Freakonomics Radio

344. Who Decides How Much a Life Is Worth?

August 09, 2018 03:00 - 38 minutes - 35 MB

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.

Who Decides How Much a Life Is Worth?

August 09, 2018 03:00 - 38 minutes - 35 MB

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.

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

August 07, 2018 03:00 - 45 minutes - 41.9 MB

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.

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

August 02, 2018 03:00 - 53 minutes - 49.1 MB

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.

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

August 02, 2018 03:00 - 53 minutes - 49.1 MB

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.

342. Has Lance Armstrong Finally Come Clean?

July 26, 2018 03:00 - 50 minutes - 46.4 MB

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?

Has Lance Armstrong Finally Come Clean?

July 26, 2018 03:00 - 50 minutes - 46.4 MB

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?

Why We Choke Under Pressure (and How Not To)

July 19, 2018 03:00 - 44 minutes - 40.9 MB

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.

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

July 19, 2018 03:00 - 44 minutes - 40.9 MB

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.

People Aren’t Dumb. The World Is Hard.

July 12, 2018 03:00 - 57 minutes - 52.2 MB

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.

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

July 12, 2018 03:00 - 57 minutes - 52.2 MB

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.

339. The Future of Freakonomics Radio

July 03, 2018 20:00 - 35 minutes - 33 MB

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.

The Future of Freakonomics Radio

July 03, 2018 20:00 - 35 minutes - 33 MB

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.

264. In Praise of Incrementalism (Rebroadcast)

June 28, 2018 03:00 - 49 minutes - 45.2 MB

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.

In Praise of Incrementalism (Rebroadcast)

June 28, 2018 03:00 - 49 minutes - 45.2 MB

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.

263. In Praise of Maintenance (Rebroadcast)

June 21, 2018 03:00 - 42 minutes - 38.7 MB

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

In Praise of Maintenance (Rebroadcast)

June 21, 2018 03:00 - 42 minutes - 38.7 MB

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

338. How to Catch World Cup Fever

June 14, 2018 03:00 - 56 minutes - 52 MB

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.

How to Catch World Cup Fever

June 14, 2018 03:00 - 56 minutes - 52 MB

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.

How to Build a Smart City

June 07, 2018 03:00 - 39 minutes - 35.8 MB

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.

337. How to Build a Smart City

June 07, 2018 03:00 - 39 minutes - 35.8 MB

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.

How Stupid Is Our Obsession With Lawns? (Rebroadcast)

May 31, 2018 03:00 - 28 minutes - 26.1 MB

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?

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

May 31, 2018 03:00 - 28 minutes - 26.1 MB

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?

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

May 24, 2018 03:00 - 33 minutes - 30.6 MB

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.

The Most Vilified Industry in America Is Also the Most Charitable

May 24, 2018 03:00 - 33 minutes - 30.6 MB

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.

Does Doing Good Give You License to Be Bad?

May 17, 2018 03:00 - 36 minutes - 33.8 MB

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.

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

May 17, 2018 03:00 - 36 minutes - 33.8 MB

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.

5 Psychology Terms You’re Probably Misusing

May 10, 2018 03:00 - 49 minutes - 45.4 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.

334. 5 Psychology Terms You’re Probably Misusing

May 10, 2018 03:00 - 49 minutes - 45.4 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.

Evolution, Accelerated (Rebroadcast)

May 03, 2018 03:00 - 35 minutes - 32.6 MB

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?

291. Evolution, Accelerated (Rebroadcast)

May 03, 2018 03:00 - 35 minutes - 32.6 MB

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?

333. The Most Ambitious Thing Humans Have Ever Attempted

April 26, 2018 03:00 - 52 minutes - 47.6 MB

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.

The Most Ambitious Thing Humans Have Ever Attempted

April 26, 2018 03:00 - 52 minutes - 47.6 MB

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.

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