Freakonomics co-author Stephen J. Dubner uncovers the hidden side of everything. Why is it safer to fly in an airplane than drive a car? How do we decide whom to marry? Why is the media so full of bad news? Also: things you never knew you wanted to know about wolves, bananas, pollution, search engines, and the quirks of human behavior.
Listen here or follow Freakonomics Radio on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. We also provide transcripts, show notes, and links to research for each episode.
Thinking of Bitcoin as just a digital currency is like thinking about the Internet as just e-mail. Its potential is much more exciting than that.
In many ways, the gender gap is closing. In others, not so much. And that’s not always a bad thing.
A psychology professor argues that the brain’s greatest attribute is knowing what other people are thinking. And that a Queen song, played backwards, can improve your mind-reading skills.
Yes, it expands the mind but we usually don’t retain much — and then there’s the opportunity cost.
In most countries, houses get more valuable over time. In Japan, a new buyer will often bulldoze the home. We’ll tell you why.
The consequences of our low marriage rate — and if the old model is less attractive, how about a new one?
Thick markets, thin markets, and the triumph of attributes over compatibility.
The “beauty premium” is real, for everyone from babies to NFL quarterbacks.
What “Sleep No More” and the Stanford Prison Experiment tell us about who we really are.
Dubner and Levitt talk about fixing the post office, putting cameras in the classroom, and wearing hats.
Most people blame lack of time for being out of shape. So maybe the solution is to exercise more efficiently.
A commitment device forces you to be the person you really want to be. What could possibly go wrong?
This week’s episode of Freakonomics Radio takes a look at Pope Francis’s critique of the free-market system in “Evangelii Gaudium” (“The Joy of the Gospel”), his first apostolic exhortation.
It’s easy to get that idea. But is the stereotype true?
More than 1 million people die worldwide each year from traffic accidents. But there’s never been a safer time to drive.
It’s time to do away with feel-good stories, gut hunches, and magical thinking.
Spontaneous order is everywhere if you know where to look for it.
The online universe doesn’t have nearly as many rules, or rulemakers, as the real world. Discuss.
College tends to make people happier, healthier, and wealthier. But how?
What’s a college degree really worth these days?
Being green is rarely a black-and-white issue — but that doesn’t stop marketers and politicians from pretending it is.
We spend billions on our pets, and one of the fastest-growing costs is pet “aftercare.” But are those cremated remains you got back really from your pet?
The science of what works — and doesn’t work — in fundraising.
Dubner and Levitt field your queries in this latest installment of our FREAK-quently Asked Questions.
A 19th-century Georgia land lottery may have something to teach us about today’s income inequality.
Think you know how much parents matter? Think again. Economists crunch the numbers to learn the ROI on child-rearing.
Once upon a time, office workers across America lived in fear of a dreaded infirmity. Was the computer keyboard really the villain — and did carpal tunnel syndrome really go away?
There are more than twice as many suicides as murders in the U.S., but suicide attracts far less scrutiny. Freakonomics Radio digs through the numbers and finds all kinds of surprises.
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