Subscribe Now!
...with web-based podcatchers. Click your choice below:
...with iTunes:
...with something else (copy this address):
Get more info on other podcatchers:
A podcast is rich media, such as audio or video, distributed via RSS. Feeds like this one provide updates whenever there is new content. FeedBurner makes it easy to receive content updates in popular podcatchers.
Learn more about syndication and FeedBurner...
Current Feed Content
-
Fixing the World, Bang-for-the-Buck Edition (Rebroadcast)
Posted: Wed, 23 Dec 2015 23:00:00 -0500
A team of economists has been running the numbers on the U.N.'s development goals. They have a different view of how those billions of dollars should be spent.
-
Is Migration a Basic Human Right?
Posted: Wed, 16 Dec 2015 23:00:00 -0500
The argument for open borders is compelling -- and deeply problematic.
-
The Cheeseburger Diet
Posted: Wed, 09 Dec 2015 23:00:00 -0500
One woman's quest to find the best burger in town can teach all of us to eat smarter.
-
Ben Bernanke Gives Himself a Grade
Posted: Wed, 02 Dec 2015 23:00:00 -0500
He was handed the keys to the global economy just as it started heading off a cliff. Fortunately, he'd seen this movie before.
-
Why Do People Keep Having Children? (Rebroadcast)
Posted: Wed, 25 Nov 2015 23:00:00 -0500
Even a brutal natural disaster doesn't diminish our appetite for procreating. This surely means we're heading toward massive overpopulation, right? Probably not.
-
Does “Early Education” Come Way Too Late?
Posted: Wed, 18 Nov 2015 23:00:00 -0500
In our collective zeal to reform schools and close the achievement gap, we may have lost sight of where most learning really happens -- at home.
-
Should Everyone Be in a Rock Band?
Posted: Wed, 11 Nov 2015 23:00:00 -0500
Lessons from Tom Petty's rise and another rocker's fall.
-
Food + Science = Victory!
Posted: Wed, 04 Nov 2015 23:00:00 -0500
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.
-
Am I Boring You?
Posted: Wed, 28 Oct 2015 23:00:00 -0400
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?
-
How to Save $1 Billion Without Even Trying (Rebroadcast)
Posted: Wed, 21 Oct 2015 23:00:00 -0400
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?
-
How To Win A Nobel Prize
Posted: Wed, 14 Oct 2015 23:00:00 -0400
The process is famously secretive (and conducted in Swedish!) but we pry the lid off at least a little bit.
-
Should Kids Pay Back Their Parents for Raising Them?
Posted: Wed, 07 Oct 2015 23:00:00 -0400
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?
-
Meet the Woman Who Said Women Can’t Have It All
Posted: Wed, 30 Sep 2015 23:00:00 -0400
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.
-
How Did the Belt Win?
Posted: Wed, 23 Sep 2015 23:00:00 -0400
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 put up with?
-
“I Don't Know What You've Done With My Husband, But He's a Changed Man.”
Posted: Wed, 16 Sep 2015 23:00:00 -0400
From domestic abusers to former child soldiers, there is increasing evidence that behavioral therapy can turn them around.
-
Preventing Crime for Pennies on the Dollar
Posted: Wed, 09 Sep 2015 23:00:00 -0400
Conventional programs tend to be expensive, onerous, and ineffective. Could something as simple (and cheap) as cognitive behavioral therapy do the trick?
-
The Harvard President Will See You Now
Posted: Wed, 02 Sep 2015 23:00:00 -0400
How a pain-in-the-neck girl from rural Virginia came to run the most powerful university in the world.
-
Are You Ready for a Glorious Sunset?
Posted: Wed, 26 Aug 2015 23:00:00 -0400
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?
-
How to Make a Smart TV Ad
Posted: Wed, 19 Aug 2015 23:00:00 -0400
Step 1: Hire a Harvard psych professor as the pitchman. Step 2: Have him help write the script ...
-
The Dangers of Safety (Rebroadcast)
Posted: Wed, 12 Aug 2015 23:00:00 -0400
What do NASCAR drivers, Glenn Beck and the hit men of the NFL have in common?
-
Why Do We Really Follow the News?
Posted: Wed, 05 Aug 2015 23:00:00 -0400
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) entertaining?
-
How to Create Suspense
Posted: Wed, 29 Jul 2015 23:00:00 -0400
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?
-
Aziz Ansari Needs Another Toothbrush
Posted: Wed, 22 Jul 2015 23:00:00 -0400
The comedian, actor -- and now, author -- answers our FREAK-quently Asked Questions
-
The Economics of Sleep, Part 2
Posted: Wed, 15 Jul 2015 23:00:00 -0400
People who sleep better earn more money. Now all we have to do is teach everyone to sleep better.
-
The Economics of Sleep, Part 1
Posted: Wed, 08 Jul 2015 23:00:00 -0400
Could a lack of sleep help explain why some people get much sicker than others?
-
A Better Way to Eat (Rebroadcast)
Posted: Wed, 01 Jul 2015 23:00:00 -0400
Takeru Kobayashi revolutionized the sport of competitive eating. What can the rest of us learn from his breakthrough?
-
Is It Okay for Restaurants to Racially Profile Their Employees?
Posted: Wed, 24 Jun 2015 23:00:00 -0400
We seem to have decided that ethnic food tastes better when it's served by people of that ethnicity (or at least something close). Does this make sense -- and is it legal?
-
Make Me a Match
Posted: Wed, 17 Jun 2015 23:00:00 -0400
Sure, markets generally work well. But for some transactions -- like school admissions and organ transplants -- money alone can't solve the problem. That's when you need a market-design wizard like Al Roth.
-
Making Sex Offenders Pay -- and Pay and Pay and Pay
Posted: Wed, 10 Jun 2015 23:00:00 -0400
Sure, sex crimes are horrific, and the perpetrators deserve to be punished harshly. But society keeps exacting costs -- out-of-pocket and otherwise -- long after the prison sentence has been served.
-
Should We Really Behave Like Economists Say We Do?
Posted: Wed, 03 Jun 2015 23:00:00 -0400
One man's attempt to remake his life in the mold of homo economicus.
-
Tell Me Something I Don’t Know (Rebroadcast)
Posted: Wed, 27 May 2015 23:00:00 -0400
The debut of a live game show from Freakonomics Radio, with judges Malcolm Gladwell, Ana Gasteyer, and David Paterson.
