Best Dubner Productions Podcasts (2024)

1
614. Is the U.S. Sleeping on Threats from Russia and China? 51:24

4m ago51:24

51:24

John J. Sullivan, a former State Department official and U.S. ambassador, says yes: “Our politicians aren’t leading — Republicans or Democrats.” He gives a firsthand account of a fateful Biden-Putin encounter, talks about his new book Midnight in Moscow, and predicts what a second Trump term means for Russia, Ukraine, China — and the U.S. SOURCES: …

1
613. Dying Is Easy. Retail Is Hard. 1:01:34

8m ago1:01:34

1:01:34

Macy’s wants to recapture its glorious past. The author of the Wimpy Kid books wants to rebuild his dilapidated hometown. We just want to listen in. (Part two of a two-part series.) SOURCES: Mark Cohen, former professor and director of retail studies at Columbia Business School. Will Coss, vice president and executive producer of Macy’s Studios. Je…

1
612. Is Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade Its Most Valuable Asset? 53:18

1d ago53:18

53:18

The 166-year-old chain, which is fighting extinction, calls the parade its “gift to the nation.” With 30 million TV viewers, it’s also a big moneymaker. At least we think it is — Macy’s is famously tight-lipped about parade economics. We try to loosen them up. (Part one of a two-part series.) Please take our audience survey at freakonomics.com/surv…

1
How to Stop Worrying and Love the Robot Apocalypse (Update) 48:36

15m ago48:36

48:36

It’s true that robots (and other smart technologies) will kill many jobs. It may also be true that newer collaborative robots (“cobots”) will totally reinvigorate how work gets done. That, at least, is what the economists are telling us. Should we believe them? SOURCES: David Autor, professor of economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technolog…

1
611. Fareed Zakaria on What Just Happened, and What Comes Next 59:13

6h ago59:13

59:13

After a dramatic election, Donald Trump has returned from exile. We hear what to expect at home and abroad — and what to do if you didn’t vote for Trump. SOURCE: Fareed Zakaria, journalist and author. RESOURCES: "The Most Dangerous Moment Since the Cold War," by Fareed Zakaria (The Washington Post, 2024). "America’s Failed Approach to Iran Can’t Re…

1
610. Who Wins and Who Loses Once the U.S. Legalizes Weed? 43:21

29d ago43:21

43:21

Some people want the new cannabis economy to look like the craft-beer movement. Others are hoping to build the Amazon of pot. And one expert would prefer a government-run monopoly. We listen in as they fight it out. (Part four of a four-part series.) SOURCES: Jon Caulkins, professor of operations research and public policy at Carnegie Mellon Univer…

1
609. What Does It Take to Run a Cannabis Farm? 40:08

14d ago40:08

40:08

Chris Weld worked for years in emergency rooms, then ditched that career and bought an old farm in Massachusetts. He set up a distillery and started making prize-winning spirits. When cannabis was legalized, he jumped into that too — and the first few years were lucrative. But now? It turns out that growing, processing, and selling weed is more com…

1
Abortion and Crime, Revisited (Update) 54:46

17d ago54:46

54:46

With abortion on the Nov. 5 ballot, we look back at Steve Levitt’s controversial research about an unintended consequence of Roe v. Wade. SOURCES: John Donohue, professor of law at Stanford Law School. Steve Levitt, professor emeritus of economics at the University of Chicago and host of People I (Mostly) Admire. Jessica Wolpaw Reyes, professor of …

101
608. Cannabis Is Booming, So Why Isn’t Anyone Getting Rich? 50:50

22d ago50:50

50:50

There are a lot of reasons, including heavy regulations, high taxes, and competition from illegal weed shops. Most operators are losing money and waiting for Washington to get out of the way. In the meantime, it’s not that easy being green. (Part two of a four-part series.) SOURCES: Jon Caulkins, professor of operations research and public policy a…

1
607. Is America Switching From Booze to Weed? 46:08

28d ago46:08

46:08

We have always been a nation of drinkers — but now there are more daily users of cannabis than alcohol. Considering alcohol’s harms, maybe that’s a good thing. But some people worry that the legalization of cannabis has outpaced the research. (Part one of a four-part series.) SOURCES: Jon Caulkins, professor of operations research and public policy…

1
606. How to Predict the Presidency 55:38

1M ago55:38

55:38

Are betting markets more accurate than polls? What kind of chaos would a second Trump term bring? And is U.S. democracy really in danger, or just “sputtering on”? (Part two of a two-part series.) SOURCES: Eric Posner, professor of law at the University of Chicago Law School. Koleman Strumpf, professor of economics at Wake Forest University. RESOURC…

1
Has the U.S. Presidency Become a Dictatorship? (Update) 46:59

1M ago46:59

46:59

Sure, we all pay lip service to the Madisonian system of checks and balances. But presidents have been steadily expanding the reach of the job. With an election around the corner, we updated our 2016 conversation with the legal scholar Eric Posner — who has some good news and some not-so-good news about the power of the presidency. (Part one of a t…

