Best Freakonomics Network Podcasts (2024)

1
What Exactly Is College For? (Update) 50:15

2h ago50:15

50:15

We think of them as intellectual enclaves and the surest route to a better life. But U.S. colleges also operate like firms, trying to differentiate their products to win market share and prestige points. In the first episode of a special series originally published in 2022, we ask what our chaotic system gets right — and wrong. (Part 1 of “Freakono…

1
EXTRA: Remembering Susan Wojcicki 31:52

1h ago31:52

31:52

The former YouTube C.E.O. — and sixteenth Google employee — died on August 9, 2024. Steve talked with her in 2020 about her remarkable career, and how her background in economics shaped her work. SOURCES: Susan Wojcicki, former C.E.O. of YouTube. RESOURCES: "Susan Wojcicki, Former Chief of YouTube, Dies at 56," by John Yoon and Mike Isaac (The New …

1
EXTRA: Here’s Why You’re Not an Elite Athlete (Update) 1:05:34

2d ago1:05:34

1:05:34

There are a lot of factors that go into greatness, many of which are not obvious. As the Olympics come to a close, we revisit a 2018 episode in which top athletes from a variety of sports tell us how they made it, and what they sacrificed. SOURCES: Lance Armstrong, former professional cyclist. David Canton, director of African American studies and …

1
59. Restaurant Reservations 18:51

1d ago18:51

18:51

Thanks to online booking platforms, the way we make reservations has changed — but a table at a hot restaurant on a Friday night is still a valuable commodity. Zachary Crockett books a four-top for 7 p.m. SOURCES: Lisa Blount, director of marketing and public relations at Antoine’s Restaurant. Adam Iscoe, writer. RESOURCES: "Why You Can’t Get a Res…

51
Why Do People Get Scammed? (Replay) 35:23

2d ago35:23

35:23

What makes a con succeed? Does snake oil actually work? And just how gullible is Angela? SOURCES: Robert Cialdini, professor emeritus of psychology and marketing at Arizona State University. Yaniv Hanoch, professor of decision sciences at University of Southampton. Hugo Mercier, research scientist at the French National Centre for Scientific Resear…

1
600. “If We’re All in It for Ourselves, Who Are We?” 44:47

5d ago44:47

44:47

Tania Tetlow, a former federal prosecutor and now the president of Fordham University, thinks the modern campus could use a dose of old-fashioned values. SOURCE: Tania Tetlow, president of Fordham University. RESOURCES: "Not a Priest, Not a Man, but Ready to Run Fordham," by David Waldstein (The New York Times, 2024). "Tech Glitch Upends Financial …

1
58. Firefighters 22:04

9d ago22:04

22:04

There are more firefighters than ever — and fewer fires for them to fight. So the job has changed. Zachary Crockett slides down the pole. SOURCES: Joshua Hurwitz, lecturer in economics at Tufts University. Eric Mackintosh, administrative battalion fire chief for San Mateo Consolidated Fire Department. Steve Pegram, retired fire chief and township a…

1
206. When Is It Time to Step Aside? 38:26

10d ago38:26

38:26

Should government jobs have mandatory retirement ages? Is it foolish to care about your legacy? And why did Jason always call Angela’s father “Dr. Lee”? SOURCES: William Bridges, professor emeritus of American literature at Mills College, consultant, and author. Arthur Brooks, professor of leadership at Harvard University. Jimmy Carter, former Pres…

1
137. Richard Dawkins on God, Genes, and Murderous Baby Cuckoos 52:59

10d ago52:59

52:59

The author of the classic The Selfish Gene is still changing the way we think about evolution. SOURCE: Richard Dawkins, professor emeritus of the public understanding of science at Oxford University. RESOURCES: The Genetic Book of the Dead, by Richard Dawkins (2024). Flights of Fancy: Defying Gravity by Design and Evolution, by Richard Dawkins (202…

