Freakonomics Radio

The 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 filled the gap? Why are some physicians so unhappy? And which is worse: a bad doctor or no doctor at all?   SOURCES: Karen Clay , professor of economics and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University. Rochelle Walensky , physician-scientist and former director of the C...

For the 20th anniversary of Freakonomics , Debbie Millman of Design Matters interviews Stephen Dubner about his upbringing, his writing career, and why it's important to “swing your swing.” Plus: a sneak peek at a new project.   SOURCES: Debbie Millman , writer and host of Design Matters with Debbie Millman.   RESOURCES: " Stephen J. Dubner ," by Design Matters with Debbie Millman (2025). Turbulen...

Arthur Brooks, an economist and former head of the American Enterprise Institute, believes that there is only one remedy for our political polarization: love. In this 2021 episode, we ask if Brooks is a fool for thinking this — and if perhaps you are his kind of fool?   SOURCES: Arthur Brooks , professor of public and nonprofit leadership at Harvard University.   RESOURCES: “ Vital Statistics on C...

Soccer leagues around the world use a promotion-and-relegation system to reward the best teams and punish the worst. We ask whether American sports fans would enjoy a similar system. (Part two of a two-part series .)   SOURCES: Domonique Foxworth , sports analyst and former N.F.L. player. Stefan Szymanski , professor of sport management at the University of Michigan. Victor Matheson , professor of...

The N.F.L. is a powerful cartel with imperial desires. College football is about to undergo a financial reckoning. So maybe they should team up? (Part one of a two-part series.)   SOURCES: DeMaurice Smith , former executive director of the National Football League Players Association. Domonique Foxworth , sports analyst and former N.F.L. player. Jeffrey Kessler , partner at the law firm of Winston...

In this episode we first published in 2021, the political scientist Yuen Yuen Ang argues that different forms of government create different styles of corruption — and that the U.S. and China have more in common than we’d like to admit.   SOURCES: Yuen Yuen Ang , professor of political science at Johns Hopkins University.   RESOURCES: " China’s Anti-Graft Show Is Educational, With Unintended Lesso...

In his new book “Breakneck,” Dan Wang argues that the U.S. has a lot to learn from China. He also says that “no two peoples are more alike.” We have questions.   SOURCES: Dan Wang , research fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, author of Breakneck: China's Quest to Engineer the Future.   RESOURCES: Breakneck: China's Quest to Engineer the Future , by Dan Wang (2025). The Anacon...

A lot of jobs in the modern economy don’t pay a living wage, and some of those jobs may be wiped out by new technologies. So what’s to be done? We revisit an episode from 2016 for a potential solution.   SOURCES: Erik Brynjolfsson , professor of economics at Stanford University. Evelyn Forget , professor of economics and community health sciences at the University of Manitoba. Sam Altman , C.E.O....

What does it take to “play 3D chess at 250 miles an hour”? And how far will $12.5 billion of “Big, Beautiful” funding go toward modernizing the F.A.A.? (Part two of a two-part series .)   SOURCES: David Strayer , professor of cognition and neural science at the University of Utah. Dorothy Robyn , senior fellow at I.T.I.F. Ed Bastian , C.E.O. of Delta Airlines. Ed Bolen , president and C.E.O. of th...

Flying in the U.S. is still exceptionally safe, but the system relies on outdated tech and is under tremendous strain. Six experts tell us how it got this way and how it can (maybe) be fixed. (Part one of a two-part series .)   SOURCES: Dorothy Robyn , senior fellow at I.T.I.F. Ed Bastian , C.E.O. of Delta Airlines. John Strong , professor of finance and economics at the William and Mary School of...

Patrick Deneen, a political philosopher at Notre Dame, says yes. He was a Democrat for years, and has now come to be seen as an “ideological guru” of the Trump administration. But that only tells half the story ...   SOURCES: Patrick Deneen , professor of political science at the University of Notre Dame.   RESOURCES: " The Ideological Gurus Battling for the Soul of Trump World ," by Joshua Chaffi...