1
605. What Do People Do All Day? 1:00:48

1M ago1:00:48

1:00:48

Sixty percent of the jobs that Americans do today didn’t exist in 1940. What happens as our labor becomes more technical and less physical? And what kinds of jobs will exist in the future? SOURCES: David Autor, professor of economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Paula Barmaimon, manager of coverage and audience analytics at The New…

1
EXTRA: Roland Fryer Refuses to Lie to Black America (Update) 1:00:29

2M ago1:00:29

1:00:29

His research on police brutality and school incentives won him acclaim, but also enemies. He was suspended for two years by Harvard, during which time he took a hard look at corporate diversity programs. As a follow-up to our recent series on the Rooney Rule, we revisit our 2022 conversation with the controversial economist. SOURCE: Roland Fryer, p…

1
604. Did the N.F.L. Solve Diversity Hiring? (Part 2) 47:19

2M ago47:19

47:19

What happened when the Rooney Rule made its way from pro football to corporate America? Some progress, some backsliding, and a lot of controversy. (Second in a two-part series.) SOURCES: Tynesia Boyea-Robinson, president and C.E.O. of CapEQ. N. Jeremi Duru, professor of law at American University. Herm Edwards, former N.F.L. player and head coach. …

251
603. Did the N.F.L. Solve Diversity Hiring? (Part 1) 47:51

2M ago47:51

47:51

The biggest sports league in history had a problem: While most of its players were Black, almost none of its head coaches were. So the N.F.L. launched a hiring policy called the Rooney Rule. In the first episode of a two-part series, we look at how the rule succeeded — until it failed. SOURCES: N. Jeremi Duru, professor of law at American Universit…

1
EXTRA: In Praise of Maintenance (Update) 42:37

2M ago42:37

42:37

We revisit an episode from 2016 that asks: Has our culture’s obsession with innovation led us to neglect the fact that things also need to be taken care of? SOURCES: Martin Casado, general partner at Andreessen Horowitz. Ruth Schwartz Cowan, professor emerita of history and sociology of science at University of Pennsylvania. Edward Glaeser, profess…

1
602. Is Screen Time as Poisonous as We Think? 40:29

2M ago40:29

40:29

Young people have been reporting a sharp rise in anxiety and depression. This maps neatly onto the global rise of the smartphone. Some researchers are convinced that one is causing the other. But how strong is the evidence? SOURCES: David Blanchflower, professor of economics at Dartmouth College. Lauren Oyler, novelist and cultural critic. Andrew P…

351
601. Multitasking Doesn’t Work. So Why Do We Keep Trying? 58:04

3M ago58:04

58:04

Only a tiny number of “supertaskers” are capable of doing two things at once. The rest of us are just making ourselves miserable, and less productive. How can we put the — hang on a second, I've just got to get this. Come see Stephen Dubner live! “A Questionable Evening: A strategic interrogation from two people who ask questions for a living,” fea…

1
What Is the Future of College — and Does It Have Room for Men? (Update) 49:17

3M ago49:17

49:17

Educators and economists tell us all the reasons college enrollment has been dropping, especially for men, and how to stop the bleeding. (Part 3 of our series from 2022, “Freakonomics Radio Goes Back to School.”) SOURCES: Zachary Bleemer, assistant professor of economics at Princeton University and faculty research fellow at the National Bureau of …

1
EXTRA: Why Quitting Is Usually Worth It 40:04

3M ago40:04

40:04

Stephen Dubner appears as a guest on Fail Better, a new podcast hosted by David Duchovny. The two of them trade stories about failure, and ponder the lessons that success could never teach. SOURCES: David Duchovny, actor, director, writer, and musician. RESOURCES: "Martin Seligman and the Rise of Positive Psychology," by Peter Gibbon (Humanities, 2…

1
The University of Impossible-to-Get-Into (Update) 1:11:10

3M ago1:11:10

1:11:10

America’s top colleges are facing record demand. So why don’t they increase supply? (Part 2 of our series from 2022, “Freakonomics Radio Goes Back to School.”) SOURCES: Peter Blair, professor of education at Harvard University and faculty research fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research. Zachary Bleemer, assistant professor of economics …

401
What Exactly Is College For? (Update) 50:15

3M 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…

1051
EXTRA: Here’s Why You’re Not an Elite Athlete (Update) 1:05:34

4M 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
600. “If We’re All in It for Ourselves, Who Are We?” 44:47

3M 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
599. The World's Most Valuable Unused Resource 40:08

4M 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
EXTRA: Why Rent Control Doesn’t Work (Update) 48:22

4M 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…

451
598. Is Overconsolidation a Threat to Democracy? 37:11

4M 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.…

501
597. Why Do Your Eyeglasses Cost $1,000? 54:39

4M 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

4M 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
596. Farewell to a Generational Talent 52:41

5M 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…

1401
595. Why Don't We Have Better Candidates for President? 1:01:50

4M 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…

701
594. Your Brand’s Spokesperson Just Got Arrested — Now What? 43:38

5M 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
593. You Can Make a Killing, but Not a Living 49:39

5M 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
EXTRA: The Fascinatingly Mundane Secrets of the World’s Most Exclusive Nightclub 44:58

