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Freakonomics Radio

1,310 episodes - English - Latest episode: 2 months ago - ★★★★★ - 28.8K ratings

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.

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Episodes

574. “A Low Moment in Higher Education”

January 25, 2024 04:00 - 46 minutes - 42.9 MB

Michael Roth of Wesleyan University doesn’t hang out with other university presidents. He also thinks some of them have failed a basic test of good sense and decency. It’s time for a conversation about college, and courage.     SOURCE: Michael S. Roth, president of Wesleyan University.   RESOURCES: "Opinion: College Presidents Are Supposed to Be Moral Leaders, Not Evasive Bureaucrats," by Michael S. Roth (Los Angeles Times, 2023). "Transcript: What Harvard, MIT and Penn Presidents Sai...

5 Psychology Terms You’re Probably Misusing (Replay)

January 22, 2024 05:05 - 49 minutes - 45 MB

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.   SOURCES: Sharon Begley, senior science writer for Stat at The Boston Globe. Jerome Kagan, emeritus professor of psychology at Harvard University. Bibb Latané, social psychologist and senior fellow at the Center for Human Science. Scot...

573. Can Academic Fraud Be Stopped?

January 18, 2024 04:00 - 1 hour - 57.3 MB

Probably not — the incentives are too strong. Scholarly publishing is a $28 billion global industry, with misconduct at every level. But a few reformers are gaining ground.   (Part 2 of 2)   SOURCES: Max Bazerman, professor of business administration at Harvard Business School. Leif Nelson, professor of business administration at the University of California, Berkeley Haas School of Business. Brian Nosek, professor of psychology at the University of Virginia and executive director at th...

572. Why Is There So Much Fraud in Academia?

January 11, 2024 04:00 - 1 hour - 67.8 MB

Some of the biggest names in behavioral science stand accused of faking their results. Last year, an astonishing 10,000 research papers were retracted. We talk to whistleblowers, reformers, and a co-author who got caught up in the chaos. (Part 1 of 2)   SOURCES: Max Bazerman, professor of business administration at Harvard Business School. Leif Nelson, professor of business administration at the University of California, Berkeley Haas School of Business. Brian Nosek, professor of psycho...

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

January 04, 2024 04:00 - 49 minutes - 45.2 MB

In a special episode of The Economics of Everyday Things, host Zachary Crockett explains what millennials do to show they care, how corrugated cardboard keeps your food warm, and why every city has a billboard for a guy who calls himself “The Hammer.”   SOURCES: Jason Abraham, managing partner of Hupy & Abraham. Nora Engstrom, professor at Stanford Law School. Kyle Hebenstreit, C.E.O. of Practice Made Perfect. Patrick Kivits, president of corrugated packaging at WestRock. Mia Mercado,...

570. Is Gynecology the Best Innovation Ever?

December 28, 2023 04:00 - 46 minutes - 42.1 MB

In a special episode of People I (Mostly) Admire, Steve Levitt talks to Cat Bohannon about her new book Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution.   SOURCE: Cat Bohannon, researcher and author.   RESOURCES: Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution, by Cat Bohannon (2023). "Genomic Inference of a Severe Human Bottleneck During the Early to Middle Pleistocene Transition," by Wangjie Hu, Ziqian Hao, Pengyuan Du, Fabio Di Vincenzo, Gior...

569. Do You Need Closure?

December 21, 2023 04:00 - 39 minutes - 36.2 MB

In a special episode of No Stupid Questions, Angela Duckworth and Mike Maughan talk about unfinished tasks, recurring arguments, and Irish goodbyes.   SOURCES: Roy Baumeister, social psychologist and visiting scholar at Harvard University. Daniel Gilbert, professor of psychology at Harvard University. John Gottman, professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Washington. Kurt Lewin, 20th-century German-American psychologist. E. J. Masicampo, professor of psychology at Wake Fo...

568. Why Are People So Mad at Michael Lewis?

December 14, 2023 04:00 - 1 hour - 55.5 MB

Lewis got incredible access to Sam Bankman-Fried, the billionaire behind the spectacular FTX fraud. His book is a bestseller, but some critics say he went too easy on S.B.F. Lewis tells us why the critics are wrong — and what it’s like to watch your book get turned into a courtroom drama.   SOURCES: Michael Lewis, author.   RESOURCES: Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon, by Michael Lewis (2023). "Column: In Michael Lewis, Sam Bankman-Fried Found His Last and Most Willing...