Bjørn Andersen has killed hundreds of minke whales. He tells us how he does it, why he does it, and what he thinks would happen if whale-hunting ever stopped. (This bonus episode is a follow-up to our series “ Everything You Never Knew About Whaling .”)   SOURCES: Bjørn Andersen, Norwegian whaler.   RESOURCES: " Digestive physiology of minke whales ," by S.D. Mathiesen, T.H. Aagnes, W. Sørmo, E.S....

In the final episode of our whale series, we learn about fecal plumes, shipping noise, and why Moby-Dick is still worth reading. (Part 3 of " Everything You Never Knew About Whaling. ")   SOURCES: Michele Baggio , professor of economics at the University of Connecticut. Mary K. Bercaw-Edwards , professor of maritime English at the University of Connecticut and lead foreman at the Mystic Seaport Mu...

For years, whale oil was used as lighting fuel, industrial lubricant, and the main ingredient in (yum!) margarine. Whale meat was also on a few menus. But today, demand for whale products is at a historic low. And yet some countries still have a whaling industry. We find out why. (Part 2 of “ Everything You Never Knew About Whaling .”)   SOURCES: Jay Alabaster , doctoral student at Arizona State U...

Whaling was, in the words of one scholar, “early capitalism unleashed on the high seas.” How did the U.S. come to dominate the whale market? Why did whale hunting die out here — and continue to grow elsewhere? And is that whale vomit in your perfume? (Part 1 of “ Everything You Never Knew About Whaling .”)   SOURCES: Eric Hilt , professor of economics at Wellesley College. Nathaniel Philbrick , wr...

It’s a haphazard way of paying workers, and yet it keeps expanding. With federal tax policy shifting in a pro-tip direction, we revisit an episode from 2019 to find out why.   SOURCES: John List , economist at the University of Chicago. Michael Lynn , professor of consumer behavior and marketing at Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration. Uri Gneezy , economist at the University of Cal...

They should have died out when the lightbulb was invented. Instead they’re a $10 billion industry. What does it mean that we still want tiny fires inside our homes?   SOURCES: Tim Cooper , professor emeritus of sustainable design and consumption at Nottingham Trent University. Gökçe Günel , professor of anthropology at Rice University. Steve Horenziak , president of the National Candle Associat...

The former secretary of state isn’t a flamethrower, but he certainly has strong opinions. In this wide-ranging conversation with Stephen Dubner, he gives them all: on Israel, Gaza, China, Iran, Russia, Biden, Trump — and the rest of the world.   SOURCES: Antony Blinken , former Secretary of State.   RESOURCES: " Evaluating the impact of two decades of USAID interventions and projecting the effects...

Until recently, Delaware was almost universally agreed to be the best place for companies to incorporate. Now, with Elon Musk leading a corporate stampede out of the First State, we revisit an episode from 2023 that asked if Delaware’s “franchise” is wildly corrupt, wildly efficient … or both?   SOURCES: John Cassara , retired Special Agent detailee to the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of T...

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 Wagner.   SOURCES: David Adjmi , author and playwright.   RESOURCES: " The West End is enjoying a theatre revival. Can Broadway keep up? " by Daniel Thomas (Financial Times, 2025). Lo...

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 to Dubai?   SOURCES: Simon Chadwick , professor of afroeurasian sport at Emlyon Business School. Derek Fisher , high school basketball coach, former N.B.A. coach and player. Kash Shaikh , chairman, C...

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 know whether life is driven more by skill or chance. She found some answers in poker — and she’s willing to tell us everything she learned.   SOURCES: Maria Konnikova , author of The Biggest Bluff.   RESOURCES: “ Gen...

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 Up? '" by The New Yorker Radio Hour (2025). " Cory Booker’s Marathon Floor Speech ," (2025). " Facebook Knows Instagram Is Toxic for Teen Girls, Company Documents Show ," by Georgia...

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 in the 20th century. In less than an hour, we try to unstick it. (Part three of a three-part series, “ Cradle to Grave .”)   SOURCES: James Chappel , professor of history at Duke University. Katy Fik...

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 I (Mostly) Admire . Dave O'Connor , president of Times Studios. Lisi Oliver , professor of English at Louisiana State University. E.O. Wilson , naturalist and university research pro...