5M 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…

1
592. How to Make the Coolest Show on Broadway 1:05:08

5M ago1:05:08

1:05:08

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.) SOURCES: David Adjmi, author and playwrigh…

1451
591. Signs of Progress, One Year at a Time 53:20

6M ago53:20

53:20

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? SOURCES: Tom Whitwell, managing consultant at Magnetic. RESOURCES: "Supercentenarian and Re…

1
EXTRA: The Opioid Tragedy — How We Got Here 41:59

6M ago41:59

41:59

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. SOURCES: Gail D’Onofrio, professor and chair of emergency medicine at the Yale School of Medicine and chief of emergency services at Yale-New Haven Health. Keith Humph…

1
590. Can $55 Billion End the Opioid Epidemic? 40:56

6M ago40:56

40:56

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.) SOURCES: Keith Humphreys, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University. Stephen Loyd, chief medical officer of Cedar Recovery and chair of the Tennesse…

801
589. Why Has the Opioid Crisis Lasted So Long? 48:33

6M ago48:33

48:33

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.) SOURCES: David Cutler, professor of economics at Harvard University. Travis Donahoe, professor of health policy and management at the University of Pi…

1
Extra: Car Colors & Storage Units 35:15

6M ago35:15

35:15

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. SOURCES: Tom Crockett, classic car enthusiast. Zachary Dickens, executive vice president and chief investment officer of Extra Space Storage. Mark Gutjahr, global head of design …

1
588. Confessions of a Black Conservative 56:40

6M ago56:40

56:40

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? SOURCE: Glenn Loury, professor of economics at Brown University and host of The Glenn Show. RESOURCES: Late Admissions: Confessions of a Black Conservative, by Glen…

1
587. Should Companies Be Owned by Their Workers? 46:33

6M ago46:33

46:33

The employee ownership movement is growing, and one of its biggest champions is also a private equity heavyweight. Is this meaningful change, or just window dressing? SOURCES: Marjorie Kelly, distinguished senior fellow at The Democracy Collaborative. Corey Rosen, founder and senior staff member of the National Center for Employee Ownership. Pete S…

1
586. How Does the Lost World of Vienna Still Shape Our Lives? 57:19

7M ago57:19

57:19

From politics and economics to psychology and the arts, many of the modern ideas we take for granted emerged a century ago from a single European capital. In this episode of the Freakonomics Radio Book Club, the historian Richard Cockett explores all those ideas — and how the arrival of fascism can ruin in a few years what took generations to build…

1
Extra: Why Is 23andMe Going Under? (Update) 1:02:04

7M ago1:02:04

1:02:04

Five years ago, we published an episode about the boom in home DNA testing kits, focusing on the high-flying firm 23andMe and its C.E.O. Anne Wojcicki. Their flight has been extremely bumpy since then. This update includes an additional interview with the Wall Street Journal reporter who has been investigating the firm’s collapse. SOURCES: Rolfe Wi…

1
585. A Social Activist in Prime Minister’s Clothing 52:26

7M ago52:26

52:26

Justin Trudeau, facing record-low approval numbers, is doubling down on his progressive agenda. But he is so upbeat (and Canada-polite) that it’s easy to miss just how radical his vision is. Can he make it work? SOURCE: Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada. RESOURCES: 2024 Canadian Federal Budget. "Canada to Set First-Ever Cap on Temporary Resi…

1
584. How to Pave the Road to Hell 43:42

7M ago43:42

43:42

So you want to help people? That’s great — but beware the law of unintended consequences. Three stories from the modern workplace. SOURCES: Joshua Angrist, professor of economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Zoe Cullen, professor of business administration at Harvard Business School. Marina Gertsberg, senior lecturer in finance at …

1
Extra: The Men Who Started a Thinking Revolution (Update) 34:51

8M ago34:51

34:51

The psychologist Daniel Kahneman — a Nobel laureate and the author of Thinking, Fast and Slow — recently died at age 90. Along with his collaborator Amos Tversky, he changed how we all think about decision-making. The journalist Michael Lewis told the Kahneman-Tversky story in a 2016 book called The Undoing Project. In this episode, Lewis explains …

1
Why Are There So Many Bad Bosses? (Update) 49:41

7M ago49:41

49:41

People who are good at their jobs routinely get promoted into bigger jobs they’re bad at. We explain why firms keep producing incompetent managers — and why that’s unlikely to change. SOURCES: Nick Bloom, professor of economics at Stanford University. Katie Johnson, freelance data and analytics coach. Kelly Shue, professor of finance at the Yale Un…

1
583. Are We Living Through the Most Revolutionary Period in History? 1:02:43

8M ago1:02:43

1:02:43

Fareed Zakaria says yes. But it’s not just political revolution — it’s economic, technological, even emotional. He doesn’t offer easy solutions but he does offer some hope. SOURCES: Fareed Zakaria, journalist and author. RESOURCES: Age of Revolutions: Progress and Backlash from 1600 to the Present, by Fareed Zakaria (2024). "The Ultimate Election Y…

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