Freakonomics Radio
In blue cities across the country, unions and politicians want to ban self-driving cars. In this episode from the Search Engine podcast, PJ Vogt visits Boston to sort the facts from the propaganda. (Part two of a two-part series.)
- SOURCES:
- Carl Richardson, ADA coordinator for the Massachusetts State House, president of the Guide Dog Users of Massachusetts.
- Gabriela Coletta Zapata, Boston City councilor from District 1.
- Julia Mejia, Boston City councilor at-large.
- Timothy B. Lee, author of Understanding AI newsletter.
- RESOURCES:
- “Waymo Hits a Rough Patch in Washington, DC,” by Aarian Marshall (WIRED, 2026).
- “New York drops plan to legalize robotaxis in setback for Waymo,” by Andrew J. Hawkins (The Verge, 2026).
- “Waymo’s next five cities are all in red states,” by Timothy B. Lee and Kai Williams (Understanding AI, 2025).
- “What Waymo could mean for Bostonians with disabilities: independence at their fingertips,” by Carl Richardson (Boston Globe, 2025).
- “Planning, Development and Transportation on July 24, 2025,” (Boston City Council, 2025).
- “Ride-Hailing Drivers in Massachusetts Win Right to Unionize,” by Eli Tan (The New York Times, 2024).
- “East Coast Longshore Workers May Soon Strike,” by Joe Demanuelle-Hall (Jacobin, 2024).
- EXTRAS:
- “The Fascinatingly Mundane Secrets of the World’s Most Exclusive Nightclub,” by Freakonomics Radio (2024).
- Search Engine, podcast by PJ Vogt.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
641. What Does It Cost to Lead a Creative Life?
For years, the playwright David Adjmi was considered “polarizing and difficult.” But creating Stereophonic seems to have healed him. Stephen Dubner gets the story — and sorts out what Adjmi has in common with Richard…
640. Why Governments Are Betting Big on Sports
The Gulf States and China are spending billions to build stadiums and buy up teams — but what are they really buying? And can an entrepreneur from Cincinnati make his own billions by bringing baseball…
How to Make Your Own Luck (Update)
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…
639. “This Country Kicks My Ass All the Time”
Cory Booker on the politics of fear, the politics of hope, and how to split the difference. SOURCES: Cory Booker, senior United States Senator from New Jersey. RESOURCES: “‘When Are More Americans Going to Speak…
638. Are You Ready for the Elder Swell?
In the U.S., there will soon be more people over 65 than there are under 18 — and it’s not just lifespan that’s improving, it’s “healthspan” too. Unfortunately, the American approach to aging is stuck…
What Do Medieval Nuns and Bo Jackson Have in Common? (Update)
In this episode from 2013, we look at whether spite pays — and if it even exists. SOURCES: Benedikt Herrmann, research officer at the European Commission. Steve Levitt, co-author of Freakonomics and host of People…
637. What It’s Like to Be Middle-Aged (in the Middle Ages)
The simplicity of life back then is appealing today, as long as you don’t mind Church hegemony, the occasional plague, trial by gossip — and the lack of ibuprofen. (Part two of a three-part series,…
636. Why Aren’t We Having More Babies?
For decades, the great fear was overpopulation. Now it’s the opposite. How did this happen — and what’s being done about it? (Part one of a three-part series, “Cradle to Grave.”) SOURCES: Matthias Doepke, professor…
An Economics Lesson from a Talking Pencil (Update)
A famous essay argues that “not a single person on the face of this earth” knows how to make a pencil. How true is that? In this 2016 episode, we looked at what pencil-making can…
635. Can a Museum Be the Conscience of a Nation?
Nicholas Cullinan, the new director of the British Museum, seems to think so. “I’m not afraid of the past,” he says — which means talking about looted objects, the basement storerooms, and the leaking roof.…