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
- 856
- Years Active
- 2010 - 2025
16. Exit Interview: Schools Chancellor, NYC
Having already amassed an eventful resume -- the Clinton White House, the Department of Justice, and Bertelsmann -- Joel I. Klein spent the past eight years at chancellor of the biggest school system…
15. You Say Repugnant, I Say … Let's Do It!
What happens when the most disturbing ideas are also the best?
14. Do More Expensive Wines Taste Better?
They should! It's a cardinal rule: more expensive items are supposed to be qualitatively better than their cheaper versions. But is that true for wine?
13. The "No-Lose Lottery," Part 2
It’s the banking tool that got millions of people around the world to stop wasting money on the lottery. So why won't state and federal officials in the U.S. give it a chance?
12. Is America Ready for a "No-Lose Lottery"?
For the most part, Americans don't like the simple, boring act of putting money in a savings account. We do, however, love to play the lottery. So what if you combined the two, creating a new kind of…
11. How Much Does the President of the U.S. Really Matter?
The U.S. president is often called the "leader of free world." But if you ask an economist or a Constitutional scholar how much the occupant of the Oval Office matters, they won't say much. We look a…
10. The NFL's Best Real Estate Isn't For Sale. Yet.
The NFL is very good at making money. So why on earth doesn't it sell ad space on the one piece of real estate that football fans can’t help but see: the players themselves? The explanation is tricki…
9. Reading, Rockets, and 'Rithmetic
Government and the private sector often feel far apart. One is filled with compliance-driven bureaucracy. The other, with market-fueled innovation. But something is changing in a multi-billion dol…
8. Who Stole All the Runs in Major League Baseball?
It was a pretty good baseball season -- especially if you're a fan of the Yankees, Rays, Twins, Rangers, Reds, Braves, Phillies, or Giants, all of whom made the playoffs. But the post-season just ope…
7. Two Book Authors and a Microphone
The next chapter in the adventures of Dubner and Levitt has begun. Listen to a preview of what's to come for the fall season of Freakonomics Radio.
6. Why the World Cup Is an Economist's Dream
Steve Levitt talks about why the center cannot hold in penalty kicks, why a running track hurts home-field advantage, and why the World Cup is an economist's dream.
5. How Is a Bad Radio Station Like Our Public-School System?
In this episode of Freakonomics Radio, we explore a way to make 1.1 million schoolkids feel like they have 1.1 million teachers.
4. Faking It
Do you "fake it"? If so, you're hardly alone. In this episode, you'll hear how everyone from the President of the United States to a kosher-keeping bacon lover lives in a state of fallen grace. All t…
3. What Would the World Look Like if Economists Were in Charge?
In this episode we speculate what would happen if economists got to run the world. Hear from a high-end call girl; an Estonian who ran his country according to the gospel of Milton Friedman; and a gu…
2. Is America's Obesity Epidemic For Real?
Americans keep putting on pounds. So is it time for a cheeseburger tax? Or would a chill pill be the best medicine? In this episode, we explore the underbelly of fat through the eyes of a 280-pound w…
1. The Dangers of Safety
What do NASCAR drivers, Glenn Beck and the hit men of the NFL have in common?