Freakonomics Radio

Lessons from Tom Petty's rise and another rocker's fall.

A kitchen wizard and a nutrition detective talk about the perfect hamburger, getting the most out of garlic, and why you should use vodka in just about everything.

Researchers are trying to figure out who gets bored - and why - and what it means for ourselves and the economy. But maybe there's an upside to boredom?

Doctors, chefs, and other experts are much more likely than the rest of us to buy store-brand products. What do they know that we don't?

The process is famously secretive (and conducted in Swedish!) but we pry the lid off at least a little bit.

When one athlete turned pro, his mom asked him for $1 million. Our modern sensibilities tell us she doesn't have a case. But should she?

Anne-Marie Slaughter was best known for her adamant views on Syria when she accidentally became a poster girl for modern feminism. As it turns out, she can be pretty adamant in that realm as well.

Suspenders may work better, but the dork factor is too high. How did an organ-squeezing belly tourniquet become part of our everyday wardrobe -- and what other suboptimal solutions do we routinely pu…

From domestic abusers to former child soldiers, there is increasing evidence that behavioral therapy can turn them around.

Conventional programs tend to be expensive, onerous, and ineffective. Could something as simple (and cheap) as cognitive behavioral therapy do the trick?

How a pain-in-the-neck girl from rural Virginia came to run the most powerful university in the world.

We spend billions on end-of-life healthcare that doesn't do much good. So what if a patient could forego the standard treatment and get a cash rebate instead?

Step 1: Hire a Harvard psych professor as the pitchman. Step 2: Have him help write the script ...

What do NASCAR drivers, Glenn Beck and the hit men of the NFL have in common?

There are all kinds of civics-class answers to that question. But how true are they? Could it be that we like to read about war, politics, and miscellaneous heartbreak simply because it's (gasp) ente…

Why is soccer the best sport? How has Harlan Coben sold 70 million books? And why does "Apollo 13" keep you enthralled even when you know the ending?

The comedian, actor -- and now, author -- answers our FREAK-quently Asked Questions

People who sleep better earn more money. Now all we have to do is teach everyone to sleep better.

Could a lack of sleep help explain why some people get much sicker than others?

Takeru Kobayashi revolutionized the sport of competitive eating. What can the rest of us learn from his breakthrough?