Freakonomics Radio

  • 429. Is Economic Growth the Wrong Goal?

    The endless pursuit of G.D.P., argues the economist Kate Raworth, shortchanges too many people and also trashes the planet. Economic theory, she says, “needs to be rewritten” — and Raworth has tried, in a book…


  • How the Supermarket Helped America Win the Cold War (Ep. 386 Rebroadcast)

    Aisle upon aisle of fresh produce, cheap meat, and sugary cereal — a delicious embodiment of free-market capitalism, right? Not quite. The supermarket was in fact the endpoint of the U.S. government’s battle for agricultural…


  • 428. The Simple Economics of Saving the Amazon Rain Forest

    Everyone agrees that massive deforestation is an environmental disaster. But most of the standard solutions — scolding the Brazilians, invoking universal morality — ignore the one solution that might actually work


  • 427. The Pros and Cons of Reparations

    Most Americans agree that racial discrimination has been, and remains, a big problem. But that is where the agreement ends.


  • 426. Should America (and FIFA) Pay Reparations?

    The racial wealth gap in the U.S. is massive. We explore the causes, consequences, and potential solutions. Also: another story of discrimination and economic disparity, this one perpetrated by an international sporting authority. The first…


  • 425. Remembrance of Economic Crises Past

    Christina Romer was a top White House economist during the Great Recession. As a researcher, she specializes in the Great Depression. She tells us what those disasters can (and can’t) teach us about the Covid…


  • 424. How to Make Your Own Luck

    Before she decided to become a poker pro, Maria Konnikova didn’t know how many cards are in a deck. But she did have a Ph.D. in psychology, a brilliant coach, and a burning desire to…


  • 423. The Doctor Will Zoom You Now

    Thanks to the pandemic, the telehealth revolution we’ve been promised for decades has finally arrived. Will it stick? Will it cut costs — and improve outcomes? We ring up two doctors and, of course, an…


  • 422. Introducing “No Stupid Questions”

    In this new addition to the Freakonomics Radio Network, co-hosts Stephen Dubner and Angela Duckworth discuss the relationship between age and happiness. Also: does all creativity come from pain? New episodes of “No Stupid Questions”…


  • 421. How to Prevent Another Great Depression

    Millions and millions are out of work, with some jobs never coming back. We speak with four economists — and one former presidential candidate — about the best policy options and the lessons (good and…


Learn. Share. Evolve...
Logo