567. Do the Police Have a Management Problem?

December 07, 2023 04:00 - 47 minutes - 43.6 MB

In policing, as in most vocations, the best employees are often promoted into leadership without much training. One economist thinks he can address this problem — and, with it, America’s gun violence.   SOURCES Kenneth Corey, director of outreach and engagement for the Policing Leadership Academy at the University of Chicago and retired chief of department for the New York Police Department. Stephanie Drescher, operations captain in the City of Madison Police Department. Max Kapustin, a...

513. Should Public Transit Be Free? (Update)

November 30, 2023 04:00 - 56 minutes - 51.4 MB

It boosts economic opportunity and social mobility. It’s good for the environment. So why do we charge people to use it? The short answer: it’s complicated. Also: We talk to the man who gets half the nation’s mass-transit riders where they want to go (most of the time).    SOURCES: Marcus Finbom, traffic planner in Stockholm, Sweden. Robbie Makinen, former president and C.E.O. of the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority. Janno Lieber, chair and C.E.O. of the M.T.A. in New York City...

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

November 23, 2023 04:00 - 54 minutes - 50.1 MB

Most industries have become more productive over time. But not construction! We identify the causes — and possible solutions. (Can you say ... “prefab”?)   RESOURCES: "The Strange and Awful Path of Productivity in the US Construction Sector," by Austan Goolsbee and Chad Syverson (BFI Working Paper, 2023). "Infrastructure Costs," by Leah Brooks and Zachary D. Liscow (American Economic Journal: Applied, 2023). "The Silicon Valley Elite Who Want to Build a City From Scratch," by Conor Dough...

Extra: Jason Kelce Hates to Lose

November 19, 2023 05:05 - 56 minutes - 51.9 MB

Pro footballer and star podcaster Jason Kelce is ubiquitous right now (almost as ubiquitous as his brother and co-host Travis, who's been in the limelight for his relationship with Taylor Swift). After you hear this wide-ranging interview, you might want even more Kelce in your life.    RESOURCES: “N.F.L. Player Team Report Cards,” by the National Football League Players Association (2023). Kelce, documentary (2023). New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce, (produced by Wave Sports + En...

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

November 16, 2023 04:00 - 51 minutes - 47 MB

They say they make companies more efficient through savvy management. Critics say they bend the rules to enrich themselves at the expense of consumers and employees. Can they both be right? (Probably not.)   RESOURCES: Plunder: Private Equity's Plan to Pillage America, by Brendan Ballou (2023). Two and Twenty: How the Masters of Private Equity Always Win, by Sachin Khajuria (2022). "Local Journalism under Private Equity Ownership," by Michael Ewens, Arpit Gupta, and Sabrina T. Howell (N...

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

November 09, 2023 04:00 - 57 minutes - 52.9 MB

Evidence from Nazi Germany and 1940’s America (and pretty much everywhere else) shows that discrimination is incredibly costly — to the victims, of course, but also the perpetrators. One modern solution is to invoke a diversity mandate. But new research shows that’s not necessarily the answer.   RESOURCES: "Discrimination, Managers, and Firm Performance: Evidence from 'Aryanizations' in Nazi Germany," by Kilian Huber, Volker Lindenthal, and Fabian Waldinger (Journal of Political Economy, ...

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

November 02, 2023 03:00 - 52 minutes - 47.6 MB

Everyone makes mistakes. How do you learn from them? Lessons from the classroom, the Air Force, and the world’s deadliest infectious disease.   RESOURCES: Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well, by Amy Edmondson (2023). "You Think Failure Is Hard? So Is Learning From It," by Lauren Eskreis-Winkler and Ayelet Fishbach (Perspectives on Psychological Science, 2022). "The Market for R&D Failures," by Manuel Trajtenberg and Roy Shalem (SSRN, 2010). "Performing a Project Premortem,...

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

October 26, 2023 03:00 - 1 hour - 58.2 MB

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 "Data Snapshot: Tenure and Contingency in US Higher Education," by Glenn Colby (American Association of University Professors, 2023). Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, by Angela Duckworth (2016). "Entrepreneurship and the U.S. Economy," by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2016). "A ...

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

October 19, 2023 03:00 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MB

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: Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well, by Amy Edmondson (2023). "Reconsidering the Application of Systems Thinking in Healthcare: The RaDonda Vaught Case," by Connor Lusk, Elise DeForest, Gabriel Segarra, David M. Neyens, James H. Abernathy III, and Ken Catchpole (British Journal of Anaesthesia, 2022). ...

