Freakonomics Radio
1,329 episodes - English - Latest episode: 2 days ago - ★★★★★ - 29.3K ratingsFreakonomics 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
You Say Repugnant, I Say … Let's Do It!
December 29, 2010 16:29 - 26 minutes - 23.9 MBWhat happens when the most disturbing ideas are also the best?
14. Do More Expensive Wines Taste Better?
December 15, 2010 23:09 - 24 minutes - 23 MBThey should! It's a cardinal rule: more expensive items are supposed to be qualitatively better than their cheaper versions. But is that true for wine?
Do More Expensive Wines Taste Better?
December 15, 2010 23:09 - 24 minutes - 23 MBThey should! It's a cardinal rule: more expensive items are supposed to be qualitatively better than their cheaper versions. But is that true for wine?
The "No-Lose Lottery," Part 2
December 01, 2010 22:14 - 21 minutes - 19.5 MBIt’s the banking tool that got millions of people around the world to stop wasting money on the lottery. So why won't state and federal officials in the U.S. give it a chance?
13. The "No-Lose Lottery," Part 2
December 01, 2010 22:14 - 21 minutes - 19.5 MBIt’s the banking tool that got millions of people around the world to stop wasting money on the lottery. So why won't state and federal officials in the U.S. give it a chance?
Is America Ready for a "No-Lose Lottery"?
November 17, 2010 22:57 - 25 minutes - 23.2 MBFor the most part, Americans don't like the simple, boring act of putting money in a savings account. We do, however, love to play the lottery. So what if you combined the two, creating a new kind of savings account with a lottery payout?
12. Is America Ready for a "No-Lose Lottery"?
November 17, 2010 22:57 - 25 minutes - 23.2 MBFor the most part, Americans don't like the simple, boring act of putting money in a savings account. We do, however, love to play the lottery. So what if you combined the two, creating a new kind of savings account with a lottery payout?
How Much Does the President of the U.S. Really Matter?
November 03, 2010 20:48 - 32 minutes - 29.8 MBThe U.S. president is often called the "leader of free world." But if you ask an economist or a Constitutional scholar how much the occupant of the Oval Office matters, they won't say much. We look at what the data have to say about measuring leadership, and its impact on the economy and the country.
11. How Much Does the President of the U.S. Really Matter?
November 03, 2010 20:48 - 32 minutes - 29.8 MBThe U.S. president is often called the "leader of free world." But if you ask an economist or a Constitutional scholar how much the occupant of the Oval Office matters, they won't say much. We look at what the data have to say about measuring leadership, and its impact on the economy and the country.
The NFL's Best Real Estate Isn't For Sale. Yet.
October 28, 2010 19:50 - 21 minutes - 19.8 MBThe NFL is very good at making money. So why on earth doesn't it sell ad space on the one piece of real estate that football fans can’t help but see: the players themselves? The explanation is trickier than you might think. It has to do with Peyton Manning, with Eli Manning, and with ... wait for it ... Tevye.
10. The NFL's Best Real Estate Isn't For Sale. Yet.
October 28, 2010 19:50 - 21 minutes - 19.8 MBThe NFL is very good at making money. So why on earth doesn't it sell ad space on the one piece of real estate that football fans can’t help but see: the players themselves? The explanation is trickier than you might think. It has to do with Peyton Manning, with Eli Manning, and with ... wait for it ... Tevye.
Reading, Rockets, and 'Rithmetic
October 21, 2010 02:53 - 19 minutes - 18.1 MBGovernment and the private sector often feel far apart. One is filled with compliance-driven bureaucracy. The other, with market-fueled innovation. But something is changing in a multi-billion dollar corner of the Department of Education. It's an experiment, which takes cues from the likes of Google and millionaires who hope to go to the moon.
9. Reading, Rockets, and 'Rithmetic
October 21, 2010 02:53 - 19 minutes - 18.1 MBGovernment and the private sector often feel far apart. One is filled with compliance-driven bureaucracy. The other, with market-fueled innovation. But something is changing in a multi-billion dollar corner of the Department of Education. It's an experiment, which takes cues from the likes of Google and millionaires who hope to go to the moon.
8. Who Stole All the Runs in Major League Baseball?
October 07, 2010 12:57 - 14 minutes - 13.1 MBIt was a pretty good baseball season -- especially if you're a fan of the Yankees, Rays, Twins, Rangers, Reds, Braves, Phillies, or Giants, all of whom made the playoffs. But the post-season just opened with a telling event, a no-hitter pitched by the Phillies' Roy Halladay, which shows what's been missing all season: runs.
