Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

Freakonomics Radio

Society EN ↓ 918 episodes

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 Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.

Author

Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

Category

Society

Podcast website

freakonomics.com

Latest episode

Jul 9, 2026

Where to listen?

Podcasts in the app Replaio Radio Coming soon

Podcasts are coming to the app soon. Install now and be the first to see a whole new take on podcasts

Get it on Google Play Install for free Android 5M+ downloads · 4.8 rating iOS soon

Episodes

68. The Power of the President -- and the Thumb 28.03.2012

How much does the President of the United States really matter? And: where did all the hitchhikers go? A pair of "attribution errors." Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

67. The Patent Gap 22.03.2012

Women hold fewer than one in 10 patents. Why? And what are we missing out on? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

66. Show and Yell 14.03.2012

Is booing an act of verbal vandalism or the last true expression of democracy? And: when you drive a Prius, are you guilty of “conspicuous conservation”? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

65. It’s Not the President, Stupid 07.03.2012

Isn’t it time to admit that the U.S. economy doesn’t have a commander in chief? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

64. The Days of Wine and Mouses 27.02.2012

Do more expensive wines taste better? And: what does one little rodent in a salad say about a restaurant’s future? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

63. The Dilbert Index? 22.02.2012

Measuring workplace morale -- and how to game the sick-day system. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

62. How Biased Is Your Media? 15.02.2012

The left and the right blame each other for pretty much everything, including slanted media coverage. Can they both be right? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

61. Does This Recession Make Me Look Fat? 08.02.2012

A look at some non-obvious ways to lose weight. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

60. Save Me From Myself 01.02.2012

A commitment device forces you to be the person you really want to be. What could possibly go wrong? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

59. The Hidden Side of the Super Bowl 25.01.2012

A football cheat sheet to help you sound like the smartest person at the party. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

58. What Do Hand-Washing and Financial Illiteracy Have in Common? 19.01.2012

Education is the surest solution to a lot of problems. Except when it’s not. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

57. Does Money Really Buy Elections? 11.01.2012

We all know the answer is yes. But the data -- and Rudy Giuliani -- say no. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

56. Why Is “I Don’t Know” So Hard to Say? 04.01.2012

Levitt and Dubner answer your FREAK-quently Asked Questions about certifying politicians, irrational fears, and the toughest three words in the English language. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

55. The Perils of Drunk Walking 27.12.2011

We know it's terribly dangerous to drive drunk. But heading home on foot isn't the solution. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

54. How Is a Bad Radio Station Like Our Public-School System? (Encore) 21.12.2011

The thrill of customization, via Pandora and a radical new teaching method Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

53. How American Food Got So Bad 13.12.2011

Tyler Cowen points fingers. There's plenty of blame to go around. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

52. Weird Recycling 02.12.2011

Clever ways to not waste our waste. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

51. What Makes a Donor Donate? 29.11.2011

The science of charity, with economist John List. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

50. The Truth Is Out There…Isn’t It? 22.11.2011

There’s a nasty secret about hot-button topics like global warming: knowledge is not always power. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

49. Unnatural Turkeys 16.11.2011

Our appetite for breast meat renders our holiday birds unable to reproduce. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

48. Boo…Who? 08.11.2011

Is booing an act of verbal vandalism—or the last true expression of democracy? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

47. Wildfires, Cops, and Keggers 02.11.2011

On Election Day, most people focus on the obvious winners and losers -- that is, the candidates. But we went looking for some of the strange side effects that elections produce. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

46. Misadventures in Baby-Making 25.10.2011

We are constantly wowed by new technologies and policies meant to make childbirth better. But beware the unintended consequences. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

45. Those Cheating Teachers! 18.10.2011

High-stakes testing has produced some rotten apples. But they can be caught. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

44. Where Have All the Hitchhikers Gone? 10.10.2011

Did we needlessly scare ourselves into ditching a good thing? And, with millions of cars driving around with no passengers, should we be rooting for a renaissance? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Listen to the Freakonomics Radio podcast in Replaio

Radio and podcasts in one app - free, with no sign-up. Install today and do not miss the launch

Get it on Google Play

Replaio is not a podcast publisher; show names, artwork and audio belong to their authors and are distributed through public RSS feeds.