-
Failure Is Your Friend (Rebroadcast)
Posted: Wed, 20 May 2015 23:00:00 -0400
In which we argue that failure should not only be tolerated but celebrated.
-
Ten Years of Freakonomics
Posted: Wed, 13 May 2015 23:00:00 -0400
Dubner and Levitt are live onstage at the 92nd Street Y in New York to celebrate their new book "When to Rob a Bank" -- and a decade of working together.
-
Could the Next Brooklyn Be ... Las Vegas?!
Posted: Wed, 06 May 2015 23:00:00 -0400
Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh has a wild vision and the dollars to try to make it real. But it still might be the biggest gamble in town.
-
Think Like a Child (Rebroadcast)
Posted: Wed, 29 Apr 2015 23:00:00 -0400
When it comes to generating ideas and asking questions it can be really fruitful to have the mentality of an eight year old.
-
Nate Silver Says: “Everyone Is Kind of Weird”
Posted: Wed, 22 Apr 2015 23:00:00 -0400
America's favorite statistical guru answers our FREAK-quently Asked Questions, and more.
-
Diamonds Are a Marriage Counselor’s Best Friend
Posted: Thu, 16 Apr 2015 00:00:00 -0400
It may seem like winning a valuable diamond is an unalloyed victory. It's not. It's not even clear that a diamond is so valuable.
-
How Many Doctors Does It Take to Start a Healthcare Revolution?
Posted: Thu, 09 Apr 2015 00:00:00 -0400
The practice of medicine has been subsumed by the business of medicine. This is great news for healthcare shareholders -- and bad news for pretty much everyone else.
-
How Do We Know What Really Works in Healthcare?
Posted: Thu, 02 Apr 2015 00:00:00 -0400
A lot of the conventional wisdom in medicine is nothing more than hunch or wishful thinking. A new breed of data detectives is hoping to change that.
-
The Perfect Crime (Rebroadcast)
Posted: Thu, 26 Mar 2015 00:00:00 -0400
If you are driving and kill a pedestrian, there's a good chance you'll barely be punished. Why?
-
What You Don’t Know About Online Dating (Rebroadcast)
Posted: Thu, 19 Mar 2015 00:00:00 -0400
Thick markets, thin markets, and the triumph of attributes over compatibility.
-
When Willpower Isn’t Enough
Posted: Thu, 12 Mar 2015 00:00:00 -0400
Sure, we all want to make good personal decisions, but it doesn't always work out. That's where "temptation bundling" comes in.
-
This Idea Must Die
Posted: Thu, 05 Mar 2015 00:00:00 -0500
Every year, Edge.org asks its salon of big thinkers to answer one big question. This year's question borders on heresy: what scientific idea is ready for retirement?
-
The Maddest Men of All
Posted: Thu, 26 Feb 2015 00:00:00 -0500
Advertisers have always been adept at manipulating our emotions. Now they're using behavioral economics to get even better.
-
Hacking the World Bank
Posted: Thu, 19 Feb 2015 00:00:00 -0500
Jim Yong Kim has an unorthodox background for a World Bank president -- and his reign thus far is just as unorthodox.
-
Is There a Better Way to Fight Terrorism?
Posted: Thu, 12 Feb 2015 00:00:00 -0500
The White House is hosting an anti-terror summit next week. Summits being what they are, we try to offer some useful advice.
-
How Efficient Is Energy Efficiency?
Posted: Thu, 05 Feb 2015 00:00:00 -0500
It's a centerpiece of U.S. climate policy and a sacred cow among environmentalists. Does it work?
-
How Safe Is Your Job?
Posted: Thu, 29 Jan 2015 00:00:00 -0500
Economists preach the gospel of "creative destruction," whereby new industries -- and jobs -- replace the old ones. But has creative destruction become too destructive?
-
Someone Else’s Acid Trip
Posted: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 00:00:00 -0500
As Kevin Kelly tells it, the hippie revolution and the computer revolution are nearly one and the same.
-
That’s a Great Question!
Posted: Thu, 15 Jan 2015 00:00:00 -0500
Verbal tic or strategic rejoinder? Whatever the case: it’s rare to come across an interview these days where at least one question isn’t a “great” one.
-
Why Doesn’t Everyone Get the Flu Vaccine?
Posted: Thu, 08 Jan 2015 00:00:00 -0500
Influenza kills, but you’d never know it by how few of us get the vaccine.
-
What’s the “Best” Exercise? (Rebroadcast)
Posted: Thu, 01 Jan 2015 00:00:00 -0500
Most people blame lack of time for being out of shape. So maybe the solution is to exercise more efficiently.
-
What’s More Dangerous: Marijuana or Alcohol? (Rebroadcast)
Posted: Thu, 25 Dec 2014 00:00:00 -0500
Imagine that both substances were undiscovered until today. How would we think about their relative risks?
-
Time to Take Back the Toilet
Posted: Thu, 18 Dec 2014 00:00:00 -0500
Public bathrooms are noisy, poorly designed, and often nonexistent. What to do?
-
The Troubled Cremation of Stevie the Cat (Rebroadcast)
Posted: Thu, 11 Dec 2014 00:00:00 -0500
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?
-
How to Fix a Broken High Schooler, in Four Easy Steps
Posted: Thu, 04 Dec 2014 00:00:00 -0500
Okay, maybe the steps aren’t so easy. But a program run out of a Toronto housing project has had great success in turning around kids who were headed for trouble.
-
Is America’s Education Problem Really Just a Teacher Problem?
Posted: Thu, 27 Nov 2014 00:00:00 -0500
If U.S. schoolteachers are indeed “just a little bit below average,” it’s not really their fault. So what should be done about it?
-
The Man Who Would Be Everything
Posted: Thu, 20 Nov 2014 00:00:00 -0500
Boris Johnson -- mayor of London, biographer of Churchill, cheese-box painter and tennis-racket collector -- answers our FREAK-quently Asked Questions.
-
Why Do People Keep Having Children?
Posted: Thu, 13 Nov 2014 00:00:00 -0500
Even a brutal natural disaster doesn’t diminish our appetite for procreating. This surely means we’re heading toward massive overpopulation, right? Probably not.
-
Should the U.S. Merge With Mexico?
Posted: Thu, 06 Nov 2014 00:00:00 -0500
Corporations around the world are consolidating like never before. If it’s good enough for companies, why not countries? Welcome to Amexico!