Who Stole All the Runs in Major League Baseball?
October 07, 2010 12:57 - 14 minutes - 13.1 MBIt was a pretty good baseball season -- especially if you're a fan of the Yankees, Rays, Twins, Rangers, Reds, Braves, Phillies, or Giants, all of whom made the playoffs. But the post-season just opened with a telling event, a no-hitter pitched by the Phillies' Roy Halladay, which shows what's been missing all season: runs.
Two Book Authors and a Microphone
September 30, 2010 04:06 - 11 minutes - 10.6 MBThe next chapter in the adventures of Dubner and Levitt has begun. Listen to a preview of what's to come for the fall season of Freakonomics Radio.
7. Two Book Authors and a Microphone
September 30, 2010 04:06 - 11 minutes - 10.6 MBThe next chapter in the adventures of Dubner and Levitt has begun. Listen to a preview of what's to come for the fall season of Freakonomics Radio.
Why the World Cup Is an Economist's Dream
June 10, 2010 06:25 - 8 minutes - 7.82 MBSteve Levitt talks about why the center cannot hold in penalty kicks, why a running track hurts home-field advantage, and why the World Cup is an economist's dream.
6. Why the World Cup Is an Economist's Dream
June 10, 2010 06:25 - 8 minutes - 7.82 MBSteve Levitt talks about why the center cannot hold in penalty kicks, why a running track hurts home-field advantage, and why the World Cup is an economist's dream.
How Is a Bad Radio Station Like Our Public-School System?
May 13, 2010 00:53 - 28 minutes - 26.3 MBIn this episode of Freakonomics Radio, we explore a way to make 1.1 million schoolkids feel like they have 1.1 million teachers.
5. How Is a Bad Radio Station Like Our Public-School System?
May 13, 2010 00:53 - 28 minutes - 26.3 MBIn this episode of Freakonomics Radio, we explore a way to make 1.1 million schoolkids feel like they have 1.1 million teachers.
4. Faking It
April 13, 2010 00:52 - 19 minutes - 17.7 MBDo you "fake it"? If so, you're hardly alone. In this episode, you'll hear how everyone from the President of the United States to a kosher-keeping bacon lover lives in a state of fallen grace. All the time. And gets by.
Faking It
April 13, 2010 00:52 - 19 minutes - 17.7 MBDo you "fake it"? If so, you're hardly alone. In this episode, you'll hear how everyone from the President of the United States to a kosher-keeping bacon lover lives in a state of fallen grace. All the time. And gets by.
What Would the World Look Like if Economists Were in Charge?
March 24, 2010 00:52 - 19 minutes - 18 MBIn this episode we speculate what would happen if economists got to run the world. Hear from a high-end call girl; an Estonian who ran his country according to the gospel of Milton Friedman; and a guy who wants to start building new nations in the middle of the ocean.
3. What Would the World Look Like if Economists Were in Charge?
March 24, 2010 00:52 - 19 minutes - 18 MBIn this episode we speculate what would happen if economists got to run the world. Hear from a high-end call girl; an Estonian who ran his country according to the gospel of Milton Friedman; and a guy who wants to start building new nations in the middle of the ocean.
2. Is America's Obesity Epidemic For Real?
February 26, 2010 01:53 - 21 minutes - 19.3 MBAmericans keep putting on pounds. So is it time for a cheeseburger tax? Or would a chill pill be the best medicine? In this episode, we explore the underbelly of fat through the eyes of a 280-pound woman, a top White House doctor, and a couple of overweight academics.
Is America's Obesity Epidemic For Real?
February 26, 2010 01:53 - 21 minutes - 19.3 MBAmericans keep putting on pounds. So is it time for a cheeseburger tax? Or would a chill pill be the best medicine? In this episode, we explore the underbelly of fat through the eyes of a 280-pound woman, a top White House doctor, and a couple of overweight academics.
The Dangers of Safety
February 06, 2010 03:15 - 26 minutes - 24.2 MBWhat do NASCAR drivers, Glenn Beck and the hit men of the NFL have in common?
1. The Dangers of Safety
February 06, 2010 03:15 - 26 minutes - 24.2 MBWhat do NASCAR drivers, Glenn Beck and the hit men of the NFL have in common?