782 episodes

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.

Freakonomics Radio Freakonomics Radio

    • Society & Culture

Listen on Apple Podcasts
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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.

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

    591. Signs of Progress, One Year at a Time

    591. Signs of Progress, One Year at a Time

    Every December, a British man named Tom Whitwell publishes a list of 52 things he’s learned that year. These fascinating facts reveal the spectrum of human behavior, from fraud and hypocrisy to Whitwell’s steadfast belief in progress. Should we also believe?

    • 53 min
    EXTRA: The Opioid Tragedy — How We Got Here

    EXTRA: The Opioid Tragedy — How We Got Here

    An update of our 2020 series, in which we spoke with physicians, researchers, and addicts about the root causes of the crisis — and the tension between abstinence and harm reduction.

    • 41 min
    590. Can $55 Billion End the Opioid Epidemic?

    590. Can $55 Billion End the Opioid Epidemic?

    Thanks to legal settlements with drug makers and distributors, states have plenty of money to boost prevention and treatment. Will it work? (Part two of a two-part series.)

    • 40 min
    589. Why Has the Opioid Crisis Lasted So Long?

    589. Why Has the Opioid Crisis Lasted So Long?

    Most epidemics flare up, do their damage, and fade away. This one has been raging for almost 30 years. To find out why, it’s time to ask some uncomfortable questions. (Part one of a two-part series.)

    • 48 min
    Extra: Car Colors & Storage Units

    Extra: Car Colors & Storage Units

    Presenting two stories from "The Economics of Everyday Things": Why does it seem like every car is black, white, or gray these days? And: How self-storage took over America.

    • 35 min
    588. Confessions of a Black Conservative

    588. Confessions of a Black Conservative

    The economist and social critic Glenn Loury has led a remarkably turbulent life, both professionally and personally. In a new memoir, he has chosen to reveal just about everything. Why?

    • 56 min

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