Let's Evolve Together | Freakonomics Radio | Activity

Freakonomics Radio wrote a new post

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0700

The World Is (Still) Drowning in SludgeInsurance forms that make no sense. Subscriptions that can’t be cancelled. A never-ending blizzard of automated n […]

Freakonomics Radio wrote a new post

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 10:00:00 -0700

678. Who Gets to Choose a “Good Death”?New York is the latest state to legalize medical aid in dying. Stephen Dubner speaks with the governor who signed the law, a […]

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Fri, 12 Jun 2026 10:00:00 -0700

677. Can Backgammon Save Us from Ourselves?It brings strangers together. It teaches probability, strategy, and emotional control. It has even helped N.F.L. teams […]

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Wed, 10 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0700

This Is Your Brain on Pollution (Update)As the Trump administration rolls back environmental regulations, we revisit a 2022 episode that explored the hidden cost of […]

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Fri, 05 Jun 2026 10:00:00 -0700

676. Has America Lost the Plot?Another war in the Middle East. A retreat from the international order. A presidency built on self-dealing and arbitrary power. […]

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Fri, 29 May 2026 10:00:00 -0700

The Vanishing Mr. Feynman (Update)In his final years, Richard Feynman’s curiosity took him to some surprising places. We hear from his companions on the trips he t […]

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Wed, 27 May 2026 00:00:00 -0700

The Brilliant Mr. Feynman (Update)What happens when an existentially depressed and recently widowed young physicist from Queens gets a fresh start in California? We […]

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Fri, 22 May 2026 10:00:00 -0700

The Curious Mr. Feynman (Update)From the Manhattan Project to the Challenger investigation, the physicist Richard Feynman loved to shoot down what he called “lousy i […]

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Fri, 15 May 2026 10:00:00 -0700

675. Has the New York Times Become a Games Company?Not exactly. But their runaway success with games like Wordle says something bigger about the way we live now. […]

Freakonomics Radio wrote a new post

Fri, 08 May 2026 10:00:00 -0700

674. How Does a Composer Feel After the World Premiere?Great. Then depressed. Then great again. Stephen Dubner gets the full story from David Lang; we also hear […]

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Wed, 06 May 2026 00:00:00 -0700

Was Adam Smith Really a Right-Winger? (Update)Economists and politicians have turned him into a mascot for free-market ideology. Some on the left say the right has […]

Freakonomics Radio wrote a new post

Fri, 01 May 2026 10:00:00 -0700

673. What Is Money?That’s what the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Lang wanted to learn. So he turned Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations into an oratorio. We […]

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Fri, 24 Apr 2026 10:00:00 -0700

672. What Makes Judy Faulkner Run?Epic Systems manages the electronic health records for hundreds of millions of people. This makes Faulkner a healthcare […]

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Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0700

Why Does Everyone Hate Rats? (Update)New York City’s mayor called them “public enemy number one.” History books say they caused the Black Death — although recent […]

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Fri, 17 Apr 2026 10:00:00 -0700

671. Why Has There Been So Little Progress on Alzheimer’s Disease?One possibility: a leading hypothesis pursued by researchers (and funders) was built on science […]

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Fri, 10 Apr 2026 10:00:00 -0700

670. Beeconomics 101How do beekeepers make a living? Why is there so much honey fraud? And why did billions of bees suddenly disappear? To find out, guest host […]

Freakonomics Radio wrote a new post

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0700

Ten Myths About the U.S. Tax System (Update)Nearly everything that politicians say about taxes is at least half a lie. They are also dishonest when it comes to the […]

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Fri, 03 Apr 2026 10:00:00 -0700

669. Why Is 95 Percent of the World’s Bourbon Made in Kentucky?Is it tradition … or protectionism? And what happens when the bourbon boom turns into a g […]

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Fri, 27 Mar 2026 10:00:00 -0700

668. Do Taylor Swift and Bad Bunny Have Blood on Their Hands?As one researcher told us: “We’ve engineered a world where the most distracting device ever made is als […]

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Wed, 25 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0700

In a Driverless World, Who Loses and Who Wins?In blue cities across the country, unions and politicians want to ban self-driving cars. In this episode from the […]

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Fri, 20 Mar 2026 10:00:00 -0700

Are Human Drivers Finally Obsolete?How a secret project at Google led to driverless cars on American roads. Freakonomics Radio shares a story from our friends at […]

Freakonomics Radio wrote a new post

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 10:00:00 -0700

667. Here’s Why You Are Constantly Fighting Off ScammersA ruthless (and ruthlessly efficient) industry is using digital tools to supercharge one of the world’s o […]

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Fri, 06 Mar 2026 11:00:00 -0700

666. This Is How Progress HappensEconomists don’t usually talk about “culture.” But Joel Mokyr argues that it’s the engine of innovation — and the Nobel Prize com […]

Freakonomics Radio wrote a new post

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 11:00:00 -0700

The Most Powerful People You’ve Never Heard Of (Update)Just beneath the surface of the global economy, there is a hidden layer of dealmakers for whom war, chaos, and […]

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Fri, 27 Feb 2026 11:00:00 -0700

665. Werner Herzog Isn’t Afraid …… of bad reviews, meager financing, or artificial intelligence. But he is worried that the world is full of sloppy thinkers who m […]

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Fri, 20 Feb 2026 11:00:00 -0700

664. Are Thousands of Medical Cures Hiding in Plain Sight?Existing drugs can sometimes be repurposed to treat rare diseases. But making that match can be hard — an […]

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Wed, 18 Feb 2026 02:00:00 -0700

