The U.N.’s World Happiness Report — created to curtail our unhealthy obsession with G.D.P. — is dominated every year...
37:30
freakonomics radio podcasts
Who Decides How Much a Life Is Worth?
After every mass shooting or terrorist attack, victims and survivors receive a huge outpouring of support — including...
38:10
Global demand for beef, chicken, and pork continues to rise. So do concerns about environmental and other costs. Will...
54:01
373. Why Rent Control Doesn’t Work
As cities become ever-more expensive, politicians and housing advocates keep calling for rent control. Economists...
51:05
A Conversation With PepsiCo C.E.O. Indra Nooyi (Ep. 316 Update)
One of the world’s biggest and best-known companies just announced that its C.E.O. would be stepping down in the...
47:12
Is the Government More Entrepreneurial Than You Think? (Ep. 348)
We all know the standard story: our economy would be more dynamic if only the government would get out of the way....
36:04
How Sports Became Us (Ep. 349)
Dollar-wise, the sports industry is surprisingly small, about the same size as the cardboard-box industry. So why...
52:36
How to Stop Being a Loser (Ep. 350)
The San Francisco 49ers, one of the most valuable sports franchises in the world, also used to be one of the best....
01:01:53
There’s a War on Sugar. Is It Justified? (Ep. 285 Rebroadcast)
Some people argue that sugar should be regulated, like alcohol and tobacco, on the grounds that it’s addictive and...
49:40
Freakonomics Radio Live: “We Thought of a Way to Manipulate Your Perception of Time.”
We learn how to be less impatient, how to tell fake news from real, and the simple trick that nurses used to make...
57:29
How to Be Happy (Ep. 345 Rebroadcast)
The U.N.’s World Happiness Report — created to curtail our unhealthy obsession with G.D.P. — is dominated every year...
39:30
Great athletes aren’t just great at the physical stuff. They’ve also learned how to handle pressure, overcome fear,...
58:16
The road to success is paved with failure, so you might as well learn to do it right. (Ep. 5 of the “How to Be...
43:55
374. How Spotify Saved the Music Industry (But Not Necessarily Musicians)
Daniel Ek, a 23-year-old Swede who grew up on pirated music, made the record labels an offer they couldn’t refuse: a...
01:00:43
378. 23andMe (and You, and Everyone Else)
The revolution in home DNA testing is giving consumers important, possibly life-changing information. It’s also...
52:39
There are a lot of barriers to changing your mind: ego, overconfidence, inertia — and cost. Politicians who flip-flop...
51:21
There is strong evidence that exercise is wildly beneficial. There is even stronger evidence that most people hate to...
37:49
173. A Better Way to Eat (Rebroadcast)
Takeru Kobayashi revolutionized the sport of competitive eating. What can the rest of us learn from his breakthrough?
28:48
356. 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...
57:04
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,...
43:22