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 our network without ads and a monthly bonus episode of Freakonomics Radio, sign up for SiriusXM Podcasts+ on Apple Podcasts at http://app ...
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From the podcast that explores the hidden side of everything, hear authors like you’ve never heard them before. Stephen Dubner and a stable of Freakonomics friends talk with the writers of mind-bending books, and we hear the best excerpts as well. You’ll learn about skill versus chance, the American discomfort with death, the secret life of dogs, and much more. To get every show in our network without ads and a monthly bonus episode of Freakonomics Radio, sign up for SiriusXM Podcasts+ on Ap ...
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What Is the Future of College — and Does It Have Room for Men? (Update)
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Educators and economists tell us all the reasons college enrollment has been dropping, especially for men, and how to stop the bleeding. (Part 3 of our series from 2022, “Freakonomics Radio Goes Back to School.”) SOURCES: Zachary Bleemer, assistant professor of economics at Princeton University and faculty research fellow at the National Bureau of …
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EXTRA: Why Quitting Is Usually Worth It
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Stephen Dubner appears as a guest on Fail Better, a new podcast hosted by David Duchovny. The two of them trade stories about failure, and ponder the lessons that success could never teach. SOURCES: David Duchovny, actor, director, writer, and musician. RESOURCES: "Martin Seligman and the Rise of Positive Psychology," by Peter Gibbon (Humanities, 2…
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1
The University of Impossible-to-Get-Into (Update)
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America’s top colleges are facing record demand. So why don’t they increase supply? (Part 2 of our series from 2022, “Freakonomics Radio Goes Back to School.”) SOURCES: Peter Blair, professor of education at Harvard University and faculty research fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research. Zachary Bleemer, assistant professor of economics …
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1
What Exactly Is College For? (Update)
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We think of them as intellectual enclaves and the surest route to a better life. But U.S. colleges also operate like firms, trying to differentiate their products to win market share and prestige points. In the first episode of a special series originally published in 2022, we ask what our chaotic system gets right — and wrong. (Part 1 of “Freakono…
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EXTRA: Here’s Why You’re Not an Elite Athlete (Update)
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There are a lot of factors that go into greatness, many of which are not obvious. As the Olympics come to a close, we revisit a 2018 episode in which top athletes from a variety of sports tell us how they made it, and what they sacrificed. SOURCES: Lance Armstrong, former professional cyclist. David Canton, director of African American studies and …
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600. “If We’re All in It for Ourselves, Who Are We?”
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Tania Tetlow, a former federal prosecutor and now the president of Fordham University, thinks the modern campus could use a dose of old-fashioned values. SOURCE: Tania Tetlow, president of Fordham University. RESOURCES: "Not a Priest, Not a Man, but Ready to Run Fordham," by David Waldstein (The New York Times, 2024). "Tech Glitch Upends Financial …
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599. The World's Most Valuable Unused Resource
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It’s not oil or water or plutonium — it’s human hours. We've got an idea for putting them to use, and for building a more human-centered economy. But we need your help. SOURCES: Nathan Dietz, research director at the Do Good Institute at the University of Maryland. Al Roth, professor of economics at Stanford University. Krista Wyatt, C.E.O. of Time…
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EXTRA: Why Rent Control Doesn’t Work (Update)
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A new proposal from the Biden administration calls for a nationwide cap on rent increases. Economists think that’s a terrible idea. We revisit a 2019 episode to hear why. SOURCES: Tommy Andersson, professor of economics at Lund University. Vicki Been, professor of law at New York University and former deputy mayor for housing and economic developme…
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598. Is Overconsolidation a Threat to Democracy?
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That’s the worry. Even the humble eyeglass industry is dominated by a single firm. We look into the global spike in myopia, how the Lemtosh got its name, and what your eye doctor knows that you don’t. (Part two of a two-part series.) SOURCES: Maria Liu, professor of clinical optometry at the University of California, Berkeley. Harvey Moscot, C.E.O.…
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597. Why Do Your Eyeglasses Cost $1,000?
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A single company, EssilorLuxottica, owns so much of the eyewear industry that it’s hard to escape their gravitational pull — or their “obscene” markups. Should regulators do something? Can Warby Parker steal market share? And how did Ray-Bans become a luxury brand? (Part one of a two-part series.) SOURCES: Neil Blumenthal, co-founder and co-CEO of …
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EXTRA: People Aren’t Dumb. The World Is Hard. (Update)
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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. In an interview from 2018, 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. SOURCES: Ric…
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596. Farewell to a Generational Talent
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Daniel Kahneman left his mark on academia (and the real world) in countless ways. A group of his friends and colleagues recently gathered in Chicago to reflect on this legacy — and we were there, with microphones. SOURCES: Maya Bar-Hillel, professor emeritus of psychology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Shane Frederick, professor of marketin…
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595. Why Don't We Have Better Candidates for President?