1
599. The World's Most Valuable Unused Resource 40:08

12d ago40:08

40:08

It’s not oil or water or plutonium — it’s human hours. We've got an idea for putting them to use, and for building a more human-centered economy. But we need your help. SOURCES: Nathan Dietz, research director at the Do Good Institute at the University of Maryland. Al Roth, professor of economics at Stanford University. Krista Wyatt, C.E.O. of Time…

1
266: Wheels of Fortune: 🚲 Team USA's Path to Tour de France Victory (Anne Hed of HED Cycling) 1:08:07

15d ago1:08:07

1:08:07

Anne Hed is a lifetime resident of Minnesota. Her history as a business owner began back in the 1980’s, when she raced as a professional triathlete. She completed eight Ironman Triathlons in Hawaii, and met her late husband, Steve, through the sport. He became one of her first sponsors... This Episode is Sponsored By: Jon Ostenson, Founder of FranB…

1
EXTRA: Why Rent Control Doesn’t Work (Update) 48:22

16d ago48:22

48:22

A new proposal from the Biden administration calls for a nationwide cap on rent increases. Economists think that’s a terrible idea. We revisit a 2019 episode to hear why. SOURCES: Tommy Andersson, professor of economics at Lund University. Vicki Been, professor of law at New York University and former deputy mayor for housing and economic developme…

1
Romance Novels (Replay) 18:38

16d ago18:38

18:38

How did love stories about vampires, cowboys, and wealthy dukes become the highest-grossing fiction genre in the world? Zachary Crockett gets swept away. SOURCES: Delaney Diamond, romance novelist. Danielle Flores, high school math teacher and avid romance novel reader. Brenda Hiatt, romance novelist. Diane Moggy, vice president of editorial at Har…

1
205. Where Do Values Come From? 41:47

17d ago41:47

41:47

Do you get your principles from your parents — or in spite of them? Is there anything wrong with valuing conformity? And why doesn’t McDonald’s sell salads? SOURCES: Erika James, dean of the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Olivia Rodrigo, singer-songwriter. Shalom Schwartz, professor emeritus of psychology at the Hebre…

51
UPDATE: What It Takes to Know Everything 40:23

17d ago40:23

40:23

Victoria Groce is the best trivia contestant on earth. The winner of the 2024 World Quizzing Championship explains the structure of a good question, why she knits during competitions, and how to memorize 160,000 flashcards. SOURCE: Victoria Groce, “The Queen” on the television game show The Chase. RESOURCES: The Chase, TV series (2013-2015, 2021-pr…

51
598. Is Overconsolidation a Threat to Democracy? 37:11

19d ago37:11

37:11

That’s the worry. Even the humble eyeglass industry is dominated by a single firm. We look into the global spike in myopia, how the Lemtosh got its name, and what your eye doctor knows that you don’t. (Part two of a two-part series.) SOURCES: Maria Liu, professor of clinical optometry at the University of California, Berkeley. Harvey Moscot, C.E.O.…

1
57. Strippers 19:03

23d ago19:03

19:03

Performing at a strip club can be lucrative, but it requires financial and psychological savvy — and an eye for social trends. Zachary Crockett takes a look. SOURCES: Layla, stripper. Dave Manack, publisher and editor-in-chief of Exotic Dancer. RESOURCES: "A Look at Washington State’s ‘Strippers’ Bill of Rights’," by Aimee Ortiz (The New York Times…

1
204. What Happens When You’re Cut Off From All Human Contact? 40:09

24d ago40:09

40:09

How is the brain affected by solitary confinement? How would you deal with being stranded on a deserted island? And do baby monkeys make the best therapists? SOURCES: William Broyles Jr., screenwriter, journalism, and former U.S. Marine Corps officer. Beatriz Flamini, Spanish mountaineer. Craig Haney, professor of psychology at the University of Ca…

51
136. The World’s Most Controversial Ornithologist 1:04:15

24d ago1:04:15

1:04:15

Richard Prum says there's a lot that traditional evolutionary biology can't explain. He thinks a neglected hypothesis from Charles Darwin — and insights from contemporary queer theory — hold the answer. Plus: You won't believe what female ducks use for contraception. SOURCE: Richard Prum, professor of ornithology, ecology and evolutionary biology a…

