The Economics of Everyday Things

Every year, thousands of products are recalled from store shelves. How does the process work — and who foots the bill? Zachary Crockett gets a refund on his frozen shrimp.

• SOURCES:
  • Chris Harvey, senior vice president at Sedgwick.

• RESOURCES:
  • "FDA Advises Public Not to Eat, Sell, or Serve Certain Imported Frozen Shrimp from an Indonesian Firm," (FDA, 2025).
  • "U.S. product recalls reach second-highest level in si...

In a sport that generates more than $3.5 billion a year, teams compete in cars that cost $70 million to develop and build — and a split-second to crash. Zachary Crockett assesses the damage.

• SOURCES:
  • Steve Cripps, chief financial officer at Williams Racing.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Everything you need to know about F1 – Drivers, teams, cars, circuits and more," (Formula 1, 2025).
  • "How Williams, F1’s ultimate underdog, fou...

The world’s oldest advertising medium has reconfigured itself for the digital age. Zachary Crockett looks up.

• SOURCES:
  • Anna Bager, president and C.E.O. of the Out-of-Home Advertising Association of America.
  • Dan Levi, chief marketing officer at Clear Channel Outdoor.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Advertising Proves Resilient Amidst Economic Uncertainty," (Magna Global, 2025).
  • "Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc. Reports Results...

Some singles choose to skip the apps and get fixed up the old-fashioned way — but it doesn't come cheap. Zachary Crockett puts himself out there.

• SOURCES:
  • Maria Avgitidis, C.E.O. of Agape Match and author of Ask a Matchmaker: Matchmaker Maria's No-Nonsense Guide to Finding Love.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Dating Apps Have Hit a Wall. Can They Turn Things Around?" by J. Edward Moreno (New York Times, 2024).
  • "Love, (un)automa...

They have thousands of congregants and millions of dollars in income. Zachary Crockett passes the collection plate.

• SOURCES:
  • Julie Roys, founder of the Roys Report.
  • Scott Thumma, professor of sociology of religion at Hartford International University, director of the Hartford Institute for Religion Research.

• RESOURCES:
  • "The faithful see both crisis and opportunity as churches close across the country," by Sco...

Pure maple syrup can be five times as expensive as “pancake syrup,” but maple farmers — and breakfast connoisseurs — say it’s worth it. Zachary Crockett pours it on thick.

• SOURCES:
  • Emma Marvin, co-C.E.O. of Butternut Mountain Farm.
  • David Marvin, founder of Butternut Mountain Farm.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Crop Production," by National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA, 2025).
  • "Why Americans Overwhelmingly Prefer Fake M...

Why did it take so long to invent a longer-lasting bulb? Zachary Crockett finds the answer illuminating.

• SOURCES:
  • Heather Dillon, mechanical engineering professor at the University of Washington in Tacoma.
  • Jane Brox, author of the 2010 book Brilliant: The Evolution of Artificial Light.
  • Markus Krajewski, philosopher and historian of technology at the University of Basel in Switzerland.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Thomas Edison...

How do courts interpret those little icons on your phone? Zachary Crockett brings down the hammer.

• SOURCES:
  • Eric Goldman, professor of law, associate dean for research, co-director at the High Tech Law Institute at the Santa Clara University School of Law.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Canadian Court Rules 👍 Emoji Counts as a Contract Agreement," by Michael Levenson (New York Times, 2023).
  • "Former Bed Bath & Beyond investor R...

How do you turn an empty house into a buyer’s dream home? Zachary Crockett pulls back the curtain.

• SOURCES:
  • Meredith Baer, founder of Meridith Baer Home.
  • Cindy Lin, founder and lead instructor at Staged4more School of Home Staging.
  • Karen Prince, author and home staging consultant.

• RESOURCES:
  • "How Artificial Intelligence Is Changing the Real Estate Game," by Kate Dubinski (C.B.C. News, 2023).
  • "Will Virtual Stagi...

They expose fraud, catch cheating spouses, and track down missing assets — but they don’t come cheap. Zachary Crockett takes the case.

