Freakonomics Radio

For 50 years, the healthcare industry has been trying (and failing) to harness the power of artificial intelligence. It may finally be ready for prime time. What will this mean for human doctors — and the rest of us? (Part four of “The Freakonomics Radio Guide to Getting Better.”)

• SOURCES:
  • Bob Wachter, professor, chair of the department of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.
  • Pierre Elias, cardiologist, assistant professor of biomedical informatics at Columbia University, medical director for artificial intelligence at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.

• RESOURCES:
  • A Giant Leap: How AI Is Transforming Healthcare and What That Means for Our Future, by Bob Wachter (2026).
  • "Epic Systems (MyChart)," by Acquired (2025).
  • "Detecting structural heart disease from electrocardiograms using AI," by Pierre Elias and Timothy Poterucha (Nature, 2025).
  • "What Are the Risks of Sharing Medical Records With ChatGPT?" by Maggie Astor (New York Times, 2025).
  • "Will Generative Artificial Intelligence Deliver on Its Promise in Health Care?" by Bob Wachter and Erik Brynjolfsson (JAMA, 2023).
  • The Digital Doctor: Hope, Hype, and Harm at the Dawn of Medicine’s Computer Age, by Bob Wachter (2015).

• EXTRAS:
  • "The Doctor Won’t See You Now," by Freakonomics Radio (2025).
  • "How to Stop Worrying and Love the Robot Apocalypse (Update)," by Freakonomics Radio (2024).

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Zeke Emanuel (a physician, medical ethicist, and policy wonk) has some different ideas for how to lead a healthy and meaningful life. It starts with ice cream. (Part three of “The Freakonomics Radio Guide to Getting Better.”)

• SOURCES:
  • Zeke Emanuel, oncologist, bioethicist, professor at the University of Pennsylvania.

• RESOURCES:
  • Eat Your Ice Cream: Six Simple Rules for a Long and Healthy Life, by Zeke Emanuel (2026).
  • "Nutrition Science’s Most Preposterous Result," by David Merritt Johns (The Atlantic, 2023).

• EXTRAS:
  • "Is Ozempic as Magical as It Sounds?" by Freakonomics Radio (2024).
  • "The Suddenly Diplomatic Rahm Emanuel," by Freakonomics Radio (2023).
  • "Ari Emanuel Is Never Indifferent," by Freakonomics Radio (2023).
  • "What’s the “Best” Exercise?" by Freakonomics Radio (2014).

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After five years, Levitt is ending People I (Mostly) Admire, and will start hosting the occasional Freakonomics Radio episode. We couldn’t be happier.

• SOURCES:
  • Steve Levitt, co-author of Freakonomics and host of People I (Mostly) Admire.

• RESOURCES:
  • "How to Help Kids Succeed," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2025).
  • "Feeling Sound and Hearing Color," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024).
  • "Richard Dawkins on God, Genes, and Murderous Baby Cuckoos," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024).
  • "Arnold Schwarzenegger Has Some Advice for You," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024).
  • "Drawing from Life (and Death)," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023).
  • "Yuval Noah Harari Thinks Life is Meaningless and Amazing," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022).
  • "Is This the Future of High School?," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022).
  • "Does Death Have to Be a Death Sentence?," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022).
  • "Sal Khan: 'If It Works for 15 Cousins, It Could Work for a Billion People.'" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).
  • "Jared Diamond on the Downfall of Civilizations — and His Optimism for Ours," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).
  • "Amanda & Lily Levitt Share What It’s Like to be Steve’s Daughters," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).
  • "How Rahm Emanuel Would Run the World," by Freakonomics Radio (2020).
  • The Levitt Lab.

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It regulates 20 percent of the U.S. economy, and its commissioner has an aggressive agenda — faster drug approvals, healthier food, cures for diabetes and cancer. How much can he deliver? (Part two of “The Freakonomics Radio Guide to Getting Better.”)

• SOURCES:
  • Marty Makary, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Clinical Trials Affected by Research Grant Terminations at the National Institutes of Health," by Vishal Patel, Michael Liu, and Anupam Jena (JAMA Internal Medicine, 2025).
  • "What the evidence tells us about Tylenol, leucovorin, and autism," by Matthew Herper (STAT, 2025).
  • "I Run the F.D.A. Pharma Ads Are Hurting Americans." by Marty Makary (New York Times, 2025).
  • Blind Spots: When Medicine Gets It Wrong, and What It Means for Our Health, by Marty Makary (2024).

• EXTRAS:
  • "Are You Really Allergic to Penicillin?" by Freakonomics Radio (2025).
  • "How to Fix the Hot Mess of U.S. Healthcare," by Freakonomics Radio (2021).
  • "Bad Medicine, Part 3: Death by Diagnosis," by Freakonomics Radio (2016).

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We all want to stay sharp, and forestall the cognitive effects of aging. But do brain supplements actually work? Are they safe? And why doesn’t the F.D.A. even know what’s in them? (Part one of “The Freakonomics Radio Guide to Getting Better.”)

• SOURCES:
  • Marty Makary, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration.
  • Peter Attia, physician, author, and host of The Peter Attia Drive.
  • Pieter Cohen, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, physician at the Cambridge Health Alliance.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Protein Powders and Shakes Contain High Levels of Lead," by Paris Martineau (Consumer Reports, 2025).
  • "Accuracy of Labeling of Galantamine Generic Drugs and Dietary Supplements," by Pieter Cohen, Bram Jacobs, Koenraad Van Hoorde, and Céline Vanhee (JAMA, 2024).
  • Blind Spots: When Medicine Gets It Wrong, and What It Means for Our Health, by Marty Makary (2024).
  • Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity, by Petter Attia (2023).
  • "Revealing the hidden dangers of dietary supplements," by Jennifer Couzin-Frankel (Science, 2015).

• EXTRAS:
  • "China Is Run by Engineers. America Is Run by Lawyers." by Freakonomics Radio (2025).
  • "How to Fix the Hot Mess of U.S. Healthcare," by Freakonomics Radio (2021).

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One Yale economist certainly thinks so. But even if he’s right, are economists any better? We find out, in this update of a 2022 episode.

• SOURCES:
  • James Choi, professor of finance at the Yale School of Management.
  • Morgan Housel, personal finance author and partner at the Collaborative Fund.

• RESOURCES:
  • The Art of Spending Money: Simple Choices for a Richer Life, by Morgan Housel (2025).
  • “Popular Personal Financial Advice versus the Professors,” by James J. Choi (Journal of Economic Perspectives, 2022).
  • “Media Persuasion and Consumption: Evidence from the Dave Ramsey Show,” by Felix Chopra (SSRN, 2021).
  • The Psychology of Money: Timeless Lessons on Wealth, Greed, and Happiness, by Morgan Housel (2020).
  • “In Bogle Family, It’s Either Passive or Aggressive,” by Liam Pleven (Wall Street Journal, 2013).

• EXTRAS: 
  • “Harold Pollack on Why Managing Your Money Is as Easy as Taking Out the Garbage,” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).
  • “People Aren’t Dumb. The World Is Hard,” by Freakonomics Radio (2018).
  • “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Money (But Were Afraid to Ask),” by Freakonomics Radio (2017).
  • “The Stupidest Thing You Can Do With Your Money,” by Freakonomics Radio (2017).

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Behavioral scientists have been exploring whether a psychological reset can lead to lasting change. In this update of a 2021 episode, we survey evidence from the London Underground, Major League Baseball, and New Year’s resolutions to look at accidental fresh starts, forced fresh starts, fresh starts that backfire — and the ones that succeed. 

• SOURCES:
  • Katy Milkman, professor at the Wharton School.
  • Andy Byford, former commissioner of Transport for London.
  • Ferdinand Rauch, economist at the University of St. Gallen.
  • Hengchen Dai, professor at U.C.L.A.’s Anderson School of Management.
  • Bob Tewksbury, former big-league pitcher.

