Freakonomics Radio

Economists and politicians have turned him into a mascot for free-market ideology. Some on the left say the right has badly misread him. In this updated replay of a 2022 episode, we hold a very Smithy tug of war.

• SOURCES:
  • Eamonn Butler, co-founder and director of the Adam Smith Institute.
  • Glory Liu, a political scientist and Adam Smith scholar at Georgetown University.
  • Mariana Mazzucato, professor in the eco...

That’s what the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Lang wanted to learn. So he turned Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations into an oratorio. We tag along as Lang’s piece heads toward its world premiere with the New York Philharmonic. (Part one of a two-part series.)

• SOURCES:
  • Fleur Barron, opera singer and mezzo-soprano.
  • David Lang, composer and professor at the Yale School of Music.

• RESOU...

Epic Systems manages the electronic health records for hundreds of millions of people. This makes Faulkner a healthcare heavyweight and one of the most successful female entrepreneurs in history. So why haven’t we ever heard much from her? Stephen Dubner travels to Verona, Wisc., to explore the Faulknerverse.

• SOURCES:
  • Judy Faulkner, C.E.O. and founder of Epic Systems.
  • Seth Howard, executive vice president of re...

New York City’s mayor called them “public enemy number one.” History books say they caused the Black Death — although recent scientific evidence disputes that claim. In an updated episode from 2025, we ask: Is the rat a scapegoat? And what does our rat hatred say about us?

• SOURCES:
  • Bethany Brookshire, author of Pests: How Humans Create Animal Villains.
  • Kathy Corradi, senior vice president of resident services, ...

One possibility: a leading hypothesis pursued by researchers (and funders) was built on science that now appears to be fraudulent. Stephen Dubner speaks with the scientist and the journalist who blew the whistle.

• SOURCES:
  • Charles Piller, investigative journalist for Science, author of Doctored.
  • Matthew Schrag, associate professor of neurology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

• RESOUR...

How do beekeepers make a living? Why is there so much honey fraud? And why did billions of bees suddenly disappear? To find out, guest host Steve Levitt activates his hive mind.

• SOURCES:
  • Alex Sapoznik, historian, reader in late medieval history at King’s College London.
  • Chris Hiatt, past president of the American Honey Producers Association, owner of Hiatt Honey Company.
  • Michael Roberts, founding executive d...

Nearly everything that politicians say about taxes is at least half a lie. They are also dishonest when it comes to the national debt. In this update of an episode from 2025, Stephen Dubner finds one of the few people in Washington who is willing to tell the truth — and it’s even worse than you think.

• SOURCES:
  • Jessica Riedl, budget and tax fellow at the Brookings Institution.

• RESOURCES:

Is it tradition … or protectionism? And what happens when the bourbon boom turns into a glut?

• SOURCES:
  • Andrew Muhammad, agricultural economist at the University of Tennessee.
  • Brad Patrick, executive in residence and lecturer at the University of Kentucky Gatton College of Business and Economics, bourbon fellow at the James B. Beam Institute for Kentucky Spirits.
  • Danny Kahn, master distiller and distillation ...

As one researcher told us: “We’ve engineered a world where the most distracting device ever made is also the one we use to listen to music in the car." A new study tries to measure the cost.

• SOURCES:
  • Bapu Jena, economist, physician, and professor at Harvard Medical School.
  • Chris Worsham, pulmonary and critical-care physician at Mass General Hospital, health-policy and public-health researcher at Harvard Medical...

In blue cities across the country, unions and politicians want to ban self-driving cars. In this episode from the Search Engine podcast, PJ Vogt visits Boston to sort the facts from the propaganda. (Part two of a two-part series.)

• SOURCES:
  • Carl Richardson, ADA coordinator for the Massachusetts State House, president of the Guide Dog Users of Massachusetts.
  • Gabriela Coletta Zapata, Boston City councilor from Dis...

How a secret project at Google led to driverless cars on American roads. 

Freakonomics Radio shares a story from our friends at Search Engine. (Part one of a two-part series.)

• SOURCES:
  • Alex Davies, author of Driven: The Race To Create the Autonomous Car.
  • Chris Urmson, co-founder and C.E.O. of Aurora.
  • Don Burnette, founder and C.E.O. of Kodiak AI.
  • PJ Vogt, reporter, writer, and host of the Search Engine po...

A ruthless (and ruthlessly efficient) industry is using digital tools to supercharge one of the world’s oldest behaviors. We look at how the industry works, and ask the scam-fighters what they’re doing about it.

• SOURCES:
  • Kati Daffan, former assistant director at the Federal Trade Commission's Division of Marketing Practices.
  • Marti DeLiema, assistant professor of social work at the University of Minnesota.
  • Ma...

Economists don’t usually talk about “culture.” But Joel Mokyr argues that it’s the engine of innovation — and the Nobel Prize committee agreed. Stephen Dubner sits down for a thousand-year conversation (including advice!) with the new Nobel laureate.

• SOURCES:
  • Joel Mokyr, economic historian at Northwestern University.

• RESOURCES:
  • Two Paths to Prosperity: Culture and Institutions in Eu...

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. In this updated episode from 2025, journalists Javier Blas and Jack Farchy 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 Bl...

... of bad reviews, meager financing, or artificial intelligence. But he is worried that the world is full of sloppy thinkers who mistake facts for the truth.

• SOURCES:
  • Werner Herzog, writer, filmmaker, and actor.

• RESOURCES:
  • The Future of Truth, by Werner Herzog (2025).
  • Every Man for Himself and God Against All: A Memoir, by Werner Herzog (2023).

• EXTRAS:

Existing drugs can sometimes be repurposed to treat rare diseases. But making that match can be hard — and the financial incentives are weak. Guest host Steve Levitt tries to solve the puzzle.

• SOURCES:
  • Chris Snyder, professor of economics at Dartmouth College.
  • David Fajgenbaum, co-founder and president of Every Cure, physician-scientist at the University of Pennsylvania.
  • Heather Stone, health science policy ...

When Richard Thaler first published Nudge, the world was just starting to believe in his brand of behavioral economics. In this 2021 episode, we ask: How has nudge theory held up in the face of a global financial meltdown, a pandemic, and other existential crises?

• SOURCES:
  • Richard Thaler, professor of economics at the University of Chicago.

• RESOURCES:
  • Nudge: The Final Edition, by Richard Thaler and Cass Suns...

The science says no, at least not in the athletic sense. But the psychic benefits can be large — just ask former N.F.L. star Ricky Williams. He says athletes should consider cannabis a healing drug, not a party drug. Even the N.F.L. is starting to agree. (Part two of a two-part series.)

• SOURCES:
  • Angela Bryan, professor, associate chair for faculty development in the department of psychology and neuroscience at the University...

In sports, the rules are meant to be sacrosanct. But when it comes to performance-enhancing drugs, the slope is super-slippery. (Part one of a two-part series.)

• SOURCES:
  • April Henning, associate professor of international sport management at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland.
  • Aron D'Souza, founder of the Enhanced Games.
  • Floyd Landis, former professional cyclist, founder of Floyd's of Leadville.
  • Louisa Thomas, staff ...