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American politics is trapped in a duopoly, with two all-powerful parties colluding to stifle competition. We revisit a 2018 episode to explain how the political industry works, and talk to a reformer (and former presidential candidate) who is pushing for change. SOURCES: Katherine Gehl, former president and C.E.O. of Gehl Foods. Michael Porter, pro…
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594. Your Brand’s Spokesperson Just Got Arrested — Now What?
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It’s hard to know whether the benefits of hiring a celebrity are worth the risk. We dig into one gruesome story of an endorsement gone wrong, and find a surprising result. SOURCES: John Cawley, professor of economics at Cornell University. Elizabeth (Zab) Johnson, executive director and senior fellow with the Wharton Neuroscience Initiative at the …
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593. You Can Make a Killing, but Not a Living
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Broadway operates on a winner-take-most business model. A runaway hit like Stereophonic — which just won five Tony Awards — will create a few big winners. But even the stars of the show will have to go elsewhere to make real money. (Part two of a two-part series.) SOURCES: David Adjmi, author and playwright. Sonia Friedman, theater producer and fou…
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EXTRA: The Fascinatingly Mundane Secrets of the World’s Most Exclusive Nightclub
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The Berlin dance mecca Berghain is known for its eight-hour line and inscrutable door policy. PJ Vogt, host of the podcast Search Engine, joins us to crack the code. It has to do with Cold War rivalries, German tax law, and one very talented bouncer. SOURCES: Lutz Leichsenring, executive board member of Clubcommission Berlin and co-founder of VibeL…
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592. How to Make the Coolest Show on Broadway
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Hit by Covid, runaway costs, and a zillion streams of competition, serious theater is in serious trouble. A new hit play called Stereophonic — the most Tony-nominated play in history — has something to say about that. We speak with the people who make it happen every night. (Part one of a two-part series.) SOURCES: David Adjmi, author and playwrigh…
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591. Signs of Progress, One Year at a Time
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Every December, a British man named Tom Whitwell publishes a list of 52 things he’s learned that year. These fascinating facts reveal the spectrum of human behavior, from fraud and hypocrisy to Whitwell’s steadfast belief in progress. Should we also believe? SOURCES: Tom Whitwell, managing consultant at Magnetic. RESOURCES: "Supercentenarian and Re…
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EXTRA: The Opioid Tragedy — How We Got Here
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An update of our 2020 series, in which we spoke with physicians, researchers, and addicts about the root causes of the crisis — and the tension between abstinence and harm reduction. SOURCES: Gail D’Onofrio, professor and chair of emergency medicine at the Yale School of Medicine and chief of emergency services at Yale-New Haven Health. Keith Humph…
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590. Can $55 Billion End the Opioid Epidemic?
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Thanks to legal settlements with drug makers and distributors, states have plenty of money to boost prevention and treatment. Will it work? (Part two of a two-part series.) SOURCES: Keith Humphreys, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University. Stephen Loyd, chief medical officer of Cedar Recovery and chair of the Tennesse…
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589. Why Has the Opioid Crisis Lasted So Long?
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Most epidemics flare up, do their damage, and fade away. This one has been raging for almost 30 years. To find out why, it’s time to ask some uncomfortable questions. (Part one of a two-part series.) SOURCES: David Cutler, professor of economics at Harvard University. Travis Donahoe, professor of health policy and management at the University of Pi…
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Extra: Car Colors & Storage Units
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Presenting two stories from The Economics of Everyday Things: Why does it seem like every car is black, white, or gray these days? And: How self-storage took over America. SOURCES: Tom Crockett, classic car enthusiast. Zachary Dickens, executive vice president and chief investment officer of Extra Space Storage. Mark Gutjahr, global head of design …
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23. Confessions of a Black Conservative
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The economist and social critic Glenn Loury has led a remarkably turbulent life, both professionally and personally. In a new memoir, he has chosen to reveal just about everything. Why? SOURCE: Glenn Loury, professor of economics at Brown University and host of The Glenn Show. RESOURCES: Late Admissions: Confessions of a Black Conservative, by Glen…
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588. Confessions of a Black Conservative
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The economist and social critic Glenn Loury has led a remarkably turbulent life, both professionally and personally. In a new memoir, he has chosen to reveal just about everything. Why? SOURCE: Glenn Loury, professor of economics at Brown University and host of The Glenn Show. RESOURCES: Late Admissions: Confessions of a Black Conservative, by Glen…
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587. Should Companies Be Owned by Their Workers?
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The employee ownership movement is growing, and one of its biggest champions is also a private equity heavyweight. Is this meaningful change, or just window dressing? SOURCES: Marjorie Kelly, distinguished senior fellow at The Democracy Collaborative. Corey Rosen, founder and senior staff member of the National Center for Employee Ownership. Pete S…
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586. How Does the Lost World of Vienna Still Shape Our Lives?
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From politics and economics to psychology and the arts, many of the modern ideas we take for granted emerged a century ago from a single European capital. In this episode of the Freakonomics Radio Book Club, the historian Richard Cockett explores all those ideas — and how the arrival of fascism can ruin in a few years what took generations to build…
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