-
What Can Vampires Teach Us About Economics?
Posted: Thu, 30 Oct 2014 00:00:00 -0400
A lot! “The Economics of the Undead” is a book about dating strategy, job creation, and whether there should be a legal market for blood.
-
“Tell Me Something I Don’t Know”
Posted: Thu, 23 Oct 2014 12:00:00 -0400
The debut of a live game show from Freakonomics Radio, with judges Malcolm Gladwell, Ana Gasteyer, and David Paterson.
-
How Can Tiny Norway Afford to Buy So Many Teslas?
Posted: Thu, 16 Oct 2014 00:00:00 -0400
The Norwegian government parleys massive oil wealth into huge subsidies for electric cars. Is that carbon laundering or just pragmatic environmentalism?
-
How to Raise Money Without Killing a Kitten (Rebroadcast)
Posted: Thu, 09 Oct 2014 00:00:00 -0400
The science of what works -- and doesn't work -- in fund-raising
-
Fixing the World, Bang-for-the-Buck Edition
Posted: Thu, 02 Oct 2014 00:00:00 -0400
A team of economists has been running the numbers on the U.N.'s development goals. They have a different view of how those billions of dollars should be spent.
-
Fitness Apartheid
Posted: Thu, 25 Sep 2014 00:00:00 -0400
Markets are hardly perfect, but the results can be ugly when you try to subvert them.
-
Outsiders by Design
Posted: Thu, 18 Sep 2014 00:00:00 -0400
What does it mean to pursue something that everyone else thinks is nuts? And what does it take to succeed?
-
How to Save $1 Billion Without Even Trying
Posted: Thu, 11 Sep 2014 00:00:00 -0400
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?
-
Regulate This!
Posted: Thu, 04 Sep 2014 00:00:00 -0400
Airbnb, Uber, Lyft, EatWith, and other companies in the “sharing economy” are practically daring government regulators to shut them down. The regulators are happy to comply.
-
Who Runs the Internet? (Rebroadcast)
Posted: Thu, 28 Aug 2014 00:00:00 -0400
The online universe doesn't have nearly as many rules, or rulemakers, as the real world. Discuss.
-
Parking Is Hell (Rebroadcast)
Posted: Thu, 21 Aug 2014 00:00:00 -0400
There ain't no such thing as a free parking spot. Somebody has to pay for it -- and that somebody is everybody.
-
What Do Medieval Nuns and Bo Jackson Have in Common? (Rebroadcast)
Posted: Thu, 14 Aug 2014 00:00:00 -0400
A look at whether spite pays -- and if it even exists.
-
Should Tipping be Banned? (Rebroadcast)
Posted: Thu, 07 Aug 2014 00:00:00 -0400
It's awkward, random, confusing -- and probably discriminatory too.
-
How Much Does Your Name Matter? (Rebroadcast)
Posted: Thu, 31 Jul 2014 00:00:00 -0400
A kid's name can tell us something about his parents -- their race, social standing, even their politics. But is your name really your destiny?
-
Does Religion Make You Happy?
Posted: Thu, 24 Jul 2014 00:00:00 -0400
It’s a hard question to answer, but we do our best.
-
Why You Should Bribe Your Kids
Posted: Thu, 17 Jul 2014 00:00:00 -0400
Educational messaging looks good on paper but kids don’t respond to it -- and adults aren’t much better.
-
What Do King Solomon and David Lee Roth Have in Common?
Posted: Thu, 10 Jul 2014 00:00:00 -0400
It isn’t easy to separate the guilty from the innocent, but a clever bit of game theory can help.
-
A Better Way to Eat
Posted: Thu, 03 Jul 2014 00:00:00 -0400
Takeru Kobayashi revolutionized the sport of competitive eating. What can the rest of us learn from his breakthrough?
-
How to Screen Job Applicants, Act Your Age, and Get Your Brain Off Autopilot
Posted: Thu, 26 Jun 2014 00:00:00 -0400
Dubner and Levitt answer reader questions in this first installment of the “Think Like a Freak” Book Club.
-
There’s No Such Thing as a Free Appetizer
Posted: Thu, 19 Jun 2014 00:00:00 -0400
Is it really in a restaurant’s best interest to give customers free bread or chips before they even order?
-
Why America Doesn’t Love Soccer (Yet)
Posted: Thu, 12 Jun 2014 00:00:00 -0400
Every four years, the U.S. takes a look at the World Cup and develops a slight crush. What would it take to really fall in love?
-
Failure Is Your Friend
Posted: Thu, 05 Jun 2014 00:00:00 -0400
In which we argue that failure should not only be tolerated but celebrated.
-
The Upside of Quitting (Rebroadcast)
Posted: Thu, 29 May 2014 00:00:00 -0400
You know the saying: a winner never quits and a quitter never wins. To which Freakonomics Radio says ... Are you sure?
-
Think Like a Child
Posted: Thu, 22 May 2014 00:00:00 -0400
When it comes to generating ideas and asking questions it can be really fruitful to have the mentality of an eight year old.
-
The Three Hardest Words in the English Language
Posted: Thu, 15 May 2014 00:00:00 -0400
Why learning to say “I don’t know” is one of the best things you can do.
-
How to Think Like a Freak -- and Other FREAK-quently Asked Questions
Posted: Thu, 08 May 2014 00:00:00 -0400
Stephen Dubner and Steve Levitt talk about their new book and field questions about prestige, university life, and (yum yum) bacon.
-
The Perfect Crime
Posted: Thu, 01 May 2014 00:00:00 -0400
If you are driving and kill a pedestrian, there's a good chance you'll barely be punished. Why?
-
Which Came First, the Chicken or the Avocado?
Posted: Thu, 24 Apr 2014 00:00:00 -0400
When it comes to exercising outrage, people tend to be very selective. Could it be that humans are our least favorite animal?
-
What’s More Dangerous: Marijuana or Alcohol?
Posted: Thu, 17 Apr 2014 00:00:00 -0400
Imagine that both substances were undiscovered until today. How would we think about their relative risks?
-
“If Mayors Ruled the World”
Posted: Thu, 10 Apr 2014 00:00:00 -0400
Unlike certain elected officials in Washington, mayors all over the country actually get stuff done. So maybe we should ask them to do more?
-
How to Make People Quit Smoking
Posted: Thu, 03 Apr 2014 00:00:00 -0400
The war on cigarettes has been fairly successful in some places. But 1 billion humans still smoke -- so what comes next?
