Freakonomics
Saturdays from 6 to 7 a.m. and 3 to 4 p.m.
Freakonomics Radio is an award-winning weekly radio show.
Host Stephen J. Dubner has surprising conversations that explore the riddles of everyday life and the weird wrinkles of human nature — from cheating and crime to parenting and sports. Dubner talks with Nobel laureates and provocateurs, social scientists and entrepreneurs — and his Freakonomics co-author Steve Levitt.
Freakonomics Radio is produced by Dubner Productions and WNYC Studios.
-
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? The post Why Governments Are Betting Big on Sports appeared first on Freakonomics.
-
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. The post How to Make Your Own Luck (Update) appeared first on Freakonomics.
-
Cory Booker on the politics of fear, the politics of hope, and how to split the difference. The post “This Country Kicks My Ass All the Time” appeared first on Freakonomics.
-
A conversation with Golden Years author James Chappel. To get Plus episodes, become a member at Apple Podcasts or at freakonomics.com/plus. The post The History of Old Age appeared first on Freakonomics.
-
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.”) The post Are You Ready for the Elder Swell? appeared first on Freakonomics.
-
In this episode from 2013, we look at whether spite pays — and if it even exists. The post What Do Medieval Nuns and Bo Jackson Have in Common? (Update) appeared first on Freakonomics.
-
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.”) The post What It’s Like to Be Middle-Aged (in the Middle Ages) appeared first on Freakonomics.
-
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") The post Why Aren’t We Having More Babies? appeared first on Freakonomics.
-
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. The post An Economics Lesson from a Talking Pencil (Update) appeared first on Freakonomics.
-
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. The post Can a Museum Be the Conscience of a Nation? appeared first on Freakonomics.