530. What's Wrong with Being a One-Hit Wonder?
We tend to look down on artists who can't match their breakthrough success. Should we be celebrating them instead?
Jan 12, 2023•49 min•Ep. 530
Freakonomics Radio
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.
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Episodes
529. Can Our Surroundings Make Us Smarter?
In a special episode of No Stupid Questions , Stephen Dubner and Angela Duckworth discuss classroom design, open offices, and cognitive drift.
Jan 05, 2023•47 min•Ep. 529
528. Yuval Noah Harari Thinks Life is Meaningless and Amazing
In this special episode of People I (Mostly) Admire , Steve Levitt talks to the best-selling author of Sapiens and Homo Deus about finding the profound in the obvious.
Dec 29, 2022•52 min•Ep. 528
527. Can Adam Smith Fix Our Economy?
Labor exploitation! Corporate profiteering! Government corruption! The 21st century can look a lot like the 18th. In the final episode of a series, we turn to “the father of economics” for solutions. (Part 3 of “ In Search of the Real Adam Smith .”)
Dec 22, 2022•49 min•Ep. 527
526. Was Adam Smith Really a Right-Winger?
Economists and politicians have turned him into a mascot for free-market ideology. Some on the left say the right has badly misread him. Prepare for a very Smithy tug of war. (Part 2 of “In Search of the Real Adam Smith.”)
Dec 15, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 526
Freakonomics Radio Needs Your Help
A sneak peek at an upcoming series — and a call for would-be radio reporters.
Dec 12, 2022•6 min
525. In Search of the Real Adam Smith
How did an affable 18th-century “moral philosopher” become the patron saint of cutthroat capitalism? Does “the invisible hand” mean what everyone thinks it does? We travel to Smith’s hometown in Scotland to uncover the man behind the myth. (Part 1 of a series.)
Dec 08, 2022•47 min•Ep. 525
524. How Important Is Breastfeeding, Really?
In this special episode of Freakonomics, M.D. , host Bapu Jena looks at a clever new study that could help answer one of parenting’s most contentious questions.
Dec 01, 2022•32 min•Ep. 524
523. Did Michael Lewis Just Get Lucky with “Moneyball”?
No — but he does have a knack for stumbling into the perfect moment, including the recent FTX debacle. In this installment of the Freakonomics Radio Book Club, we revisit the book that launched the analytics revolution.
Nov 24, 2022•53 min•Ep. 523
522. Is Google Getting Worse?
It used to feel like magic. Now it can feel like a set of cheap tricks. Is the problem with Google — or with us?
Nov 17, 2022•53 min•Ep. 522
The Most Interesting Fruit in the World (Ep. 375 Update)
The banana, once a luxury good, rose to become America’s favorite fruit. Now a deadly fungus threatens to wipe it out. Can it be saved?
Nov 10, 2022•39 min
521. I’m Your Biggest Fan!
It’s fun to obsess over pop stars and racecar drivers — but is fandom making our politics even more toxic?
Nov 03, 2022•44 min•Ep. 521
520. The Unintended Consequences of Working from Home
The last two years have radically changed the way we work — producing winners, losers, and a lot of surprises.
Oct 27, 2022•40 min•Ep. 520
519. Has Globalization Failed?
It was supposed to boost prosperity and democracy at the same time. What really happened? According to the legal scholar Anthea Roberts, it depends which story you believe.
Oct 20, 2022•46 min•Ep. 519
518. Are Personal Finance Gurus Giving You Bad Advice?
One Yale economist certainly thinks so. But even if he’s right, are economists any better?
Oct 13, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 518
517. Are M.B.A.s to Blame for Wage Stagnation?
New research finds that bosses who went to business school pay their workers less. So what are M.B.A. programs teaching — and should they stop?
Oct 06, 2022•48 min•Ep. 517
Please Get Your Noise Out of My Ears (Ep. 439 Update)
The pandemic provided city dwellers with a break from the din of the modern world. Now the noise is coming back. What does that mean for our productivity, health, and basic sanity?
