Freakonomics Radio

The Days of Wine and Mouses

Stephen J. Dubner — 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?

Stephen J. Dubner — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:21:00 -0500

Measuring workplace morale -- and how to game the sick-day system.

How Biased Is Your Media?

Stephen J. Dubner — 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?

Stephen J. Dubner — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:30:00 -0500

A look at some non-obvious ways to lose weight.

Save Me From Myself

Stephen J. Dubner — 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

Stephen J. Dubner — 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?

Stephen J. Dubner — 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?

Stephen J. Dubner — 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?

Stephen J. Dubner — 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

Stephen J. Dubner — 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)

Stephen J. Dubner — 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

Stephen J. Dubner — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 17:47:23 -0500

Tyler Cowen points fingers. There's plenty of blame to go around.

Weird Recycling

Stephen J. Dubner — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 09:44:23 -0500

Clever ways to not waste our waste.

What Makes a Donor Donate?

Stephen J. Dubner — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 17:05:25 -0500

The science of charity, with economist John List.

The Truth Is Out There…Isn’t It?

Stephen J. Dubner — 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

Stephen J. Dubner — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 12:12:11 -0500

Our appetite for breast meat renders our holiday birds unable to reproduce.

Boo…Who?

Stephen J. Dubner — 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

Stephen J. Dubner — 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

Stephen J. Dubner — 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!

Stephen J. Dubner — 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?

Stephen J. Dubner — 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

Stephen J. Dubner — 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

Stephen J. Dubner — 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

Stephen J. Dubner — 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

Stephen J. Dubner — 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

Stephen J. Dubner — 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"

Stephen J. Dubner — 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

Stephen J. Dubner — 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?

Stephen J. Dubner — 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!

Stephen J. Dubner — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 05:00:34 -0400

Freakonomics Radio hits the road, and plays some Quiz Bowl

Things Our Fathers Gave Us

Stephen J. Dubner — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 12:39:49 -0400

What did Levitt and Dubner learn as kids from their dads?

To Catch a Fugitive

Stephen J. Dubner — 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

Stephen J. Dubner — 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

Stephen J. Dubner — 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 ...

Stephen J. Dubner — 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

Stephen J. Dubner — 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?

Stephen J. Dubner — 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

Stephen J. Dubner — 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

Stephen J. Dubner — 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?

Stephen J. Dubner — 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

Stephen J. Dubner — 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

Stephen J. Dubner — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 21:59:49 -0500

Five things you don’t know about the NFL labor standoff

Why Cities Rock

Stephen J. Dubner — 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!

Stephen J. Dubner — 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)

Stephen J. Dubner — 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)

Stephen J. Dubner — 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

Stephen J. Dubner — 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

Stephen J. Dubner — 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

Stephen J. Dubner — 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!

Stephen J. Dubner — 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?

Stephen J. Dubner — 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?

The "No-Lose Lottery," Part 2

Stephen J. Dubner — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 17:14:04 -0500

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?

Is America Ready for a "No-Lose Lottery"?

Stephen J. Dubner — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 17:57:54 -0500

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 savings account with a lottery payout?

How Much Does the President of the U.S. Really Matter?

Stephen J. Dubner — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 16:48:45 -0400

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 at what the data have to say about measuring leadership, and its impact on the economy and the country.

The NFL's Best Real Estate Isn't For Sale. Yet.

Stephen J. Dubner — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 15:50:42 -0400

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 trickier than you might think. It has to do with Peyton Manning, with Eli Manning, and with ... wait for it ... Tevye.

Reading, Rockets, and 'Rithmetic

Stephen J. Dubner — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 22:53:55 -0400

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 dollar corner of the Department of Education. It's an experiment, which takes cues from the likes of Google and millionaires who hope to go to the moon.

Who Stole All the Runs in Major League Baseball?

Stephen J. Dubner — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 08:57:49 -0400

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 opened with a telling event, a no-hitter pitched by the Phillies' Roy Halladay, which shows what's been missing all season: runs.

Two Book Authors and a Microphone

Stephen J. Dubner — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 00:06:47 -0400

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.

Why the World Cup Is an Economist's Dream

Stephen J. Dubner — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 02:25:46 -0400

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.

How Is a Bad Radio Station Like Our Public-School System?

Stephen J. Dubner — Wed, 12 May 2010 20:53:12 -0400

In this episode of Freakonomics Radio, we explore a way to make 1.1 million schoolkids feel like they have 1.1 million teachers.

Faking It

Stephen J. Dubner — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 20:52:30 -0400

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 the time. And gets by.

What Would the World Look Like if Economists Were in Charge?

Stephen J. Dubner — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 20:52:57 -0400

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 guy who wants to start building new nations in the middle of the ocean.

Is America's Obesity Epidemic For Real?

Stephen J. Dubner — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 20:53:29 -0500

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 woman, a top White House doctor, and a couple of overweight academics.

The Dangers of Safety

Stephen J. Dubner — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 22:15:11 -0500

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