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791 episodes
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Freakonomics Radio Freakonomics Radio
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- Society & Culture
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4.8 • 27 Ratings
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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.
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598. Is Overconsolidation a Threat to Democracy?
That’s the worry. Even the humble eyeglass industry is dominated by a single firm.
We look into the global spike in myopia, how the Lemtosh got its name, and what your eye doctor knows that you don’t. (Part two of a two-part series.) -
597. Why Do Your Eyeglasses Cost $1,000?
A single company, EssilorLuxottica, owns so much of the eyewear industry that it’s hard to escape their gravitational pull — or their “obscene” markups. Should regulators do something? Can Warby Parker steal market share? And how did Ray-Bans become a luxury brand? (Part one of a two-part series.)
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EXTRA: People Aren’t Dumb. The World Is Hard. (Update)
You wouldn’t think you could win a Nobel Prize for showing that humans tend to make irrational decisions. But that’s what Richard Thaler has done. In an interview from 2018, the founder of behavioral economics describes his unlikely route to success; his reputation for being lazy; and his efforts to fix the world — one nudge at a time.
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596. Farewell to a Generational Talent
Daniel Kahneman left his mark on academia (and the real world) in countless ways. A group of his friends and colleagues recently gathered in Chicago to reflect on this legacy — and we were there, with microphones.
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595. Why Don't We Have Better Candidates for President?
American politics is trapped in a duopoly, with two all-powerful parties colluding to stifle competition. We revisit a 2018 episode to explain how the political industry works, and talk to a reformer (and former presidential candidate) who is pushing for change.
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594. Your Brand’s Spokesperson Just Got Arrested — Now What?
It’s hard to know whether the benefits of hiring a celebrity are worth the risk. We dig into one gruesome story of an endorsement gone wrong, and find a surprising result.
Customer Reviews
Insightful and Entertaining
I love this podcast, so interesting and educational while being entertaining. Freakonomics is very well made with great insights from a wide array of guests. Would recommend this to anyone interested in the wide range of topics and asking some intriguing and random questions.