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Episode 255

Ten Ideas to Make Politics Less Rotten

We Americans may love our democracy — at least in theory — but at the moment our feelings toward the Federal government lie somewhere between disdain and hatred. Which electoral…

Frans de Waal Answers Your Primate Questions

…who will go look for easier prey. Q: What did you learn from Desmond Morris? A: Great question. Desmond Morris is the most underrated behavioral biologist (ethologist) of his generation….



Episode 289

How Stupid Is Our Obsession With Lawns?

Nearly 2 percent of America is grassy green. Sure, lawns are beautiful and useful and they smell great. But are the costs — financial, environmental and otherwise — worth the…

Episode 289

How Stupid Is Our Obsession With Lawns? (Replay)

Nearly 2 percent of America is grassy green. Sure, lawns are beautiful and useful and they smell great. But are the costs — financial, environmental and otherwise — worth the…

Episode 122

How Much Does Your Name Matter? (Replay)

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?

Episode 120

100 Ways to Fight Obesity

Freakonomics asks a dozen smart people for their best ideas. Get ready for a fat tax, a sugar ban, and a calorie-chomping tapeworm.

Episode 509

Are N.F.T.s All Scams?

Some of them are. With others, it’s more complicated (and more promising). We try to get past the Bored Apes and the ripoffs to see if we can find art…

Episode 563

How to Succeed at Failing, Part 3: Grit vs. Quit

Giving up can be painful. That’s why we need to talk about it. Today: stories about glitchy apps, leaky paint cans, broken sculptures — and a quest for the perfect…

Episode 550

Why Do People Still Hunt Whales?

For years, whale oil was used as lighting fuel, industrial lubricant, and the main ingredient in (yum!) margarine. Whale meat was also on a few menus. But today, demand for…

Episode 162

“If Mayors Ruled the World”

Unlike certain elected officials in Washington, mayors all over the country actually get stuff done. So maybe we should ask them to do more?




Los Angeles Transportation Facts and Fiction: Smog

…city is sprawling. But sprawl or no, Los Angeles’s air is choked with its world-famous smog. Isn’t it? Answer: A half-truth. Facts and Fiction Eric Morris discusses stereotypes about Los…



SimBudget

Eric Morris, a researcher at U.C.L.A.’s Institute of Transportation Studies, has already written a few posts here, and will now join our corps of recurring guests bloggers. Please welcome him….




Los Angeles Transportation Facts and Fiction: Freeways

…is dominated by an overbuilt freeway system? Answer: a half-truth. Facts and Fiction Eric Morris discusses stereotypes about Los Angeles transportation in this six-part series. Los Angeles Transportation Facts and…



Krugman vs. Ferguson: Letting the Data Speak

…Ferguson has forgotten his first-year economics. Fortunately, the data can speak, and it’s time to give them a voice. This is why I turn to my frequent collaborator, Eric Zitzewitz,…



Episode 34

Store-Brand Products

Those low-priced staples on grocery-store shelves — where do they come from? Zachary Crockett finds out at a national convention for private-label manufacturers….

Eating Polar Bears Is Okay in Greenland

…several senses of the word. Eric the Red‘s name of the place — Greenland — is of course a bald-faced lie. A glacial ice sheet covers 84 percent of the…



Episode 534

Air Travel Is a Miracle. Why Do We Hate It?

It’s an unnatural activity that has become normal. You’re stuck in a metal tube with hundreds of strangers (and strange smells), defying gravity and racing through the sky. But oh,…

Episode 307

Thinking Is Expensive. Who’s Supposed to Pay for It?

Corporations and rich people donate billions to their favorite think tanks and foundations. Should we be grateful for their generosity — or suspicious of their motives?

Episode 289

How Stupid Is Our Obsession With Lawns? (Replay)

Nearly 2 percent of America is grassy green. Sure, lawns are beautiful and useful and they smell great. But are the costs — financial, environmental and otherwise — worth the…

Episode 85

Is Emotional Intelligence Really So Important?

Can you quantify emotional intelligence? Who should you hire — someone smart, or someone good with people? And how did Angie do on an online emotional intelligence test?…

Episode 571

Greeting Cards, Pizza Boxes, and Personal Injury Lawyers

In a special episode of The Economics of Everyday Things, host Zachary Crockett explains what millennials do to show they care, how corrugated cardboard keeps your food warm, and why…

Episode 108

How Did “Freakonomics” Get Its Name?

Levitt and Dubner answer your questions about driving, sneezing, and ladies’ nights. Plus a remembrance of Levitt’s sister Linda.

Episode 551

What Can Whales Teach Us About Clean Energy, Workplace Harmony, and Living the Good Life?

In the final episode of our whale series, we learn about fecal plumes, shipping noise, and why Moby-Dick is still worth reading. (Part 3 of “Everything You Never Knew About…

Episode 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…

Episode 19

Pizza Boxes

There’s more than meets the eye to the box that stores the pie. Zachary Crockett cracks the lid….