Freakonomics Radio

Patrick Deneen, a political philosopher at Notre Dame, says yes. He was a Democrat for years, and has now come to be seen as an “ideological guru” of the Trump administration. But that only tells half the story …   SOURCES: Patrick Deneen, professor of political science at the University of Notre Dame.   RESOURCES: … Read more

Bjørn Andersen has killed hundreds of minke whales. He tells us how he does it, why he does it, and what he thinks would happen if whale-hunting ever stopped. (This bonus episode is a follow-up to our series “Everything You Never Knew About Whaling.”)   SOURCES: Bjørn Andersen, Norwegian whaler.   RESOURCES: “Digestive physiology of … Read more

In the final episode of our whale series, we learn about fecal plumes, shipping noise, and why Moby-Dick is still worth reading. (Part 3 of “Everything You Never Knew About Whaling.“)   SOURCES: Michele Baggio, professor of economics at the University of Connecticut. Mary K. Bercaw-Edwards, professor of maritime English at the University of Connecticut … Read more

For years, whale oil was used as lighting fuel, industrial lubricant, and the main ingredient in (yum!) margarine. Whale meat was also on a few menus. But today, demand for whale products is at a historic low. And yet some countries still have a whaling industry. We find out why. (Part 2 of “Everything You … Read more

Whaling was, in the words of one scholar, “early capitalism unleashed on the high seas.” How did the U.S. come to dominate the whale market? Why did whale hunting die out here — and continue to grow elsewhere? And is that whale vomit in your perfume? (Part 1 of “Everything You Never Knew About Whaling.”) … Read more

It’s a haphazard way of paying workers, and yet it keeps expanding. With federal tax policy shifting in a pro-tip direction, we revisit an episode from 2019 to find out why.   SOURCES: John List, economist at the University of Chicago. Michael Lynn, professor of consumer behavior and marketing at Cornell University’s School of Hotel … Read more

They should have died out when the lightbulb was invented. Instead they’re a $10 billion industry. What does it mean that we still want tiny fires inside our homes?   SOURCES: Tim Cooper, professor emeritus of sustainable design and consumption at Nottingham Trent University. Gökçe Günel, professor of anthropology at Rice University. Steve Horenziak, president … Read more

The former secretary of state isn’t a flamethrower, but he certainly has strong opinions. In this wide-ranging conversation with Stephen Dubner, he gives them all: on Israel, Gaza, China, Iran, Russia, Biden, Trump — and the rest of the world.   SOURCES: Antony Blinken, former Secretary of State.   RESOURCES: “Evaluating the impact of two … Read more

Until recently, Delaware was almost universally agreed to be the best place for companies to incorporate. Now, with Elon Musk leading a corporate stampede out of the First State, we revisit an episode from 2023 that asked if Delaware’s “franchise” is wildly corrupt, wildly efficient … or both?   SOURCES: John Cassara, retired Special Agent … Read more

For years, the playwright David Adjmi was considered “polarizing and difficult.” But creating Stereophonic seems to have healed him. Stephen Dubner gets the story — and sorts out what Adjmi has in common with Richard Wagner.   SOURCES: David Adjmi, author and playwright.   RESOURCES: “The West End is enjoying a theatre revival. Can Broadway … Read more