• SOURCES:
  • Ashley Wardlow, chief operating officer at Nathans Investigations.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Eugène-François Vidocq and the Birth of the Detective," by Daisy Sainsbury (The Public Domain Review, 2024).
  • "The Pinkerton Story - Chapter 1," (The Pinkerton Foundation, 2017).
  • "Expectation...

There are now nearly 12,000 satellites orbiting Earth. What does it cost to put them there, and how do they make money? Zachary Crockett launches an investigation.

• SOURCES:
  • Tim Farrar, president of TMF Associates.
  • Rachel Jewett, managing editor of Via Satellite.

• RESOURCES:
  • "How geostationary small satellites are providing strategic access to space," by Steve Collar (World Economic Forum, 2025).
  • "State of the S...

How does a museum place a value on a priceless work of art? And how much does it cost to keep it safe? Zachary Crockett appraises the situation.

• SOURCES:
  • Glenn Lowry, director of the Museum of Modern Art.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Why Climate Activists Are Still Throwing Food and Paint at Famous Artworks," by Tala Ansari (Wall Street Journal, 2023).
  • "The Woman Who Made van Gogh," by Russell Shorto (New York Times, 2021).
  • "T...

Performing for passersby takes more than talent. Buskers have to cope with hecklers, civic regulations, aggressive competitors — and uncertain pay. Zachary Crockett passes the hat.

• SOURCES:
  • Brett Dallas, professional street performer.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Differentiating busking from begging: A psychological approach," by Robbie Ho and Wing Tung Au (PLOS One, 2021).
  • "Freeing Buskers’ Free Speech Rights: Impact of Regu...

They’ve long been associated with crime and blight. Now, the investors are moving in. Zachary Crockett follows the trail.

• SOURCES:
  • Paul Bradley, president of ROC USA.
  • Blaer Roberts, former chef and mobile home resident.
  • Frank Rolfe, co-owner of Mobile Home University.
  • Cheryl Streberger, retired nurse and mobile home resident.

• RESOURCES:
  • "‘We’re All Afraid’: Massive Rent Increases Hit Mobile Homes," by Abha Bhat...

What goes into creating an episode of The Economics of Everyday Things? And how do shows like this one make money? Zachary Crockett turns the mic on himself.

• SOURCES:
  • Gabe Tartaglia, vice president of podcast and satellite monetization at SiriusXM.
  • Gabe Roth, editorial director of the Freakonomics Radio Network.
  • Sarah Lilley, senior producer of The Economics of Everyday Things.
  • Jeremy Johnston, audio engineer at the Freakonomic...

We send 10 billion of them every day. Where do they come from? Zachary Crockett hearts this topic.

• SOURCES:
  • Jennifer 8. Lee, co-founder of Emojination.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Apple Removes The Gun Emoji, Replaces It With A Squirt Gun," by Carl Franzen (Popular Science, 2021).
  • "Ford’s secret fight for a pickup truck emoji," by Mark Dent (The Hustle, 2019).
  • "The WIRED Guide to Emoji," by Arielle Pardes (WIRED, 2018).
  • "How t...

When security cameras and facial recognition tools fail, law enforcement investigators fall back on a witness's memory and an artist's hand. Zachary Crockett's nose was a little bigger than that.

• SOURCES:
  • Lois Gibson, forensic artist.
  • David Sarni, adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Fighting Crime With Pencil and Paper," by J. David Goodman (New York Times, 2013)
  • "Something S...

How does an industry built on roadside pop-ups make billions of dollars in two weeks of the year? Zachary Crockett gets pyrotechnical.

• SOURCES:
  • Alex Zoldan, vice president of Phantom Fireworks.

• RESOURCES:
  • Phantom Fireworks 2025 Wholesale Price List.
  • "The Explosive Growth Of The Fireworks Market," by Greg Rosalsky, Darian Woods, and Julian Ritchey (NPR, 2023).
  • "Directory of State Laws for Consumer Fireworks," (...

Why are these sudsy roadside stops one of the fastest growing industries in America? Zachary Crockett takes a look under the hood.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Private Equity Wants to Wash Your Car," by Miriam Gottfried (The Wall Street Journal, 2022).
  • "California Labor Commissioner Recovers $282,000 for Car Wash Wage Citations," State of California Department of Industrial Relations News Release (2022).
  • "Sgt. Clean’s Future Shines Bright Than...