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Freakonomics Radio

Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

852 episodes

3 days ago

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 the Freakonomics Radio Network without ads and a monthly bonus episode of Freakonomics Radio, start a free trial for SiriusXM Podcasts+ on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.

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Society & Culture

All content for Freakonomics Radio is the property of Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

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 the Freakonomics Radio Network without ads and a monthly bonus episode of Freakonomics Radio, start a free trial for SiriusXM Podcasts+ on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.

Show more...

Society & Culture

Episodes (20/852)

Freakonomics Radio

Why Do People Still Hunt Whales? (Update)

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.”)

2 days ago

37 minutes 32 seconds

Freakonomics Radio

The First Great American Industry (Update)

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.”)

1 week ago

45 minutes 2 seconds

Freakonomics Radio

Why Does Tipping Still Exist? (Update)

It’s a haphazard way of paying workers, and yet it keeps expanding. With federal tax policy shifting in a pro-tip direction, we revisit an episode from 2019 to find out why.

1 week ago

47 minutes 25 seconds

Freakonomics Radio

643. Why Do Candles Still Exist?

They should have died out when the lightbulb was invented. Instead they’re a $10 billion industry. What does it mean that we still want tiny fires inside our homes?

2 weeks ago

47 minutes 22 seconds

Freakonomics Radio

642. How to Wage Peace, According to Tony Blinken

The former secretary of state isn’t a flamethrower, but he certainly has strong opinions. In this wide-ranging conversation with Stephen Dubner, he gives them all: on Israel, Gaza, China, Iran, Russia, Biden, Trump — and the rest of the world.

3 weeks ago

1 hour 6 minutes 28 seconds

Freakonomics Radio

Why Does One Tiny State Set the Rules for Everyone? (Update)

Until recently, Delaware was almost universally agreed to be the best place for companies to incorporate. Now, with Elon Musk leading a corporate stampede out of the First State, we revisit an episode from 2023 that asked if Delaware’s “franchise” is wildly corrupt, wildly efficient … or both?

3 weeks ago

47 minutes 2 seconds

Freakonomics Radio

641. What Does It Cost to Lead a Creative Life?

For years, the playwright David Adjmi was considered “polarizing and difficult.” But creating "Stereophonic" seems to have healed him. Stephen Dubner gets the story — and sorts out what Adjmi has in common with Richard Wagner.

1 month ago

46 minutes 22 seconds

Freakonomics Radio

640. Why Governments Are Betting Big on Sports

The Gulf States and China are spending billions to build stadiums and buy up teams — but what are they really buying? And can an entrepreneur from Cincinnati make his own billions by bringing baseball to Dubai?

1 month ago

50 minutes 12 seconds

Freakonomics Radio

How to Make Your Own Luck (Update)

Before she decided to become a poker pro, Maria Konnikova didn’t know how many cards are in a deck. But she did have a Ph.D. in psychology, a brilliant coach, and a burning desire to know whether life is driven more by skill or chance. She found some answers in poker — and she’s willing to tell us everything she learned.

1 month ago

58 minutes 7 seconds

Freakonomics Radio

639. “This Country Kicks My Ass All the Time”

Cory Booker on the politics of fear, the politics of hope, and how to split the difference.

1 month ago

53 minutes 46 seconds

Freakonomics Radio

638. Are You Ready for the Elder Swell?

In the U.S., there will soon be more people over 65 than there are under 18 — and it’s not just lifespan that’s improving, it’s “healthspan” too. Unfortunately, the American approach to aging is stuck in the 20th century. In less than an hour, we try to unstick it. (Part three of a three-part series, “Cradle to Grave.”)

1 month ago

54 minutes 53 seconds

Freakonomics Radio

What Do Medieval Nuns and Bo Jackson Have in Common? (Update)

In this episode from 2013, we look at whether spite pays — and if it even exists.

1 month ago

36 minutes 13 seconds

Freakonomics Radio

637. What It’s Like to Be Middle-Aged (in the Middle Ages)

The simplicity of life back then is appealing today, as long as you don’t mind Church hegemony, the occasional plague, trial by gossip — and the lack of ibuprofen. (Part two of a three-part series, “Cradle to Grave.”)

1 month ago

45 minutes 54 seconds

Freakonomics Radio

636. Why Aren’t We Having More Babies?

For decades, the great fear was overpopulation. Now it’s the opposite. How did this happen — and what’s being done about it? (Part one of a three-part series, “Cradle to Grave.”)

2 months ago

50 minutes 28 seconds

Freakonomics Radio

An Economics Lesson from a Talking Pencil (Update)

A famous essay argues that “not a single person on the face of this earth” knows how to make a pencil. How true is that? In this 2016 episode, we looked at what pencil-making can teach us about global manufacturing — and the proper role of government in the economy.

2 months ago

39 minutes 45 seconds

Freakonomics Radio

635. Can a Museum Be the Conscience of a Nation?

Nicholas Cullinan, the new director of the British Museum, seems to think so. “I'm not afraid of the past,” he says — which means talking about looted objects, the basement storerooms, and the leaking roof. We take the guided tour.

2 months ago

50 minutes 55 seconds

Freakonomics Radio

634. “Fault-Finder Is a Minimum-Wage Job”

Austan Goolsbee, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, is less reserved than the average banker. He explains why vibes are overrated, why the Fed’s independence is non-negotiable, and why tariffs could bring the economy back to the Covid era.

2 months ago

1 hour 2 minutes 15 seconds

Freakonomics Radio

633. The Most Powerful People You’ve Never Heard Of

Just beneath the surface of the global economy, there is a hidden layer of dealmakers for whom war, chaos, and sanctions can be a great business opportunity. Javier Blas and Jack Farchy, the authors of "The World for Sale", help us shine a light on the shadowy realm of commodity traders.

2 months ago

1 hour 5 minutes 42 seconds

Freakonomics Radio

How to Succeed at Failing, Part 4: Extreme Resiliency (Update)

Everyone makes mistakes. How do we learn from them? Lessons from the classroom, the Air Force, and the world’s deadliest infectious disease.

2 months ago

52 minutes 50 seconds

Freakonomics Radio

How to Succeed at Failing, Part 3: Grit vs. Quit (Update)

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.

3 months ago

1 hour 3 minutes 37 seconds