
699 episodes

Freakonomics Radio Freakonomics
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- Society & Culture
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4.5 • 28.3K 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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545. Enough with the Slippery Slopes!
Gun control, abortion rights, drug legalization — it seems like every argument these days claims that if X happens, then Y will follow, and we’ll all be doomed to Z. Is the slippery-slope argument a valid logical construction or just a game of feelingsball?
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544. Ari Emanuel Is Never Indifferent
He turned a small Hollywood talent agency into a massive sports-and-entertainment empire. In a freewheeling conversation, he explains how he did it and why it nearly killed him.
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Make Me a Match (Ep. 209 Update)
Sure, markets work well in general. But for some transactions — like school admissions and organ transplants — money alone can’t solve the problem. That’s when you need a market-design wizard like Al Roth. Plus: We hear from a listener who, inspired by this episode, made a remarkable decision.
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543. How to Return Stolen Art
Museums are purging their collections of looted treasures. Can they also get something in return? And what does it mean to be a museum in the 21st century? (Part 3 of “Stealing Art Is Easy. Giving It Back Is Hard.”)
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542. Is a Museum Just a Trophy Case?
The world’s great museums are full of art and artifacts that were plundered during an era when plunder was the norm. Now there’s a push to return these works to their rightful owners. Sounds simple, right? It's not. (Part 2 of “Stealing Art Is Easy. Giving It Back Is Hard.”)
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541. The Case of the $4 Million Gold Coffin
How did a freshly looted Egyptian antiquity end up in the Metropolitan Museum of Art? Why did it take Kim Kardashian to crack the case? And how much of what you see in any museum is stolen? (Part 1 of “Stealing Art Is Easy. Giving It Back Is Hard.”)
Customer Reviews
This Podcast Makes Me The Coolest in the Room!
I absolutely love listening to the uncovering of so many cool topics that have always swirled in my mind. The economics of every day things is explained in a very digestible manner, and I love sharing all of the fun facts that I learn each episode at dinner parties and social gatherings. I’m always the smart girl in the room! Great job and Thank You!
Always Good, often great
This show always brings the goods. Stephen makes difficult concepts approachable and easy to understand. Often this podcast has me finding a new favorite episode.
Ari’s justification
The interview was great, I love the podcast! But i has an issue with how Ari Manual justified dealing with MBS. He said because America took out a terrorist that was comparable to MBS taking out a journalist. America has, I’m sure, done many bad things in its history, but that comparison was specious at best, and justifying doing something bad because others have done bad things is just bad logic. It seems like making the big deal (his ego) is the most important thing.