Freakonomics Radio podcast

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.

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.

 

#832

How to Succeed at Failing, Part 2: Life and Death (Update)

In medicine, failure can be catastrophic. It can also produce discoveries that save millio... more

20 hrs Ago

53 MINS

53:19

20 hrs Ago


#831

How to Succeed at Failing, Part 1: The Chain of Events (Update)

We tend to think of tragedies as a single terrible moment, rather than the result of multi... more

09 May 2025

55 MINS

55:38

09 May 2025


#830

632. When Did We All Start Watching Documentaries?

It used to be that making documentary films meant taking a vow of poverty (and obscurity).... more

02 May 2025

54 MINS

54:21

02 May 2025


#829

631. Will "3 Summers of Lincoln" Make It to Broadway?

It’s been in development for five years and has at least a year to go. On the eve of its o... more

25 Apr 2025

46 MINS

46:19

25 Apr 2025


#828

Is It a Theater Piece or a Psychological Experiment? (Update)

In an episode from 2012, we looked at what Sleep No More and the Stanford Prison Experimen... more

23 Apr 2025

37 MINS

37:13

23 Apr 2025


#827

630. On Broadway, Nobody Knows Nothing

A hit like Hamilton can come from nowhere while a sure bet can lose $20 million in a flash... more

18 Apr 2025

1 HR 01 MINS

1:01:30

18 Apr 2025


#826

629. How Is Live Theater Still Alive?

It has become fiendishly expensive to produce, and has more competition than ever. And yet... more

11 Apr 2025

59 MINS

59:43

11 Apr 2025


#825

Policymaking Is Not a Science — Yet (Update)

Why do so many promising solutions in education, medicine, and criminal justice fail to sc... more

09 Apr 2025

45 MINS

45:28

09 Apr 2025


#824

628. Sludge, Part 2: Is Government the Problem, or the Solution?

There is no sludgier place in America than Washington, D.C. But there are signs of a chang... more

04 Apr 2025

48 MINS

48:31

04 Apr 2025


#823

627. Sludge, Part 1: The World Is Drowning in It

Insurance forms that make no sense. Subscriptions that can’t be cancelled. A never-ending ... more

28 Mar 2025

54 MINS

54:34

28 Mar 2025


#822

Should America Be Run by … Trader Joe’s? (Update)

The quirky little grocery chain with California roots and German ownership has a lot to te... more

21 Mar 2025

48 MINS

48:01

21 Mar 2025


#821

626. Ten Myths About the U.S. Tax System

Nearly everything that politicians say about taxes is at least half a lie. They are also d... more

14 Mar 2025

1 HR 03 MINS

1:03:55

14 Mar 2025