Best Freakonomics Network Podcasts (2025)

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94. Fireworks Shows 21:25

1d ago21:25

21:25

Every year, America celebrates its independence with millions of dollars worth of explosives imported from China. Zachary Crockett lights a fuse and backs away quickly. SOURCES: JJ Brau, fireworks coordinator for J&M Displays. Mark Johnson, vice president of J&M Displays. RESOURCES: "The explosive history of fireworks, from ancient China to Revolut…

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24. Why Do We Forget So Much of What We’ve Read? 34:01

3d ago34:01

34:01

Also: do we overestimate or underestimate our significance in other people’s lives? This episode originally aired on October 25, 2020.By Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

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Does Death Have to Be a Death Sentence? (Update) 42:22

4d ago42:22

42:22

Palliative physician B.J. Miller asks: Is there a better way to think about dying? And can death be beautiful? SOURCES: B.J. Miller, palliative-care physician and President at Mettle Health. RESOURCES: A Beginner’s Guide to the End: Practical Advice for Living Life and Facing Death, by Shoshana Berger and B.J. Miller and (2019). “After A Freak Acci…

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634. “Fault-Finder Is a Minimum-Wage Job” 1:02:15

4d ago1:02:15

1:02:15

Austan Goolsbee, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, is less reserved than the average banker. He explains why vibes are overrated, why the Fed’s independence is non-negotiable, and why tariffs could bring the economy back to the Covid era. SOURCES: Austan Goolsbee, president and chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of …

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93. Pearls 19:06

9d ago19:06

19:06

These glistening round gemstones have come a long way since your grandmother's time, but procuring them is still a lot of work. The world is Zachary Crockett’s oyster. SOURCES: Jeremy Shepherd, C.E.O. of Pearl Paradise. James Brown, owner of Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm. RESOURCES: "Pearls Have Acquired a New Luster Among Young Designers," by Victoria Gom…

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23. Is It Wrong to Crave Praise? 38:41

10d ago38:41

38:41

Also: should everyone have their own trauma score? This episode originally aired on October 18, 2020.By Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

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158. Why Did Rome Fall — and Are We Next? 55:24

11d ago55:24

55:24

Historian Tom Holland narrowly escaped a career writing vampire novels to become the co-host of the wildly popular podcast The Rest Is History. At Steve’s request, he compares President Trump and Julius Caesar and explains why the culture wars are arguments about Christian theology. SOURCES: Tom Holland, historian and host of The Rest is History. R…

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27. The Most Powerful People You’ve Never Heard Of 1:05:42

12d ago1:05:42

1:05:42

Just beneath the surface of the global economy, there is a hidden layer of dealmakers for whom war, chaos, and sanctions can be a great business opportunity. Javier Blas and Jack Farchy, the authors of The World for Sale, help us shine a light on the shadowy realm of commodity traders. SOURCES: Javier Blas, opinion columnist at Bloomberg News. Jack…

1
633. The Most Powerful People You’ve Never Heard Of 1:05:42

12d ago1:05:42

1:05:42

Just beneath the surface of the global economy, there is a hidden layer of dealmakers for whom war, chaos, and sanctions can be a great business opportunity. Javier Blas and Jack Farchy, the authors of The World for Sale, help us shine a light on the shadowy realm of commodity traders. SOURCES: Javier Blas, opinion columnist at Bloomberg News. Jack…

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How to Succeed at Failing, Part 4: Extreme Resiliency (Update) 52:50

14d ago52:50

52:50

Everyone makes mistakes. How do we learn from them? Lessons from the classroom, the Air Force, and the world’s deadliest infectious disease. SOURCES: Will Coleman, founder and C.E.O. of Alto. Amy Edmondson, professor of leadership management at Harvard Business School. Babak Javid, physician-scientist and associate director of the University of Cal…

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Little League (Replay) 21:08

16d ago21:08

21:08

Youth baseball — long a widely accessible American pastime — has become overrun by $10,000-per-year, for-profit travel leagues. Zachary Crockett peers inside the dugout. SOURCES: Linda Flanagan, author. Nick Mackenzie, future New York Yankees shortstop. R.J. Mackenzie, physical education teacher and baseball dad. John Miller, journalist and basebal…

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22. Why Do We Buy Things We’ll Never Use? 31:35

17d ago31:35

31:35

Also: how is social media like a knife? This episode originally aired on October 11, 2020.By Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

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How to Succeed at Failing, Part 3: Grit vs. Quit (Update) 1:03:37

19d ago1:03:37

1:03:37

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. SOURCES: John Boykin, website designer and failed paint can re-inventor. Angela Duckworth, host of No Stupid Questions, co-founder of Character Lab, and professor of psych…

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How to Succeed at Failing, Part 2: Life and Death (Update) 53:19

21d ago53:19

53:19

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. SOURCES: Amy Edmondson, professor of leadership management at Harvard Business School. Carole Hemmelgarn, co-founder of Patients for Patient Safety U.S. and director of the Clinical Qual…

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92. Data Centers 17:56

23d ago17:56

17:56

Where is “the cloud,” anyway? It’s in a bunch of nondescript warehouses all over the country. Zachary Crockett serves up the story. SOURCES: Chris Kimm, senior vice president of global customer care and customer experience at Equinix. Raul Martynek, C.E.O. of DataBank. Clayton Rosati, associate professor of geography at Bowling Green State Universi…

