Freakonomics Radio Freakonomics Radio
-
- Society & Culture
-
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.
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.
-
Extra: Madeleine Albright’s Warning on Immigration
She arrived in the U.S. as an 11-year-old refugee, then rose to become Secretary of State. Her views on immigration, nationalism, and borders, from this 2015 interview, are almost strangely appropriate to the present moment.
-
580. The True Story of America’s Supremely Messed-Up Immigration System
How did a nation of immigrants come to hate immigration? We start at the beginning, sort through the evidence, and explain why your grandfather was lying about Ellis Island. (Part one of a three-part series.)
-
579. Are You Caught in a Social Media Trap?
Economists have discovered an odd phenomenon: many people who use social media (even you, maybe?) wish it didn’t exist. But that doesn’t mean they can escape.
-
Extra: What Is Sportswashing — and Does It Work? (Update)
In ancient Rome, it was bread and circuses. Today, it’s a World Cup, an Olympics, and a new Saudi-backed golf league that’s challenging the PGA Tour. Can a sporting event really repair a country’s reputation — or will it trigger the dreaded Streisand Effect? Also: why the major U.S. sports leagues are warming up to the idea of foreign investment.
-
578. Water, Water Everywhere — But You Have to Stop and Think
What surprises lurk in our sewage? How did racist city planners end up saving Black lives? Why does Arizona grow hay for cows in Saudi Arabia? Three strange stories about the most fundamental substance we all take for granted.
-
Is Google Getting Worse? (Update)
It used to feel like magic. Now it can feel like a set of cheap tricks. Is the problem with Google — or with us? And is Google Search finally facing a real rival, in the form of A.I.-powered “answer engines”?
Customer Reviews
Diverse topics and in depth coverage
I am a long time fan of Freakonomics podcast as it provides people across the globe like me from India balanced and in depth coverage of various issues they cover. Thanks for sharing and caring.
The benchmark for any informative/interview based podcasts!!
More than the unique topics that they cover, what I really love about Freakonomincs Radio is the presentation by Steven Dubner and the impeccable editing. Interviews are paused with a cut, context/caveats added, and then swiftly moves back to the interview to present a nice cohesive story that is just absolutely easy listening to and follow. Just love it. One criticism that I do have of it is that most of the topics are heavily US/UK focused. I’d love to see unique topics from India, South East Asia and other countries as well! Please do cover more of the world, but please do it in this exact same style. The benchmark according to me.
The Gold Standard
Well researched , relevant and engaging content.