• RESOURCES:
  • “A Large-Scale Experiment on New Year’s Resolutions: Approach-Oriented Goals are More Successful than Avoidance-Oriented Goals,” by Martin Oscarsson, Per Carlbring, Gerhard Andersson, and Alexander Rozental (PLOS ONE, 2020).
  • “A Double-Edged Sword: How and Why Resetting Performance Metrics Affects Motivation and Performance,” by Hengchen Dai (Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 2018).
  • “The Benefits of Forced Experimentation: Striking Evidence from the London Underground Network,” by Shaun Larcom, Ferdinand Rauch, and Tim Willems (2017).
  • “Framing the Future: The Risks of Pre-Commitment Nudges and Potential of Fresh Start Messaging,” by John Beshears, Hengchen Dai, Katherine L. Milkman, and Shlomo Benartzi (NBER, 2016).
  • “The Fresh Start Effect: Temporal Landmarks Motivate Aspirational Behavior,” by Hengchen Dai, Katherine L. Milkman, and Jason Riis (Management Science, 2014).
  • “Holding the Hunger Games Hostage at the Gym: An Evaluation of Temptation Bundling,” by Katherine L. Milkman, Julia A. Minson, and Kevin G. M. Volpp (Management Science, 2013).
  • “The Resolution Solution: Longitudinal Examination of New Year’s Change Attempts,” by John C. Norcross and Dominic J.Vangarelli (Journal of Substance Abuse, 1989).

• EXTRAS:
  • How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be, by Katy Milkman (2021).

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A series of academic studies suggest that the wealthy are, to put it bluntly, selfish jerks. It’s an easy narrative to embrace — but is it true? As part of GiveDirectly’s “Pods Fight Poverty” campaign, we revisit a 2017 episode.

• SOURCES:
  • Jim Andreoni, professor of economics at the University of California, San Diego.
  • Nikos Nikiforakis, professor of economics at New York University in Abu Dhabi.
  • Paul Piff, associate professor of psychology at the University of California, Irvine.
  • Jan Stoop, associate professor of applied economics at the Erasmus School of Economics.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Are the Rich More Selfish Than the Poor, or do They Just Have More Money? A Natural Field Experiment," by James Andreoni, Nikos Nikiforakis, and Jan Stoop (National Bureau of Economic Research, 2017).
  • "Exploring the Psychology of Wealth, 'Pernicious' Effects of Economic Inequality," (PBS NewsHour, 2013).
  • "Poverty Impedes Cognitive Function," by Anandi Mani, Sendhil Mullainathan, Eldar Shafir, and Jiaying Zhao (Science, 2013).
  • "Higher Social Class Predicts Increased Unethical Behavior," by Paul Piff, Daniel Stancato, Stéphane Côté, Rodolfo Mendoza-Denton, and Dacher Keltner (PNAS, 2011).
  • "Relative Earnings and Giving in a Real-Effort Experiment," by Nisvan Erkal, Lata Gangadharan, and Nikos Nikiforakis (American Economic Review, 2011).
  • "Experimenter Demand Effects in Economic Experiments," by Daniel John Zizzo (Experimental Economics, 2009).
  • "Impure Altruism and Donations to Public Goods: A Theory of Warm-Glow Giving," by James Andreoni (The Economic Journal, 1990).
  • "Privately Provided Public Goods in a Large Economy: The Limits of Altruism," by James Andreoni (Journal of Public Economics, 1987).
  • "A Positive Model of Private Charity and Public Transfers," by Russell Roberts (Journal of Political Economy, 1984).
  • Pods Fight Poverty Campaign on Give Directly.

• EXTRAS:
  • “How to Raise Money Without Killing a Kitten,” by Freakonomics Radio (2013).

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All sorts of people have put their mark on Messiah, and it has been a hit for nearly 300 years. How can a single piece of music thrive in so many settings? You could say it’s because Handel really knew how to write a banger. (Part three of “Making Messiah.”)

• SOURCES:
  • Charles King, political scientist at Georgetown University.
  • Jane Glover, classical music scholar, conductor.
  • Katharine Hogg, musicologist, head librarian at the Foundling Museum.
  • Susannah Heschel, religion professor, chair of Jewish Studies at Dartmouth College.
  • Mark Risinger, teacher at St. Bernard’s School.
  • Michael Marissen, professor emeritus of music at Swarthmore College, author of Tainted Glory in Handel’s Messiah: The Unsettling History of the World’s Most Beloved Choral Work.

• RESOURCES:
  • Every Valley: The Desperate Lives and Troubled Times That Made Handel’s Messiah, by Charles King (2024).
  • "Why These Christmas Songs Could Only Be Written in America," by Eli Lake (The Free Press, 2024).
  • "Reflections on Bernstein’s 1956 “Messiah,”" by Mark Risinger (Leonard Bernstein Office, 2022).
  • Handel in London: The Making of a Genius, by Jane Glover (2018).
  • Tainted Glory in Handel's Messiah: The Unsettling History of the World's Most Beloved Choral Work, by Michael Marissen (2014).
  • “Handel’s Messiah,” performed by The London Symphony Orchestra (2007).

• EXTRAS:
  • "Making Messiah," series by Freakonomics Radio (2025).

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In the 18th century, Handel relied on royal patronage. Today, it’s donors like Gary Parr who keep the music playing. In this bonus episode of our “Making Messiah” series, Parr breaks down the economics of the New York Philharmonic.

• SOURCES:
  • Gary Parr, senior managing director and on the management committee at Apollo, philanthropist.

• RESOURCES:
  • "A Notoriously Jinxed Concert Hall Is Reborn, Again," by Michael Kimmelman (New York Times, 2022).
  • "Apollo’s New Guy Is a Legend in Banking, a Novice in Buyouts," by Sonali Basak (Bloomberg, 2017).
  • “Handel’s Messiah,” performed by The London Symphony Orchestra (2007).
  • "Racial/Ethnic and Gender Diversity in the Orchestra Field," by James Doeser (League of American Orchestras).
  • Parr Prize for Excellence in Teaching Shakespeare.

• EXTRAS:
  • "Making Messiah," series by Freakonomics Radio (2025).

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When he wrote Messiah (in 24 days), Handel was past his prime and nearly broke. One night in Dublin changed all that. (Part two of “Making Messiah.”)

• SOURCES:
  • Charles King, political scientist at Georgetown University.
  • Chris Scobie, curator of music, manuscripts, and archives at the British Library.
  • Ellen Harris, musicologist and professor emeritus at MIT.
  • Mark Risinger, teacher at St. Bernard's School.
  • Philip Rushforth, organist and master of the choristers at the Chester Cathedral.
  • Proinnsías Ó Duinn, conductor and music director of Our Lady's Choral Society.

• RESOURCES:
  • Every Valley: The Desperate Lives and Troubled Times That Made Handel's Messiah, by Charles King (2024).
  • "Arnaud du Sarrat and the international music trade in Halle and Leipzig c.1700," by Tomasz Górny (Early Music, 2023).
  • George Frideric Handel: A Life with Friends, by Ellen Harris (2014).
  • Handel (Composers Across Cultures), by Donald Burrows (2012).
  • "Georg Händel (1622–97): The Barber-Surgeon Father of George Frideric Handel (1685–1759)," by Aileen Adams and B. Hofestädt (Journal Of Medical Biography, 2005).
  • Handel's Messiah: A Celebration: A Richly Illustrated History of the Music and Its Eighteenth-Century Background, by Richard Luckett (1995).
  • Handel's Messiah The Advent Calendar, podcast series.

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Why does an 18th-century Christian oratorio lend such comfort to our own turbulent times? Stephen Dubner sets out for Dublin to tell the story of George Frideric Handel’s Messiah. (Part one of “Making Messiah.”)

• SOURCES:
  • Charles King, political scientist at Georgetown University.
  • Katrine Nyland Sørensen, Danish broadcaster, host of Handel's Messiah - The Advent Calendar.
  • Mark Risinger, teacher at St. Bernard's School.
  • Michael and Aileen Casey, Dublin conservationists.
  • Proinnsías Ó Duinn, conductor and music director of Our Lady's Choral Society.
  • Stuart Kinsella, tenor soloist and consort singer.