-
Why Everybody Who Doesn’t Hate Bitcoin Loves It
Posted: Thu, 27 Mar 2014 00:00:00 -0400
Thinking of Bitcoin as just a digital currency is like thinking about the Internet as just e-mail. Its potential is much more exciting than that.
-
Women Are Not Men (Rebroadcast)
Posted: Thu, 20 Mar 2014 00:00:00 -0400
In many ways, the gender gap is closing. In others, not so much. And that's not always a bad thing.
-
“It’s Fun to Smoke Marijuana”
Posted: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 00:00:00 -0400
A psychology professor argues that the brain's greatest attribute is knowing what other people are thinking. And that a Queen song, played backwards, can improve your mind-reading skills.
-
Is Learning a Foreign Language Really Worth It?
Posted: Thu, 06 Mar 2014 00:00:00 -0500
Yes, it expands the mind but we usually don't retain much -- and then there's the opportunity cost.
-
Why Are Japanese Homes Disposable?
Posted: Thu, 27 Feb 2014 00:00:00 -0500
In most countries, houses get more valuable over time. In Japan, a new buyer will often bulldoze the home. We'll tell you why.
-
Why Marry? (Part 2)
Posted: Thu, 20 Feb 2014 00:00:00 -0500
The consequences of our low marriage rate -- and if the old model is less attractive, how about a new one?
-
Why Marry? (Part 1)
Posted: Thu, 13 Feb 2014 00:00:00 -0500
The myths of modern marriage.
-
What You Don’t Know About Online Dating
Posted: Thu, 06 Feb 2014 00:00:00 -0500
Thick markets, thin markets, and the triumph of attributes over compatibility.
This episode is included in the Freakonomics #smartbinge podcast playlist at wnyc.org/smartbinge
-
Reasons to Not Be Ugly
Posted: Thu, 30 Jan 2014 09:00:00 -0500
The "beauty premium" is real, for everyone from babies to NFL quarterbacks.
-
Everybody Gossips (and That’s a Good Thing)
Posted: Thu, 23 Jan 2014 09:00:00 -0500
The benefits of rumor-mongering
-
Fear Thy Nature (Rebroadcast)
Posted: Thu, 16 Jan 2014 09:00:00 -0500
What "Sleep No More" and the Stanford Prison Experiment tell us about who we really are.
-
Are We Ready to Legalize Drugs? And Other FREAK-Quently Asked Questions
Posted: Thu, 09 Jan 2014 09:00:00 -0500
Dubner and Levitt talk about fixing the post office, putting cameras in the classroom, and wearing hats.
-
What’s the “Best” Exercise?
Posted: Thu, 02 Jan 2014 09:00:00 -0500
Most people blame lack of time for being out of shape. So maybe the solution is to exercise more efficiently.
-
Save Me From Myself (Rebroadcast)
Posted: Thu, 26 Dec 2013 09:00:00 -0500
A commitment device forces you to be the person you really want to be. What could possibly go wrong?
-
Pontiff-icating on the Free-Market System
Posted: Thu, 19 Dec 2013 09:00:00 -0500
The Pope just gave it to the global economy with both barrels. Was he right to do so?
-
Are Gay Men Really Rich?
Posted: Thu, 12 Dec 2013 09:00:00 -0500
It’s easy to get that idea. But is the stereotype true?
-
The Most Dangerous Machine
Posted: Thu, 05 Dec 2013 09:00:00 -0500
More than 1 million people die worldwide each year from traffic accidents. But there's never been a safer time to drive.
-
Fighting Poverty With Actual Evidence
Posted: Wed, 27 Nov 2013 09:00:00 -0500
It's time to do away with feel-good stories, gut hunches, and magical thinking.
-
What Do Skating Rinks, Ultimate Frisbee, and the World Have in Common?
Posted: Thu, 21 Nov 2013 09:00:00 -0500
Spontaneous order is everywhere if you know where to look for it.
-
Who Runs the Internet?
Posted: Thu, 14 Nov 2013 09:00:00 -0500
The online universe doesn't have nearly as many rules, or rulemakers, as the real world. Discuss.
-
Freakonomics Goes to College, Part 2 (Rebroadcast)
Posted: Thu, 07 Nov 2013 09:00:00 -0500
College tends to make people happier, healthier, and wealthier. But how?
-
Freakonomics Goes to College, Part 1 (Rebroadcast)
Posted: Thu, 31 Oct 2013 09:00:00 -0400
What's a college degree really worth these days?
-
Why Bad Environmentalism Is Such an Easy Sell
Posted: Thu, 24 Oct 2013 09:00:00 -0400
Being green is rarely a black-and-white issue -- but that doesn't stop marketers and politicians from pretending it is.
-
The Troubled Cremation of Stevie the Cat
Posted: Mon, 14 Oct 2013 09:00:00 -0400
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?
-
How to Raise Money Without Killing a Kitten
Posted: Thu, 10 Oct 2013 09:00:00 -0400
The science of what works -- and doesn't work -- in fund-raising
-
How to Think About Money, Choose Your Hometown, and Buy an Electric Toothbrush
Posted: Thu, 03 Oct 2013 09:00:00 -0400
Dubner and Levitt field your queries in this latest installment of our FREAK-quently Asked Questions.
-
Would a Big Bucket of Cash Really Change Your Life?
Posted: Thu, 26 Sep 2013 09:00:00 -0400
A 19th-century Georgia land lottery may have something to teach us about today's income inequality.
-
The Economist’s Guide to Parenting (Rebroadcast)
Posted: Thu, 19 Sep 2013 09:00:00 -0400
Think you know how much parents matter? Think again. Economists crunch the numbers to learn the ROI on child-rearing.
-
Whatever Happened to the Carpal Tunnel Epidemic?
Posted: Thu, 12 Sep 2013 09:00:00 -0400
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)
Posted: Thu, 05 Sep 2013 09:00:00 -0400
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.
-
Who Are the Most Successful Immigrants in the World?
Posted: Thu, 29 Aug 2013 09:00:00 -0400
It's impossible to say for sure, but the Lebanese do remarkably well. Why?
-
The Folly of Prediction (Rebroadcast)
Posted: Thu, 22 Aug 2013 09:00:00 -0400
Human beings love to predict the future, but we're quite terrible at it. So how about punishing all those bad predictions?
