Sure, we all want to make good personal decisions, but it doesn’t always work out. That’s where “temptation bundling” comes in.
What do NASCAR drivers, Glenn Beck, and the hit men of the N.F.L. have in common?
When it comes to generating ideas and asking questions it can be really fruitful to have the mentality of an 8-year-old.
America’s favorite statistical guru answers our FREAK-quently Asked Questions, and more.
Conventional programs tend to be expensive, onerous, and ineffective. Could something as simple (and cheap) as cognitive behavioral therapy do the trick?
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….
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…
We are constantly wowed by new technologies and policies meant to make childbirth better. But beware the unintended consequences.
Spontaneous order is everywhere if you know where to look for it.
In many ways, the gender gap is closing. In others, not so much. And that’s not always a bad thing.
When it comes to generating ideas and asking questions it can be really fruitful to have the mentality of an eight year old.
Trying to go rustic by baking, brewing, and knitting at home can be terribly inefficient. And that’s a wonderful thing.
What “Sleep No More” and the Stanford Prison Experiment tell us about who we really are.
Politicians tell voters exactly what they want to hear, even when it makes no sense. Which is pretty much all the time.
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?
As Kevin Kelly tells it, the hippie revolution and the computer revolution are nearly one and the same.
Also: How can you become a more curious person?…
Also: is it better to be right or “not wrong”?…
Also: What’s the best way to handle rejection?…
In a new book called The Voltage Effect, the economist John List — who has already revolutionized how his profession does research — is trying to start a scaling revolution….
There are a lot of barriers to changing your mind: ego, overconfidence, inertia — and cost. Politicians who flip-flop get mocked; family and friends who cross tribal borders are shunned….
What’s the difference between people who preserve special things and people who devour them right away? Why do we love to binge-watch? And did Adam really eat an apple?…
Where’s the line between an addiction and a bad habit? Why do definitions of mental illnesses change over time? And what’s the most addictive thing in the world?…
How much can you tell about someone from the first few seconds of a Zoom call? What did Stephen think of Angie when he first met her? And: a special…
We asked you to nominate the worst sins of the modern age. Which one do Stephen and Angela think belongs on the list? And which does Angie struggle with the…
What’s the difference between people who preserve special things and people who devour them right away? Why do we love to binge-watch? And did Adam really eat an apple?
