Freakonomics Radio
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.
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- Update frequency
- every 5 days
- Average duration
- 41 minutes
- Episodes
- 857
- Years Active
- 2010 - 2025
148. Are Gay Men Really Rich?
It’s easy to get that idea. But is the stereotype true?
147. The Most Dangerous Machine
More than 1 million people die worldwide each year from traffic accidents. But there's never been a safer time to drive.
146. Fighting Poverty With Actual Evidence
It's time to do away with feel-good stories, gut hunches, and magical thinking.
145. What Do Skating Rinks, Ultimate Frisbee, and the World Have in Common?
Spontaneous order is everywhere if you know where to look for it.
144. Who Runs the Internet?
The online universe doesn't have nearly as many rules, or rulemakers, as the real world. Discuss.
Freakonomics Goes to College, Part 2 (Rebroadcast)
College tends to make people happier, healthier, and wealthier. But how?
Freakonomics Goes to College, Part 1 (Rebroadcast)
What's a college degree really worth these days?
143. Why Bad Environmentalism Is Such an Easy Sell
Being green is rarely a black-and-white issue -- but that doesn't stop marketers and politicians from pretending it is.
142. The Troubled Cremation of Stevie the Cat
We spend billions on our pets, and one of the fastest-growing costs is pet "aftercare." But are those cremated remains you got back really from your pet?
141. How to Raise Money Without Killing a Kitten
The science of what works -- and doesn't work -- in fund-raising
140. How to Think About Money, Choose Your Hometown, and Buy an Electric Toothbrush
Dubner and Levitt field your queries in this latest installment of our FREAK-quently Asked Questions.
139. Would a Big Bucket of Cash Really Change Your Life?
A 19th-century Georgia land lottery may have something to teach us about today's income inequality.
The Economist’s Guide to Parenting (Rebroadcast)
Think you know how much parents matter? Think again. Economists crunch the numbers to learn the ROI on child-rearing.
138. Whatever Happened to the Carpal Tunnel Epidemic?
Once upon a time, office workers across America lived in fear of a dreaded infirmity. Was the computer keyboard really the villain -- and did carpal tunnel syndrome really go away?
The Suicide Paradox (Rebroadcast)
There are more than twice as many suicides as murders in the U.S., but suicide attracts far less scrutiny. Freakonomics Radio digs through the numbers and finds all kinds of surprises.
137. Who Are the Most Successful Immigrants in the World?
It's impossible to say for sure, but the Lebanese do remarkably well. Why?
The Folly of Prediction (Rebroadcast)
Human beings love to predict the future, but we're quite terrible at it. So how about punishing all those bad predictions?
136. The Middle of Everywhere
Chicago has given the world more than sausage, crooked politics, and Da Bears.
The Church of "Scionology" (Rebroadcast)
We worship the tradition of handing off a family business to the next generation. But is that really such a good idea?
135. Do Baby Girls Cause Divorce?
Even American parents have a strong "son preference" -- which means that a newborn daughter can be bad news for a marriage.