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Freakonomics Radio

Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

Freakonomics co-author Stephen J. Dubner uncovers the hidden side of everything. Why is it safer to fly in an airplane than drive a car? How do we decide whom to marry? Why is the media so full of bad news? Also: things you never knew you wanted to know about wolves, bananas, pollution, search engines, and the quirks of human behavior. To get every show in the Freakonomics Radio Network without ads and a monthly bonus episode of Freakonomics Radio, start a free trial for SiriusXM Podcasts+ on Apple

society & culture documentary

All Episodes

01:05:15

Are You Really Allergic to Penicillin? (Update)

Freakonomics Radio ·

2026/07/17

Like tens of millions of people, Stephen Dubner thought he had a penicillin allergy. Like the vast majority, he didn’t. This misdiagnosis costs billions of dollars and causes serious health problems, so why hasn’t it been fixed? We find out in this update of a 2025 episode. SOURCES: Kimberly Blumenthal, allergist-immunologist and researcher at the Mayo Clinic. Theresa MacPhail, associate professor of science and technology studies at Stevens Institute of Technology. Thomas

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00:43:27

How a Great Architect Thinks, with Bjarke Ingels |...

Freakonomics Radio ·

2026/07/14

Is the oxymoron really “the secret sauce to everything”? That’s the case Ingels makes in this debut episode of our new video show Better in Person, filmed in Stephen Dubner’s living room. If you'd like to see the video version of Better in Person, watch it on YouTube or Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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00:43:27

681. How to Host a Talk Show, with Dick Cavett

Freakonomics Radio ·

2026/07/09

Stephen Dubner had an idea for a new project. So he drove to Connecticut and knocked on the door of the master. Dubner’s new TV talk show Better in Person launches July 14 on the Freakonomics YouTube channel. SOURCES: Dick Cavett, writer, former talk show host. RESOURCES: Eye on Cavett, by Dick Cavett and Christopher Porterfield (1983). Cavett, by Dick Cavett and Christopher Porterfield (1974). "The Dick Cavett Show" YouTube Channel. "Better in Person" Trailer.

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00:49:55

680. Can Universities Win Back Our Trust?

Freakonomics Radio ·

2026/07/03

Dartmouth president Sian Beilock, a psychologist by training, made her name studying why people choke. Now she’s applying those insights to one of the most scrutinized jobs in America. No pressure! SOURCES: Sian Beilock, president of Dartmouth College. RESOURCES: "Growing share of Americans say the U.S. higher education system is headed in the wrong direction," by Kim Parker (Pew Research Center, 2025). "Standardized Test Scores and Academic Performance at Ivy-Plus

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01:04:06

679. Why Does Vanderbilt Keep Winning?

Freakonomics Radio ·

2026/06/26

It’s a hard time to run a university: public trust is low, political pressure is high, and finances are fragile. But Daniel Diermeier, who trained as a political scientist, has Vanderbilt humming. How? He says the key is choosing magnets over wedges. SOURCES: Daniel Diermeier, chancellor of Vanderbilt University. RESOURCES: "Higher Ed’s New Crisis Managers," by Lee Gardner (The Chronicle of Higher Education, 2026). "Professors Need to Diversify What They Teach," by Jon

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00:54:46

The World Is (Still) Drowning in Sludge

Freakonomics Radio ·

2026/06/24

Insurance forms that make no sense. Subscriptions that can’t be cancelled. A never-ending blizzard of automated notifications. In this update of a 2025 episode, Stephen Dubner discovers where all this sludge comes from — and how much it’s costing us. SOURCES: Benjamin Handel, professor of economics at UC Berkeley. Neale Mahoney, professor of economics at Stanford University. Richard Thaler, professor of economics at The University of Chicago. RESOURCES: "Selling

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00:50:25

678. Who Gets to Choose a “Good Death”?

Freakonomics Radio ·

2026/06/19

New York is the latest state to legalize medical aid in dying. Stephen Dubner speaks with the governor who signed the law, a Nobel Prize-winning economist, a death doula — and an ethicist who thinks the very idea is wrong.SOURCES: Kathy Hochul, governor of New York. Suzanne O'Brien, death doula, founder of Doulagivers Institute. Al Roth, economist at Stanford University. Daniel Sulmasy, physician, philosopher, director of the Kennedy Institute of Ethics at Georgetown

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00:59:19

677. Can Backgammon Save Us from Ourselves?

Freakonomics Radio ·

2026/06/12

It brings strangers together. It teaches probability, strategy, and emotional control. It has even helped N.F.L. teams win the Super Bowl. Stephen Dubner explores why this ancient game is having a renaissance. (Part two of a series, “We Are All Gamers Now.”)SOURCES: Remington Davenport, founder of NYC Backgammon Club. Frank Frigo, game strategy expert & two-time world backgammon champion. Masayuki "Mochy" Mochizuki, professional backgammon player. Marc Olsen, C.E.O. of

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00:47:24

This Is Your Brain on Pollution (Update)

Freakonomics Radio ·

2026/06/10

As the Trump administration rolls back environmental regulations, we revisit a 2022 episode that explored the hidden cost of an invisible threat: air pollution.SOURCES: Angela Duckworth, psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania. Michael Greenstone, economist at the University of Chicago, director of the Energy Policy Institute, co-director of the Climate Impact Lab. Stephan Heblich, economist at the University of Toronto. Andrea La Nauze, economist at Deakin University.