1
597. Why Do Your Eyeglasses Cost $1,000? 54:39

28d ago54:39

54:39

A single company, EssilorLuxottica, owns so much of the eyewear industry that it’s hard to escape their gravitational pull — or their “obscene” markups. Should regulators do something? Can Warby Parker steal market share? And how did Ray-Bans become a luxury brand? (Part one of a two-part series.) SOURCES: Neil Blumenthal, co-founder and co-CEO of …

1
EXTRA: People Aren’t Dumb. The World Is Hard. (Update) 53:13

1M ago53:13

53:13

You wouldn’t think you could win a Nobel Prize for showing that humans tend to make irrational decisions. But that’s what Richard Thaler has done. In an interview from 2018, the founder of behavioral economics describes his unlikely route to success; his reputation for being lazy; and his efforts to fix the world — one nudge at a time. SOURCES: Ric…

1
56. Snake Venom 22:20

30d ago22:20

22:20

Why does treating a venomous snake bite cost as much as a house? Zachary Crockett slithers over to North Carolina to find out. SOURCES: Steve Anderson, emergency medicine business unit leader at BTG Pharmaceuticals. Nick Brandehoff, professor of emergency medicine at the University of Colorado and executive director of the Asclepius Snakebite Found…

1
203. Do You Need a Hug? 39:11

1M ago39:11

39:11

Do humans need touch to survive? Do any of us get enough touch throughout our lives? And why doesn’t Angela want to hug anyone for eight seconds? SOURCES: Ophelia Deroy, chair of the department of philosophy of mind and cognitive neuroscience at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. Kory Floyd, professor of communications at the University of Ari…

1
596. Farewell to a Generational Talent 52:41

1M ago52:41

52:41

Daniel Kahneman left his mark on academia (and the real world) in countless ways. A group of his friends and colleagues recently gathered in Chicago to reflect on this legacy — and we were there, with microphones. SOURCES: Maya Bar-Hillel, professor emeritus of psychology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Shane Frederick, professor of marketin…

1
55. Direct-to-Consumer Mattresses 21:21

1M ago21:21

21:21

Online companies promised to bring transparency to the mattress-buying experience. Did that work out? Zachary Crockett takes a look under the sheets. SOURCES: Derek Hales, founder and editor-in-chief of NapLab.com. Joe Megibow, C.E.O. of Casper Sleep. RESOURCES: "Drake Has a $400,000 Bed − We Asked Why and Where You Can Buy It," by Emilia Hitching …

1
How Effective Are Ultimatums? (Replay) 36:04

1M ago36:04

36:04

How final is a final offer, really? Does anonymity turn nice people into jerks? And should you tell your crush that you dreamed about marrying them? SOURCES: Max Bazerman, professor of business administration at Harvard Business School. Deepak Malhotra, professor of business administration at Harvard Business School. Elon Musk, owner and C.T.O. of …

1
135. How to Grow a White Rhino 55:57

1M ago55:57

55:57

Thomas Hildebrandt is trying to bring the northern white rhinoceros back from the brink of extinction. The wildlife veterinarian tells Steve about the far-out techniques he employs, why we might see woolly mammoths in the future, and why he was frustrated the day the Berlin Wall came down. SOURCES: Thomas Hildebrandt, head of the department of repr…

1
595. Why Don't We Have Better Candidates for President? 1:01:50

1M ago1:01:50

1:01:50

American politics is trapped in a duopoly, with two all-powerful parties colluding to stifle competition. We revisit a 2018 episode to explain how the political industry works, and talk to a reformer (and former presidential candidate) who is pushing for change. SOURCES: Katherine Gehl, former president and C.E.O. of Gehl Foods. Michael Porter, pro…

