The Economics of Everyday Things

SiriusXM Podcasts
The Economics of Everyday Things

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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. To get every show in the Freakonomics Radio Network without ads and a monthly bonus episode of Freakonomics Radio, start a free trial for SiriusXM Podcasts+ on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.

  1. 2D AGO

    89. Locksmiths

    The ability to get into any home, car, or safe can be lucrative — but fixing locks is a tough business. Zachary Crockett gets the key information.

    19 min

  2. APR 14

    88. Fortune Cookies

    Those tiny treats that predict your future may come free at the end of a Chinese meal, but they’re big business (and not Chinese). Zachary Crockett will go on a long journey.

    20 min

  3. APR 7

    87. Ski Areas

    When you hit the slopes, you might not be thinking about water rights, controlled avalanches, and liability insurance — but someone has to. Zachary Crockett shreds the pow.

    20 min

  4. MAR 31

    86. Toothpaste

    We reach for it twice a day — without thinking about the decades of research and engineering that went into that squeezable tube of minty goo. Zachary Crockett extracts the last bit.

    17 min

  5. MAR 24

    85. Executive Recruiters

    When a Fortune 500 company needs a new leader, it turns to a well-connected headhunter who assesses candidates with psychological tests and mock TV interviews. Zachary Crockett activates his network.

    21 min

  6. MAR 17

    84. Mall Cops

    Security guards make malls feel safer, but what can they do when there’s trouble? Zachary Crockett observes and reports.

    18 min

  7. MAR 10

    83. Game Show Winnings

    How do TV producers decide how much money to give away? A little psychology and a lot of math. Zachary Crockett phones a friend.

    19 min

  8. MAR 3

    82. Chain Restaurant Recipes

    A fast-food burger has to taste the same — and cost the same — thousands of times a day at restaurants across the country. Zachary Crockett mans the fryer.

    17 min
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About

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. To get every show in the Freakonomics Radio Network without ads and a monthly bonus episode of Freakonomics Radio, start a free trial for SiriusXM Podcasts+ on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.

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