Freakonomics Radio

  • 551. What Can Whales Teach Us About Clean Energy, Workplace Harmony, and Living the Good Life?

    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.”)

  • 550. Why Do People Still Hunt Whales?

    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…

  • 549. The First Great American Industry

    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…

  • 548. Why Is the U.S. So Good at Killing Pedestrians?

    Actually, the reasons are pretty clear. The harder question is: Will we ever care enough to stop?

  • Why Did You Marry That Person? (Ep. 511 Replay)

    Sure, you were “in love.” But economists — using evidence from Bridgerton to Tinder — point to what’s called “assortative mating.” And it has some unpleasant consequences for society.

  • 547. Satya Nadella’s Intelligence Is Not Artificial

    But as C.E.O. of the resurgent Microsoft, he is firmly at the center of the A.I. revolution. We speak with him about the perils and blessings of A.I., Google vs. Bing, the Microsoft succession plan…

  • 546. Are E.S.G. Investors Actually Helping the Environment?

    Probably not. The economist Kelly Shue argues that E.S.G. investing just gives more money to firms that are already green while depriving polluting firms of the financing they need to get greener. But she has…

  • 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…

  • 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.

  • 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:…

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