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01:05:29

676. Has America Lost the Plot?

Freakonomics Radio ·

2026/06/05

Another war in the Middle East. A retreat from the international order. A presidency built on self-dealing and arbitrary power. It’s enough to make you think the U.S. is in a steep decline — but Fareed Zakaria thinks otherwise.SOURCES: Fareed Zakaria, journalist and author. RESOURCES: "Iran is an imperial trap. America walked right in." by Fareed Zakaria (The Washington Post, 2026). "‘Bomb and hope’ is not a strategy," by Fareed Zakaria (The Washington Post, 2026).

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01:00:51

The Vanishing Mr. Feynman (Update)

Freakonomics Radio ·

2026/05/29

In his final years, Richard Feynman's curiosity took him to some surprising places. We hear from his companions on the trips he took — and one he wasn’t able to. (Part three of a three-part series originally published in 2024.) SOURCES: Alan Alda, actor and screenwriter. Barbara Berg, friend of Richard Feynman. Helen Czerski, physicist and oceanographer at University College London. Michelle Feynman, photographer and daughter of Richard Feynman. Cheryl Haley, friend of

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00:52:51

The Brilliant Mr. Feynman (Update)

Freakonomics Radio ·

2026/05/27

What happens when an existentially depressed and recently widowed young physicist from Queens gets a fresh start in California? We follow Richard Feynman out west, to explore his long and extremely fruitful second act. (Part two of a three-part series originally published in 2024.)SOURCES: Seamus Blackley, video game designer and creator of the Xbox. Carl Feynman, computer scientist and son of Richard Feynman. Michelle Feynman, photographer and daughter of Richard Feynman. Ralph

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01:03:18

The Curious Mr. Feynman (Update)

Freakonomics Radio ·

2026/05/22

From the Manhattan Project to the Challenger investigation, the physicist Richard Feynman loved to shoot down what he called “lousy ideas.” Today, the world is awash in lousy ideas — so maybe it’s time to get some more Feynman in our lives? (Part one of a three-part series originally published in 2024.)SOURCES: Helen Czerski, physicist and oceanographer at University College London. Michelle Feynman, photographer and daughter of Richard Feynman. Ralph Leighton, biographer and film

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00:57:17

675. Has the New York Times Become a Games Company?

Freakonomics Radio ·

2026/05/15

Not exactly. But their runaway success with games like Wordle says something bigger about the way we live now. (Part one of a series, “We Are All Gamers Now.”)SOURCES: Alex Hardiman, chief product officer at The New York Times. Jonathan Knight, S.V.P. and general manager for New York Times Games. Eric Zimmerman, game designer, professor of game design at the N.Y.U. Game Center. RESOURCES: "Wordle Is a Love Story," by Daniel Victor (New York Times, 2022). The Rules

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00:45:23

674. How Does a Composer Feel After the World Premiere?

Freakonomics Radio ·

2026/05/08

Great. Then depressed. Then great again. Stephen Dubner gets the full story from David Lang; we also hear from some fans, and the New York Philharmonic’s president. The math and the aftermath of wealth of nations. (Part two of a series.)SOURCES: David Lang, composer and professor at the Yale School of Music. Matías Tarnopolsky, president and C.E.O. of the New York Philharmonic. RESOURCES: "Finally, an Opera About Economics," by Stacey Vanek Smith (Bloomberg, 2026).

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01:08:15

Was Adam Smith Really a Right-Winger? (Update)

Freakonomics Radio ·

2026/05/06

Economists and politicians have turned him into a mascot for free-market ideology. Some on the left say the right has badly misread him. In this updated replay of a 2022 episode, we hold a very Smithy tug of war.SOURCES: Eamonn Butler, co-founder and director of the Adam Smith Institute. Glory Liu, a political scientist and Adam Smith scholar at Georgetown University. Mariana Mazzucato, professor in the economics of innovation and public value at University College London. Dennis

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00:54:11

673. What Is Money?

Freakonomics Radio ·

2026/05/01

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 tag along as Lang’s piece heads toward its world premiere with the New York Philharmonic. (Part one of a two-part series.) SOURCES: Fleur Barron, opera singer and mezzo-soprano. David Lang, composer and professor at the Yale School of Music. RESOURCES: "Finally, an Opera About Economics," by Stacey Vanek Smith (Bloomberg, 2026).

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01:00:52

672. What Makes Judy Faulkner Run?

Freakonomics Radio ·

2026/04/24

Epic Systems manages the electronic health records for hundreds of millions of people. This makes Faulkner a healthcare heavyweight and one of the most successful female entrepreneurs in history. So why haven’t we ever heard much from her? Stephen Dubner travels to Verona, Wisc., to explore the Faulknerverse.SOURCES: Judy Faulkner, C.E.O. and founder of Epic Systems. Seth Howard, executive vice president of research and development at Epic Systems. RESOURCES: "Epic

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00:40:34

Why Does Everyone Hate Rats? (Update)

Freakonomics Radio ·

2026/04/22

New York City’s mayor called them “public enemy number one.” History books say they caused the Black Death — although recent scientific evidence disputes that claim. In an updated episode from 2025, we ask: Is the rat a scapegoat? And what does our rat hatred say about us?SOURCES: Bethany Brookshire, author of Pests: How Humans Create Animal Villains. Kathy Corradi, senior vice president of resident services, partnerships, and initiatives at the New York City Housing Authority. Ed

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01:01:18

671. Why Has There Been So Little Progress on...

Freakonomics Radio ·

2026/04/17

One possibility: a leading hypothesis pursued by researchers (and funders) was built on science that now appears to be fraudulent. Stephen Dubner speaks with the scientist and the journalist who blew the whistle. SOURCES: Charles Piller, investigative journalist for Science, author of Doctored. Matthew Schrag, associate professor of neurology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. RESOURCES: Doctored: Fraud, Arrogance, and Tragedy in the Quest to Cure Alzheimer's, by

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