Freakonomics Radio

  • 482. Is Venture Capital the Secret Sauce of the American Economy?

    The U.S. is home to seven of the world’s 10 biggest companies. How did that happen? The answer may come down to two little letters: V.C. Is venture capital good for society, or does it…


  • 481. Is the U.S. Really Less Corrupt Than China?

    A new book by an unorthodox political scientist argues that the two rivals have more in common than we’d like to admit. It’s just that most American corruption is essentially legal.


  • 480. How Much Does Discrimination Hurt the Economy?

    Evidence from Nazi Germany and 1940’s America (and pretty much everywhere else) shows that discrimination is incredibly costly — to the victims, of course, but also the perpetrators. One modern solution is to invoke a…


  • 479. The Economist’s Guide to Parenting: 10 Years Later

     In one of the earliest Freakonomics Radio episodes (No. 39!), we asked a bunch of economists with young kids how they approached child-rearing. Now the kids are old enough to talk — and they have…


  • 478. How Can We Break Our Addiction to Contempt?

    Arthur Brooks is an economist who for 10 years ran the American Enterprise Institute, one of the most influential conservative think tanks in the world. He has come to believe there is only one weapon…


  • 477. Why Is U.S. Media So Negative?

    Breaking news! Sources say American journalism exploits our negativity bias to maximize profits, and social media algorithms add fuel to the fire. Stephen Dubner investigates.


  • That’s a Great Question! (Ep. 192 Rebroadcast)

    Verbal tic or strategic rejoinder? Whatever the case: it’s rare to come across an interview these days where at least one question isn’t a “great” one.  


  • “This Didn’t End the Way It’s Supposed to End.” (Bonus)

    The N.B.A. superstar Chris Bosh was still competing at the highest level when a blood clot abruptly ended his career. In his new book, Letters to a Young Athlete, Bosh covers the highlights and the…


  • 476. What Are the Police for, Anyway?

    The U.S. is an outlier when it comes to policing, as evidenced by more than 1,000 fatal shootings by police each year. But we’re an outlier in other ways too: a heavily-armed populace, a fragile…


  • 475. Why Does the Richest Country in the World Have So Many Poor Kids?

    Among O.E.C.D. nations, the U.S. has one of the highest rates of child poverty. How can that be? To find out, Stephen Dubner speaks with a Republican senator, a Democratic mayor, and a large cast…