Latest Stephen j Podcast Episodes
554. Can A.I. Take a Joke?
Freakonomics Radio - August 24, 2023 03:00 - 48 minutes ★★★★★ - 29.3K ratingsArtificial 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 h...
553. The Suddenly Diplomatic Rahm Emanuel
Freakonomics Radio - August 17, 2023 03:00 - 56 minutes ★★★★★ - 29.3K ratingsThe 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)
Freakonomics Radio - August 10, 2023 03:00 - 46 minutes ★★★★★ - 29.3K ratingsAmericans 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
Freakonomics Radio - August 06, 2023 21:00 - 26 minutes ★★★★★ - 29.3K ratingsBjorn 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
Freakonomics Radio - August 03, 2023 03:00 - 47 minutes ★★★★★ - 29.3K ratingsIn 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?
Freakonomics Radio - July 27, 2023 03:00 - 47 minutes ★★★★★ - 29.3K ratingsIn 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?
Freakonomics Radio - July 20, 2023 03:00 - 37 minutes ★★★★★ - 29.3K ratingsFor 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 “Eve...
549. The First Great American Industry
Freakonomics Radio - July 13, 2023 03:00 - 43 minutes ★★★★★ - 29.3K ratingsWhaling 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 W...
548. Why Is the U.S. So Good at Killing Pedestrians?
Freakonomics Radio - July 06, 2023 03:00 - 44 minutes ★★★★★ - 29.3K ratingsActually, 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)
Freakonomics Radio - June 29, 2023 03:00 - 47 minutes ★★★★★ - 29.3K ratingsSure, 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
Freakonomics Radio - June 22, 2023 03:00 - 36 minutes ★★★★★ - 29.3K ratingsBut 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?
Freakonomics Radio - June 15, 2023 03:00 - 54 minutes ★★★★★ - 29.3K ratingsProbably 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!
Freakonomics Radio - June 08, 2023 03:00 - 44 minutes ★★★★★ - 29.3K ratingsGun 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
Freakonomics Radio - June 01, 2023 03:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 29.3K ratingsHe 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)
Freakonomics Radio - May 25, 2023 03:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 29.3K ratingsSure, 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
Freakonomics Radio - May 18, 2023 03:00 - 51 minutes ★★★★★ - 29.3K ratingsMuseums 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?
Freakonomics Radio - May 11, 2023 03:00 - 52 minutes ★★★★★ - 29.3K ratingsThe 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
Freakonomics Radio - May 04, 2023 03:00 - 53 minutes ★★★★★ - 29.3K ratingsHow 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)
Freakonomics Radio - April 27, 2023 03:00 - 42 minutes ★★★★★ - 29.3K ratingsWhether 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
Freakonomics Radio - April 20, 2023 03:00 - 45 minutes ★★★★★ - 29.3K ratingsEvery 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 t...
539. Why Does One Tiny State Set the Rules for Everyone?
Freakonomics Radio - April 13, 2023 03:00 - 46 minutes ★★★★★ - 29.3K ratingsDelaware 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
Freakonomics Radio - April 06, 2023 03:00 - 47 minutes ★★★★★ - 29.3K ratingsMany 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)
Freakonomics Radio - March 30, 2023 03:00 - 43 minutes ★★★★★ - 29.3K ratingsEvery 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.
Freakonomics Radio - March 23, 2023 03:00 - 52 minutes ★★★★★ - 29.3K ratingsIn 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)
Freakonomics Radio - March 16, 2023 03:00 - 49 minutes ★★★★★ - 29.3K ratingsPeople 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.
536. Is Your Plane Ticket Too Expensive — or Too Cheap?
Freakonomics Radio - March 09, 2023 04:00 - 58 minutes ★★★★★ - 29.3K ratingsMost travelers want the cheapest flight they can find. Airlines, meanwhile, need to manage volatile fuel costs, a pricey workforce, and complex logistics. So how do they make money — and how did America’s grubbiest airport suddenly turn into a palace? (Part 3 of “Freakonomics Radio Takes to the ...
535. Why Is Flying Safer Than Driving?
Freakonomics Radio - March 02, 2023 04:00 - 56 minutes ★★★★★ - 29.3K ratingsThanks to decades of work by airlines and regulators, plane crashes are nearly a thing of the past. Can we do the same for cars? (Part 2 of “Freakonomics Radio Takes to the Skies.”)
534. Air Travel Is a Miracle. Why Do We Hate It?
Freakonomics Radio - February 23, 2023 04:00 - 58 minutes ★★★★★ - 29.3K ratingsIt’s an unnatural activity that has become normal. You’re stuck in a metal tube with hundreds of strangers (and strange smells), defying gravity and racing through the sky. But oh, the places you’ll go! We visit the world’s busiest airport to see how it all comes together. (Part 1 of “Freakonom...
Why Does the Most Monotonous Job in the World Pay $1 Million? (Ep. 493 Update)
Freakonomics Radio - February 16, 2023 04:00 - 53 minutes ★★★★★ - 29.3K ratingsAdam Smith famously argued that specialization is the key to prosperity. In the N.F.L., the long snapper is proof of that argument. Here’s everything there is to know about a job that didn’t used to exist.
The Economics of Everyday Things: Used Hotel Soaps
Freakonomics Radio - February 13, 2023 04:00 - 16 minutes ★★★★★ - 29.3K ratingsHotel guests adore those cute little soaps, but is it just a one-night stand? In our fourth episode of The Economics of Everyday Things, Zachary Crockett discovers what happens to those soaps when we love ’em and leave ’em.
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