• RESOURCES:
  • Every Valley: The Desperate Lives and Troubled Times That Made Handel's Messiah, by Charles King (2024).
  • "Two Men Wrote ‘Messiah.’ You Know One of Them." by Charles King (New York Times, 2024).
  • "On Fishamble Street, family lives among four centuries of relatives’ keepsakes," by Zuzia Whelan (Dublin Inquirer, 2018).
  • Hallelujah: The Story of a Musical Genius & the City That Brought His Masterpiece, by Jonathan Bardon (2016).
  • George Frideric Handel: A Life with Friends, by Ellen Harris (2014).
  • Handel: The Man & His Music, by Jonathan Keates (2010).
  • "Handel's Messiah," performed by The London Symphony Orchestra (2007).
  • Handel's Messiah The Advent Calendar, podcast series.

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Macy’s wants to recapture its glorious past. The author of the Wimpy Kid books wants to rebuild his dilapidated hometown. We just want to listen in. (Part two of a two-part series, first published in 2024)

• SOURCES:
  • Mark Cohen, former professor and director of retail studies at Columbia Business School.
  • Will Coss, vice president and executive producer of Macy’s Studios.
  • Jeff Kinney, author, cartoonist, and owner of An Unlikely Story Bookstore and Café.
  • Tony Spring, chairman and C.E.O. of Macy’s Inc.

• RESOURCES:
  • "How Macy’s CEO Tony Spring Is Turning the Retailer Around," by Suzanne Kapner (The Wall Street Journal, 2025).
  • “NBC Ready to Pay Triple to Gobble Up Thanksgiving Parade Broadcast Rights,” by Joe Flint (The Wall Street Journal, 2024).
  • “How Macy’s Set Out to Conquer the Department Store Business — and Lost,” by Daphne Howland (Retail Dive, 2022).
  • An Unlikely Story Bookstore and Café.

• EXTRAS:
  • “Can the Macy’s Parade Save Macy’s?” series by Freakonomics Radio (2024).

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The iconic department store calls the parade its “gift to the nation.” With 30 million TV viewers, it’s also a big moneymaker — at least we think it is: when it comes to parade economics, Macy’s is famously tight-lipped. In this 2024 episode, we try to loosen them up. (Part one of a two-part series.)

• SOURCES:
  • John Cheney, carpenter at Macy’s Studios.
  • Will Coss, vice president and executive producer of Macy’s Studios.
  • Jeff Kinney, author, cartoonist, and owner of An Unlikely Story Bookstore and Café.
  • Kevin Lynch, vice president of global helium at Messer.
  • Jen Neal, executive vice president of live events and specials for NBCUniversal Entertainment.
  • Tony Spring, chairman and C.E.O. of Macy’s Inc.
  • Jessica Tisch, New York City police commissioner, former commissioner of the New York City Department of Sanitation.
  • Dawn Tolson, executive director of Citywide Event Coordination and Management and the Street Activity Permit Office for the City of New York.

• RESOURCES:
  • Macy’s: The Store. The Star. The Story., by Robert M. Grippo (2009).
  • History of Macy’s of New York, 1853-1919: Chapters in the Evolution of the Department Store, by Ralph M. Hower (1943).
  • Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

• EXTRAS:
  • "Helium," by The Economics of Everyday Things (2024).

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A Trump executive order is giving retail investors more access to private markets. Is that a golden opportunity — or fool’s gold?

• SOURCES:
  • Elisabeth de Fontenay, professor of law at Duke University.
  • Steven Kaplan, professor of entrepreneurship and finance at the University of Chicago.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Democratizing Access to Alternative Assets for 401(k) Investors," (The White House, 2025).
  • "The (Heterogeneous) Economic Effects of Private Equity Buyouts," by Steven J. Davis, John Haltiwanger, Kyle Handley, Ben Lipsius, Josh Lerner, and Javier Miranda (Management Science, 2025).
  • "Risk-Adjusted Returns of Private Equity Funds: A New Approach," by Arthur G. Korteweg and Stefan Nagel (The Review of Financial Studies, 2025).
  • "The Effects of Management Buyouts on Operating Performance and Value," by Steven Kaplan (Journal of Financial Economics, 1989).

• EXTRAS:
  • "The Biden Policy That Trump Hasn't Touched," by Freakonomics Radio (2025).
  • "Should Companies Be Owned by Their Workers?" by Freakonomics Radio (2024).
  • "Do You Know Who Owns Your Vet?" by Freakonomics Radio (2023).
  • "Are Private Equity Firms Plundering the U.S. Economy?" by Freakonomics Radio (2023).

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Thoroughbred auction prices keep setting records. But tracks are closing, gambling revenues are falling, and the sport is increasingly reliant on subsidies. Is that the kind of long shot anybody wants? (Part three of a series, “The Horse Is Us.”)

• SOURCES:
  • Anne Archer Hinkle, owner and director of Hinkle Farms.
  • Cormac Breathnach, senior director of sales operations at Keeneland.
  • Emily Plant, thoroughbred researcher and statistician, associate professor of marketing at the University of Montana.
  • Mark Taylor, president of Taylor Made Farm.
  • Marshall Gramm, horse player, professor of economics at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee.
  • Richard Migliore, head racing analyst for Fox Sports and New York Racing Association, retired jockey.
  • Sean Feld, bloodstock agent.
  • Scott Heider, managing principal of Chartwell Capital, thoroughbred investor.
  • Thomas Lambert, economist at the University of Louisville.

• RESOURCES:
  • Death of a Racehorse: An American Story, by Katie Bo Lillis (2025).
  • "State of the States 2025: The AGA Analysis of the Commercial Casino Industry," (American Gaming Association, 2025).
  • "An Empirical Analysis of Reputation Effects and Network Centrality in a Multi-Agency Context," by Emily Plant (University of Kentucky, 2010).
  • Calculated Bets: Computers, Gambling, and Mathematical Modeling to Win (Outlooks), by Steven Skiena (2001).
  • Bill Oppenheim and Emily Plant's Thoroughbred Market Reports.
  • Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority.

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The world has changed a good bit since Freakonomics was first published. In this live anniversary episode, Stephen Dubner tells Geoff Bennett of PBS NewsHour everything he has learned since then. Happy birthday, Freakonomics.

• SOURCES:
  • Geoff Bennett, co-anchor and co-managing editor of PBS News Hour.

• RESOURCES:
  • Freakonomics Twentieth Anniversary Edition: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything, by Stephen Dubner and Steve Levitt (2025).

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How does Kentucky keep itself atop the thoroughbred industry? Is a champion stallion really worth $200,000 per date? And how many hands can one jockey have? (Part two of a series, “The Horse Is Us.”)

• SOURCES:
  • Emily Plant, thoroughbred researcher and statistician.
  • Jill Stowe, professor of economics at the University of Kentucky.
  • Mark Taylor, president of Taylor Made Farm.
  • Oscar Gonzales, vice chair of the California Horse Racing Board.
  • Richard Migliore, head racing analyst for Fox Sports and New York Racing Association, retired jockey.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Horse racing industry braces for crackdown on illegal immigration," by Ximena Bustillo (NPR, 2025).
  • "Conceptualizing the Kentucky Horse Industry as an Economic Cluster," by Lori Garkovich (Bluegrass Equine Digest, 2009).

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For most of human history, horsepower made the world go. Then came the machines. So why are there still seven million horses in America? (Part one of a series, “The Horse Is Us.”)

• SOURCES:
  • Ann N. Greene, historian of 19th century America, retired professor at the University of Pennsylvania.
  • Constance Hunter, chief economist at the Economist Intelligence Unit.
  • Elizabeth Bortuzzo, professional horse rider.
  • Mark Paul, professor of economics at Rutgers University.
  • Peter Frankopan, professor of global history at Oxford History.

• RESOURCES:
  • "2023 Economic Impact Study of the U.S. Horse Industry," (American Horse Council Foundation, 2024).
  • Riding to Arms, by Charles Caramello (2022).
  • The Horse in the City, by Clay McShane and Joel Tarr (2011).
  • Horses at Work, by Ann Norton Greene (2008).

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Spotify, Oracle, and Comcast have each recently announced they’re going with co-C.E.O.s. In this 2023 episode, we dig into the research and hear firsthand stories of triumph and disaster. Also: lessons from computer programmers, Simon and Garfunkel, and bears versus alligators.  

