Freakonomics Radio

  • 503. What Is the Future of College — and Does It Have Room for Men?

    Educators and economists tell us all the reasons college enrollment has been dropping, especially for men, and how to stop the bleeding. (Part 4 of “Freakonomics Radio Goes Back to School.”)


  • Abortion and Crime, Revisited (Ep. 384 Update)

    As the Supreme Court considers overturning Roe v. Wade, we look back at Steve Levitt’s controversial research on an unintended consequence of the 1973 ruling.


  • 502. “I Don’t Think the Country Is Turning Away From College.”

    Enrollment is down for the first time in memory, and critics complain college is too expensive, too elitist, and too politicized. The economist Chris Paxson — who happens to be the president of Brown University…


  • 501. The University of Impossible-to-Get-Into

    America’s top colleges are facing record demand. So why don’t they increase supply? (Part 2 of “Freakonomics Radio Goes Back to School.”)


  • 500. What Exactly Is College For?

    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…


  • Is the U.S. Really Less Corrupt Than China — and How About Russia? (Ep. 481 Update)

    The political scientist Yuen Yuen Ang argues that different forms of government create different styles of corruption. The U.S. and China have more in common than we’d like to admit — but Russia is a…


  • 499. Don’t Worry, Be Tacky

    The British art superstar Flora Yukhnovich, the Freakonomist Steve Levitt, and the upstart American Basketball Association were all unafraid to follow their joy — despite sneers from the Establishment. Should we all be more willing…


  • 498. In the 1890s, the Best-Selling Car Was … Electric

    After a huge false start, electric cars are finally about to flourish. We speak with a technology historian about this all-too-common story, and what it means for innovation everywhere.


  • 497. Can the Big Bad Wolf Save Your Life?

    Every year, there are more than a million collisions in the U.S. between drivers and deer. The result: hundreds of deaths, thousands of injuries, and billions in damages. Enter the wolf …


  • How to Change Your Mind (Ep. 379 Update)

    There are a lot of barriers to changing your mind: ego, overconfidence, inertia — and cost. Politicians who flip-flop get mocked; family and friends who cross tribal borders are shunned. But shouldn’t we be encouraging…