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

October 12, 2023 03:00 - 55 minutes - 50.6 MB

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 Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well, by Amy Edmondson (2023). "Michigan School Shooter Is Found Eligible for Life Sentence Without Parole," by Stephanie Saul and Dana Goldstein (The New York Times, 2023). "How Fire Turned Lahaina Into a Death Trap," by Nichola...

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

October 10, 2023 01:37 - 44 minutes - 40.8 MB

Claudia Goldin is the newest winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics. We spoke with her in 2016 about why women earn so much less than men — and how it’s not all explained by discrimination.    SOURCES: Claudia Goldin, professor of economics at Harvard University.

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

October 05, 2023 03:00 - 40 minutes - 36.7 MB

John Ray is an emergency C.E.O., a bankruptcy expert who takes over companies that have succumbed to failure or fraud. He’s currently cleaning up the mess left by alleged crypto scammer Sam Bankman-Fried. And he loves it.   RESOURCES: "United States of America v. Samuel Bankman-Fried, a/k/a 'SBF,'" by the United States District Court Southern District of New York (2023). "Does FTX’s New CEO Have the Worst Job in Corporate America?" by Ben Cohen (The Wall Street Journal, 2022). "John J. ...

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

September 28, 2023 03:00 - 50 minutes - 46.3 MB

If two parents can run a family, why shouldn’t two executives run a company? We dig into the research and hear firsthand stories of both triumph and disaster. Also: lessons from computer programmers, Simon and Garfunkel, and bears versus alligators. RESOURCES: "How Allbirds Lost Its Way," by Suzanne Kapner (The Wall Street Journal, 2023). "Is It Time to Consider Co-C.E.O.s?" by Marc A. Feigen, Michael Jenkins, and Anton Warendh (Harvard Business Review, 2022). "The Costs and Benefits of ...

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

September 21, 2023 03:00 - 1 hour - 58.7 MB

In her new book The Two-Parent Privilege, the economist Melissa Kearney says it’s time for liberals to face the facts: U.S. marriage rates have plummeted but the babies keep coming, and the U.S. now leads the world in single-parent households. Plus: our friends at Atlas Obscura explore just how many parents a kid can have.

557. When Is a Superstar Just Another Employee?

September 14, 2023 03:00 - 1 hour - 55.7 MB

The union that represents N.F.L. players conducted their first-ever survey of workplace conditions, and issued a report card to all 32 teams. What did the survey reveal? Clogged showers, rats in the locker room — and some helpful insights for those of us who don’t play pro football.   For show notes, visit freakonomics.com/podcast/when-is-a-superstar-just-another-employee/

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

September 07, 2023 03:00 - 48 minutes - 44.5 MB

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 "How to Think About A.I.")

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

August 31, 2023 03:00 - 47 minutes - 43.5 MB

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 "How to Think About A.I.")

554. Can A.I. Take a Joke?

August 24, 2023 03:00 - 48 minutes - 44 MB

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 "How to Think About A.I.")

553. The Suddenly Diplomatic Rahm Emanuel

August 17, 2023 03:00 - 56 minutes - 51.6 MB

The famously profane politician and operative is now U.S. ambassador to Japan, where he’s trying to rewrite the rules of diplomacy. But don’t worry: When it comes to China, he’s every bit as combative as you’d expect.

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

August 10, 2023 03:00 - 46 minutes - 42.8 MB

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?

Extra: A Modern Whaler Speaks Up

August 06, 2023 21:00 - 26 minutes - 24.4 MB

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 “Everything You Never Knew About Whaling.")

552. Freakonomics Radio Presents: The Economics of Everyday Things

August 03, 2023 03:00 - 47 minutes - 43.3 MB

In three stories from our newest podcast, host Zachary Crockett digs into sports mascots, cashmere sweaters, and dinosaur skeletons. 

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

July 27, 2023 03:00 - 47 minutes - 43.7 MB

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.")

550. Why Do People Still Hunt Whales?

July 20, 2023 03:00 - 37 minutes - 34 MB

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.”)

549. The First Great American Industry

July 13, 2023 03:00 - 43 minutes - 40.1 MB

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.”)

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

July 06, 2023 03:00 - 44 minutes - 41.2 MB

Actually, the reasons are pretty clear. The harder question is: Will we ever care enough to stop?