• SOURCES:
  • Jim Balsillie, retired chairman and co-C.E.O. of Research In Motion.
  • Mike Cannon-Brookes, co-founder and C.E.O. of Atlassian.
  • Scott Farquhar, co-founder and former co-C.E.O. of Atlassian.
  • Marc Feigen, C.E.O. advisor.
  • Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, professor of management studies and senior associate dean at the Yale School of Management and founding president of the Chief Executive Leadership Institute.
  • Laurie Williams, professor of computer science at North Carolina State University.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Scott Farquhar to resign as joint CEO of Atlassian," by Jonathan Barrett (The Guardian, 2024).
  • "Is It Time to Consider Co-C.E.O.s?" by Marc A. Feigen, Michael Jenkins, and Anton Warendh (Harvard Business Review, 2022).
  • "The Costs and Benefits of Pair Programming," by Alistair Cockburn and Laurie Williams (2000).
  • "Strengthening the Case for Pair Programming," by Laurie Williams, Robert R. Kessler, Ward Cunningham, and Ron Jeffries (IEEE Software, 2000).

• EXTRAS:
  • "The Secret Life of a C.E.O.," series by Freakonomics Radio (2018).

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The U.S. has a physician shortage, created in part by a century-old reform that shut down bad medical schools. But why haven’t we filled the gap? Why are some physicians so unhappy? And which is worse: a bad doctor or no doctor at all?

• SOURCES:
  • Karen Clay, professor of economics and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University.
  • Rochelle Walensky, physician-scientist and former director of the CDC.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Medical School Closures, Market Adjustment, and Mortality in the Flexner Report Era," by Karen Clay, Grant Miller, Margarita Portnykh, and Ethan Schmick (National Bureau of Economic Research, 2025).
  • "Application Overload — A Call to Reduce the Burden of Applying to Medical School," by Rochelle Walensky and Loren Walensky (New England Journal of Medicine, 2025).
  • "Challenges to the Future of a Robust Physician Workforce in the United States," by Rochelle Walensky and Nicole McCann (New England Journal of Medicine, 2025).
  • "The first step to addressing the physician shortage," by Rochelle Walensky and Nicole McCann (STAT, 2025).
  • "Physician Workforce: Projections, 2022-2037," (National Center for Health Workforce Analysis, 2024).
  • “Projected Estimates of African American Medical Graduates of Closed Historically Black Medical Schools,” by Kendall Campbell, Irma Corral, Jhojana Infante Linares, and Dmitry Tumin (JAMA Network, 2020).
  • "Medical Education in the United States and Canada," by Abraham Flexner (The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, 1910).

• EXTRAS:
  • "Is the Air Traffic Control System Broken?" series by Freakonomics Radio (2025).
  • "Are You Ready for the Elder Swell?" by Freakonomics Radio (2025).
  • "Are Private Equity Firms Plundering the U.S. Economy?" by Freakonomics Radio (2023).

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For the 20th anniversary of Freakonomics, Debbie Millman of Design Matters interviews Stephen Dubner about his upbringing, his writing career, and why it's important to “swing your swing.” Plus: a sneak peek at a new project.

• SOURCES:
  • Debbie Millman, writer and host of Design Matters with Debbie Millman.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Stephen J. Dubner," by Design Matters with Debbie Millman (2025).
  • Turbulent Souls: A Catholic Son's Return To His Jewish Family, by Stephen Dubner (1999).
  • "Choosing My Religion," by Stephen Dubner (New York Times, 1996).

• EXTRAS:
  • "In Search of the Real Adam Smith," by Freakonomics Radio (2022).

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Arthur Brooks, an economist and former head of the American Enterprise Institute, believes that there is only one remedy for our political polarization: love. In this 2021 episode, we ask if Brooks is a fool for thinking this — and if perhaps you are his kind of fool?

• SOURCES:
  • Arthur Brooks, professor of public and nonprofit leadership at Harvard University.

• RESOURCES:
  • “Vital Statistics on Congress,” by Molly Reynolds and Naomi Maehr (Brookings Institute, 2024).
  • Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence, by Anna Lembke (2021).
  • “Reading Too Much Political News Is Bad for Your Well-Being,” by Arthur Brooks (The Atlantic, 2020).
  • Love Your Enemies: How Decent People Can Save America from the Culture of Contempt, by Arthur Brooks (2019).
  • “This 75-Year Harvard Study Found the 1 Secret to Leading a Fulfilling Life,” by Melanie Curtin (Inc., 2017).
  • The Conservative Heart: How to Build a Fairer, Happier, and More Prosperous America, by Arthur Brooks (2015).
  • “Grin and Bear It: The Influence of Manipulated Facial Expression on the Stress Response,” by Tara Kraft and Sarah Pressman (Psychological Science, 2012).

• EXTRAS:
  • “Why Is U.S. Media So Negative?” by Freakonomics Radio (2021).

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Soccer leagues around the world use a promotion-and-relegation system to reward the best teams and punish the worst. We ask whether American sports fans would enjoy a similar system. (Part two of a two-part series.)

• SOURCES:
  • Domonique Foxworth, sports analyst and former N.F.L. player.
  • Stefan Szymanski, professor of sport management at the University of Michigan.
  • Victor Matheson, professor of economics at the College of the Holy Cross.

• RESOURCES:
  • "'Root, root, root for the home team" did TV kill minor league baseball in the 1950s?" by Stefan Szymanski (University of Michigan, 2025).
  • "European and North American Sports Differences (?): A Quarter Century on," by Stefan Szymanski (Principles and Paradoxes of Sports Economics, 2024).
  • National Pastime: How Americans Play Baseball and the Rest of the World Plays Soccer, by Stefan Szymanski and Andrew Zimbalist (2006).

• EXTRAS:
  • "When Is a Superstar Just Another Employee? (Update)," by Freakonomics Radio (2025).
  • "The Longest Long Shot," by Freakonomics Radio (2016).

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The N.F.L. is a powerful cartel with imperial desires. College football is about to undergo a financial reckoning. So maybe they should team up? (Part one of a two-part series.)

• SOURCES:
  • DeMaurice Smith, former executive director of the National Football League Players Association.
  • Domonique Foxworth, sports analyst and former N.F.L. player.
  • Jeffrey Kessler, partner at the law firm of Winston & Strawn.
  • Oliver Luck, sports executive and consultant.
  • Victor Matheson, professor of economics at the College of the Holy Cross.

• RESOURCES:
  • Turf Wars: The Fight for the Soul of America's Game, by DeMaurice Smith (2025).
  • "Is there a Case for Subsidizing Sports Stadiums?" by Victor Matheson (Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 2018).

• EXTRAS:
  • "America’s Hidden Duopoly," by Freakonomics Radio (2018).
  • "Should the U.S. Merge With Mexico?" by Freakonomics Radio (2014).

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In this episode we first published in 2021, the political scientist Yuen Yuen Ang argues that different forms of government create different styles of corruption — and that the U.S. and China have more in common than we’d like to admit.

• SOURCES:
  • Yuen Yuen Ang, professor of political science at Johns Hopkins University.

• RESOURCES:
  • "China’s Anti-Graft Show Is Educational, With Unintended Lessons," by Li Yuan (The New York Times, 2022).
  • China’s Gilded Age: The Paradox of Economic Boom and Vast Corruption, by Yuen Yuen Ang (2020).
  • "A Fair Assessment of China’s IP Protection," by Shang-Jin Wei and Xinding Yu (Project Syndicate, 2019).
  • The Bankers' New Clothes: What's Wrong with Banking and What to Do about It, by Anat Admati (2013).
  • "A Fistful of Dollars: Lobbying and the Financial Crisis," by Deniz Igan, Prachi Mishra, and Thierry Tressel (2011).

• EXTRAS:
  • "China Is Run by Engineers. America Is Run by Lawyers." by Freakonomics Radio (2025).
  • American Culture series by Freakonomics Radio (2021).

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In his new book “Breakneck,” Dan Wang argues that the U.S. has a lot to learn from China. He also says that “no two peoples are more alike.” We have questions.

