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Episode No.
Date
Length
No. 42

The Upside of Quitting (Replay)

You know the saying: a winner never quits and a quitter never wins. To which Freakonomics Radio says … Are you sure?

5/29/14
59:40
No. 168

Think Like a Child

When it comes to generating ideas and asking questions it can be really fruitful to have the mentality of an eight year old.

5/22/14
29:41
No. 167

The Three Hardest Words in the English Language

Why learning to say “I don’t know” is one of the best things you can do.

5/15/14
30:21
No. 166

How to Think Like a Freak — and Other FREAK-quently Asked Questions

Stephen Dubner and Steve Levitt talk about their new book and field questions about prestige, university life, and (yum yum) bacon.

5/8/14
28:55
No. 165

The Perfect Crime

If you are driving and kill a pedestrian, there’s a good chance you’ll barely be punished. Why?

5/1/14
29:54
No. 164

Which Came First, the Chicken or the Avocado?

When it comes to exercising outrage, people tend to be very selective. Could it be that humans are our least favorite animal?

4/24/14
34:57
No. 163

What’s More Dangerous: Marijuana or Alcohol?

Imagine that both substances were undiscovered until today. How would we think about their relative risks?

4/17/14
28:47
No. 162

“If Mayors Ruled the World”

Unlike certain elected officials in Washington, mayors all over the country actually get stuff done. So maybe we should ask them to do more?

4/10/14
35:32
No. 161

How to Make People Quit Smoking

The war on cigarettes has been fairly successful in some places. But 1 billion humans still smoke — so what comes next?

4/3/14
37:30
No. 160

Why Everybody Who Doesn’t Hate Bitcoin Loves It

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.

3/27/14
38:45
No. 116

Women Are Not Men (Replay)

In many ways, the gender gap is closing. In others, not so much. And that’s not always a bad thing.

3/20/14
38:34
No. 159

“It’s Fun to Smoke Marijuana”

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.

3/13/14
23:56
No. 158

Is Learning a Foreign Language Really Worth It?

Yes, it expands the mind but we usually don’t retain much — and then there’s the opportunity cost.

3/6/14
22:01
No. 157

Why Are Japanese Homes Disposable?

In most countries, houses get more valuable over time. In Japan, a new buyer will often bulldoze the home. We’ll tell you why.

2/27/14
27:07
No. 156

Why Marry? (Part 2)

The consequences of our low marriage rate — and if the old model is less attractive, how about a new one?

2/20/14
27:08
No. 155

Why Marry? (Part 1)

The myths of modern marriage.

2/13/14
22:46
No. 154

What You Don’t Know About Online Dating

Thick markets, thin markets, and the triumph of attributes over compatibility.

2/6/14
40:18
No. 153

Reasons to Not Be Ugly

The “beauty premium” is real, for everyone from babies to NFL quarterbacks.

1/30/14
29:37
No. 152

Everybody Gossips (and That’s a Good Thing)

The benefits of rumor-mongering.

1/23/14
38:57
No. 92

Fear Thy Nature (Replay)

What “Sleep No More” and the Stanford Prison Experiment tell us about who we really are.

1/16/14
37:53
No. 151

Are We Ready to Legalize Drugs? And Other FREAK-quently Asked Questions

Dubner and Levitt talk about fixing the post office, putting cameras in the classroom, and wearing hats.

1/9/14
32:11
No. 150

What’s the “Best” Exercise?

Most people blame lack of time for being out of shape. So maybe the solution is to exercise more efficiently.

1/2/14
19:25
No. 60

Save Me From Myself (Replay)

A commitment device forces you to be the person you really want to be. What could possibly go wrong?

12/26/13
36:42
No. 149

Pontiff-icating on the Free-Market System

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.

12/19/13
42:07
No. 148

Are Gay Men Really Rich?

It’s easy to get that idea. But is the stereotype true?

12/12/13
24:25
No. 147

The Most Dangerous Machine

More than 1 million people die worldwide each year from traffic accidents. But there’s never been a safer time to drive.

12/5/13
34:52
No. 146

Fighting Poverty With Actual Evidence

It’s time to do away with feel-good stories, gut hunches, and magical thinking.

11/27/13
41:46
No. 145

What Do Skating Rinks, Ultimate Frisbee, and the World Have in Common?

Spontaneous order is everywhere if you know where to look for it.

11/21/13
46:54
No. 144

Who Runs the Internet?

The online universe doesn’t have nearly as many rules, or rulemakers, as the real world. Discuss.

11/14/13
32:58
No. 88

Freakonomics Goes to College, Part 2 (Replay)

College tends to make people happier, healthier, and wealthier. But how?

11/7/13
33:59
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