Only a tiny number of “supertaskers” are capable of doing two things at once. The rest of us are just making ourselves miserable, and less productive. How can we put the — hang on a second, I've just got to get this . Come see Stephen Dubner live! “A Questionable Evening: A strategic interrogation from two people who ask questions for a living,” featuring Stephen Dubner and PJ Vogt from Search Engine . Thursday, Sept. 26th, at the Bell House in Brooklyn, NY. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-questi...
Sep 05, 2024•58 min•Ep. 601
Educators and economists tell us all the reasons college enrollment has been dropping, especially for men, and how to stop the bleeding. (Part 3 of our series from 2022, “ Freakonomics Radio Goes Back to School .”) SOURCES: Zachary Bleemer , assistant professor of economics at Princeton University and faculty research fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research. D'Wayne Edwards , founder and President of Pensole Lewis College. Catharine Hill , former president of Vassar College; trustee a...
Aug 29, 2024•49 min•Ep. 503
Stephen Dubner appears as a guest on Fail Better , a new podcast hosted by David Duchovny. The two of them trade stories about failure, and ponder the lessons that success could never teach. SOURCES: David Duchovny , actor, director, writer, and musician. RESOURCES: " Martin Seligman and the Rise of Positive Psychology ," by Peter Gibbon ( Humanities, 2020). " Rick Reilly: ‘Donald Trump Will Cheat You on the Golf Course and Then Buy You Lunch ,'" by Donald McRae ( The Guardian, 2019). " How The ...
Aug 26, 2024•40 min
America’s top colleges are facing record demand. So why don’t they increase supply? (Part 2 of our series from 2022, “ Freakonomics Radio Goes Back to School .”) SOURCES: Peter Blair , professor of education at Harvard University and faculty research fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research. Zachary Bleemer , assistant professor of economics at Princeton University and faculty research fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research. Amalia Miller , professor of economics at the Uni...
Aug 22, 2024•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 501
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 .”) SOURCES: Peter Blair , faculty research Fellow of the National Bureau of Economic Research and professor of educat...
Aug 15, 2024•50 min•Ep. 500
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. SOURCES: Lance Armstrong , former professional cyclist. David Canton , director of African American studies and professor of history at the University of Florida. David Epstein , science journalist and author. Domonique Foxworth , former professional football ...
Aug 12, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 351
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. SOURCE: Tania Tetlow , president of Fordham University. RESOURCES: " Not a Priest, Not a Man, but Ready to Run Fordham ," by David Waldstein ( The New York Times, 2024). " Tech Glitch Upends Financial Aid for About a Million Students ," by Oyin Adedoyin and Melissa Korn ( The Wall Street Journal, 2024). " Where Protesters on U.S. Campuses Have ...
Aug 08, 2024•45 min•Ep. 600
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. SOURCES: Nathan Dietz , research director at the Do Good Institute at the University of Maryland. Al Roth , professor of economics at Stanford University. Krista Wyatt , C.E.O. of Timebanks.org . Andrew Yang , co-chair of the Forward Party and former U.S. presidential candidate. RESOURCES: " The Employment Effects of a Guaranteed...
Aug 01, 2024•40 min•Ep. 599
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. SOURCES: Tommy Andersson , professor of economics at Lund University. Vicki Been , professor of law at New York University and former deputy mayor for housing and economic development in New York City. Rebecca Diamond , professor of economics at Stanford Graduate School of Business. David Eisenbach , history lecturer at the Man...
Jul 29, 2024•48 min•Ep. 373
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 .) SOURCES: Maria Liu , professor of clinical optometry at the University of California, Berkeley. Harvey Moscot , C.E.O. of MOSCOT Eyewear and Eyecare. Zachary Moscot , chief design officer of MOSCOT Eyewear and Eyecare. Cédric Rossi , equity research analyst at Brya...
Jul 25, 2024•37 min•Ep. 598
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 .) SOURCES: Neil Blumenthal , co-founder and co-CEO of Warby Parker. Dave Gilboa , co-founder and co-CEO of Warby Parker. Jessica Glasscock , fashion historian and lecturer at the Parsons School of Desig...
Jul 18, 2024•55 min•Ep. 597
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. SOURCES: Richard Thaler , professor of behavioral science and economics at the University of Chicago. RESOURCES: “ Behavioral Economics ,” by Richard Thaler ( The...
Jul 15, 2024•53 min•Ep. 340
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. SOURCES: Maya Bar-Hillel , professor emeritus of psychology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Shane Frederick , professor of marketing at the Yale School of Management. Thomas Gilovich , professor of psychology at Cornell University. Matt Killingsworth , senior fellow at the Whart...
Jul 11, 2024•53 min•Ep. 596
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. SOURCES: Katherine Gehl , former president and C.E.O. of Gehl Foods. Michael Porter , professor at Harvard Business School. Andrew Yang , co-chair of the Forward Party and former U.S. presidential candidate. RESOURCES: " Why U.S. Politic...
Jul 04, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 595
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. SOURCES: John Cawley , professor of economics at Cornell University. Elizabeth (Zab) Johnson , executive director and senior fellow with the Wharton Neuroscience Initiative at the University of Pennsylvania. Alvin Roth , professor of economics at Stanford University. RESOURCES: " Kanye and Adidas: Money, Misconduct and the Pri...
Jun 27, 2024•44 min•Ep. 594
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 .) SOURCES: David Adjmi , author and playwright. Sonia Friedman , theater producer and founder of Sonia Friedman Productions. John Johnson , theater producer and co-founder of Wagner Johnson Productions. Tom Pecinka , actor. Sarah Pidgeo...