All You Need Is Nudge (Update)When Richard Thaler first published Nudge, the world was just starting to believe in his brand of behavioral economics. In this 2021 […]

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Fri, 13 Feb 2026 11:00:00 -0700

663. Is Weed a Performance-Enhancing Drug?The science says no, at least not in the athletic sense. But the psychic benefits can be large — just ask former N.F.L. s […]

Freakonomics Radio wrote a new post

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 11:00:00 -0700

662. If You’re Not Cheating, You’re Not TryingIn sports, the rules are meant to be sacrosanct. But when it comes to performance-enhancing drugs, the slope is […]

Freakonomics Radio wrote a new post

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 11:00:00 -0700

Why Don’t Running Backs Get Paid Anymore? (Update)They used to be the N.F.L.’s biggest stars, with paychecks to match. Now their salaries are near the bottom, and t […]

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Fri, 30 Jan 2026 11:00:00 -0700

661. Can A.I. Save Your Life?For 50 years, the healthcare industry has been trying (and failing) to harness the power of artificial intelligence. It may finally be […]

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Fri, 23 Jan 2026 11:00:00 -0700

660. The Wellness Industry Is Gigantic — and Mostly WrongZeke Emanuel (a physician, medical ethicist, and policy wonk) has some different ideas for how to lead a […]

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Wed, 21 Jan 2026 01:00:00 -0700

Steve Levitt Quits His Podcast, Joins OursAfter five years, Levitt is ending People I (Mostly) Admire, and will start hosting the occasional Freakonomics Radio […]

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Fri, 16 Jan 2026 11:00:00 -0700

659. Can Marty Makary Fix the F.D.A.?It regulates 20 percent of the U.S. economy, and its commissioner has an aggressive agenda — faster drug approvals, healthier f […]

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Fri, 09 Jan 2026 11:00:00 -0700

658. This Is Your Brain on SupplementsWe all want to stay sharp, and forestall the cognitive effects of aging. But do brain supplements actually work? Are they […]

Freakonomics Radio wrote a new post

Fri, 02 Jan 2026 11:00:00 -0700

Are Personal Finance Gurus Giving You Bad Advice? (Update)One Yale economist certainly thinks so. But even if he’s right, are economists any better? We find out, i […]

Freakonomics Radio wrote a new post

Tue, 30 Dec 2025 01:00:00 -0700

Are You Ready for a Fresh Start? (Update)Behavioral scientists have been exploring whether a psychological reset can lead to lasting change. In this update of a 2021 […]

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Fri, 26 Dec 2025 11:00:00 -0700

Are the Rich Really Less Generous Than the Poor? (Update)A series of academic studies suggest that the wealthy are, to put it bluntly, selfish jerks. It’s an easy n […]

Freakonomics Radio wrote a new post

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 11:00:00 -0700

657. Whose “Messiah” Is It Anyway?All sorts of people have put their mark on Messiah, and it has been a hit for nearly 300 years. How can a single piece of music […]

Freakonomics Radio wrote a new post

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 12:00:00 -0700

Who Pays for “Messiah”?In the 18th century, Handel relied on royal patronage. Today, it’s donors like Gary Parr who keep the music playing. In this bonus episode o […]

Freakonomics Radio wrote a new post

Fri, 12 Dec 2025 11:00:00 -0700

656. How Handel Got His Mojo BackWhen he wrote Messiah (in 24 days), Handel was past his prime and nearly broke. One night in Dublin changed all that. (Part two of […]

Freakonomics Radio wrote a new post

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 11:00:00 -0700

655. “The Greatest Piece of Participatory Art Ever Created”Why does an 18th-century Christian oratorio lend such comfort to our own turbulent times? Stephen Dubner […]

Freakonomics Radio wrote a new post

Fri, 28 Nov 2025 13:00:00 -0700

Dying Is Easy. Retail Is Hard. (Update)Macy’s wants to recapture its glorious past. The author of the Wimpy Kid books wants to rebuild his dilapidated hometown. We j […]

Freakonomics Radio wrote a new post

Thu, 27 Nov 2025 01:00:00 -0700

Is Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade Its Most Valuable Asset? (Update)The iconic department store calls the parade its “gift to the nation.” With 30 million TV viewers, it’s […]

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Fri, 21 Nov 2025 11:00:00 -0700

654. Is the Public Ready for Private Equity?A Trump executive order is giving retail investors more access to private markets. Is that a golden opportunity — or f […]

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Fri, 14 Nov 2025 11:00:00 -0700

653. Does Horse Racing Have a Future?Thoroughbred auction prices keep setting records. But tracks are closing, gambling revenues are falling, and the sport is […]

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Wed, 12 Nov 2025 01:00:00 -0700

What Happens When You Turn 20The world has changed a good bit since Freakonomics was first published. In this live anniversary episode, Stephen Dubner tells Geoff […]

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Fri, 07 Nov 2025 11:00:00 -0700

652. Inside the Horse-Industrial ComplexHow does Kentucky keep itself atop the thoroughbred industry? Is a champion stallion really worth $200,000 per date? And […]

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Fri, 31 Oct 2025 10:00:00 -0700

651. The Ultimate Dance PartnerFor most of human history, horsepower made the world go. Then came the machines. So why are there still seven million horses in […]

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Wed, 29 Oct 2025 01:00:00 -0700

Are Two C.E.O.s Better Than One? (Update)Spotify, Oracle, and Comcast have each recently announced they’re going with co-C.E.O.s. In this 2023 episode, we dig into t […]