• SOURCES:
  • Dan Wang, research fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, author of Breakneck: China's Quest to Engineer the Future.

• RESOURCES:
  • Breakneck: China's Quest to Engineer the Future, by Dan Wang (2025).
  • The Anaconda in the Chandelier: Writings on China, by Perry Link (2025).
  • "Is the U.S. Ready for the Next War?" by Dexter Filkins (The New Yorker, 2025).
  • "How smartphones made Shenzhen China’s innovation capital," by Dan Wang (2016).
  • How China Escaped the Poverty Trap, by Yuen Yuen Ang (2016).
  • The Art of Not Being Governed, by Jame Scott (2009).

• EXTRAS:
  • "The Engineering State and the Lawyerly Society: Dan Wang on his new book 'Breakneck,'" by the Sinica Podcast (2025).
  • "Is the U.S. Really Less Corrupt Than China?" by Freakonomics Radio (2021).

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A lot of jobs in the modern economy don’t pay a living wage, and some of those jobs may be wiped out by new technologies. So what’s to be done? We revisit an episode from 2016 for a potential solution.

• SOURCES:
  • Erik Brynjolfsson, professor of economics at Stanford University.
  • Evelyn Forget, professor of economics and community health sciences at the University of Manitoba.
  • Sam Altman, C.E.O. of OpenAI.
  • Robert Gordon, professor emeritus of economics at Northwestern University.
  • Greger Larson, professor of archeology at the University of Oxford.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Here's what a Sam Altman-backed basic income experiment found," by Megan Cerullo (CBS News, 2024).
  • Utopia for Realists, by Rutger Bregman. The Correspondent (2016).
  • The Second Machine Age, by Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee (2014).
  • "The Town With No Poverty: Using Health Administration Data To Revisit Outcomes of a Canadian Guaranteed Annual Income Field Experiment," by Evelyn Forget (Canadian Public Policy, 2011).
  • "The Negative Income Tax and the Evolution of U.S. Welfare Policy," by Robert Moffitt (Journal of Economic Perspectives, 2003).
  • Capitalism and Freedom, by Milton Freidman (2002).
  • "Lesson from the Income Maintenance Experiments," (Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and The Brookings Institution, 1986).
  • Law, Legislation and Liberty, Volume 3: The Political Order of A Free People, by Frederick Hayek (1981).
  • "Daniel Moynihan and President-elect Nixon: How charity didn't begin at home," by Peter Passell and Leonard Ross (New York Times, 1973).
  • "Income Maintenance Programs," (Hearings Before The Subcommittee On Fiscal Policy Of The Joint Economic Committee Congress Of The United States, 1968).

• EXTRAS:
  • "President Nixon Unveils the Family Assistance Program," (1969).
  • "Milton Friedman interview with William F Buckley Jr.," (1968).
  • "Martin Luther King Jr. advocates for Guaranteed Income at Stanford," (1967).

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What does it take to “play 3D chess at 250 miles an hour”? And how far will $12.5 billion of “Big, Beautiful” funding go toward modernizing the F.A.A.? (Part two of a two-part series.)

• SOURCES:
  • David Strayer, professor of cognition and neural science at the University of Utah.
  • Dorothy Robyn, senior fellow at I.T.I.F.
  • Ed Bastian, C.E.O. of Delta Airlines.
  • Ed Bolen, president and C.E.O. of the National Business Aviation Association.
  • John Strong, professor of finance and economics at the William and Mary School of Business.
  • Kenneth Levin, retired air traffic controller.
  • Olivia Grace, former product manager at Slack.
  • Polly Trottenberg, former deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation.

• RESOURCES:
  • “An Air Traffic Controller Speaks Out About Newark Airport,” by The Journal (2025).
  • "Why Did Air Traffic Control Reform Efforts Fail (Again)?" by Jeff Davis (Eno Center for Transportation, 2023).
  • "Supertaskers: Profiles in extraordinary multitasking ability," by Jason Watson and David Strayer (Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 2021).
  • Managing the Skies: Public Policy, Organization, and Financing of Air Traffic Management, by John Strong and Clinton Oster (2016).

• EXTRAS:
  • "Multitasking Doesn't Work. So Why Do We Keep Trying?" by Freakonomics Radio (2024).

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Flying in the U.S. is still exceptionally safe, but the system relies on outdated tech and is under tremendous strain. Six experts tell us how it got this way and how it can (maybe) be fixed. (Part one of a two-part series.)

• SOURCES:
  • Dorothy Robyn, senior fellow at I.T.I.F.
  • Ed Bastian, C.E.O. of Delta Airlines.
  • John Strong, professor of finance and economics at the William and Mary School of Business.
  • Kenneth Levin, retired air traffic controller.
  • Polly Trottenberg, former deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Brand New Air Traffic Control System Plan," (Federal Aviation Administration, 2025).
  • The Air Traffic Controller Workforce Imperative: Staffing Models and Their Implementation to Ensure Safe and Efficient Airspace Operations, by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (2025).
  • "Annual Aviation Infrastructure Report: 2025," by Marc Scribner (Reason Foundation, 2025).
  • "New air traffic academy died in Congress despite dire need for more staff," by Lori Aratani (The Washington Post, 2025).
  • "The Real Problem With the FAA," by Dorothy Robyn (The Atlantic, 2025).
  • "How Much Do Jet Aircraft Pay into the Airport and Airway Trust Fund to Fly from Dallas to D.C.?" by Ann Henebery, (Eno Center for Transportation, 2018).
  • Managing the Skies, by John Strong and Clinton Oster (2016).

• EXTRAS:
  • "Freakonomics Radio Takes to the Skies," series by Freakonomics Radio (2023).
  • "In Praise of Maintenance," by Freakonomics Radio (2016).

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Patrick Deneen, a political philosopher at Notre Dame, says yes. He was a Democrat for years, and has now come to be seen as an “ideological guru” of the Trump administration. But that only tells half the story ...

• SOURCES:
  • Patrick Deneen, professor of political science at the University of Notre Dame.

• RESOURCES:
  • "The Ideological Gurus Battling for the Soul of Trump World," by Joshua Chaffin and Zusha Elinson (Wall Street Journal, 2025).
  • "Why the MAGA-DOGE coalition will hold," by Patrick Deneen (UnHerd, 2025).
  • "‘I Don’t Want to Violently Overthrow the Government. I Want Something Far More Revolutionary,’" by Ian Ward (POLITICO, 2023).
  • Regime Change: Toward a Postliberal Future, by Patrick Deneen (2023).
  • Why Liberalism Failed, by Patrick Deneen (2018).

• EXTRAS:
  • "In Search of the Real Adam Smith," series by Freakonomics Radio (2022).

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Bjørn Andersen has killed hundreds of minke whales. He tells us how he does it, why he does it, and what he thinks would happen if whale-hunting ever stopped. (This bonus episode is a follow-up to our series “Everything You Never Knew About Whaling.”)

• SOURCES:
  • Bjørn Andersen, Norwegian whaler.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Digestive physiology of minke whales," by S.D. Mathiesen, T.H. Aagnes, W. Sørmo, E.S. Nordøy, A.S. Blix, M.A. Olsen (Developments in Marine Biology, 1995).
  • "Norway Is Planning to Resume Whaling Despite World Ban," by Craig Whitney (New York Times, 1992).
  • "Commission Votes to Ban Hunting of Whales," by Philip Shabecoff (New York Times, 1982).

• EXTRAS:
  • "Everything You Never Knew About Whaling," series by Freakonomics Radio (2023).

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In the final episode of our whale series, we learn about fecal plumes, shipping noise, and why Moby-Dick is still worth reading. (Part 3 of "Everything You Never Knew About Whaling.")

• SOURCES:
  • Michele Baggio, professor of economics at the University of Connecticut.
  • Mary K. Bercaw-Edwards, professor of maritime English at the University of Connecticut and lead foreman at the Mystic Seaport Museum.
  • Hester Blum, professor of English at Washington University in St. Louis.
  • Eric Hilt, professor of economics at Wellesley College.
  • Kate O’Connell, senior policy consultant for the marine life program at the Animal Welfare Institute.
  • Maria Petrillo, director of interpretation at the Mystic Seaport Museum.
  • Joe Roman, fellow and writer-in-residence at the Gund Institute for Environment, University of Vermont.

