In the newest show from the Freakonomics Radio Network, host Zachary Crockett explores the hidden side of the things around us. This week: One creature’s trash is another’s cash. (Or, how one man found profit in pee.)
Jul 21, 2023•13 min
A sneak peek at Bapu's new book, Random Acts of Medicine , available now from Doubleday, and an announcement about the show.
Jul 11, 2023•38 min
Couples get divorced for all kinds of reasons. Is having kids one of them? Bapu talks about research that investigates what happens to parents who unexpectedly have twins. Plus, an announcement about the future of the show.
Mar 31, 2023•19 min•Ep. 78
Doctors and nurses get most of the attention — but a new study suggests we can improve health care by raising wages for a group of workers who are often overlooked.
Mar 24, 2023•19 min•Ep. 77
In hospitals, a softer pillow or a nicer room might be more than just amenities — they could improve outcomes for patients.
Mar 17, 2023•18 min•Ep. 76
Americans eat a lot of sugar — and it’s hard to determine how it affects our health. Bapu explains how a new study uses data from the 1950s to help solve the mystery.
Mar 10, 2023•20 min•Ep. 75
It’s not a new question, but it’s a tricky one to study. Bapu explains why, and talks about how an N.F.L. labor dispute helped him get some answers.
Mar 03, 2023•17 min•Ep. 74
The most expensive drugs in the world are treatments for genetic diseases. And more of these cures are on the horizon. How will anyone be able to afford them?
Feb 17, 2023•29 min•Ep. 73
Breakthroughs in biotech that seem like science fiction are becoming reality. Why aren’t more patients benefiting from them?
Feb 10, 2023•32 min•Ep. 72
mRNA vaccines helped bring the pandemic under control. Could they also train the immune system to fight cancer?
Feb 03, 2023•27 min•Ep. 71
Success and failure are hard to measure in medicine. Bapu looks at how surgeons are judged after a bad outcome — and whether men and women are treated the same.
Jan 27, 2023•29 min•Ep. 70
We take it for granted that, when people are acutely ill, they should be in the hospital. Is there a better way?
Jan 20, 2023•27 min•Ep. 69
Figuring out which patients to hospitalize and which to safely send home can be tricky. Is there a way to make this decision easier for doctors — and get better outcomes, too?
Jan 13, 2023•30 min•Ep. 68
A small number of patients with multiple chronic conditions use a lot of resources. Dr. Jeffrey Brenner found a way to identify and treat them. Could it reduce health-care spending too?
Jan 06, 2023•29 min
Bapu tries to stump master clinician Dr. Gurpreet Dhaliwal with a medical mystery.
Dec 30, 2022•34 min•Ep. 67
It’s a surprisingly hard question to answer. Bapu talks with a health economist about a natural experiment that led to some unexpected findings.
Dec 23, 2022•31 min•Ep. 66
At the start of the 20th century, there weren’t many hospitals in the U.S. That changed in 1918, thanks to the Great Influenza pandemic. Its effects on health care are still being felt today. Which makes us wonder: will the impact of Covid-19 also be felt 100 years from now?
Dec 16, 2022•31 min•Ep. 65
Half the world's population uses social media — and a new study suggests that it causes anxiety and depression. Can anything be done, or is it too late?
Dec 09, 2022•31 min•Ep. 64
Some diagnostic tests give distorted results for Black patients. How are doctors trying to change that?
Dec 02, 2022•31 min•Ep. 63
Promising drugs keep failing in trials. Allegations of fraud have cast a shadow over the field. An expert explains why Alzheimer’s treatments have been so hard to find — and why one clue may lie in the Andes Mountains.
Nov 25, 2022•33 min
Bapu talks to White House Covid Czar Dr. Ashish Jha about becoming a household name, studying pandemics, and the frustrations of politics. Also, when will he be out of a job?
Nov 18, 2022•29 min•Ep. 62
Colonoscopy is strongly recommended for Americans over 45. But a new study suggests its benefits have been overstated. Should we change how we screen for colorectal cancer?
Nov 11, 2022•32 min•Ep. 61
Chances are, at some point you’ll be treated by a nurse practitioner or a physician assistant instead of a doctor. Will your care suffer?
Nov 04, 2022•31 min•Ep. 60
Time is precious. How can doctors and patients make the best use of it — especially when there isn’t much left?
Oct 28, 2022•28 min•Ep. 59
Can a clever new study shed light on one of parenting’s most elusive and contentious questions?
Oct 21, 2022•30 min•Ep. 58
Antibiotics save lives. But what happens when we use them too much? Bapu looks at how changing physician behavior could help prevent a major public health disaster.
Oct 14, 2022•28 min•Ep. 57
Incarceration has been linked to infectious diseases, mental illness, cancer, and violence. But new research suggests it can extend some people’s lifespans. Bapu investigates the paradox of prison time.
Oct 07, 2022•29 min•Ep. 56
Behavioral economists say “regret lotteries” are powerful motivational tools. When Philadelphia tried one in 2021, the results were disappointing. Bapu looks at how incentives can backfire — and what we can learn from failures.
Sep 30, 2022•30 min•Ep. 55
When COVID hit, telemedicine use in the U.S. exploded. But how are we using it now? Bapu Jena explores the consequences of this evolving technology.
Sep 23, 2022•32 min•Ep. 54
After the Supreme Court’s abortion decision, doctors in some states are concerned that delivering treatment could put them in legal jeopardy. Bapu Jena looks at how the practice of “defensive medicine” can compromise patient care.
Sep 16, 2022•29 min•Ep. 53