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Freakonomics Radio

Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

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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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Off The Notepad

Weird Existence Productions

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Behold Victoria D'Angelo and Helika Campbell: the grandest, greatest, finest undergraduate creative writing majors in the world. We strive to fit the square peg into the circular hole while we discuss how certain characters can be molded into a variety of fiction writing prompts.
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Lifehackers

Kerr Drummond and Sara Damergi

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Welcome to Lifehackers! This is the show that will have you lifehacking your way through existence like the life guru you truly are. Every week, Kerr Drummond and Sara Damergi take your through their best lifehacks; from the weird, to the wonderful, to the downright genius. And, they're joined by some very special guests along the way. Tune in for your weekly dose of laughter, topical chat and of course hints and tips to make your life that little bit easier. ------- A Create Productions Pod ...
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In his new book “Breakneck,” Dan Wang argues that the U.S. has a lot to learn from China. He also says that “no two peoples are more alike.” We have questions. SOURCES: Dan Wang, research fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, author of Breakneck: China's Quest to Engineer the Future. RESOURCES: Breakneck: China's Quest to Enginee…
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A lot of jobs in the modern economy don’t pay a living wage, and some of those jobs may be wiped out by new technologies. So what’s to be done? We revisit an episode from 2016 for a potential solution. SOURCES: Erik Brynjolfsson, professor of economics at Stanford University. Evelyn Forget, professor of economics and community health sciences at th…
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What does it take to “play 3D chess at 250 miles an hour”? And how far will $12.5 billion of “Big, Beautiful” funding go toward modernizing the F.A.A.? (Part two of a two-part series.) SOURCES: David Strayer, professor of cognition and neural science at the University of Utah. Dorothy Robyn, senior fellow at I.T.I.F. Ed Bastian, C.E.O. of Delta Air…
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Flying in the U.S. is still exceptionally safe, but the system relies on outdated tech and is under tremendous strain. Six experts tell us how it got this way and how it can (maybe) be fixed. (Part one of a two-part series.) SOURCES: Dorothy Robyn, senior fellow at I.T.I.F. Ed Bastian, C.E.O. of Delta Airlines. John Strong, professor of finance and…
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Patrick 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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Bjørn 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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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 "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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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 “Everything You Never Knew About Whaling.”) SOURCES: Jay A…
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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.”) 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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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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The 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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Until 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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For 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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The 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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Cory 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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In the U.S., there will soon be more people over 65 than there are under 18 — and it’s not just lifespan that’s improving, it’s “healthspan” too. Unfortunately, the American approach to aging is stuck in the 20th century. In less than an hour, we try to unstick it. (Part three of a three-part series, “Cradle to Grave.”) SOURCES: James Chappel, prof…
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In this episode from 2013, we look at whether spite pays — and if it even exists. SOURCES: Benedikt Herrmann, research officer at the European Commission. Steve Levitt, co-author of Freakonomics and host of People I (Mostly) Admire. Dave O'Connor, president of Times Studios. Lisi Oliver, professor of English at Louisiana State University. E.O. Wils…
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The simplicity of life back then is appealing today, as long as you don’t mind Church hegemony, the occasional plague, trial by gossip — and the lack of ibuprofen. (Part two of a three-part series, “Cradle to Grave.”) SOURCES: Jordan Cavalier, performer at the New Jersey Renaissance Faire. Matt Schwarz, harpist at the New Jersey Renaissance Faire. …
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For decades, the great fear was overpopulation. Now it’s the opposite. How did this happen — and what’s being done about it? (Part one of a three-part series, “Cradle to Grave.”) SOURCES: Matthias Doepke, professor of economics at the London School of Economics. Amy Froide, professor of history at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Diana…
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A famous essay argues that “not a single person on the face of this earth” knows how to make a pencil. How true is that? In this 2016 episode, we looked at what pencil-making can teach us about global manufacturing — and the proper role of government in the economy. SOURCES: Caroline Weaver, creator of the Locavore Guide. Matt Ridley, science write…
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Nicholas Cullinan, the new director of the British Museum, seems to think so. “I'm not afraid of the past,” he says — which means talking about looted objects, the basement storerooms, and the leaking roof. We take the guided tour. SOURCES: Nicholas Cullinan, director of the British Museum. RESOURCES: "Inside the British Museum: stolen treasures an…
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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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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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Everyone makes mistakes. How do we learn from them? Lessons from the classroom, the Air Force, and the world’s deadliest infectious disease. (Part four of a four-part series.) 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 associat…
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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. (Part three of a four-part series.) SOURCES: John Boykin, website designer and failed paint can re-inventor. Angela Duckworth, host of No Stupid Questions, co-founder of C…
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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. (Part two of a four-part series.) SOURCES: Amy Edmondson, professor of leadership management at Harvard Business School. Carole Hemmelgarn, co-founder of Patients for Patient Safety U.S.…
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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. (Part one of a four-part series.) SOURCES: Amy Edmondson, professor of leadership management at Harvard Business School. Helen Fisher, former se…
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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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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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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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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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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 three-part series.) SOURCES: Christopher Ashley, artistic director of La Jolla Playhouse. Quentin Darrington, actor. Joe DiPietro, playwr…
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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? SOURCES: Patti Chamberlain, senior research scientist at the Oregon Social Learning Center. John List, professor of economics at the University of Chicago. Lauren Supp…
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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 two-part series.) SOURCES: Benjamin Handel, professor of economics at UC Berkeley. Neale Mahoney, professor of economics at Stanford University. Jennifer Pahlka, founde…
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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 two-part series.) SOURCES: Benjamin Handel, professor of economics at UC Berkeley. Neale Mahoney, professor of economics at Stanford Unive…
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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. SOURCES: Kirk DesErmia, facilities manager in Seward, Alaska. Mark Gardiner, journalist and author. Sheena Iyengar, professor of business at Columbia Business Schoo…
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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. SOURCES: Jessica Riedl, senior fellow in budget, tax, and economic policy at the Manhat…
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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. SOURCES: Lina Khan, former c…
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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 d…
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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 three-part series, “Sympathy for the Rat.”) SOURCES: Bethany Brookshire, author of Pests: How Humans Crea…
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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 three-part series, “Sympathy for the Rat.”) SOURCES: Kathy Corradi, director of rodent mitigation for New York City. Robert Corrigan, urban rodentologist and pest consultant for New York City. Ed G…
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A brief meditation on loss, relativity, and the vagaries of show business. RESOURCES: Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry, documentary (2021) Genius & Anxiety: How Jews Changed the World, 1847-1947, by Norman Lebrecht (2019) The War Room, documentary (1993) EXTRAS: “Is San Francisco a Failed State? (And Other Questions You Shouldn’t Ask the …
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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 three-part series.) SOURCES: Bethany Brookshire, author of Pests: How Humans Create Animal Villains.…
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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 publi…
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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. SOURCES: Tom Garfinkel, vice chairman,…
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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. SOURCES: Bri…
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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. SOURCES: Erik Brynjolfsson, professor of economics at …
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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. SOURCES: London Breed, former mayor of San Francisco. Erik Brynjolfsson, professor of economics at Stanford University Koleman Strumpf, professor of economics at Wake Forest University …
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