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

June 29, 2023 03:00 - 47 minutes - 43.1 MB

Sure, you were “in love.” But economists — using evidence from Bridgerton to Tinder — point to what’s called “assortative mating.” And it has some unpleasant consequences for society.

547. Satya Nadella’s Intelligence Is Not Artificial

June 22, 2023 03:00 - 36 minutes - 33.6 MB

But as C.E.O. of the resurgent Microsoft, he is firmly at the center of the A.I. revolution. We speak with him about the perils and blessings of A.I., Google vs. Bing, the Microsoft succession plan — and why his favorite use of ChatGPT is translating poetry.

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

June 15, 2023 03:00 - 54 minutes - 50 MB

Probably not. The economist Kelly Shue argues that E.S.G. investing just gives more money to firms that are already green while depriving polluting firms of the financing they need to get greener. But she has a solution.

545. Enough with the Slippery Slopes!

June 08, 2023 03:00 - 44 minutes - 40.5 MB

Gun control, abortion rights, drug legalization — it seems like every argument these days claims that if X happens, then Y will follow, and we’ll all be doomed to Z. Is the slippery-slope argument a valid logical construction or just a game of feelingsball?

544. Ari Emanuel Is Never Indifferent

June 01, 2023 03:00 - 1 hour - 60.2 MB

He turned a small Hollywood talent agency into a massive sports-and-entertainment empire. In a freewheeling conversation, he explains how he did it and why it nearly killed him.

Make Me a Match (Ep. 209 Update)

May 25, 2023 03:00 - 1 hour - 63 MB

Sure, markets work well in general. 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. Plus: We hear from a listener who, inspired by this episode, made a remarkable decision.

543. How to Return Stolen Art

May 18, 2023 03:00 - 51 minutes - 47.3 MB

Museums are purging their collections of looted treasures. Can they also get something in return? And what does it mean to be a museum in the 21st century? (Part 3 of “Stealing Art Is Easy. Giving It Back Is Hard.”)

542. Is a Museum Just a Trophy Case?

May 11, 2023 03:00 - 52 minutes - 47.8 MB

The world’s great museums are full of art and artifacts that were plundered during an era when plunder was the norm. Now there’s a push to return these works to their rightful owners. Sounds simple, right? It's not. (Part 2 of “Stealing Art Is Easy. Giving It Back Is Hard.”)

541. The Case of the $4 Million Gold Coffin

May 04, 2023 03:00 - 53 minutes - 49 MB

How did a freshly looted Egyptian antiquity end up in the Metropolitan Museum of Art? Why did it take Kim Kardashian to crack the case? And how much of what you see in any museum is stolen? (Part 1 of “Stealing Art Is Easy. Giving It Back Is Hard.”)

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

April 27, 2023 03:00 - 42 minutes - 39.3 MB

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. 

540. Swearing Is More Important Than You Think

April 20, 2023 03:00 - 45 minutes - 41.4 MB

Every language has its taboo words (which many people use all the time). But the list of forbidden words is always changing — and those changes tell us some surprising things about ourselves. Note: The swear words in this episode have been bleeped out. To hear a version of this episode without the bleeps, go to freakonomics.com.

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

April 13, 2023 03:00 - 46 minutes - 43 MB

Delaware is beloved by corporations, bankruptcy lawyers, tax avoiders, and money launderers. Critics say the Delaware “franchise” is undemocratic and corrupt. Insiders say it’s wildly efficient. We say: they’re both right.

538. A Radically Simple Way to Boost a Neighborhood

April 06, 2023 03:00 - 47 minutes - 43.5 MB

Many companies say they want to create more opportunities for Black Americans. One company is doing something concrete about it. We visit the South Side of Chicago to see how it’s working out.

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

March 30, 2023 03:00 - 43 minutes - 39.8 MB

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?

537. “Insurance Is Sexy.” Discuss.

March 23, 2023 03:00 - 52 minutes - 48.1 MB

In this installment of the Freakonomics Radio Book Club, the economist Amy Finkelstein explains why insurance markets are broken and how to fix them. Also: why can’t you buy divorce insurance?

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

March 16, 2023 03:00 - 49 minutes - 45.7 MB

People who are good at their jobs routinely get promoted into bigger jobs they’re bad at. We explain why firms keep producing incompetent managers — and why that’s unlikely to change.