-
The Middle of Everywhere
Posted: Thu, 15 Aug 2013 09:00:00 -0400
Chicago has given the world more than sausage, crooked politics, and Da Bears.
-
The Church of "Scionology" (Rebroadcast)
Posted: Thu, 08 Aug 2013 09:00:00 -0400
We worship the tradition of handing off a family business to the next generation. But is that really such a good idea?
-
Do Baby Girls Cause Divorce?
Posted: Thu, 01 Aug 2013 09:00:00 -0400
Even American parents have a strong "son preference" -- which means that a newborn daughter can be bad news for a marriage.
-
REBROADCAST: The Upside of Quitting
Posted: Mon, 22 Jul 2013 09:00:00 -0400
You know the saying: a winner never quits and a quitter never wins. To which Freakonomics Radio says ... Are you sure?
-
Government Employees Gone Wild
Posted: Thu, 18 Jul 2013 09:00:00 -0400
The Encyclopedia of Ethical Failures catalogs the fiscal, sexual, and mental lapses of federal workers -- all with an eye toward preventing the next big mistake.
-
A Burger a Day
Posted: Thu, 11 Jul 2013 09:00:00 -0400
Is junk food an abomination or a modern miracle?
-
Jane Austen, Game Theorist
Posted: Wed, 03 Jul 2013 17:00:00 -0400
What does "Pride and Prejudice" have to do with nuclear deterrence?
-
REBROADCAST: Legacy of a Jerk
Posted: Thu, 27 Jun 2013 09:00:00 -0400
What happens to your reputation when you're no longer around to defend it?
-
Do You Really Want to Know Your Future?
Posted: Thu, 20 Jun 2013 09:00:00 -0400
You might think that someone with a 50-50 chance of getting a fatal disease would want to know for sure -- but you would be wrong. What does this say about our supposed thirst for certainty?
-
Why Family and Business Don’t Mix
Posted: Wed, 12 Jun 2013 16:00:00 -0400
Yet another reason to blame your parents for pretty much everything.
-
Should Tipping be Banned?
Posted: Mon, 03 Jun 2013 09:00:00 -0400
It's awkward, random, confusing -- and probably discriminatory too.
-
Baby, You Can Program My Car
Posted: Wed, 29 May 2013 16:00:00 -0400
A glimpse into our driverless future.
-
Can You Be Too Smart for Your Own Good? And Other FREAK-quently Asked Questions
Posted: Thu, 23 May 2013 09:00:00 -0400
Dubner and Levitt talk about circadian rhythms, gay marriage, autism, and whether "pay what you want" is everything it's cracked up to be.
-
REBROADCAST: The Hidden Cost of False Alarms
Posted: Wed, 15 May 2013 17:00:00 -0400
If any other product failed 94 percent of the time, you'd probably stop using it. So why do we put up with burglar alarms?
-
What Do Medieval Nuns and Bo Jackson Have in Common?
Posted: Thu, 09 May 2013 08:00:00 -0400
A look at whether spite pays -- and if it even exists.
-
It’s Crowded at the Top
Posted: Wed, 01 May 2013 16:00:00 -0400
Why is unemployment still so high? It may be because of something that happened well before the Great Recession.
-
Running to Do Evil
Posted: Thu, 25 Apr 2013 09:00:00 -0400
An interview with Unabomber Ted Kaczynski, whose younger brother turned him in -- and what it says about the Boston bombers.
-
Help Wanted. No Smokers Need Apply
Posted: Wed, 17 Apr 2013 16:00:00 -0400
In many states, it is perfectly legal to not hire someone who smokes. Should employers also be able to weed out junk-food lovers or motorcyclists -- or anyone who wants to have a baby?
-
How Much Does Your Name Matter?
Posted: Mon, 08 Apr 2013 09:00:00 -0400
A kid's name can tell us something about his parents -- their race, social standing, even their politics. But is your name really your destiny?
-
The Tax Man Nudgeth
Posted: Wed, 03 Apr 2013 17:00:00 -0400
Real tax reform may or may not ever happen. In the meantime, how about making the current system work a bit better?
-
100 Ways to Fight Obesity
Posted: Wed, 27 Mar 2013 16:00:00 -0400
Freakonomics asks a dozen smart people for their best ideas. Get ready for a fat tax, a sugar ban, and a calorie-chomping tapeworm.
-
How Money Is March Madness?
Posted: Thu, 21 Mar 2013 16:00:00 -0400
The NCAA basketball tournament grabs a lot of eyeballs, but turning them into dollars hasn't always been easy -- even when the "talent" is playing for free.
-
Parking Is Hell
Posted: Wed, 13 Mar 2013 16:00:00 -0400
There ain't no such thing as a free parking spot. Somebody has to pay for it -- and that somebody is everybody.
-
When Is a Negative a Positive?
Posted: Wed, 06 Mar 2013 16:00:00 -0500
Sure, we all like to hear compliments. But if you're truly looking to get better at something, it's the negative feedback that will get you there.
-
Women Are Not Men
Posted: Sun, 24 Feb 2013 16:00:00 -0500
In many ways, the gender gap is closing. In others, not so much. And that's not always a bad thing.
-
The Downside of More Miles Per Gallon
Posted: Wed, 20 Feb 2013 16:00:00 -0500
The gas tax doesn't work well, and it's only going to get worse. What's next?
-
How to Think About Guns
Posted: Wed, 13 Feb 2013 16:00:00 -0500
No one wants mass shootings. Unfortunately, no one has a workable plan to stop them either.
-
Sure, I Remember That
Posted: Wed, 06 Feb 2013 16:00:00 -0500
It is startlingly easy to create false memories, especially in politics.
-
Would You Let a Coin Toss Decide Your Future?
Posted: Wed, 30 Jan 2013 16:00:00 -0500
Levitt and Dubner go deep on "Freakonomics Experiments," a new research project that lets you take a chance on life.
-
Introducing “Freakonomics Experiments”
Posted: Wed, 23 Jan 2013 16:00:00 -0500
Steve Levitt has a novel idea for helping people make tough decisions
-
Who Owns the Words That Come Out of Your Mouth?
Posted: Wed, 16 Jan 2013 16:00:00 -0500
The very long reach of Winston Churchill -- and how the British government is remaking copyright law.
-
How to Live Longer
Posted: Wed, 09 Jan 2013 17:00:00 -0500
Why do Hall of Fame inductees, Oscar winners, and Nobel laureates outlive their peers?
