Freakonomics Radio

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. To get every show in the Freakonomics Radio Network without ads and a monthly bonus episode of Freakonomics Radio, start a free trial for SiriusXM Podcasts+ on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.

Episodes

July 11, 2025 50 mins

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 U...
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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.

 

 

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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.

 

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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.”)

 

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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.
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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.”)

 

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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, ...
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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.

 

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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.

 

 

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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.

 

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Just beneath the surface of the global economy, there is a hidden layer of dealmakers for whom war, chaos, and sanctions can be a great business opportunity. Javier Blas and Jack Farchy, the authors of The World for Sale, help us shine a light on the shadowy realm of commodity traders.

 

  • SOURCES:
    • Javier Blas, opinion columnist at Bloomberg News.
    • Jack Farchy, energy and commodities senior reporter at Bloomberg News.

 

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Everyone makes mistakes. How do we learn from them? Lessons from the classroom, the Air Force, and the world’s deadliest infectious disease. (Part four of a four-part series.)

 

  • SOURCES:
    • Will Coleman, founder and C.E.O. of Alto.
    • Amy Edmondson, professor of leadership management at Harvard Business School.
    • Babak Javid, physician-scientist and associate director of the University of California, San Francisco Center for Tuberculosi...
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Giving up can be painful. That's why we need to talk about it. Today: stories about glitchy apps, leaky paint cans, broken sculptures — and a quest for the perfect bowl of ramen. (Part three of a four-part series.)

 

  • SOURCES:
    • John Boykin, website designer and failed paint can re-inventor.
    • Angela Duckworth, host of No Stupid Questions, co-founder of Character Lab, and professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania.
    • Amy...
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In medicine, failure can be catastrophic. It can also produce discoveries that save millions of lives. Tales from the front line, the lab, and the I.T. department. (Part two of a four-part series.)

 

  • SOURCES:
    • Amy Edmondson, professor of leadership management at Harvard Business School.
    • Carole Hemmelgarn, co-founder of Patients for Patient Safety U.S. and director of the Clinical Quality, Safety & Leadership Master’s program at ...
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We tend to think of tragedies as a single terrible moment, rather than the result of multiple bad decisions. Can this pattern be reversed? We try — with stories about wildfires, school shootings, and love. (Part one of a four-part series.)

 

  • SOURCES:
    • Amy Edmondson, professor of leadership management at Harvard Business School.
    • Helen Fisher, former senior research fellow at The Kinsey Institute and former chief science advisor t...
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It used to be that making documentary films meant taking a vow of poverty (and obscurity). The streaming revolution changed that. Award-winning filmmaker R.J. Cutler talks to Stephen Dubner about capturing Billie Eilish’s musical genius and Martha Stewart’s vulnerability — and why he really, really, really needs to make a film about the New York Mets.

 

 

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It’s been in development for five years and has at least a year to go. On the eve of its out-of-town debut, the actor playing Lincoln quit. And the producers still need to raise another $15 million to bring the show to New York. There really is no business like show business. (Part three of a three-part series.)

 

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In an episode from 2012, we looked at what Sleep No More and the Stanford Prison Experiment can tell us about who we really are.

 

 

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April 18, 2025 61 mins

A hit like Hamilton can come from nowhere while a sure bet can lose $20 million in a flash. We speak with some of the biggest producers in the game — Sonia Friedman, Jeffrey Seller, Hal Luftig — and learn that there is only one guarantee: the theater owners always win. (Part two of a three-part series.)

 

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April 11, 2025 59 mins

It has become fiendishly expensive to produce, and has more competition than ever. And yet the believers still believe. Why? And does the world really want a new musical about ... Abraham Lincoln?! (Part one of a three-part series.)

 

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