• RESOURCES:
  • Eat, Poop, Die: How Animals Make Our World, by Joe Roman (2023).
  • “Racial Diversity and Team Performance: Evidence from the American Offshore Whaling Industry,” by Michele Baggio and Metin M. Cosgel (S.S.R.N., 2023).
  • “Why 23 Dead Whales Have Washed Up on the East Coast Since December,” by Tracey Tully and Winston Choi-Schagrin (The New York Times, 2023).
  • “Suspected Russia-Trained Spy Whale Reappears Off Sweden’s Coast,” by A.F.P. in Stockholm (The Guardian, 2023).
  • “International Trade, Noise Pollution, and Killer Whales,” by M. Scott Taylor and Fruzsina Mayer (N.B.E.R. Working Paper, 2023).
  • “World-First Map Exposes Growing Dangers Along Whale Superhighways,” by the World Wildlife Fund (2022).
  • “Lifting Baselines to Address the Consequences of Conservation Success,” by Joe Roman, Meagan M. Dunphy-Daly, David W. Johnston, and Andrew J. Read (Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 2015).
  • “Wages, Risk, and Profits in the Whaling Industry,” by Elmo P. Hohman (The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 1926).
  • Moby-Dick, by Herman Melville (1851).

• EXTRAS:
  • “Why Do People Still Hunt Whales? (Update)” by Freakonomics Radio (2025).
  • “How Much Does Discrimination Hurt the Economy?” by Freakonomics Radio (2021).

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For years, whale oil was used as lighting fuel, industrial lubricant, and the main ingredient in (yum!) margarine. Whale meat was also on a few menus. But today, demand for whale products is at a historic low. And yet some countries still have a whaling industry. We find out why. (Part 2 of “Everything You Never Knew About Whaling.”)

• SOURCES:
  • Jay Alabaster, doctoral student at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism.
  • Bjorn Basberg, professor emeritus of economic history at the Norwegian School of Economics.
  • Eric Hilt, professor of economics at Wellesley College.
  • Kate O’Connell, senior policy consultant for the marine life program at the Animal Welfare Institute.
  • Paul Watson, environmental activist and founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.

• RESOURCES:
  • “The Soviet Union Killed an Appalling Number of Whales. I Wanted to Know Why,” by Ryan Tucker Jones (Slate, 2022).
  • “Behind the Smile: The Multi-Billion Dollar Dolphin Entertainment Industry,” by World Animal Protection (2019).
  • “Japan to Resume Commercial Whaling, Defying International Ban,” by Daniel Victor (The New York Times, 2018).
  • “Why Is There Not More Outrage About Japan’s Barbaric Practice of Whaling?” by Boris Johnson (The Telegraph, 2018).
  • “Margarine Once Contained a Whole Lot More Whale,” by Sarah Laskow (Gastro Obscura, 2017).
  • “3 Million Whales Were Killed in the 20th Century: Report,” (N.B.C. News, 2015).
  • “The Spectacular Rise and Fall of U.S. Whaling: An Innovation Story,” by Derek Thompson (The Atlantic, 2012).
  • In Pursuit of Leviathan: Technology, Institutions, Productivity, and Profits in American Whaling, 1816-1906, by Lance E. Davis, Robert E. Gallman, and Karin Gleiter (1997).
  • “Norway Is Planning to Resume Whaling Despite World Ban,” by Craig R. Whitney (The New York Times, 1992).

• EXTRAS:
  • “The First Great American Industry,” by Freakonomics Radio (2023).

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Whaling was, in the words of one scholar, “early capitalism unleashed on the high seas.” How did the U.S. come to dominate the whale market? Why did whale hunting die out here — and continue to grow elsewhere? And is that whale vomit in your perfume? (Part 1 of “Everything You Never Knew About Whaling.”)

• SOURCES:
  • Eric Hilt, professor of economics at Wellesley College.
  • Nathaniel Philbrick, writer and historian.
  • Paul Watson, environmental activist and founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.

• RESOURCES:
  • “Calls From the Deep: Do We Need to Save the Whales All Over Again?” by Sophy Grimshaw (The Guardian, 2020).
  • “The Very Small World of V.C.,” by Avi Asher-Schapiro (The New Republic, 2019).
  • “How Nantucket Came to Be the Whaling Capital of the World,” by Nathaniel Philbrick (Smithsonian Magazine, 2015).
  • “Fin-tech,” (The Economist, 2015).
  • “The Spectacular Rise and Fall of U.S. Whaling: An Innovation Story,” by Derek Thompson (The Atlantic, 2012).
  • Leviathan: The History of Whaling in America, by Eric Jay Dolin (2007).
  • “Incentives in Corporations: Evidence from the American Whaling Industry,” by Eric Hilt (NBER Working Papers, 2004).
  • In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex, by Nathaniel Philbrick (2000).
  • “Productivity in American Whaling: The new Bedford Fleet in the Nineteenth Century,” by Lance Davis, Robert Galiman, and Teresa Hutchins (NBER Working Paper, 1987).

• EXTRAS:
  • “Is Venture Capital the Secret Sauce of the American Economy?” by Freakonomics Radio (2021).
  • “Is the Future of Farming in the Ocean?” by Freakonomics Radio (2021).

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It’s a haphazard way of paying workers, and yet it keeps expanding. With federal tax policy shifting in a pro-tip direction, we revisit an episode from 2019 to find out why.

• SOURCES:
  • John List, economist at the University of Chicago.
  • Michael Lynn, professor of consumer behavior and marketing at Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration.
  • Uri Gneezy, economist at the University of California, San Diego’s Rady School of Management.
  • Danny Meyer, founder of Union Square Hospitality Group, and founder and chairman of the board of Shake Shack.

• RESOURCES:
  • "How ‘No Tax on Tips’ Will Affect Waiters, Drivers and Diners," by Julia Moskin (New York Times, 2025).
  • “The Drivers of Social Preferences: Evidence from a Nationwide Tipping Field Experiment,” by Bharat Chandar, Uri Gneezy, John List, and Ian Muir (The National Bureau of Economic Research, 2019).
  • “Design and Analysis of Cluster-Randomized Field Experiments in Panel Data Settings,” by Bharat Chandar, Ali Hortacsu, John List, Ian Muir, and Jeffrey Wooldridge (The National Bureau of Economic Research, 2019).
  • “The Effects of Tipping on Consumers’ Satisfaction with Restaurants,” by Michael Lynn (The Journal of Consumer Affairs, 2018).
  • “The Importance of Being Marginal: Gender Differences in Generosity,” Stefano DellaVigna, John List, Ulrike Malmendier, and Gautam Rao (The American Economic Review,  2013).
  • “Restaurant Tipping and Service Quality: A Tenuous Relationship,” by Michael Lynn (The Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, 2001).

• EXTRAS:
  • “The No-Tipping Point,” by Freakonomics Radio (2016).
  • “Should Tipping Be Banned?” by Freakonomics Radio (2013).

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They should have died out when the lightbulb was invented. Instead they’re a $10 billion industry. What does it mean that we still want tiny fires inside our homes?

• SOURCES:
  • Tim Cooper, professor emeritus of sustainable design and consumption at Nottingham Trent University.
  • Gökçe Günel, professor of anthropology at Rice University.
  • Steve Horenziak, president of the National Candle Association.
  • Meik Wiking, Danish happiness researcher, C.E.O. of the Happiness Research Institute.

• RESOURCES:
  • "The Great Lightbulb Conspiracy," by Markus Krajewski (IEEE Spectrum, 2024).
  • "The Obsolescence Issue," edited by Townsend Middleton, Gökçe Günel, and Ashley Carse (Limn, 2024).
  • More and More and More, by Jean-Baptiste Fressoz (2024).
  • "What Yankee Candle reviews can tell us about COVID," by Manuela López Restrepo, Christopher Intagliata, Ailsa Chang, and Sacha Pfeiffer (NPR, 2022).
  • Spaceship in the Desert, by Gökçe Günel (2019).
  • "The Birth of Planned Obsolescence," by Livia Gershon (JSTOR Daily, 2017).
  • "Beeswax for the Ages," by G. Jeffrey MacDonald (The Living Church, 2016).
  • The Waste Makers, by Vance Packard (2011).

