passengers, should we be rooting for a renaissance?

Dauer: 28 min

43. The Decline and Fall of Violence

transcribed

The world is a more peaceful place today that at any time in history -- by a long, long shot.

Dauer: 6 min

42. The Upside of Quitting

transcribed

You know the saying: a winner never quits and a quitter never wins. To which Freakonomics Radio says … Are you sure?

Dauer: 57 min

41. The Folly of Prediction

transcribed

Human beings love to predict the future, but we're quite terrible at it. So how about punishing all those bad predictions?

Dauer: 57 min

40. The Suicide Paradox

transcribed

There are more than twice as many suicides as murders in the U.S., but suicide attracts far less scrutiny. Freakonomics Radio digs through the numbers and finds all kinds of surprises.

Dauer: 57 min

39. The Economist’s Guide to Parenting

transcribed

Think you know how much parents matter? Think again. Economists crunch the numbers to learn the ROI on child-rearing.

Dauer: 57 min

38. The Church of "Scionology"

transcribed

We worship the tradition of handing off a family business to the next generation. But is that really such a good idea?

Dauer: 57 min

37. Mouse in the Salad

transcribed

In restaurants and in life, bad things happen. But what happens next is just as important.

Dauer: 27 min

36. Hey Baby, Is That a Prius You're Driving?

transcribed

"Conspicuous conservation" is about showing off your environmental bona fides. In other words, if you lean green, there's extra value in being seen leaning green.

Dauer: 27 min

35. Live From St. Paul!

transcribed

Freakonomics Radio hits the road, and plays some Quiz Bowl

Dauer: 28 min

34. Things Our Fathers Gave Us

transcribed

What did Levitt and Dubner learn as kids from their dads?

Dauer: 14 min

33. To Catch a Fugitive

transcribed

Who is likelier to get to the fugitive first? When a fugitive is on the run, it’s not only the police he has to worry about. A bounty hunter could be coming after him, too.

Dauer: 19 min

32. Growing Up Buffett

transcribed

What’s it like to wake up one day and realize Dad is a multi-billionaire? That's what happened to Warren Buffett’s son Peter -- who then started to think about whether or not to join the family business.

Dauer: 15 min

31. Gambling With Your Life

transcribed

Does Las Vegas increase your risk of suicide? A researcher embeds himself in the city where Americans are most likely to kill themselves.

Dauer: 19 min

30. Does College Still Matter? And Other Freaky Questions Answered ...

transcribed

In our second round of FREAK-quently Asked Questions, Steve Levitt answers some queries from listeners and readers.

Dauer: 16 min

29. Smarter Kids at 10 Bucks a Pop

transcribed

It won’t work for everyone, but there’s a cheap, quick, and simple way to lift some students’ grades.

Dauer: 20 min

28. Why Can’t We Predict Earthquakes?

transcribed

We talk to a U.S. Geological Survey physicist about the science -- and folly -- of predicting earthquakes. There are lots of known knowns; and, fortunately, not too many unknown unknowns. But it's the known unknowns -- the timing of the next Big One -- that are the most dangerous.

Dauer: 21 min

27. Death by Fire? Probably Not

transcribed

Fire deaths in the U.S. have fallen 90 percent over the past 100 years, a great and greatly underappreciated gain. How did it happen -- and could we ever get to zero?

Dauer: 20 min

26. The Health of Nations

transcribed

For decades, GDP has been the yardstick for measuring living standards around the world. Martha Nussbaum would rather use something that actually works.

Dauer: 23 min

25. Is Twitter a Two-Way Street?

transcribed

To get a lot of followers on Twitter, do you need to follow a lot of other Tweeps? And if not, why not?

Dauer: 26 min

24. The Power of Poop

transcribed

Since the beginning of civilization, we’ve thought that human waste was worthless and dangerous. What if we were wrong?

Dauer: 19 min

23. Millionaires vs. Billionaires

transcribed

Five things you don’t know about the NFL labor standoff

Dauer: 28 min

22. Why Cities Rock

transcribed

Could it be that cities are "our greatest invention" -- that, despite a reputation as black-soot-spewing engines of doom, they in fact make us richer, smarter, happier and (believe it!) greener?

Dauer: 17 min

21. Bring on the Pain!

transcribed

It's not about how much something hurts -- it's how you remember the pain. This week, lessons on pain from the New York City subway, the professional hockey rink, and a landmark study of colonoscopy patients. So have a listen; we promise, it won't hurt a bit.

Dauer: 25 min

20. Waiter, There’s a Physicist in My Soup! (Part 2)

transcribed

What do a computer hacker, an Indiana farm boy, and Napoleon Bonaparte have in common? The past, present, and future of food science.