-
How Did “Freakonomics” Get Its Name? … and Other FREAK-quently Asked Questions
Posted: Wed, 02 Jan 2013 16:00:00 -0500
Levitt and Dubner answer your questions about driving, sneezing, and ladies’ nights. Plus a remembrance of Levitt’s sister Linda.
-
How Much Does a Good Boss Really Matter?
Posted: Wed, 26 Dec 2012 16:00:00 -0500
It's harder than you'd think to measure the value of a boss. But some enterprising economists have done just that -- and the news is good.
-
The House of Dreams
Posted: Wed, 19 Dec 2012 16:00:00 -0500
Dubner's childhood home goes from sacred to profane -- and then back again.
-
Have a Very Homo Economicus Christmas
Posted: Wed, 12 Dec 2012 18:00:00 -0500
Who better than an economist to help with your shopping list?
-
The Things They Taught Me
Posted: Wed, 05 Dec 2012 16:00:00 -0500
College, at its best, is about learning to think. Stephen Dubner chats up three of his former professors who made the magic happen.
-
Free-conomics
Posted: Wed, 28 Nov 2012 17:00:00 -0500
Economists are a notoriously self-interested bunch. But a British outfit called Pro Bono Economics is giving away its services to selected charities.
-
I Consult, Therefore I Am
Posted: Wed, 21 Nov 2012 15:00:00 -0500
There are enough management consultants these days to form a small nation. But what do they actually do? And does it work?
-
Mass Transit Hysteria
Posted: Wed, 14 Nov 2012 18:00:00 -0500
Adding more train and bus lines looks like an environmental slam dunk. Until you start to do the math.
-
Our 100th Episode!
Posted: Mon, 05 Nov 2012 10:00:00 -0500
Turkey sex and chicken wings, selling souls and swapping organs, the power of the president and the price of wine: these are a few of our favorite things.
-
How to Maximize Your Halloween Candy Haul
Posted: Wed, 31 Oct 2012 16:00:00 -0400
Is it as simple as going to the richest neighborhood you can find? Of course not ...
-
We the Sheeple
Posted: Wed, 24 Oct 2012 16:00:00 -0400
Politicians tell voters exactly what they want to hear, even when it makes no sense. Which is pretty much all the time.
-
Lying to Ourselves
Posted: Wed, 17 Oct 2012 16:00:00 -0400
We rely on polls and surveys to tell us how people will behave in the future. Too bad they're completely unreliable.
-
The Cobra Effect
Posted: Wed, 10 Oct 2012 16:00:00 -0400
When you want to get rid of a nasty pest, one obvious solution comes to mind: just offer a cash reward. But be careful -- because nothing backfires quite like a bounty.
-
Why America’s Economic Growth May Be (Shh!) Over
Posted: Wed, 03 Oct 2012 16:00:00 -0400
Sure, we love our computers and all the rest of our digital toys. But when it comes to real economic gains, can we ever match old-school innovations like the automobile and electricity?
-
The Tale of the $15 Tomato
Posted: Sun, 23 Sep 2012 10:00:00 -0400
Trying to go rustic by baking, brewing, and knitting at home can be terribly inefficient. And that's a wonderful thing.
-
Why Online Poker Should Be Legal
Posted: Wed, 19 Sep 2012 18:00:00 -0400
The data show that poker is indeed a game of skill, not chance, and a Federal judge agrees. So why are players still being treated like criminals?
-
Fear Thy Nature
Posted: Wed, 12 Sep 2012 16:00:00 -0400
What "Sleep No More" and the Stanford Prison Experiment tell us about who we really are.
-
Can Selling Beer Cut Down on Public Drunkenness?
Posted: Wed, 05 Sep 2012 16:00:00 -0400
Binge drinking is a big problem at college football games. Oliver Luck -- father of No. 1 NFL pick Andrew, and the athletic director at West Virginia University -- had an unusual idea to help solve it.
-
How Deep Is the Shadow Economy?
Posted: Wed, 29 Aug 2012 16:00:00 -0400
What we know -- and don't know -- about the gazillions of dollars that never show up on anyone's books.
-
There’s Cake in the Breakroom!
Posted: Wed, 22 Aug 2012 17:00:00 -0400
If you think working from home offers too many distractions, just think about what happens at the office.
-
Freakonomics Goes to College, Part 2
Posted: Wed, 15 Aug 2012 17:00:00 -0400
College tends to make people happier, healthier, and wealthier. But how?
-
The Season of Death
Posted: Wed, 08 Aug 2012 16:00:00 -0400
We know that summertime brings far too many fatal accidents. But you may be surprised if you dig into the numbers.
-
Freakonomics Goes to College, Part 1
Posted: Sun, 29 Jul 2012 08:00:00 -0400
What's a college degree really worth these days?
-
Olympian Economics
Posted: Wed, 25 Jul 2012 17:00:00 -0400
Do host cities really get the benefits their boosters promise, or are they just engaging in some fiscal gymnastics?
-
Legacy of a Jerk
Posted: Wed, 18 Jul 2012 16:00:00 -0400
What happens to your reputation when you're no longer around to defend it?
-
What's Wrong With Cash for Grades?
Posted: Tue, 10 Jul 2012 18:00:00 -0400
If we want our kids to thrive in school, maybe we should just pay them.
-
Please Steal My Car
Posted: Wed, 04 Jul 2012 12:00:00 -0400
Levitt and Dubner answer your FREAK-quently Asked Questions about junk food, insurance, and how to make an economist happy.
-
Star-Spangled Banter?
Posted: Tue, 26 Jun 2012 17:00:00 -0400
Once a week, the British Prime Minister goes before the House of Commons for a lightning round of hard questions. Should the U.S. give it a try?
-
Riding the Herd Mentality
Posted: Wed, 20 Jun 2012 16:00:00 -0400
How using peer pressure -- and good, old-fashioned shame -- can push people to do the right thing.
-
A Cheap Employee Is … a Cheap Employee
Posted: Wed, 13 Jun 2012 18:00:00 -0400
Paying workers as little as possible seems smart -- unless you can make more money by paying them more.
-
You Eat What You Are, Part 2
Posted: Wed, 06 Jun 2012 16:00:00 -0400
To feed 7 billion people while protecting the environment, it would seem that going local is a no-brainer -- until you start looking at the numbers.
