52 episodes

Who decides which snacks are in your office’s vending machine? How much is a suburban elm tree worth, and to whom? How did Girl Scout Cookies become a billion-dollar business? In bite-sized episodes, journalist Zachary Crockett looks at quotidian things and finds amazing stories.

Join the Freakonomics Radio Plus membership program for weekly member-only episodes of Freakonomics Radio. You’ll also get every show in our network without ads. To sign up, visit our show page on Apple Podcasts or go to freakonomics.com/plus.

The Economics of Everyday Things Freakonomics Radio

    • Business
    • 5.0 • 128 Ratings

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher

Who decides which snacks are in your office’s vending machine? How much is a suburban elm tree worth, and to whom? How did Girl Scout Cookies become a billion-dollar business? In bite-sized episodes, journalist Zachary Crockett looks at quotidian things and finds amazing stories.

Join the Freakonomics Radio Plus membership program for weekly member-only episodes of Freakonomics Radio. You’ll also get every show in our network without ads. To sign up, visit our show page on Apple Podcasts or go to freakonomics.com/plus.

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher

    46. Car Colors

    46. Car Colors

    So many vehicles on the road today are white, black, or gray — but automotive designers find that consumer preferences may be changing lanes. Zachary Crockett surveys the lot.

    • 18 min
    45. Storage Units

    45. Storage Units

    Americans love to buy new stuff and hate to get rid of old stuff, which is why storing it all has become a $45 billion business. Zachary Crockett cleans out the garage.

    • 15 min
    44. Movie Sound Effects

    44. Movie Sound Effects

    The background noises you hear in film and TV — from footsteps to zombie guts — are produced in specialized studios by professionals known as Foley artists. Zachary Crockett makes some noise.

    • 19 min
    43. Top-Level Domains

    43. Top-Level Domains

    Those letters at the end of web addresses can mean big bucks — and, for some small countries, a substantial part of the national budget. Zachary Crockett follows the links.

    • 18 min
    42. Cemeteries

    42. Cemeteries

    The verdant lawns promise everlasting rest — but what does it mean to sign a lease for all eternity? Zachary Crockett finds out where the bodies are buried.

    • 18 min
    41. Pet Movers

    41. Pet Movers

    Relocating halfway across the world is hard enough for humans. For pets it can require a specialist. Zachary Crockett waits at the airport, holding a sign saying "Fluffy."

    • 15 min

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5
128 Ratings

128 Ratings

funkyman64 ,

Good podcast

Me like podcast

ChefElectric ,

A really great show!

Relatively short but packed with entertainingly informative stories 😊
Another must listen

ottawa.3 ,

Fix the sound mixing!

Very interesting podcast. Love the length of the episodes. But the sound mixing is really inconsistent. Difficult to listen to in a vehicle or with headphones.

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