Cover image of 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... Read more

Ranked #1

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443. A Sneak Peek at Biden’s Top Economist

443. A Sneak Peek at Biden’s Top Economist

The incoming president argues that the economy and the environment are deeply connected. This is reflected in his choice... Read more

10 Dec 2020

43mins

Ranked #2

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419. 68 Ways to Be Better at Life

419. 68 Ways to Be Better at Life

The accidental futurist Kevin Kelly on why enthusiasm beats intelligence, how to really listen, and why the solution to ... Read more

21 May 2020

37mins

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Ranked #3

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251. Are We in a Mattress-Store Bubble?

251. Are We in a Mattress-Store Bubble?

You've seen them — everywhere! — and often clustered together, as if central planners across America decided that what e... Read more

9 Jun 2016

36mins

Ranked #4

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442. Is it Too Late for General Motors to Go Electric?

442. Is it Too Late for General Motors to Go Electric?

G.M. produces more than 20 times as many cars as Tesla, but Tesla is worth nearly 10 times as much. Mary Barra, the C.E.... Read more

3 Dec 2020

44mins

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Ranked #5

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406. Can You Hear Me Now?

406. Can You Hear Me Now?

When he became chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Ajit Pai announced that he was going to take a “weed w... Read more

20 Feb 2020

48mins

Ranked #6

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359. Should America Be Run by … Trader Joe’s?

359. Should America Be Run by … Trader Joe’s?

The quirky little grocery chain with California roots and German ownership has a lot to teach all of us about choice arc... Read more

29 Nov 2018

47mins

Ranked #7

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418. What Will College Look Like in the Fall (and Beyond)?

418. What Will College Look Like in the Fall (and Beyond)?

Three university presidents try to answer our listeners’ questions. The result? Not much pomp and a whole lot of circums... Read more

14 May 2020

55mins

Ranked #8

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386. How the Supermarket Helped America Win the Cold War

386. How the Supermarket Helped America Win the Cold War

Aisle upon aisle of fresh produce, cheap meat, and sugary cereal — a delicious embodiment of free-market capitalism, rig... Read more

1 Aug 2019

39mins

Ranked #9

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How to Be Happy (Rebroadcast)

How to Be Happy (Rebroadcast)

The U.N.’s World Happiness Report — created to curtail our unhealthy obsession with G.D.P. — is dominated every year by ... Read more

3 Jan 2019

37mins

Ranked #10

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Does Anyone Really Know What Socialism Is? (Ep. 408 Rebroadcast)

Does Anyone Really Know What Socialism Is? (Ep. 408 Rebroadcast)

Trump says it would destroy us. Biden needs the voters who support it (especially the Bernie voters). The majority of mi... Read more

17 Sep 2020

44mins

Ranked #11

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What if Your Company Had No Rules?

What if Your Company Had No Rules?

Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings came to believe that corporate rules can kill creativity and innovation. In this latest... Read more

12 Sep 2020

55mins

Ranked #12

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376. The Data-Driven Guide to Sane Parenting

376. The Data-Driven Guide to Sane Parenting

Humans have been having kids forever, so why are modern parents so bewildered? The economist Emily Oster marshals the ev... Read more

2 May 2019

49mins

Ranked #13

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407. Is There Really a “Loneliness Epidemic”?

407. Is There Really a “Loneliness Epidemic”?

That’s what some health officials are saying, but the data aren’t so clear. We look into what’s known (and not known) ab... Read more

27 Feb 2020

33mins

Ranked #14

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363. Think Like a Winner

363. Think Like a Winner

Great athletes aren’t just great at the physical stuff. They’ve also learned how to handle pressure, overcome fear, and ... Read more

17 Jan 2019

55mins

Ranked #15

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398. The Truth About the Vaping Crisis

398. The Truth About the Vaping Crisis

A recent outbreak of illness and death has gotten everyone’s attention — including late-to-the-game regulators. But woul... Read more

21 Nov 2019

44mins

Ranked #16

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How to Change Your Mind (Rebroadcast)

How to Change Your Mind (Rebroadcast)

There are a lot of barriers to changing your mind: ego, overconfidence, inertia — and cost. Politicians who flip-flop ge... Read more

28 Nov 2019

45mins

Ranked #17

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383. The Zero-Minute Workout

383. The Zero-Minute Workout

There is strong evidence that exercise is wildly beneficial. There is even stronger evidence that most people hate to ex... Read more

27 Jun 2019

37mins

Ranked #18

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People Aren’t Dumb. The World Is Hard. (Rebroadcast)

People Aren’t Dumb. The World Is Hard. (Rebroadcast)

You wouldn’t think you could win a Nobel Prize for showing that humans tend to make irrational decisions. But that’s wha... Read more

20 Dec 2018

57mins

Ranked #19

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Why Is This Man Running for President? (Update)

Why Is This Man Running for President? (Update)

A year ago, nobody was taking Andrew Yang very seriously. Now he is America’s favorite entrepre-nerd, with a candidacy t... Read more

19 Dec 2019

59mins

Ranked #20

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399. Honey, I Grew the Economy

399. Honey, I Grew the Economy

Innovation experts have long overlooked where a lot of innovation actually happens. The personal computer, the mountain ... Read more

5 Dec 2019

43mins

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