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21. How Can You Identify Hidden Talent? With Eric Schmidt. 35:14

24d ago35:14

35:14

Also: is there a downside to billionaire philanthropy? This episode originally aired on October 4, 2020.By Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

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157. The Deadliest Disease in Human History 1:05:19

25d ago1:05:19

1:05:19

John Green returns to the show to talk about tuberculosis — a disease that kills more than a million people a year. Steve has an idea for a new way to get treatment to those in need. SOURCES: John Green, best-selling author and YouTube creator. RESOURCES: Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection, by John Gr…

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How to Succeed at Failing, Part 1: The Chain of Events (Update) 55:38

26d ago55:38

55:38

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. SOURCES: Amy Edmondson, professor of leadership management at Harvard Business School. Helen Fisher, former senior research fellow at The Kinsey…

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Presenting “Smart Girl Dumb Questions” 47:32

27d ago47:32

47:32

Nayeema Raza describes her podcast as “a curiosity party.” In this episode of Smart Girl Dumb Questions, she asks chef and food writer J. Kenji López-Alt whether cooking is an art or a science — and whether brunch is a scam.By Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

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273: Publishing to EdTech: The Unlikely Road to Evolution Labs with Founder Peter Kraft 1:26:53

29d ago1:26:53

1:26:53

Peter Kraft is the Founder and President of Evolution Labs. Prior to founding Evolution Labs, Kraft was instrumental in forming and re-envisioning two educational software companies that led the industry in recruitment, enrollment and retention of college students. He co-founded GoalQuest in 2000 and served as its CEO until 2007 when he spearheaded…

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91. Roller Coasters 22:42

30d ago22:42

22:42

A new thrill ride can cost an amusement park $20 million or more — but roller coasters attract customers like nothing else. Zachary Crockett must be at least this tall to host this episode. SOURCES: Korey Kiepert, engineer and partner at The Gravity Group. Dennis Spiegel, owner and founder of International Theme Park Services. RESOURCES: "These two…

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20. Should We Separate the Art From the Artist? 32:44

1M ago32:44

32:44

Also: what is the meaning of life? This episode originally aired on September 27, 2020.By Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

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Abraham Verghese Thinks Medicine Can Do Better (Update) 46:59

1M ago46:59

46:59

Abraham Verghese is a physician and a best-selling author — in that order, he says. He explains the difference between curing and healing, and tells Steve why doctors should spend more time with patients and less with electronic health records. SOURCES: Abraham Verghese, professor of medicine at Stanford University and best-selling novelist. RESOUR…

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632. When Did We All Start Watching Documentaries? 54:21

1M ago54:21

54:21

It used to be that making documentary films meant taking a vow of poverty (and obscurity). The streaming revolution changed that. Award-winning filmmaker R.J. Cutler talks to Stephen Dubner about capturing Billie Eilish’s musical genius and Martha Stewart’s vulnerability — and why he really, really, really needs to make a film about the New York Me…

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90. Closed Captions 19:05

1M ago19:05

19:05

It takes a highly skilled stenographer — and some specialized equipment — to transcribe TV dialogue in real time at 300 words per minute. Will A.I. rewrite the script? Zachary Crockett tries to keep up. SOURCES: Doug Karlovits, general manager at Verbit. Katie Ryan, live steno captioner at Verbit. RESOURCES: "The Long Case for Machine Shorthand," b…

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19. Is There Such a Thing as Good Estrangement? 34:31

1M ago34:31

34:31

Also: how do you know if you have a “bad personality”? This episode originally aired on September 20, 2020.By Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

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156. A Solution to America’s Gun Problem 59:24

1M ago59:24

59:24

Jens Ludwig has an idea for how to fix America’s gun violence problem — and it starts by rejecting conventional wisdom from both sides of the political aisle. SOURCES: Jens Ludwig, professor of economics at the University of Chicago and director of the University of Chicago Crime Lab. RESOURCES: Unforgiving Places: The Unexpected Origins of America…

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631. Will "3 Summers of Lincoln" Make It to Broadway? 46:19

1M ago46:19

46:19

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 three-part series.) SOURCES: Christopher Ashley, artisti…

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Is It a Theater Piece or a Psychological Experiment? (Update) 37:13

1M ago37:13

37:13

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. SOURCES: Felix Barrett, artistic director of Punchdrunk. Steven Levitt, professor of economics at the University of Chicago. Philip Zimbardo, professor emeritus at Stanford University. RESOURCES: “Philip Zimbardo, the psy…

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89. Locksmiths 18:59

1M ago18:59

18:59

The ability to get into any home, car, or safe can be lucrative — but fixing locks is a tough business. Zachary Crockett gets the key information. SOURCES: Wayne Winton, owner of Tri-County Locksmith Service. Philip Mortillaro Sr., co-owner of Greenwich Locksmiths. Philip Mortillaro Jr., co-owner of Greenwich Locksmiths. RESOURCES: "Tools of the Tr…

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18. How Do You Raise a “Likable” Kid? 29:39

2M ago29:39

29:39

Also: what’s so great about friendship? This episode originally aired on September 13, 2020.By Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

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630. On Broadway, Nobody Knows Nothing 1:01:30

2M ago1:01:30

1:01:30

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 three-part series.) SOURCES: Debby Buchholz, managing director of…

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