Let's Evolve Together | Freakonomics Radio | Activity

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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Fri, 24 Oct 2025 10:00:00 -0700

650. The Doctor Won’t See You NowThe U.S. has a physician shortage, created in part by a century-old reform that shut down bad medical schools. But why haven’t we f […]

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Fri, 17 Oct 2025 10:00:00 -0700

A Question-Asker Becomes a Question-AnswererFor the 20th anniversary of Freakonomics, Debbie Millman of Design Matters interviews Stephen Dubner about his […]

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Wed, 15 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0700

How Can We Break Our Addiction to Contempt? (Update)Arthur Brooks, an economist and former head of the American Enterprise Institute, believes that there is only one […]

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

649. Should Ohio State (and Michigan, and Clemson) Join the N.F.L.?Soccer leagues around the world use a promotion-and-relegation system to reward theRead more

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Fri, 03 Oct 2025 10:00:00 -0700

648. The Merger You Never Knew You WantedThe N.F.L. is a powerful cartel with imperial desires. College football is about to undergo a financial reckoning. So […]

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Fri, 26 Sep 2025 10:00:00 -0700

Is the U.S. Really Less Corrupt Than China? (Update)In this episode we first published in 2021, the political scientist Yuen Yuen Ang argues that different forms of […]

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Fri, 19 Sep 2025 11:50:00 -0700

647. China Is Run by Engineers. America Is Run by Lawyers.In his new book “Breakneck,” Dan Wang argues that the U.S. has a lot to learn from China. He also says tha […]

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

Is the World Ready for a Guaranteed Basic Income? (Update)A lot of jobs in the modern economy don’t pay a living wage, and some of those jobs may be wiped out by n […]

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Fri, 12 Sep 2025 10:00:00 -0700

646. An Air Traffic Controller Walks Into a Radio Studio …What does it take to “play 3D chess at 250 miles an hour”? And how far will $12.5 billion of “Big, Beaut […]

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Fri, 05 Sep 2025 17:25:58 -0700

Freakonomics Radio wrote a new post

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 10:00:00 -0700

645. Is the Air Traffic Control System Broken?Flying in the U.S. is still exceptionally safe, but the system relies on outdated tech and is under tremendous strain. […]