Freakonomics Radio
WNYC
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.
Location:
New York, NY
Description:
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.
Language:
English
Contact:
160 Varick St. New York, NY 10013
Episodes
558. When Did Marriage Become a Luxury Good?
9/20/2023
U.S. marriage rates have plummeted. But the babies keep coming, and the U.S. now leads the world in single-parent households. In her new book The Two-Parent Privilege, the economist Melissa Kearney says this is a huge problem, and that it’s time for liberals to face the facts. Plus: our friends at Atlas Obscura explore just how many parents a kid can have.
Duration:01:02:35
557. When Is a Superstar Just Another Employee?
9/13/2023
The union that represents N.F.L. players conducted their first-ever survey of workplace conditions, and issued a report card to all 32 teams. What did the survey reveal? Clogged showers, rats in the locker room — and some helpful insights for those of us who don’t play pro football.
For show notes, visit freakonomics.com/podcast/when-is-a-superstar-just-another-employee/
Duration:01:00:53
556. A.I. Is Changing Everything. Does That Include You?
9/6/2023
For all the speculation about the future, A.I. tools can be useful right now. Adam Davidson discovers what they can help us do, how we can get the most from them — and why the things that make them helpful also make them dangerous. (Part 3 of "How to Think About A.I.")
Duration:00:48:34
555. New Technologies Always Scare Us. Is A.I. Any Different?
8/30/2023
Guest host Adam Davidson looks at what might happen to your job in a world of human-level artificial intelligence, and asks when it might be time to worry that the machines have become too powerful. (Part 2 of "How to Think About A.I.")
Duration:00:47:33
554. Can A.I. Take a Joke?
8/23/2023
Artificial intelligence, we’ve been told, will destroy humankind. No, wait — it will usher in a new age of human flourishing! Guest host Adam Davidson (co-founder of Planet Money) sorts through the big claims about A.I.'s future by exploring its past and present — and whether it has a sense of humor. (Part 1 of "How to Think About A.I.")
Duration:00:48:05
553. The Suddenly Diplomatic Rahm Emanuel
8/16/2023
The famously profane politician and operative is now U.S. ambassador to Japan, where he’s trying to rewrite the rules of diplomacy. But don’t worry: When it comes to China, he’s every bit as combative as you’d expect.
Duration:00:56:21
Should Traffic Lights Be Abolished? (Ep. 454 Replay)
8/9/2023
Americans are so accustomed to the standard intersection that we rarely consider how dangerous it can be — as well as costly, time-wasting, and polluting. Is it time to embrace the lowly, lovely roundabout?
Duration:00:46:48
Extra: A Modern Whaler Speaks Up
8/6/2023
Bjorn Andersen killed 111 minke whales this season. 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.")
Duration:00:26:42
552. Freakonomics Radio Presents: The Economics of Everyday Things
8/2/2023
In three stories from our newest podcast, host Zachary Crockett digs into sports mascots, cashmere sweaters, and dinosaur skeletons.
Duration:00:47:17
551. What Can Whales Teach Us About Clean Energy, Workplace Harmony, and Living the Good Life?
7/26/2023
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.")
Duration:00:47:45
550. Why Do People Still Hunt Whales?
7/19/2023
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.”)
Duration:00:37:11
549. The First Great American Industry
7/12/2023
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.”)
Duration:00:43:51
548. Why Is the U.S. So Good at Killing Pedestrians?
7/5/2023
Actually, the reasons are pretty clear. The harder question is: Will we ever care enough to stop?
Duration:00:44:57
Why Did You Marry That Person? (Ep. 511 Replay)
6/28/2023
Sure, you were “in love.” But economists — using evidence from Bridgerton to Tinder — point to what’s called “assortative mating.” And it has some unpleasant consequences for society.
Duration:00:47:04
547. Satya Nadella’s Intelligence Is Not Artificial
6/21/2023
But as C.E.O. of the resurgent Microsoft, he is firmly at the center of the A.I. revolution. We speak with him about the perils and blessings of A.I., Google vs. Bing, the Microsoft succession plan — and why his favorite use of ChatGPT is translating poetry.
Duration:00:36:45
546. Are E.S.G. Investors Actually Helping the Environment?
6/14/2023
Probably not. The economist Kelly Shue argues that E.S.G. investing just gives more money to firms that are already green while depriving polluting firms of the financing they need to get greener. But she has a solution.
Duration:00:54:38
545. Enough with the Slippery Slopes!
6/7/2023
Gun control, abortion rights, drug legalization — it seems like every argument these days claims that if X happens, then Y will follow, and we’ll all be doomed to Z. Is the slippery-slope argument a valid logical construction or just a game of feelingsball?
Duration:00:44:11
544. Ari Emanuel Is Never Indifferent
5/31/2023
He turned a small Hollywood talent agency into a massive sports-and-entertainment empire. In a freewheeling conversation, he explains how he did it and why it nearly killed him.
Duration:01:05:47
Make Me a Match (Ep. 209 Update)
5/24/2023
Sure, markets work well in general. But for some transactions — like school admissions and organ transplants — money alone can’t solve the problem. That’s when you need a market-design wizard like Al Roth. Plus: We hear from a listener who, inspired by this episode, made a remarkable decision.
Duration:01:08:49
543. How to Return Stolen Art
5/17/2023
Museums are purging their collections of looted treasures. Can they also get something in return? And what does it mean to be a museum in the 21st century? (Part 3 of “Stealing Art Is Easy. Giving It Back Is Hard.”)
Duration:00:51:38