-
Playing the Nerd Card
Posted: Wed, 30 May 2012 18:00:00 -0400
The NBA’s superstars are suddenly sporting Urkel glasses -- but is it more than a fashion statement?
-
You Eat What You Are, Part 1
Posted: Wed, 23 May 2012 16:00:00 -0400
How American food so got bad -- and why it's getting so much better.
-
Retirement Kills
Posted: Wed, 16 May 2012 18:00:00 -0400
Sure, we all dream of leaving the office forever. But what if it's bad for your health?
-
Soul Possession
Posted: Mon, 07 May 2012 10:00:00 -0400
In a world where nearly everything is for sale, is it always okay to buy what isn’t yours?
-
A Rose By Any Other Distance
Posted: Wed, 02 May 2012 17:00:00 -0400
At a time when people worry about every mile their food must travel, why is it okay to import most of our cut flowers from thousands of miles away?
-
Lottery Loopholes and Deadly Doctors
Posted: Wed, 25 Apr 2012 16:00:00 -0400
What do you do when smart people keep making stupid mistakes? And: are we a nation of financial illiterates?
-
Is Good Corporate Citizenship Also Good for the Bottom Line?
Posted: Wed, 18 Apr 2012 18:00:00 -0400
A new study says that yes, it is -- but try telling that to the United Nations officials who are preaching sustainability practices.
-
Eating and Tweeting
Posted: Wed, 11 Apr 2012 16:30:00 -0400
Does the future of food lie in its past – or inside a tank of liquid nitrogen? Also: how anti-social can you be on a social network?
-
The Hidden Cost of False Alarms
Posted: Tue, 03 Apr 2012 18:00:00 -0400
If any other product failed 94 percent of the time, you’d probably stop using it. So why do we put up with burglar alarms?
-
The Power of the President -- and the Thumb
Posted: Wed, 28 Mar 2012 10:00:00 -0400
How much does the President of the United States really matter? And: where did all the hitchhikers go? A pair of "attribution errors."
-
The Patent Gap
Posted: Thu, 22 Mar 2012 17:13:18 -0400
Women hold fewer than one in 10 patents. Why? And what are we missing out on?
-
Show and Yell
Posted: Wed, 14 Mar 2012 10:00:00 -0400
Is booing an act of verbal vandalism or the last true expression of democracy? And: when you drive a Prius, are you guilty of “conspicuous conservation”?
-
It’s Not the President, Stupid
Posted: Wed, 07 Mar 2012 16:31:17 -0500
Isn’t it time to admit that the U.S. economy doesn’t have a commander in chief?
-
The Days of Wine and Mouses
Posted: Mon, 27 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500
Do more expensive wines taste better? And: what does one little rodent in a salad say about a restaurant’s future?
-
The Dilbert Index?
Posted: Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:21:00 -0500
Measuring workplace morale -- and how to game the sick-day system.
-
How Biased Is Your Media?
Posted: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:00:00 -0500
The left and the right blame each other for pretty much everything, including slanted media coverage. Can they both be right?
-
Does This Recession Make Me Look Fat?
Posted: Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:30:00 -0500
A look at some non-obvious ways to lose weight.
-
Save Me From Myself
Posted: Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:00:00 -0500
A commitment device forces you to be the person you really want to be. What could possibly go wrong?
-
The Hidden Side of the Super Bowl
Posted: Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:37:13 -0500
A football cheat sheet to help you sound like the smartest person at the party.
-
What Do Hand-Washing and Financial Illiteracy Have in Common?
Posted: Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500
Education is the surest solution to a lot of problems. Except when it’s not.
-
Does Money Really Buy Elections?
Posted: Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:27:35 -0500
We all know the answer is yes. But the data -- and Rudy Giuliani -- say no.
-
Why Is “I Don’t Know” So Hard to Say?
Posted: Wed, 04 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500
Levitt and Dubner answer your FREAK-quently Asked Questions about certifying politicians, irrational fears, and the toughest three words in the English language.
-
The Perils of Drunk Walking
Posted: Tue, 27 Dec 2011 17:00:00 -0500
We know it's terribly dangerous to drive drunk. But heading home on foot isn't the solution.
-
How Is a Bad Radio Station Like Our Public-School System? (Encore)
Posted: Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500
The thrill of customization, via Pandora and a radical new teaching method
-
How American Food Got So Bad
Posted: Tue, 13 Dec 2011 17:47:23 -0500
Tyler Cowen points fingers. There's plenty of blame to go around.
-
Weird Recycling
Posted: Fri, 02 Dec 2011 09:44:23 -0500
Clever ways to not waste our waste.
-
What Makes a Donor Donate?
Posted: Tue, 29 Nov 2011 17:05:25 -0500
The science of charity, with economist John List.
-
The Truth Is Out There…Isn’t It?
Posted: Tue, 22 Nov 2011 15:47:06 -0500
There’s a nasty secret about hot-button topics like global warming: knowledge is not always power.
-
Unnatural Turkeys
Posted: Wed, 16 Nov 2011 12:12:11 -0500
Our appetite for breast meat renders our holiday birds unable to reproduce.
-
Boo…Who?
Posted: Tue, 08 Nov 2011 15:16:24 -0500
Is booing an act of verbal vandalism—or the last true expression of democracy?
-
Wildfires, Cops, and Keggers
Posted: Tue, 01 Nov 2011 21:36:42 -0400
On Election Day, most people focus on the obvious winners and losers -- that is, the candidates. But we went looking for some of the strange side effects that elections produce.
-
Misadventures in Baby-Making
Posted: Tue, 25 Oct 2011 17:17:21 -0400
We are constantly wowed by new technologies and policies meant to make childbirth better. But beware the unintended consequences.
-
Those Cheating Teachers!
Posted: Tue, 18 Oct 2011 15:05:30 -0400
High-stakes testing has produced some rotten apples. But they can be caught.
-
Where Have All the Hitchhikers Gone?
Posted: Mon, 10 Oct 2011 00:05:38 -0400
Did we needlessly scare ourselves into ditching a good thing? And, with millions of cars driving around with no passengers, should we be rooting for a renaissance?
-
The Decline and Fall of Violence
Posted: Tue, 04 Oct 2011 20:39:08 -0400
The world is a more peaceful place today that at any time in history -- by a long, long shot.
-
The Upside of Quitting
Posted: Wed, 28 Sep 2011 02:08:40 -0400
You know the saying: a winner never quits and a quitter never wins. To which Freakonomics Radio says … Are you sure?