1
54. Ghostwriters 20:29

1M ago20:29

20:29

Channeling the voices of celebrities can be a lucrative career — one that requires empathy and discretion as well as literary chops. Zachary Crockett checks the acknowledgements. SOURCES: Valerie Frankel, ghostwriter. Madeleine Morel, President and Lead Agent of 2M Communications. Daniel Paisner, ghostwriter. RESOURCES: "Ghostwriting History: Churc…

1
202. Why Can’t We Tolerate Discomfort? 40:29

1M ago40:29

40:29

Are we using technology to make ourselves numb? What’s the downside of air conditioning? And was Angela the most annoying person in her college classes? SOURCES: Paul Bloom, professor of psychology at the University of Toronto. Ed Diener, professor emeritus at the University of Illinois. Michael Easter, author. Alex Hutchinson, journalist. Shigehir…

1
REPLAY Sue Bird: “You Have to Pay the Superstars.” 42:30

2M ago42:30

42:30

She is one of the best basketball players ever. She’s won multiple championships, including five Olympic gold medals and four W.N.B.A. titles. She also helped negotiate a landmark contract for the league’s players. Sue Bird tells Steve Levitt the untold truth about clutch players, her thoughts about the pay gap between male and female athletes, and…

1
594. Your Brand’s Spokesperson Just Got Arrested — Now What? 43:38

2M ago43:38

43:38

It’s hard to know whether the benefits of hiring a celebrity are worth the risk. We dig into one gruesome story of an endorsement gone wrong, and find a surprising result. SOURCES: John Cawley, professor of economics at Cornell University. Elizabeth (Zab) Johnson, executive director and senior fellow with the Wharton Neuroscience Initiative at the …

1
53. Food Trucks 19:15

2M ago19:15

19:15

How did mobile kitchens become popular with hipster gourmands? And just how much money can a popular truck make from a lunch shift? Zachary Crocket drops some napkins. SOURCES: Mariel-Leona Edwards, senior operations manager for Señor Sisig. Matthew Geller, founding president of the National Food Truck Association and C.E.O. of the Southern Califor…

1
201. Are You Dreaming Too Big? 41:44

2M ago41:44

41:44

Are fantasies helpful or harmful? How is daydreaming like a drug? And what did Angela fantasize about during ninth-grade English class? SOURCES: Patrick Bet-David, YouTuber and founding C.E.O. of PHP Agency Inc. Barbara Corcoran, "Shark" and executive producer on ABC’s Shark Tank and founder of The Corcoran Group. Peter Gollwitzer, professor of psy…

1
134. Why Do We Still Teach People to Calculate? 58:44

2M ago58:44

58:44

Conrad Wolfram wants to transform the way we teach math — by taking advantage of computers. The creator of Computer-Based Maths convinced the Estonian government to give his radical curriculum a try — so why is the rest of the world so resistant? SOURCE: Conrad Wolfram, strategic director and European cofounder/C.E.O. of Wolfram Research, and found…

1
593. You Can Make a Killing, but Not a Living 49:39

2M ago49:39

49:39

Broadway operates on a winner-take-most business model. A runaway hit like Stereophonic — which just won five Tony Awards — will create a few big winners. But even the stars of the show will have to go elsewhere to make real money. (Part two of a two-part series.) SOURCES: David Adjmi, author and playwright. Sonia Friedman, theater producer and fou…

1
265: Building a Sparkling Soda Fireworks Store?!? | 🎉 Mark Lazarchic of Serenity Ventures 1:15:20

2M ago1:15:20

1:15:20

Mark Lazarchic is the CEO of Serenity Venture Group. He describes himself as a serial entrepreneur with eyes always open. Mark is the owner of multiple successful startup businesses in very competitive markets. Mark has spent the last 10 years being amazed at the level of mediocrity accepted by the public in business. At all levels... This Episode …

1
EXTRA: The Fascinatingly Mundane Secrets of the World’s Most Exclusive Nightclub 44:58

2M ago44:58

44:58

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. SOURCES: Lutz Leichsenring, executive board member of Clubcommission Berlin and co-founder of VibeL…

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