Jun 20, 2024•50 min•Ep. 593
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. SOURCES: Lutz Leichsenring , executive board member of Clubcommission Berlin and co-founder of VibeLab. PJ Vogt , reporter, writer, and host of the podcast Search Engine. RESOURCES: " Berghain: 36 Hours Inside the World's Most Exclusive Nightclub ,...
Jun 17, 2024•45 min
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 .) SOURCES: David Adjmi , author and playwright. Sonia Friedman , theater producer and founder of Sonia Friedman Productions. John Johnson , theater producer and co-founder of Wagner Johnson Pro...
Jun 13, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 592
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? SOURCES: Tom Whitwell , managing consultant at Magnetic. RESOURCES: " Supercentenarian and Remarkable Age Records Exhibit Patterns Indicative of Clerical Errors and Pension Fraud ," by Saul Justin Newman (Working Paper , 2024). " 52 things I...
Jun 06, 2024•53 min•Ep. 591
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. SOURCES: Gail D’Onofrio , professor and chair of emergency medicine at the Yale School of Medicine and chief of emergency services at Yale-New Haven Health. Keith Humphreys , professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University. Stephen Loyd , chief medical officer of Cedar Recovery and chair of th...
Jun 03, 2024•42 min
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 .) SOURCES: Keith Humphreys , professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University. Stephen Loyd , chief medical officer of Cedar Recovery and chair of the Tennessee Opioid Abatement Council. Christine Minhee , founder of OpioidSettlementTracker.com. RESOURCES: " Court Conflicted Over Purdue Pharma Bankruptcy ...
May 30, 2024•41 min•Ep. 590
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 .) SOURCES: David Cutler , professor of economics at Harvard University. Travis Donahoe , professor of health policy and management at the University of Pittsburgh. Keith Humphreys , professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University. Stephen Loyd , chief medical officer of Cedar R...
May 23, 2024•49 min•Ep. 589
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. SOURCES: Tom Crockett, classic car enthusiast. Zachary Dickens , executive vice president and chief investment officer of Extra Space Storage. Mark Gutjahr , global head of design at BASF. Kara Kolodziej, self-storage unit tenant. Anne Mari DeCoster , self-storage consultant. Nikkie Riedel , carline planning manager at Subaru ...
May 20, 2024•35 min
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? SOURCE: Glenn Loury , professor of economics at Brown University and host of The Glenn Show . RESOURCES: Late Admissions: Confessions of a Black Conservative , by Glenn Loury (2024). " Amy Wax – The DEI Witch Hunt at Penn Law ," by Glenn Loury ( The Glenn Show, 2024). " The Conservative Line on Race ," by Glenn L...
May 16, 2024•57 min•Ep. 588
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? SOURCES: Marjorie Kelly , distinguished senior fellow at The Democracy Collaborative. Corey Rosen , founder and senior staff member of the National Center for Employee Ownership. Pete Stavros , co-head of Global Private Equity at KKR. RESOURCES: " Private Equity Is Starting to Share With Workers, Without Taking a Financial Hit ," b...
May 09, 2024•47 min•Ep. 587
From politics and economics to psychology and the arts, many of the modern ideas we take for granted emerged a century ago from a single European capital. In this episode of the Freakonomics Radio Book Club, the historian Richard Cockett explores all those ideas — and how the arrival of fascism can ruin in a few years what took generations to build. SOURCE: Richard Cockett , author and senior editor at The Economist . RESOURCES: Vienna: How the City of Ideas Created the Modern World , by Richard...
May 02, 2024•57 min•Ep. 586
Five years ago, we published an episode about the boom in home DNA testing kits, focusing on the high-flying firm 23andMe and its C.E.O. Anne Wojcicki. Their flight has been extremely bumpy since then. This update includes an additional interview with the Wall Street Journal reporter who has been investigating the firm’s collapse. SOURCES: Rolfe Winkler , reporter at The Wall Street Journal. Anne Wojcicki , co-founder and C.E.O. of 23andMe. RESOURCES: " 23andMe’s Fall From $6 Billion to Nearly $...
Apr 29, 2024•1 hr 2 min
Justin Trudeau, facing record-low approval numbers, is doubling down on his progressive agenda. But he is so upbeat (and Canada-polite) that it’s easy to miss just how radical his vision is. Can he make it work? SOURCE: Justin Trudeau , Prime Minister of Canada. RESOURCES: 2024 Canadian Federal Budget . " Canada to Set First-Ever Cap on Temporary Residents ," by Nadine Yousif ( BBC News, 2023). Common Ground , by Justin Trudeau (2014). EXTRAS: " Why Is Everyone Moving to Canada? " by Freakonomic...
Apr 25, 2024•52 min•Ep. 585
So you want to help people? That’s great — but beware the law of unintended consequences. Three stories from the modern workplace. SOURCES: Joshua Angrist , professor of economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Zoe Cullen , professor of business administration at Harvard Business School. Marina Gertsberg , senior lecturer in finance at the University of Melbourne. RESOURCES: " Is Pay Transparency Good? " by Zoë Cullen ( Journal of Economic Perspectives, 2024). " DP18969 Economics ...
Apr 18, 2024•44 min•Ep. 584
The psychologist Daniel Kahneman — a Nobel laureate and the author of Thinking, Fast and Slow — recently died at age 90. Along with his collaborator Amos Tversky, he changed how we all think about decision-making. The journalist Michael Lewis told the Kahneman-Tversky story in a 2016 book called The Undoing Project. In this episode, Lewis explains why they had such a profound influence. SOURCE: Michael Lewis , writer. RESOURCES: The Undoing Project , by Michael Lewis (2016). Thinking, Fast and S...
Apr 14, 2024•35 min
