Freakonomics co-author Stephen J. Dubner uncovers the hidden side of everything. Why is it safer to fly in an airplane than drive a car? How do we decide whom to marry? Why is the media so full of bad news? Also: things you never knew you wanted to know about wolves, bananas, pollution, search engines, and the quirks of human behavior. To get every show in the Freakonomics Radio Network without ads and a monthly bonus episode of Freakonomics Radio, start a free trial for SiriusXM Podcasts+ o ...
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Freakonomics Radio Stitcher Podcasts
Freakonomics co-author Steve Levitt tracks down other high achievers for surprising, revealing conversations about their lives and obsessions. Join Levitt as he goes through the most interesting midlife crisis you’ve ever heard — and learn how a renegade sheriff is transforming Chicago's jail, how a biologist is finding the secrets of evolution in the Arctic tundra, and how a trivia champion memorized 160,000 flashcards. To get every show in the Freakonomics Radio Network without ads and a m ...
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Research psychologist Angela Duckworth (author of "Grit") and tech and sports executive Mike Maughan really like to ask people questions, and they believe there’s no such thing as a stupid one. So they have a podcast where they can ask each other as many “stupid questions” as they want. New episodes each week. "No Stupid Questions" is a production of the Freakonomics Radio Network. To get every show in the Freakonomics Radio Network without ads and a monthly bonus episode of Freakonomics Rad ...
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From the podcast that explores the hidden side of everything, hear authors like you’ve never heard them before. Stephen Dubner and a stable of Freakonomics friends talk with the writers of mind-bending books, and we hear the best excerpts as well. You’ll learn about skill versus chance, the American discomfort with death, the secret life of dogs, and much more. To get every show in the Freakonomics Radio Network without ads and a monthly bonus episode of Freakonomics Radio, start a free tria ...
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Each week, physician, economist, and author of "Random Acts of Medicine" Dr. Bapu Jena will dig into a fascinating study at the intersection of economics and healthcare. He takes on questions like: Why do kids with summer birthdays get the flu more often? Can surviving a hurricane help you live longer? What do heart surgery and grocery-store pricing have in common?
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Dog-cognition expert and bestselling author Alexandra Horowitz (Inside of a Dog) takes us on a walk into the scruffy, curious, joyful world of dogs. What does it mean to "own" a dog? Can dogs demonstrate genuine heroism? And what is it like to experience reality primarily through smell? Off Leash is a delightful and surprising look at the deeply familiar, profoundly mysterious animals who walk alongside us.
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Journalism wrapped in a game-show package. Host Stephen J. Dubner (of “Freakonomics Radio”) and a celebrity co-host invite guests on stage in front of a live audience to tell us something we don’t know. The co-hosts — a mix of leaders in science, academia, sports, media, and comedy — grill the guests, and by the end we’ve all gotten a bit smarter. Each episode has a new topic, a new co-host, and new guests. There’s also a real-time human fact-checker to keep everyone honest. Think of the mos ...
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The Columbia University sociologist Sudhir Venkatesh studies exclusive worlds by embedding himself — with a crack-selling gang, sex workers, the teenage children of billionaires, and most recently, at the highest levels of companies at the vanguard of the digital revolution, including Facebook and Twitter. And now he’s hosting a podcast. In each episode, Venkatesh will reveal what he learned in Silicon Valley and talk with the people he met along the way who are building and running the digi ...
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37. How Do You Know if People Don’t Like You?
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39:38Also: do self-help books really help? This episode originally aired on January 31, 2021.By Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher
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165. The Economist Who (Gasp!) Asks People What They Think
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53:14
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53:14Stefanie Stantcheva’s approach seemed like career suicide. In fact, it won her the John Bates Clark Medal. She talks to fellow winner Steve Levitt about why she uses methods that most of the profession dismisses — and what she’s found that can’t be learned any other way. SOURCES: Stefanie Stantcheva, professor of political economy at Harvard Univer…
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644. Has America Lost Its Appetite for the Common Good?
