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Episode 605

What Do People Do All Day?

Sixty percent of the jobs that Americans do today didn’t exist in 1940. What happens as our labor becomes more technical and less physical? And what kinds of jobs will…

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Episode 153

Should You Spend More Time in Nature?

Is a walk through the city as good as a walk through the woods? Who’s most likely to die while taking a selfie? And how does Angela protect herself from…

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Episode 87

What’s So Great About Retirement?

How do you know when it’s the right time to retire? What does a “good” retirement look like? And will Stephen and Angela ever really hang up their hats?…

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Episode 48

Marc Davis Can’t Stop Watching Basketball — But He Doesn’t Care Who Wins

His childhood dream of playing in the N.B.A. led him to a career as a referee. Marc is one of the league’s top performers after over 20 seasons, but he…

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Episode 60

Why Do We Complain?

Also: what do you really mean when you say you “don’t have time”?…

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Episode 26

Do Checklists Make People Stupid?

Also: What’s so great about New York City anyway?

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Episode 328

Extra: Mark Zuckerberg Full Interview

Stephen Dubner’s conversation with the Facebook founder and C.E.O., recorded for the Freakonomics Radio series “The Secret Life of a C.E.O.”…

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EXTRA

Why Do People Love Horror Movies? (Replay)

When are negative emotions enjoyable? Are we all a little masochistic? And do pigs like hot sauce?…

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Episode 574

“A Low Moment in Higher Education”

Michael Roth of Wesleyan University doesn’t hang out with other university presidents. He also thinks some of them have failed a basic test of good sense and decency. It’s time…

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Episode 90

If America Is a Train Wreck, Why Am I Doing Fine?

Why do so many Americans say they’re satisfied with their own lives but upset about the way the country is going? Why don’t other countries experience the same gap? And…

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Episode 136

The World’s Most Controversial Ornithologist

Richard Prum says there’s a lot that traditional evolutionary biology can’t explain. He thinks a neglected hypothesis from Charles Darwin — and insights from contemporary queer theory — hold the…

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Episode 566

Why Is It So Hard (and Expensive) to Build Anything in America?

Most industries have become more productive over time. But not construction! We identify the causes — and possible solutions. (Can you say … “prefab”?)…

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Episode 25

Is Hedonism Better Than Self-Control?

Also: Is it wrong to feel inured to the pandemic?

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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…

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Episode 559

Are Two C.E.O.s Better Than One?

If two parents can run a family, why shouldn’t two executives run a company? We dig into the research and hear firsthand stories of both triumph and disaster. Also: lessons…

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Episode 4

Does All Creativity Come From Pain?

Also: is life precious because it’s finite?…

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Episode 188

Why Do Kids Today Get So Many A’s?

Is grade inflation on the rise? How much does your G.P.A. matter in the long run? And when did M.I.T., of all places, become “the cool university”?…

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Episode 13

Yul Kwon: “Don’t Try to Change Yourself All at Once.”

…where he helped build tools to track the spread of Covid-19. But things haven’t always come easily for him. Steve Levitt talks to Kwon about his debilitating childhood anxieties, his…

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Episode 507

103 Pieces of Advice That May or May Not Work

Kevin Kelly calls himself “the most optimistic person in the world.” And he has a lot to say about parenting, travel, A.I., being luckier — and why we should spend…

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Episode 81

Why Is It So Hard to Talk About Money?

What’s the connection between conversations about money and financial literacy? Could the taboo against talking about your salary be fading? And why did Angie’s teenage daughter call Vanguard to learn…

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Episode 53

What’s the Secret to Making a Great Prediction?

Also: How do you recover from a bad day?…

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Episode 104

How Simple Is Too Simple?

Why are humans so eager for magic-bullet solutions? Can you explain how a pen works? And how does Angela feel about being forever branded “the grit lady”?…

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Episode 97

Are Women Really Less Happy Than Men?

Why are women unhappier than men? What can we do to move the needle? And is it better to be happy or to be good?…

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Episode 394

Does Hollywood Still Have a Princess Problem?

For decades, there’s been a huge gender disparity both on-screen and behind the scenes. But it seems like cold, hard data — with an assist from the actor Geena Davis…

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Episode 29

How Do You Know When It’s Time to Quit?

Also: Why is it so hard to predict success?…

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Episode 43

The Comedian-Ophthalmologist Will See You Now

Dr. Will Flanary, a.k.a Dr. Glaucomflecken, has always been a comedy fan. During the pandemic, he found an audience. But should doctors be funny with their patients? Bapu Jena asks…

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Episode 248

How to Be Tim Ferriss

…Tim Ferriss, creator of the Four-Hour universe, may at first glance look like a charlatan, but it seems more likely that he’s a wizard — and the kind of self-improvement…

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Episode 587

Should Companies Be Owned by Their Workers?

The employee ownership movement is growing, and one of its biggest champions is also a private equity heavyweight. Is this meaningful change, or just window dressing?…

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EXTRA

Mark Cuban Full Interview

A conversation with the Shark Tank star, entrepreneur, and Dallas Mavericks owner recorded for the Freakonomics Radio series “The Hidden Side of Sports.”…

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Episode 72

“Leaving Black People in the Lurch”

Linguist and social commentator John McWhorter explains how good intentions may be hurting Black America — and where the word “motherf*cker” comes from….