• EXTRAS:
  • "Why Do People Still Hunt Whales?" by Freakonomics Radio (2023).
  • "How to Be Happy," by Freakonomics Radio (2018).

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The former secretary of state isn’t a flamethrower, but he certainly has strong opinions. In this wide-ranging conversation with Stephen Dubner, he gives them all: on Israel, Gaza, China, Iran, Russia, Biden, Trump — and the rest of the world.

• SOURCES:
  • Antony Blinken, former Secretary of State.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Evaluating the impact of two decades of USAID interventions and projecting the effects of defunding on mortality up to 2030: a retrospective impact evaluation and forecasting analysis," by Daniella Cavalcanti, Lucas de Oliveira Ferreira de Sales, Andrea Ferreira da Silva, Elisa Basterra, Daiana Pena, Caterina Monti, Gonzalo Barreix, Natanael Silva, Paula Vaz, Francisco Saute, Gonzalo Fanjul, Quique Bassat, Denise Naniche, James Macinko, and Davide Rasella (The Lancet, 2025).
  • "What Bombs Can’t Do in Iran," by Karim Sadjadpour (New York Times, 2025).
  • "A New Palestinian Offer for Peace With Israel," by Elliot Kaufman (Wall Street Journal, 2025).
  • "America’s Strategy of Renewal," by Antony Blinken (Foreign Affairs, 2024).

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Until recently, Delaware was almost universally agreed to be the best place for companies to incorporate. Now, with Elon Musk leading a corporate stampede out of the First State, we revisit an episode from 2023 that asked if Delaware’s “franchise” is wildly corrupt, wildly efficient … or both?

• SOURCES:
  • John Cassara, retired Special Agent detailee to the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Terrorism Finance and Financial Intelligence.
  • Doneene Damon, director with Richards, Layton, and Finger.
  • Travis Laster, Vice Chancellor of the Delaware Court of Chancery.
  • Dan Nielson, professor of government at the University of Texas.
  • Hal Weitzman, professor of behavioral science, editor-in-chief of Chicago Booth Review, and executive director for intellectual capital at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business.

• RESOURCES:
  • “A Silicon Valley Giant Calls for a Delaware Exodus,” by Andrew Ross Sorkin, Bernhard Warner, Sarah Kessler, Michael J. de la Merced, and Danielle Kaye (New York Times, 2025).
  • "Financial Secrecy Index," by Tax Justice Network (2025).
  • "Annual Report Statistics," by Delaware Division of Corporations (2023).
  • What’s the Matter with Delaware? How the First State Has Favored the Rich, Powerful, and Criminal — and How It Costs Us All, by Hal Weitzman (2022).
  • Global Shell Games: Experiments in Transnational Relations, Crime, and Terrorism, by Michael G. Findley, Daniel L. Nielson, and J. C. Sharman (2014).
  • "The FATF Recommendations," by the Financial Action Task Force (2012).

• EXTRAS:
  • "Will the Democrats 'Make America Great Again'?" by Freakonomics Radio (2023).

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For years, the playwright David Adjmi was considered “polarizing and difficult.” But creating Stereophonic seems to have healed him. Stephen Dubner gets the story — and sorts out what Adjmi has in common with Richard Wagner.

• SOURCES:
  • David Adjmi, author and playwright.

• RESOURCES:
  • "The West End is enjoying a theatre revival. Can Broadway keep up?" by Daniel Thomas (Financial Times, 2025).
  • Lot Six: A Memoir, by David Adjmi (2020).
  • Stereophonic, (2023).

• EXTRAS:
  • "How Is Live Theater Still Alive?" by Freakonomics Radio (2025).
  • "How to Make the Coolest Show on Broadway," by Freakonomics Radio (2024).

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The Gulf States and China are spending billions to build stadiums and buy up teams — but what are they really buying? And can an entrepreneur from Cincinnati make his own billions by bringing baseball to Dubai?

• SOURCES:
  • Simon Chadwick, professor of afroeurasian sport at Emlyon Business School.
  • Derek Fisher, high school basketball coach, former N.B.A. coach and player.
  • Kash Shaikh, chairman, C.E.O., and co-founder of Baseball United.
  • Rory Smith, football correspondent at The Observer.

• RESOURCES:
  • "China Keeps Building Stadiums in Africa. But at What Cost?" by Elian Peltier (New York Times, 2024).
  • "Manchester Off-Shored: A Public Interest Report on the Manchester Life Partnership Between Manchester City Council + The Abu Dhabi United Group," by Richard Goulding, Adam Leaver, and Jonathan Silver (Centripetal Cities, 2022).
  • "Manchester City's Cozy Ties to Abu Dhabi: Sponsorship Money – Paid for by the State," by Rafael Buschmann, Nicola Naber, and Christoph Winterbach (Spiegel International, 2022).
  • "China Renews Its ‘Belt and Road’ Push for Global Sway," by Keith Bradsher (New York Times, 2020).

• EXTRAS:
  • "What Is Sportswashing — and Does It Work? (Update)," by Freakonomics Radio (2024).

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Before she decided to become a poker pro, Maria Konnikova didn’t know how many cards are in a deck. But she did have a Ph.D. in psychology, a brilliant coach, and a burning desire to know whether life is driven more by skill or chance. She found some answers in poker — and she’s willing to tell us everything she learned.

• SOURCES:
  • Maria Konnikova, author of The Biggest Bluff.

• RESOURCES:
  • “Gender Differences in Performance Predictions: Evidence from the Cognitive Reflection Test,” by Patrick Ring, Levent Neyse, Tamas David-Barett, and Ulrich Schmidt (Frontiers in Psychology, 2016).
  • “The headwinds/tailwinds Asymmetry: An Availability Bias in Assessments of Barriers and Blessings,” by Shai Davidai and Thomas Gilovich (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2016).
  • “The Two Settings of Kind and Wicked Learning Environments,” by Robin M. Hogarth, Tomás Lejarraga, and Emre Soyer (Current Directions in Psychological Science, 2015).
  • "The Limits of Self-Control: Self-Control, Illusory Control, and Risky Financial Decision Making,” by Maria Konnikova (Columbia University, 2013).
  • “Generalized expectancies for internal versus external control of reinforcement” by J.B. Rotter (Psychological Monographs: General and Applied, 1966).

• EXTRAS:
  • The Biggest Bluff: How I Learned to Pay Attention, Master Myself, and Win, by Maria Konnikova.
  • Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes, by Maria Konnikova.
  • The Confidence Game, by Maria Konnikova.
  • Theory of Games and Economic Behavior, by John Von Neumann and Oskar Morgenstern.
  • "This Year’s World Series Of Poker Is Different," by Risky Business with Nate Silver and Maria Konnikova (2025).

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Cory Booker on the politics of fear, the politics of hope, and how to split the difference.

• SOURCES:
  • Cory Booker, senior United States Senator from New Jersey.

• RESOURCES:
  • "'When Are More Americans Going to Speak Up?'" by The New Yorker Radio Hour (2025).
  • "Cory Booker’s Marathon Floor Speech," (2025).
  • "Facebook Knows Instagram Is Toxic for Teen Girls, Company Documents Show," by Georgia Wells, Jeff Horwitz, and Deepa Seetharaman (Wall Street Journal, 2021).
  • "Tucked Into the Tax Bill, a Plan to Help Distressed America," by Jim Tankersley (New York Times, 2018).
  • United: Thoughts on Finding Common Ground and Advancing the Common Good, by Cory Booker (2017).
  • "But What Did Cory Booker Actually Accomplish in Newark?" by J.B. Wogan (Governing, 2013).

• EXTRAS:
  • "Ten Myths About the U.S. Tax System," by Freakonomics Radio (2025).
  • "The United States of Cory Booker," by Freakonomics Radio (2016).