1:16:42
1:16:42
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1:16:42Patrick Deneen, a political philosopher at Notre Dame, says yes. He was a Democrat for years, and has now come to be seen as an “ideological guru” of the Trump administration. But that only tells half the story ... SOURCES: Patrick Deneen, professor of political science at the University of Notre Dame. RESOURCES: "The Ideological Gurus Battling for…
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Extra: A Modern Whaler Speaks Up (Update)
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26:47
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26:47Bjørn Andersen has killed hundreds of minke whales. 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 “Everything You Never Knew About Whaling.”) SOURCES: Bjørn Andersen, Norwegian whaler. RESOURCES: "Digestive physiology of minke whales," by S…
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36. Which Matters More, a First or Last Impression?
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36:41
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36:41Also: does wisdom really come with age? This episode originally aired on January 14, 2021.By Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher
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Rick Rubin on How to Make Something Great (Update)
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53:24
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53:24From recording some of the first rap hits to revitalizing Johnny Cash's career, the legendary producer has had an extraordinary creative life. In this episode he talks about his new book and his art-making process — and helps Steve get in touch with his own artistic side. SOURCES: Rick Rubin, music producer and record executive. RESOURCES: The Crea…
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What Can Whales Teach Us About Clean Energy, Workplace Harmony, and Living the Good Life? (Update)
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48:08In 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 "Everything You Never Knew About Whaling.") SOURCES: Michele Baggio, professor of economics at the University of Connecticut. Mary K. Bercaw-Edwards, professor of maritime English at the University of Connectic…
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Also: how many “selves” is it OK to have? This episode originally aired on January 17, 2021.By Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher
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164. Unravelling the Universe, Again
1:02:14
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1:02:14More than two decades ago, Adam Riess’s Nobel Prize-winning work fundamentally changed our understanding of the universe. His new work is reshaping cosmology for a second time. RESOURCES: Adam Riess, astrophysicist at Johns Hopkins University. SOURCES: "The Nobel Prize Winner Who Thinks We Have the Universe All Wrong," by Ross Andersen (The Atlanti…
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Why Do People Still Hunt Whales? (Update)
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37:32For 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 “Everything You Never Knew About Whaling.”) SOURCES: Jay A…
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34. Are Humans Smarter or Stupider Than We Used to Be?
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35:45Also: how can you become a more curious person? This episode originally aired on January 10, 2021.By Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher
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The First Great American Industry (Update)
45:02
45:02
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45:02Whaling 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.”) SOURCES: Eric Hilt, professor of economics a…
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It’s a haphazard way of paying workers, and yet it keeps expanding. With federal tax policy shifting in a pro-tip direction, we revisit an episode from 2019 to find out why. SOURCES: John List, economist at the University of Chicago. Michael Lynn, professor of consumer behavior and marketing at Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration. U…
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Also: why is public speaking so terrifying? This episode originally aired on January 3, 2021.By Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher
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163. The Data Sleuth Taking on Shoddy Science
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56:25
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56:25Uri Simonsohn is a behavioral science professor who wants to improve standards in his field — so he’s made a sideline of investigating fraudulent academic research. He tells Steve Levitt, who's spent plenty of time rooting out cheaters in other fields, how he does it. SOURCES: Uri Simonsohn, professor of behavioral science at Esade Business School.…
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They should have died out when the lightbulb was invented. Instead they’re a $10 billion industry. What does it mean that we still want tiny fires inside our homes? SOURCES: Tim Cooper, professor emeritus of sustainable design and consumption at Nottingham Trent University. Gökçe Günel, professor of anthropology at Rice University. Steve Horenzi…
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32. Which Gets You Further: Talent or Effort?
