Whether it’s a giant infrastructure plan or a humble kitchen renovation, it’ll inevitably take way too long and cost way too much. That’s because you suffer from “the planning fallacy.”…
In 2016, David Cameron held a referendum on whether the U.K. should stay in the European Union. A longtime Euroskeptic, he nevertheless led the Remain campaign. So what did Cameron…
A wide-open conversation with three women who guided Richard Feynman through some big adventures at the Esalen Institute. (Part of our Feynman series.)…
[omny:https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/aaea4e69-af51-495e-afc9-a9760146922b/14a43378-edb2-49be-8511-ab0d000a7030/f2f67c5a-f4ce-4129-b04a-ab0d001aea6c/audio.mp3] Our latest Freakonomics Radio on Marketplace podcast is called “Lying to Ourselves.” (You can download/subscribe at iTunes, get the RSS feed, listen via the media player above, or read…
The U.S. president is often called the “leader of the free world.” But if you ask an economist or a Constitutional scholar how much the occupant of the Oval Office…
…podcast, “There’s Cake in the Breakroom!” You can download/subscribe at iTunes, get the RSS feed, listen via the media player above, or read the transcript here. There are at least…
…in producing animal feed and ultimately meat. Given this expense, as well as the world’s need for protein sources, I’d love for you to weigh in on this rather repugnant…
…you. (You can download/subscribe at iTunes, get the RSS feed, listen via the media player above, or read the transcript here.) If you’re a longtime reader, you probably already have…
…rate. Here are the top 10 tasks on HighScore House: Brush teeth (AM) Make bed Homework Bath time Laundry Clean your bedroom Help cook Wash the dishes Feed the dog…
He’s been an Arctic scientist, a sports journalist, and is now a best-selling author of science books. His latest, Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, makes the argument…
Nobel laureate, bestselling author, and groundbreaking psychologist Daniel Kahneman died in March. In 2021 he talked with Steve Levitt — his friend and former business partner — about his book…
Our latest podcast is called “How Biased Is Your Media?” (You can download/subscribe at iTunes or get the RSS feed.) It includes an interview with University of Chicago economist Matthew…
[omny:https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/aaea4e69-af51-495e-afc9-a9760146922b/14a43378-edb2-49be-8511-ab0d000a7030/a0932c5a-97f7-49d8-86ee-ab0d001a3b34/audio.mp3] Photo Credit: Our latest Freakonomics Radio on Marketplace podcast is called “How Money Is March Madness?” (You can download/subscribe at iTunes, get the RSS feed, listen via the media…
[omny:https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/aaea4e69-af51-495e-afc9-a9760146922b/14a43378-edb2-49be-8511-ab0d000a7030/b3caf04c-5a6a-424e-b78d-ab0d001b5c43/audio.mp3] (Photo: vxla) Our latest Freakonomics Radio on Marketplace podcast is called “What’s Wrong With Cash for Grades?” (You can download/subscribe at iTunes, get the RSS feed, listen via the…
Trump says it would destroy us. Sanders says it will save us. The majority of millennials would like it to replace capitalism. But what is “it”? We bring in the…
Just beneath the surface of the global economy, there is a hidden layer of dealmakers for whom war, chaos, and sanctions can be a great business opportunity. Javier Blas and…
Are things as dire as they seem? How big is your moral circle? And should Angela spend time with her kids or answer her emails?…
That’s the worry. Even the humble eyeglass industry is dominated by a single firm. We look into the global spike in myopia, how the Lemtosh got its name, and what…
The documentary filmmaker, known for The Civil War, Jazz, and Baseball, turns his attention to the Holocaust, and asks what we can learn from the evils of the past….
…feed, listen at the Times‘s podcast page or on Amazon.com. Friday’s blog installment was a Super Bowl edition, focusing on hard hits in the NFL. Coming soon on the blog:…
…at iTunes, get the RSS feed, listen live via the media player above, or read the transcript here.) There are a host of professions built around predicting some future outcome:…
Is evolution stacked against healthy eating? What policies could increase demand for nutritious food? And does Popeyes count as a cultural icon?…
…the link between educational attainment and cotton exports in Uzbekistan — this is going to be a great blog to follow. They’ve already earned a spot in my RSS feed….
…is a small country, if it defaults, there’s a real concern that some other larger countries particularly Spain could follow. If that happens, it could easily feed into contagion and…
It has become fiendishly expensive to produce, and has more competition than ever. And yet the believers still believe. Why? And does the world really want a new musical about…
We explore the science, scalability, and (of course) economics surrounding the global vaccine race. Guests include the chief medical officer of the first U.S. firm to go to Phase 3…
…short-lived — but will it, in this case, live long enough to power Obama through an election cycle? FWIW, if you’re looking for an interesting Twitter feed to follow about…
…the meat from the killed elephant could feed an African village (literally). I’m guessing (although I’m not sure I care, and he does not say this) that he also is…
Sarah Stein Greenberg runs Stanford’s d.school, which teaches design as a mode of problem solving. She and Steve talk about what makes her field different from other academic disciplines, how…
In this interview, first heard on Freakonomics Radio last year, Steve talks with the former top adviser to presidents Clinton and Obama, about his record — and his reputation. And…