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In the U.S., there will soon be more people over 65 than there are under 18 — and it’s not just lifespan that’s improving, it’s “healthspan” too. Unfortunately, the American approach to aging is stuck in the 20th century. In less than an hour, we try to unstick it. (Part three of a three-part series, “Cradle to Grave.”)

• SOURCES:
  • James Chappel, professor of history at Duke University.
  • Katy Fike, co-founder of Aging 2.0 and managing partner of Generator Ventures.
  • Kristen Fortney, co-founder and C.E.O. of BioAge.
  • Celine Halioua, founder and C.E.O. of Loyal.
  • Kyla Scanlon, economic commentator.
  • Andrew Scott, professor of economics at London Business School.

• RESOURCES:
  • In This Economy?: How Money & Markets Really Work, by Kyla Scanlon (2024).
  • Golden Years: How Americans Invented and Reinvented Old Age, by James Chappel (2024).
  • The Longevity Imperative: How to Build a Healthier and More Productive Society to Support Our Longer Lives, by Andrew Scott (2024).

• EXTRAS:
  • "Off Leash," by The Freakonomics Radio Network (2022).
  • "Are You Ready for a Glorious Sunset?" by Freakonomics Radio (2015).

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In this episode from 2013, we look at whether spite pays — and if it even exists.

• SOURCES:
  • Benedikt Herrmann, research officer at the European Commission.
  • Steve Levitt, co-author of Freakonomics and host of People I (Mostly) Admire.
  • Dave O'Connor, president of Times Studios.
  • Lisi Oliver, professor of English at Louisiana State University.
  • E.O. Wilson, naturalist and university research professor emeritus at Harvard University.

• RESOURCES:
  • You Don't Know Bo: The Legend of Bo Jackson, documentary (2012).
  • "Amputation of the nose throughout history," by G. Sperati (ACTA Otorhinolaryngologica Italica, 2009).
  • "The Appearance of Homo Rivalis: Social Preferences and the Nature of Rent Seeking," by Benedikt Herrmann and Henrik Orzen (Center for Decision Research and Experimental Economics, 2008).

• EXTRAS:
  • "What It’s Like to Be Middle-Aged (in the Middle Ages)," by Freakonomics Radio (2025).

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The simplicity of life back then is appealing today, as long as you don’t mind Church hegemony, the occasional plague, trial by gossip — and the lack of ibuprofen. (Part two of a three-part series, “Cradle to Grave.”)

• SOURCES:
  • Jordan Cavalier, performer at the New Jersey Renaissance Faire.
  • Matt Schwarz, harpist at the New Jersey Renaissance Faire.
  • Phillipp Schofield, professor of history at Aberystywth University.
  • Neslihan Şenocak, professor of history at Columbia University.

• RESOURCES:
  • A People's Church: Medieval Italy and Christianity, 1050–1300, co-edited by Agostino Paravicini Bagliani and Neslihan Şenocak (2023).
  • The Routledge Handbook of Medieval Rural Life, edited by Miriam Müller with a contribution by Phillip Schofield (2021).
  • Monty Python and the Holy Grail, film (1975).

• EXTRAS:
  • "Are You Having a Midlife Crisis?" by No Stupid Questions (2022).

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For decades, the great fear was overpopulation. Now it’s the opposite. How did this happen — and what’s being done about it? (Part one of a three-part series, “Cradle to Grave.”)

• SOURCES:
  • Matthias Doepke, professor of economics at the London School of Economics.
  • Amy Froide, professor of history at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
  • Diana Laird, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of California, San Francisco.
  • Catherine Pakaluk, professor of economics at The Catholic University of America.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Fertility Rate, Total for the United States," (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, 2025).
  • "Global fertility in 204 countries and territories, 1950–2021, with forecasts to 2100: a comprehensive demographic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021," (The Lancet, 2024).
  • "Suddenly There Aren’t Enough Babies. The Whole World Is Alarmed." by Greg Ip and Janet Adamy (The Wall Street Journal, 2024).
  • "Taxing bachelors and proposing marriage lotteries – how superpowers addressed declining birthrates in the past," by Amy Froide (University of Maryland, 2021).
  • "Is Fertility a Leading Economic Indicator?" by Kasey Buckles, Daniel Hungerman, and Steven Lugauer (National Bureau of Economic Research, 2018).
  • The King's Midwife: A History and Mystery of Madame du Coudray, by Nina Rattner Gelbart (1999).
  • The Population Bomb, by Paul Ehrlich (1970).
  • "An Economic Analysis of Fertility," by Gary Becker (National Bureau of Economic Research, 1960).

• EXTRAS:
  • "What Will Be the Consequences of the Latest Prenatal-Testing Technologies?" by Freakonomics Radio (2011).

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A famous essay argues that “not a single person on the face of this earth” knows how to make a pencil. How true is that? In this 2016 episode, we looked at what pencil-making  can teach us about global manufacturing — and the proper role of government in the economy.

• SOURCES:
  • Caroline Weaver, creator of the Locavore Guide.
  • Matt Ridley, science writer, British viscount and retired member of the House of Lords
  • Tim Harford, economist, author and columnist for the Financial Times
  • Jim Weissenborn, former CEO of General Pencil Company
  • Thomas Thwaites, freelance designer and associate lecturer at Central Saint Martins.

• RESOURCES:
  • "When ideas have sex," by Matt Ridley (TED, 2010).
  • "How I built a toaster — from scratch," by Thomas Thwaites (TED, 2010).
  • "Look on this toaster, ye mighty, and despair!" by Tim Harford (Financial Times, 2009).
  • "I, Pencil," by Leonard Read (Foundation for Economic Education, 1958).

• EXTRAS:
  • “Fault-Finder Is a Minimum-Wage Job,” by Freakonomics Radio (2025).

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Nicholas Cullinan, the new director of the British Museum, seems to think so. “I'm not afraid of the past,” he says — which means talking about looted objects, the basement storerooms, and the leaking roof. We take the guided tour.

• SOURCES:
  • Nicholas Cullinan, director of the British Museum.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Inside the British Museum: stolen treasures and a £1bn revamp," by Alice Thomson (The Times, 2025).
  • "British Museum gems for sale on eBay - how a theft was exposed," by Katie Razzall, Larissa Kennelly, and Darin Graham (BBC, 2024).
  • "British Museum chief Nicholas Cullinan: ‘I start with the idea that everything is possible,'" by Jan Dalley (Financial Times, 2024).
  • "Who Benefits When Western Museums Return Looted Art?" by David Frum (The Atlantic, 2022).
  • The Will of Sir Hans Sloane, by Sir Hans Sloane (1753).
  • The Portland Vase (The British Museum).

• EXTRAS:
  • "Stealing Art Is Easy. Giving It Back Is Hard." by Freakonomics Radio (2023).

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Austan Goolsbee, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, is less reserved than the average banker. He explains why vibes are overrated, why the Fed’s independence is non-negotiable, and why tariffs could bring the economy back to the Covid era.

• SOURCES:
  • Austan Goolsbee, president and chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Internet Rising, Prices Falling: Measuring Inflation in a World of E-Commerce," by Austan Goolsbee and Peter Klenow (American Economic Association Papers and Proceedings, 2018).
  • Microeconomics, by Austan Goolsbee, Steven Levitt, and Chad Syverson (2012).
  • "Does the Internet Make Markets More Competitive? Evidence from the Life Insurance Industry," by Jeffrey Brown and Austan Goolsbee (Journal of Political Economy, 2002).
  • Survey of Consumers (University of Michigan).
  • Adobe Digital Price Index.

• EXTRAS:
  • "Was Austan Goolsbee’s First Visit to the Oval Office Almost His Last?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022).
  • "Is $2 Trillion the Right Medicine for a Sick Economy?" by Freakonomics Radio (2020).
  • "Fed Up," by Freakonomics Radio (2019).
  • "Why the Trump Tax Cuts Are Terrible/Awesome (Part 2)" by Freakonomics Radio (2018).
  • "Ben Bernanke Gives Himself a Grade," by Freakonomics Radio (2015).
  • "Should the U.S. Merge With Mexico?" by Freakonomics Radio (2014).

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