Freakonomics Radio

  • The Future of Meat (Rebroadcast)

    Global demand for beef, chicken, and pork continues to rise. So do concerns about environmental and other costs. Will reconciling these two forces be possible — or, even better, Impossible™?


  • Should America Be Run by … Trader Joe’s? (Rebroadcast)

    The quirky little grocery chain with California roots and German ownership has a lot to teach all of us about choice architecture, efficiency, frugality, collaboration, and team spirit.


  • 387. Hello, My Name Is Marijuana Pepsi!

    Research shows that having a distinctively black name doesn’t affect your economic future. But what is the day-to-day reality of living with such a name? Marijuana Pepsi Vandyck, a newly-minted Ph.D., is well-qualified to answer…


  • How Much Does Your Name Matter? (Rebroadcast )

    A kid’s name can tell us something about his parents — their race, social standing, even their politics. But is your name really your destiny?


  • 386. How the Supermarket Helped America Win the Cold War

    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…


  • America’s Hidden Duopoly (Rebroadcast)

    We all know our political system is “broken” — but what if that’s not true? Some say the Republicans and Democrats constitute a wildly successful industry that has colluded to kill off competition, stifle reform,…


  • 385. What Do Nancy Pelosi, Taylor Swift, and Serena Williams Have in Common?

    They — along with a great many other high-achieving women — were all once Girl Scouts. So was Sylvia Acevedo. Raised in a poor, immigrant family, she was told that “girls like her” didn’t go…


  • 384. Abortion and Crime, Revisited

    The controversial theory linking Roe v. Wade to a massive crime drop is back in the spotlight as several states introduce abortion restrictions. Steve Levitt and John Donohue discuss their original research, the challenges to…


  • A Better Way to Eat (Rebroadcast )

    Takeru Kobayashi revolutionized the sport of competitive eating. What can the rest of us learn from his breakthrough?


  • 383. The Zero-Minute Workout

    There is strong evidence that exercise is wildly beneficial. There is even stronger evidence that most people hate to exercise. So if a pill could mimic the effects of working out, why wouldn’t we want…