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Episode 356

America’s Hidden Duopoly (Replay)

We all know our political system is “broken” — but what if that’s not true? Some say the Republicans and Democrats constitute a wildly successful industry that has colluded to…

Suze Orman Will Now Take Your Money Questions

…Time, Anita Hamilton called Orman one of the personal-finance writers who “make women feel guilty.” She hosts her own show, the Suze Orman Show, on CNBC, and has won two…



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Episode 90

Peter Singer Isn’t a Saint, But He’s Better Than Steve Levitt

The philosopher known for his rigorous ethics explains why Steve is leading a morally inconsistent life….


An End to the Gas Tax?

…in fuel economy and alternate fuels. Something will have to be done to pay for transportation, and a shift to the use of sales taxes would put highway finance on…



A Coasean Sign

…pay? This is the perfect kind of question for corporate finance students to kick around in Excel, and so as one of the questions for my quantitative corporate finance final,…



Introducing: The Book of Odds

…likely to have your ashes abandoned at a crematorium than to see a new book on personal finance be published in a given year. The Book of Odds is a…



My friend Dave Kansas has a new job

…a partnership between Barry Diller’s IAC and Dow Jones for a new personal finance web site. Given his past accomplishments, Kansas is one guy you don’t want to bet against,…



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Episode 14

Yul Kwon: “Hey, Do You Have Any Bright Ideas?” (Part 2)

He’s so fascinating that Steve Levitt brought him back for a second conversation. Yul Kwon currently works at Google, but he’s been a lawyer, political organizer, government regulator, organ donation…

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Freakonomics Radio Live: “We Thought of a Way to Manipulate Your Perception of Time.”

We learn how to be less impatient, how to tell fake news from real, and the simple trick that nurses used to make better predictions than doctors. Journalist Manoush Zomorodi…

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Episode 632

When Did We All Start Watching Documentaries?

It used to be that making documentary films meant taking a vow of poverty (and obscurity). The streaming revolution changed that. Award-winning filmmaker R.J. Cutler talks to Stephen Dubner about…

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Episode 178

How to Save $1 Billion Without Even Trying

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?

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Episode 207

Should We Really Behave Like Economists Say We Do?

One man’s attempt to remake his life in the mold of homo economicus.

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Episode 131

Getting Old, Adventurously

Caroline Paul is a thrill-seeker and writer who is on a quest to encourage women to get outside and embrace adventure as they age. She and Steve talk about fighting…

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Episode 214

What Does It Take to Survive a Scandal?

How do you come back from being “canceled”? Are we more likely to forgive someone if they cry? And what makes a successful public apology?…

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Episode 12

Sue Bird: “You Have to Pay the Superstars.”

She is one of the best basketball players ever. She’s won multiple championships, including four Olympic gold medals and four W.N.B.A. titles — the most recent in 2020, just before…

Genetics Entrepreneur Anne Wojcicki Answers Your Questions

Anne Wojcicki Last week we solicited your questions for Anne Wojcicki, co-founder of the “personal genetics” company 23andMe. Among your interesting questions: are 23andMe’s genetic results taken seriously by doctors?…



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Episode 205

Could the Next Brooklyn Be … Las Vegas?! (Replay)

Tony Hsieh, the longtime C.E.O. of Zappos, was an iconoclast and a dreamer. Five years ago, we sat down with him around a desert campfire to talk about those dreams….

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Episode 389

How to Make Meetings Less Terrible (Replay)

In the U.S. alone, we hold 55 million meetings a day. Most of them are woefully unproductive and tyrannize our offices. The revolution begins now — with better agendas, smaller…


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EXTRA

Sue Bird: “You Have to Pay the Superstars.” (Replay)

She is one of the best basketball players ever. She’s won multiple championships, including five Olympic gold medals and four W.N.B.A. titles. She also helped negotiate a landmark contract for…

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Episode 347

Why You Shouldn’t Open a Restaurant (Update)

Kenji López-Alt became a rock star of the food world by bringing science into the kitchen in a way that everyday cooks can appreciate. Then he dared to start his…

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Episode 111

Would You Be Happier if You Lived Someplace Else?

Will Angela finally break up with Philadelphia? Is New York really the unhappiest city in the U.S.? And are there trash tornadoes in the metaverse?…

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Episode 207

How Clearly Do You See Yourself?

Do you see yourself the same way others see you? What’s the difference between self-perception and self-awareness? And why do Mike and Angela both hate fishing?…

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Episode 78

You Eat What You Are, Part 2

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.

Economics, Politics, and Happiness

I’ve been enjoying Arthur Brooks‘s musings on the relationship between personal politics and personal happiness. And so I was interested to read an interesting piece in The Times (of London),…



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Episode 154

Why Is There So Much Social Pressure Around Alcohol?

Why do people drink? Why do people not drink? And why specifically do Angela and Mike not drink?…

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Episode 135

How to Grow a White Rhino

Thomas Hildebrandt is trying to bring the northern white rhinoceros back from the brink of extinction. The wildlife veterinarian tells Steve about the far-out techniques he employs, why we might…

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Episode 130

Why Is It So Hard to Resist Temptation?

Why are people so inconsistent? Is there such a thing as character? And did Stephen once have the world’s longest chain of gum wrappers?…

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Episode 15

Home Staging

How do you turn an empty house into a buyer’s dream home? Zachary Crockett pulls back the curtain….