784 episodes
Freakonomics Radio Freakonomics Radio
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- Society & Culture
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4.5 • 29.4K 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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EXTRA: The Fascinatingly Mundane Secrets of the World’s Most Exclusive Nightclub
The Berlin dance mecca Berghain is known for its eight-hour line and inscrutable door policy. PJ Vogt, host of the podcast "Search Engine," joins us to crack the code. It has to do with Cold War rivalries, German tax law, and one very talented bouncer.
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592. How to Make the Coolest Show on Broadway
Hit by Covid, runaway costs, and a zillion streams of competition, serious theater is in serious trouble. A new hit play called "Stereophonic" — the most Tony-nominated play in history — has something to say about that. We speak with the people who make it happen every night. (Part one of a two-part series.)
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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?
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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.
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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.)
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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.)
Customer Reviews
Funny titles leading to interesting topics
I love listening to this podcast. I learn so much on subjects I didn't even know interested me.
I gave my best friend a copy of the Freakonomics book and she objected accusing me of being an academic snob. Until she read it and told me how fun and fascinating it was to read.
Thank you for the fun way you present your topics and the show.
I LOVE THIS PODCAST!
The name of the podcast may lead you to think it’s going to be some far out intellectual, academic mumbo jumbo. But instead, it’s an extremely thoughtful and easily accessible conversation about interesting current events and topics that are relevant to our everyday lives. Steven Dubner is a stellar interviewer (and very smart guy) whose only agenda is to learn more from the experienced and knowledgeable guests he invites on the show. I eagerly await each weekly podcast. Do yourself a favor and CHECK IT OUT!
Everything’s Great Except The Interrupting
Some of your host on this show have a bad habit of interrupting the guests when they’re talking. Especially when they’re in the middle of or finishing up a good thought or point. And most of the time, the interruption is so immature, like a bad or immature joke or a joke at the wrong time. It’s irritating because most of the time, the guest loses their chain of thought and doesn’t return to their point.
Have your host to work on this. There’s a time and place for everything. If things can be edited later, LET THEM TALK AND FINISH THEIR POINT. Interrupting in uncontrollable ADD of thoughts that are irrelevant or could have waited is driving me crazy.
Other than this, it’s a really good show.
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