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33:42
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33:42Also: where is the line between acronyms, initialisms, and gibberish? This episode originally aired on December 20, 2020.By Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher
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Arne Duncan Says All Kids Deserve a Chance — and Criminals Deserve a Second One (Update)
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46:11
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46:11Former U.S. Secretary of Education, 3x3 basketball champion, and leader of an anti-gun violence organization are all on Arne’s resume. He’s also Steve’s neighbor. The two talk about teachers caught cheating in Chicago public schools and Steve shares a story he’s never told Arne, about a defining moment in the educator’s life. SOURCES: Arne Duncan, …
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642. How to Wage Peace, According to Tony Blinken
1:06:28
1:06:28
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1:06:28The former secretary of state isn’t a flamethrower, but he certainly has strong opinions. In this wide-ranging conversation with Stephen Dubner, he gives them all: on Israel, Gaza, China, Iran, Russia, Biden, Trump — and the rest of the world. SOURCES: Antony Blinken, former Secretary of State. RESOURCES: "Evaluating the impact of two decades of US…
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Why Does One Tiny State Set the Rules for Everyone? (Update)
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47:02
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47:02Until recently, Delaware was almost universally agreed to be the best place for companies to incorporate. Now, with Elon Musk leading a corporate stampede out of the First State, we revisit an episode from 2023 that asked if Delaware’s “franchise” is wildly corrupt, wildly efficient … or both? SOURCES: John Cassara, retired Special Agent detailee t…
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31. How Much Do Your Friends Affect Your Future?
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36:40Also: which professions have the happiest people? This episode originally aired on December 13, 2020.By Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher
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Kate Marvel spends her days playing with climate models, which she says are “like a very expensive version of The Sims.” As a physicist she gets tired of being asked to weigh in on economics, geopolitics, and despair — but she still defends the right of scientists to have strong feelings about the planet. SOURCES: Kate Marvel, climate scientist and…
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641. What Does It Cost to Lead a Creative Life?
46:22
46:22
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46:22For years, the playwright David Adjmi was considered “polarizing and difficult.” But creating Stereophonic seems to have healed him. Stephen Dubner gets the story — and sorts out what Adjmi has in common with Richard Wagner. SOURCES: David Adjmi, author and playwright. RESOURCES: "The West End is enjoying a theatre revival. Can Broadway keep up?" b…
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30. Why Do We Seek Comfort in the Familiar?
35:25
35:25
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35:25Also: is a little knowledge truly a dangerous thing? This episode originally aired on December 6, 2020.By Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher
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640. Why Governments Are Betting Big on Sports
50:12
50:12
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50:12The Gulf States and China are spending billions to build stadiums and buy up teams — but what are they really buying? And can an entrepreneur from Cincinnati make his own billions by bringing baseball to Dubai? SOURCES: Simon Chadwick, professor of afroeurasian sport at Emlyon Business School. Derek Fisher, high school basketball coach, former N.B.…
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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 she’s willing to tell us everything she learned. SOURCES: Maria Konnikova, a…
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29. How Do You Know When It’s Time to Quit?
31:43
31:43
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31:43Also: why is it so hard to predict success? This episode originally aired on November 29, 2020.By Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher
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Twenty years ago, before the Freakonomics book tour, Bill McGowan taught Steve Levitt to speak in public. In his new book he tries to teach everyone else. SOURCES: Bill McGowan, founder and C.E.O. of Clarity Media Group. RESOURCES: Speak, Memorably: The Art of Captivating an Audience, by Bill McGowan (2025). "Sheryl Sandberg Gives UC Berkeley Comme…
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639. “This Country Kicks My Ass All the Time”
53:46
53:46
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53:46Cory Booker on the politics of fear, the politics of hope, and how to split the difference. SOURCES: Cory Booker, senior United States Senator from New Jersey. RESOURCES: "'When Are More Americans Going to Speak Up?'" by The New Yorker Radio Hour (2025). "Cory Booker’s Marathon Floor Speech," (2025). "Facebook Knows Instagram Is Toxic for Teen Girl…
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