-
The Folly of Prediction
Posted: Wed, 14 Sep 2011 11:00:45 -0400
Human beings love to predict the future, but we're quite terrible at it. So how about punishing all those bad predictions?
-
The Suicide Paradox
Posted: Wed, 31 Aug 2011 11:00:06 -0400
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.
-
The Economist’s Guide to Parenting
Posted: Tue, 16 Aug 2011 12:00:15 -0400
Think you know how much parents matter? Think again. Economists crunch the numbers to learn the ROI on child-rearing.
-
The Church of "Scionology"
Posted: Wed, 03 Aug 2011 12:00:07 -0400
We worship the tradition of handing off a family business to the next generation. But is that really such a good idea?
-
Mouse in the Salad
Posted: Wed, 20 Jul 2011 13:37:47 -0400
In restaurants and in life, bad things happen. But what happens next is just as important.
-
Hey Baby, Is That a Prius You're Driving?
Posted: Wed, 06 Jul 2011 17:04:10 -0400
"Conspicuous conservation" is about showing off your environmental bona fides. In other words, if you lean green, there's extra value in being seen leaning green.
-
Live From St. Paul!
Posted: Wed, 22 Jun 2011 05:00:34 -0400
Freakonomics Radio hits the road, and plays some Quiz Bowl
-
Things Our Fathers Gave Us
Posted: Wed, 08 Jun 2011 12:39:49 -0400
What did Levitt and Dubner learn as kids from their dads?
-
To Catch a Fugitive
Posted: Wed, 25 May 2011 15:10:09 -0400
Who is likelier to get to the fugitive first? When a fugitive is on the run, it’s not only the police he has to worry about. A bounty hunter could be coming after him, too.
-
Growing Up Buffett
Posted: Wed, 11 May 2011 17:41:05 -0400
What’s it like to wake up one day and realize Dad is a multi-billionaire? That's what happened to Warren Buffett’s son Peter -- who then started to think about whether or not to join the family business.
-
Gambling With Your Life
Posted: Wed, 27 Apr 2011 17:08:11 -0400
Does Las Vegas increase your risk of suicide? A researcher embeds himself in the city where Americans are most likely to kill themselves.
-
Does College Still Matter? And Other Freaky Questions Answered ...
Posted: Wed, 13 Apr 2011 18:19:38 -0400
In our second round of FREAK-quently Asked Questions, Steve Levitt answers some queries from listeners and readers.
-
Smarter Kids at 10 Bucks a Pop
Posted: Wed, 06 Apr 2011 18:38:46 -0400
It won’t work for everyone, but there’s a cheap, quick, and simple way to lift some students’ grades.
-
Why Can’t We Predict Earthquakes?
Posted: Wed, 30 Mar 2011 13:13:40 -0400
We talk to a U.S. Geological Survey physicist about the science -- and folly -- of predicting earthquakes. There are lots of known knowns; and, fortunately, not too many unknown unknowns. But it's the known unknowns -- the timing of the next Big One -- that are the most dangerous.
-
Death by Fire? Probably Not
Posted: Wed, 23 Mar 2011 16:27:21 -0400
Fire deaths in the U.S. have fallen 90 percent over the past 100 years, a great and greatly underappreciated gain. How did it happen -- and could we ever get to zero?
-
The Health of Nations
Posted: Wed, 16 Mar 2011 18:30:46 -0400
For decades, GDP has been the yardstick for measuring living standards around the world. Martha Nussbaum would rather use something that actually works.
-
Is Twitter a Two-Way Street?
Posted: Wed, 09 Mar 2011 16:24:24 -0500
To get a lot of followers on Twitter, do you need to follow a lot of other Tweeps? And if not, why not?
-
The Power of Poop
Posted: Wed, 02 Mar 2011 12:51:42 -0500
Since the beginning of civilization, we’ve thought that human waste was worthless and dangerous. What if we were wrong?
-
Millionaires vs. Billionaires
Posted: Wed, 23 Feb 2011 21:59:49 -0500
Five things you don’t know about the NFL labor standoff
-
Why Cities Rock
Posted: Wed, 16 Feb 2011 19:42:59 -0500
Could it be that cities are "our greatest invention" -- that, despite a reputation as black-soot-spewing engines of doom, they in fact make us richer, smarter, happier and (believe it!) greener?
-
Bring on the Pain!
Posted: Wed, 09 Feb 2011 16:55:49 -0500
It's not about how much something hurts -- it's how you remember the pain. This week, lessons on pain from the New York City subway, the professional hockey rink, and a landmark study of colonoscopy patients. So have a listen; we promise, it won't hurt a bit.
-
Waiter, There’s a Physicist in My Soup! (Part 2)
Posted: Wed, 02 Feb 2011 09:09:59 -0500
What do a computer hacker, an Indiana farm boy, and Napoleon Bonaparte have in common? The past, present, and future of food science.
-
Waiter, There’s a Physicist in My Soup! (Part 1)
Posted: Wed, 26 Jan 2011 10:52:33 -0500
The "molecular gastronomy" movement -- which gets a bump in visibility next month with the publication of the mammoth cookbook "Modernist Cuisine" -- is all about bringing more science into the kitchen. In many ways, it's the opposite of the "slow food" movement. In this episode, you'll hear chieftains from the two camps square off: Alice Waters for the slow foodies and Nathan Myhrvold for the mad scientists. Bon appetit!
-
Freakonomics FAQ, No. 1
Posted: Wed, 19 Jan 2011 11:19:49 -0500
Levitt and Dubner field questions from the public and hold forth on everything from dating strategies and rock-and-roll accordion music to whether different nations have different economic identities. Oh, and also: is it worthwhile to vote?
-
Trashed
Posted: Wed, 12 Jan 2011 21:04:57 -0500
How economics -- and emotion -- have turned our garbage into such a mess
-
Exit Interview: Schools Chancellor, NYC
Posted: Wed, 05 Jan 2011 14:58:10 -0500
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 in the country. So what'd he learn?
-
You Say Repugnant, I Say … Let's Do It!
Posted: Wed, 29 Dec 2010 11:29:32 -0500
What happens when the most disturbing ideas are also the best?
-
Do More Expensive Wines Taste Better?
Posted: Wed, 15 Dec 2010 18:09:39 -0500
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?
FeedBurner delivers the world's subscriptions wherever they need to go. Publish a feed for text or podcasting?
You should try FeedBurner today.