Sep 29, 2022•52 min
516. Nuclear Power Isn’t Perfect. Is It Good Enough?
Liberals endorse harm reduction when it comes to the opioid epidemic. Are they ready to take the same approach to climate change?
Sep 22, 2022•54 min•Ep. 516
Extra: Ken Burns | People I (Mostly) Admire
The documentary filmmaker, known for The Civil War , Jazz , and Baseball , turns his attention to the Holocaust, and asks what we can learn from the evils of the past.
Sep 19, 2022•46 min
515. When You Pray to God Online, Who Else Is Listening?
The pandemic moved a lot of religious activity onto the internet. With faith-based apps, Silicon Valley is turning virtual prayers into earthly rewards. Does this mean sharing user data? Dear God, let’s hope not …
Sep 15, 2022•45 min•Ep. 515
This Is Your Brain on Pollution (Ep. 472 Update)
As the Biden administration rushes to address climate change, Stephen Dubner looks at another, hidden cost of air pollution — one that’s affecting how we think.
Sep 08, 2022•48 min
514. Roland Fryer Refuses to Lie to Black America
The controversial Harvard economist, recently back from a suspension, “broke a lot of glass early in my career,” he says. His research on school incentives and police brutality won him acclaim — but also enemies. Now he’s taking a hard look at corporate diversity programs. The common thread in his work? “I refuse to not tell the truth.”
Sep 01, 2022•1 hr•Ep. 514
513. Should Public Transit Be Free?
It boosts economic opportunity and social mobility. It’s good for the environment. So why do we charge people to use it? The short answer: it’s complicated.
Aug 25, 2022•46 min•Ep. 513
Why Is U.S. Media So Negative? (Ep. 477 Replay)
Breaking news! Sources say American journalism exploits our negativity bias to maximize profits, and social media algorithms add fuel to the fire. Stephen Dubner investigates.
Aug 18, 2022•48 min
The Pros and Cons of America’s (Extreme) Individualism (Ep. 470 Replay)
According to a decades-long research project, the U.S. is not only the most individualistic country on earth; we’re also high on indulgence, short-term thinking, and masculinity (but low on “uncertainty avoidance,” if that makes you feel better). We look at how these traits affect our daily lives and why we couldn’t change them even if we wanted to.
Aug 11, 2022•48 min
The U.S. Is Just Different — So Let’s Stop Pretending We’re Not (Ep. 469 Replay)
We often look to other countries for smart policies on education, healthcare, infrastructure, etc. But can a smart policy be simply transplanted into a country as culturally unusual (and as supremely WEIRD) as America?
Aug 04, 2022•52 min
512. Does Philosophy Still Matter?
It used to be at the center of our conversations about politics and society. Scott Hershovitz (author of Nasty, Brutish, and Short ) argues that philosophy still has a lot to say about work, justice, and parenthood. Our latest installment of the Freakonomics Radio Book Club.
Jul 28, 2022•50 min•Ep. 512
511. Why Did You Marry That Person?
Sure, you were “in love.” But economists — using evidence from Bridgerton to Tinder — point to what’s called “assortative mating.” And it has some unpleasant consequences for society.
Jul 21, 2022•46 min•Ep. 511
The Economist’s Guide to Parenting: 10 Years Later (Ep. 479 Replay)
In one of the earliest Freakonomics Radio episodes, we asked a bunch of economists with young kids how they approached child-rearing. Now the kids are old enough to talk — and they have a lot to say. We hear about nature vs. nurture, capitalism vs. Marxism, and why you don’t tell your friends that your father is an economist.
Jul 14, 2022•51 min
510. What Problems Does Crypto Solve, Anyway?
Boosters say blockchain technology will usher in a brave new era of decentralization. Are they right — and would it be a dream or a nightmare? (Part 3 of "What Can Blockchain Do for You?")
Jul 07, 2022•52 min•Ep. 510