Dauer: 27 min

19. Waiter, There’s a Physicist in My Soup! (Part 1)

transcribed

The "molecular gastronomy" movement -- which gets a bump in visibility next month with the publication of the mammoth cookbook "Modernist Cuisine" -- is all about bringing more science into the kitchen. In many ways, it's the opposite of the "slow food" movement. In this episode, you'll hear chieftains from the two camps square off: Alice Waters for the slow foodies and Nathan Myhrvold for the mad scientists. Bon appetit!

Dauer: 25 min

18. Freakonomics FAQ, No. 1

transcribed

Levitt and Dubner field questions from the public and hold forth on everything from dating strategies and rock-and-roll accordion music to whether different nations have different economic identities. Oh, and also: is it worthwhile to vote?

Dauer: 16 min

17. Trashed

transcribed

How economics -- and emotion -- have turned our garbage into such a mess

Dauer: 21 min

16. Exit Interview: Schools Chancellor, NYC

transcribed

Having already amassed an eventful resume -- the Clinton White House, the Department of Justice, and Bertelsmann -- Joel I. Klein spent the past eight years at chancellor of the biggest school system in the country. So what'd he learn?

Dauer: 15 min

15. You Say Repugnant, I Say … Let's Do It!

transcribed

What happens when the most disturbing ideas are also the best?

Dauer: 26 min

14. Do More Expensive Wines Taste Better?

transcribed

They should! It's a cardinal rule: more expensive items are supposed to be qualitatively better than their cheaper versions. But is that true for wine?

Dauer: 25 min

13. The "No-Lose Lottery," Part 2

transcribed

It’s the banking tool that got millions of people around the world to stop wasting money on the lottery. So why won't state and federal officials in the U.S. give it a chance?

Dauer: 21 min

12. Is America Ready for a "No-Lose Lottery"?

transcribed

For the most part, Americans don't like the simple, boring act of putting money in a savings account. We do, however, love to play the lottery. So what if you combined the two, creating a new kind of savings account with a lottery payout?

Dauer: 25 min

11. How Much Does the President of the U.S. Really Matter?

transcribed

Dauer: 32 min

10. The NFL's Best Real Estate Isn't For Sale. Yet.

transcribed

The NFL is very good at making money. So why on earth doesn't it sell ad space on the one piece of real estate that football fans can’t help but see: the players themselves? The explanation is trickier than you might think. It has to do with Peyton Manning, with Eli Manning, and with ... wait for it ... Tevye.

Dauer: 22 min

9. Reading, Rockets, and 'Rithmetic

transcribed

Government and the private sector often feel far apart. One is filled with compliance-driven bureaucracy. The other, with market-fueled innovation. But something is changing in a multi-billion dollar corner of the Department of Education. It's an experiment, which takes cues from the likes of Google and millionaires who hope to go to the moon.

Dauer: 20 min

8. Who Stole All the Runs in Major League Baseball?

transcribed

It was a pretty good baseball season -- especially if you're a fan of the Yankees, Rays, Twins, Rangers, Reds, Braves, Phillies, or Giants, all of whom made the playoffs. But the post-season just opened with a telling event, a no-hitter pitched by the Phillies' Roy Halladay, which shows what's been missing all season: runs.

Dauer: 14 min

7. Two Book Authors and a Microphone

transcribed

The next chapter in the adventures of Dubner and Levitt has begun. Listen to a preview of what's to come for the fall season of Freakonomics Radio.

Dauer: 12 min

6. Why the World Cup Is an Economist's Dream

transcribed

Steve Levitt talks about why the center cannot hold in penalty kicks, why a running track hurts home-field advantage, and why the World Cup is an economist's dream.

Dauer: 9 min

5. How Is a Bad Radio Station Like Our Public-School System?

transcribed

In this episode of Freakonomics Radio, we explore a way to make 1.1 million schoolkids feel like they have 1.1 million teachers.

Dauer: 29 min

4. Faking It

transcribed

Do you "fake it"? If so, you're hardly alone. In this episode, you'll hear how everyone from the President of the United States to a kosher-keeping bacon lover lives in a state of fallen grace. All the time. And gets by.

Dauer: 19 min

3. What Would the World Look Like if Economists Were in Charge?

transcribed

In this episode we speculate what would happen if economists got to run the world. Hear from a high-end call girl; an Estonian who ran his country according to the gospel of Milton Friedman; and a guy who wants to start building new nations in the middle of the ocean.

Dauer: 20 min

2. Is America's Obesity Epidemic For Real?

transcribed

Americans keep putting on pounds. So is it time for a cheeseburger tax? Or would a chill pill be the best medicine? In this episode, we explore the underbelly of fat through the eyes of a 280-pound woman, a top White House doctor, and a couple of overweight academics.

Dauer: 21 min

1. The Dangers of Safety

transcribed

What do NASCAR drivers, Glenn Beck and the hit men of the NFL have in common?

Dauer: 26 min