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Episode No.
Date
Length
No. 500

What Exactly Is College For? (Update)

We think of them as intellectual enclaves and the surest route to a better life. But U.S. colleges also operate like firms, trying to differentiate their products to win market share and prestige points. In the first episode of a special series originally published in 2022, we ask what our chaotic system gets right — and wrong. (Part 1 of “Freakonomics Radio Goes Back to School.”)

8/14/24
50:51
EXTRA

Here’s Why You’re Not an Elite Athlete (Update)

There are a lot of factors that go into greatness, many of which are not obvious. As the Olympics come to a close, we revisit a 2018 episode in which top athletes from a variety of sports tell us how they made it, and what they sacrificed.

8/11/24
65:34
No. 600

“If We’re All in It for Ourselves, Who Are We?”

Tania Tetlow, a former federal prosecutor and now the president of Fordham University, thinks the modern campus could use a dose of old-fashioned values.

8/7/24
44:47
PLUS

The Trust-Buster

Stephen Dubner talks with Columbia Law professor and antitrust expert Tim Wu.

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8/2/24
34:22
No. 599

The World’s Most Valuable Unused Resource

It’s not oil or water or plutonium — it’s human hours. We’ve got an idea for putting them to use, and for building a more human-centered economy. But we need your help.

7/31/24
44:42
EXTRA

Why Rent Control Doesn’t Work (Update)

A new proposal from the Biden administration calls for a nationwide cap on rent increases. Economists think that’s a terrible idea. We revisit a 2019 episode to hear why.

7/28/24
53:55
No. 598

Is Overconsolidation a Threat to Democracy?

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 your eye doctor knows that you don’t. (Part two of a two-part series.)

7/24/24
42:57
No. 597

Why Do Your Eyeglasses Cost $1,000?

A single company, EssilorLuxottica, owns so much of the eyewear industry that it’s hard to escape their gravitational pull — or their “obscene” markups. Should regulators do something? Can Warby Parker steal market share? And how did Ray-Bans become a luxury brand? (Part one of a two-part series.)

7/17/24
59:15
EXTRA

People Aren’t Dumb. The World Is Hard. (Update)

You wouldn’t think you could win a Nobel Prize for showing that humans tend to make irrational decisions. But that’s what Richard Thaler has done. In an interview from 2018, the founder of behavioral economics describes his unlikely route to success; his reputation for being lazy; and his efforts to fix the world — one nudge at a time.

7/14/24
55:25
No. 596

Farewell to a Generational Talent

Daniel Kahneman left his mark on academia (and the real world) in countless ways. A group of his friends and colleagues recently gathered in Chicago to reflect on this legacy — and we were there, with microphones.

7/10/24
55:28
No. 595

Why Don’t We Have Better Candidates for President?

American politics is trapped in a duopoly, with two all-powerful parties colluding to stifle competition. We revisit a 2018 episode to explain how the political industry works, and talk to a reformer (and former presidential candidate) who is pushing for change.

7/3/24
67:15
PLUS

Is Advertising Worth It?

We revisit an episode about whether a multi-billion dollar industry is effective.

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6/28/24
35:11
No. 594

Your Brand’s Spokesperson Just Got Arrested — Now What?

It’s hard to know whether the benefits of hiring a celebrity are worth the risk. We dig into one gruesome story of an endorsement gone wrong, and find a surprising result.

6/26/24
49:24
PLUS

The Magic Behind a Hit Broadway Play

Stephen Dubner talks with three of the people responsible for the Tony-winning play Stereophonic.

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6/21/24
60:14
No. 593

You Can Make a Killing, but Not a Living

Broadway operates on a winner-take-most business model. A runaway hit like Stereophonic — which just won five Tony Awards — will create a few big winners. But even the stars of the show will have to go elsewhere to make real money. (Part two of a two-part series.)

6/19/24
55:39
EXTRA

The Fascinatingly Mundane Secrets of the World’s Most Exclusive Nightclub

The Berlin dance mecca Berghain is known for its eight-hour line and inscrutable door policy. PJ Vogt, host of the podcast Search Engine, joins us to crack the code. It has to do with Cold War rivalries, German tax law, and one very talented bouncer.

6/17/24
50:24
PLUS

Walking Can Be Hazardous to Your Health

Stephen Dubner talks with the transportation scholar Kelcie Ralph about why so many pedestrians are killed on America’s roads.

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6/14/24
46:21
No. 592

How to Make the Coolest Show on Broadway

Hit by Covid, runaway costs, and a zillion streams of competition, serious theater is in serious trouble. A new hit play called Stereophonic — the most Tony-nominated play in history — has something to say about that. We speak with the people who make it happen every night. (Part one of a two-part series.)

6/12/24
70:47
PLUS

Kevin Kelly Has Some Advice for You

Revisiting an episode about parenting, travel, luck, and why we should all spend more time on YouTube.

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6/7/24
35:40
No. 591

Signs of Progress, One Year at a Time

Every December, a British man named Tom Whitwell publishes a list of 52 things he’s learned that year. These fascinating facts reveal the spectrum of human behavior, from fraud and hypocrisy to Whitwell’s steadfast belief in progress. Should we also believe?

6/5/24
58:41
EXTRA

The Opioid Tragedy — How We Got Here

An update of our 2020 series, in which we spoke with physicians, researchers, and addicts about the root causes of the crisis — and the tension between abstinence and harm reduction.

6/2/24
45:45
PLUS

How Pfizer Thinks About Responsibility

Stephen Dubner speaks with Pfizer corporate responsibility chief Caroline Roan.

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5/31/24
51:27
No. 590

Can $55 Billion End the Opioid Epidemic?

Thanks to legal settlements with drug makers and distributors, states have plenty of money to boost prevention and treatment. Will it work? (Part two of a two-part series.)

5/29/24
46:47
PLUS

Thinking Differently About Opioid Addiction

Stephen Dubner talks with addiction doctor Stephen Loyd about Loyd’s own experience with addiction, and how we should approach recovery in the U.S.

To get Plus episodes, you can sign up for SiriusXM Podcasts+ on Apple Podcasts here.

5/24/24
50:46
No. 589

Why Has the Opioid Crisis Lasted So Long?

Most epidemics flare up, do their damage, and fade away. This one has been raging for almost 30 years. To find out why, it’s time to ask some uncomfortable questions. (Part one of a two-part series.)

5/22/24
54:05
EXTRA

Car Colors & Storage Units

Presenting two stories from The Economics of Everyday Things: Why does it seem like every car is black, white, or gray these days? And: How self-storage took over America.

5/19/24
41:24
PLUS

What Does Glenn Loury Think About Reparations?

Stephen Dubner talked to the economist and social critic in 2020 about whether Black Americans should receive government payments for the lasting damages of slavery.

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5/17/24
42:52
No. 588

Confessions of a Black Conservative

The economist and social critic Glenn Loury has led a remarkably turbulent life, both professionally and personally. In a new memoir, he has chosen to reveal just about everything. Why?

5/15/24
62:23
PLUS

“The Ways in Which the Molecules Jiggle”

Stephen Dubner appears on Alan Alda’s podcast Clear + Vivid to discuss their mutual hero Richard Feynman.

To get Plus episodes, you can sign up for SiriusXM Podcasts+ on Apple Podcasts here.

5/10/24
33:52
No. 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?

5/8/24
52:49
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