People I (Mostly) Admire
Freakonomics co-author Steve Levitt tracks down other high achievers for surprising, revealing conversations about their lives and obsessions. Join Levitt as he goes through the most interesting midlife crisis you’ve ever heard — and learn how a renegade sheriff is transforming Chicago's jail, how a biologist is finding the secrets of evolution in the Arctic tundra, and how a trivia champion memorized 160,000 flashcards. 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.
Sat, April 05, 2025
Yul Kwon: “Don't Try to Change Yourself All at Once.” (Update)
He has been a lawyer, an instructor at the F.B.I. Academy, the owner of a frozen-yogurt chain, and a winner of the TV show Survivor . Today, Kwon works at Google, but things haven’t always come easily for him. Steve Levitt talks to Kwon about his debilitating childhood anxieties, his compulsion to choose the hardest path in life, and how Kwon used game theory to stage a victory on Survivor . SOURCES: Yul Kwon , vice president of product management at Google. RESOURCES: Teacher Application for ASU Prep Tempe . EXTRAS: " Are Our Tools Becoming Part of Us ?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024). " Yul Kwon: 'Hey, Do You Have Any Bright Ideas?' (Part 2) ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021). " Robert Axelrod on Why Being Nice, Forgiving, and Provokable are the Best Strategies for Life ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).
Sat, March 29, 2025
154. Can Robots Get a Grip?
Ken Goldberg is at the forefront of robotics — which means he tries to teach machines to do things humans find trivial. SOURCES: Ken Goldberg , professor of industrial engineering and operations research at U.C. Berkeley. RESOURCES: " The Bitter Lesson, " by Rich Sutton (UT Austin, 2019). R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots): A Fantastic Melodrama in Three Acts and an Epilogue , by Karel Capek (2019). " The Robot in the Cloud: A Conversation With Ken Goldberg ," by Quentin Hardy (New York Times, 2014). Mind Children: The Future of Robot and Human Intelligence , by Hans Moravec (1990). " Stochastic Plans for Robotic Manipulation ," by Ken Goldberg (Carnegie Mellon University, 1990). " The Two Cultures And The Scientific Revolution ," by C. P. Snow (Cambridge University Press, 1959). Dex-Net Ancient Wisdom for a Future Ecology: Trees, Time, and Technology . Ambi Robotics . " The Telegarden ." EXTRAS: " Feeling Sound and Hearing Color ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024). " Are Our Tools Becoming Part of Us? " by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024). “ My God, This Is a Transformative Power ,” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023). " Drawing from Life (and Death) " by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023). " Aicha Evans Wants You to Take Your Eyes Off the Road ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).
Sat, March 15, 2025
153. We’re Not Getting Sicker — We’re Overdiagnosed
Suzanne O'Sullivan is a neurologist who sees many patients with psychosomatic disorders. Their symptoms may be psychological in origin, but their pain is real and physical — and the way we practice medicine, she argues, is making those and other health problems worse. SOURCES: Suzanne O'Sullivan , neurologist and author of The Age of Diagnosis How Our Obsession with Medical Labels Is Making Us Sicker. RESOURCES: The Age of Diagnosis: How Our Obsession with Medical Labels Is Making Us Sicker , by Suzanne O'Sullivan (2025). " Associations of Depression, Anxiety, Worry, Perceived Stress, and Loneliness Prior to Infection With Risk of Post-COVID-19 Conditions, " by Siwen Wang, Luwei Quan, Jorge Chavarro, Natalie Slopen, Laura Kubzansky, Karestan Koenen, Jae Hee Kang, Marc G. Weisskopf, Westyn Branch-Elliman, and Andrea Roberts (JAMA Psychiatry, 2022). " How beliefs about coronavirus disease (COVID) influence COVID-like symptoms? – A longitudinal study. " by Liron Rozenkrantz, Tobias Kube, Michael H Bernstein, and John D.E. Gabrieli (Health Psychology, 2022). " Risk factors for worsening of somatic symptom burden in a prospective cohort during the COVID-19 pandemic, " by Petra Engelmann, Bernd Löwe, Thomas Theo Brehm, Angelika Weigel, Felix Ullrich, Marylyn Addo, Julian Schulze Zur Wiesch, Ansgar Lohse, and Anne Toussaint (Frontier Psychology, 2022). The Sleeping Beauties: And Other Stories of Mystery Illness, by Suzanne O'Sullivan (2021). Brainstorm: Detective Stories from the World of Neurology , by Suzanne O'Sullivan (2018). " The Trauma of Facing Deportation, " by Rachel Aviv (The New Yorker, 2017). It's All in Your Head: True Stories of Imaginary Illness , by Suzanne O'Sullivan (2015). The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma , by Bessel van der Kolk (2014). " Explaining the Rise in Youth Suicide, " by David Cutler, Edward Glaeser, and Karen Norberg (National Bureau of Economic Research, 2001). EXTRAS: <l
Sat, March 08, 2025
Reading Dostoevsky Behind Bars (Update)
Reginald Dwayne Betts spent more than eight years in prison. Today he's a Yale Law graduate, a MacArthur Fellow, and a poet. His nonprofit works to build libraries in prisons so that more incarcerated people can find hope. SOURCES: Reginald Dwayne Betts , founder and director of Freedom Reads, award-winning poet, and lawyer. RESOURCES: Doggerel: Poems , by Reginald Dwayne Betts (2025). “ The Poet Writing on Prison Underwear ,” by Adam Iscoe ( The New Yorker, 2023). The Voltage Effect , by John List (2022). “ If We Truly Believe in Redemption and Second Chances, Parole Should Be Celebrated ,” by Reginald Dwayne Betts ( The Washington Post, 2021). Insurrections , by Rion Scott (2016). The Secret History of Wonder Woman , by Jill Lepore (2014). Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values , by Robert M. Pirsig (1974). The Black Poets , by Dudley Randall (1971). “ For Freckle-Faced Gerald ,” by Etheridge Knight ( Poems from Prison, 1968). Felon: An America Washi Tale, by Reginald Dwayne Betts. Freedom Reads . EXTRAS: “ Can a Moonshot Approach to Mental Health Work? ” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023). “ Can Data Keep People Out of Prison? ” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023). “ The Price of Doing Business with John List ,” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022). “ Why Do Most Ideas Fail to Scale? ” by Freakonomics Radio (2022).
Sat, March 01, 2025
152. Hunting for the Origins of Life
Chemist Jack Szostak wants to understand how the first life forms came into being on Earth. He and Steve discuss the danger of "mirror bacteria," the origin of biology in poisonous chemicals, and the possibility that life might exist on other planets too. SOURCES: Jack Szostak, Nobel laureate and professor of chemistry at The University of Chicago. RESOURCES: Is Earth Exceptional?: The Quest for Cosmic Life, by Mario Livio and Jack Szostak (2024) " Q&A: How ‘Mirror Bacteria’ Could Take a Devastating Toll on Humanity, " by Isabella Backman ( Yale School of Medicine, 2024 ). " The virtual circular genome model for primordial RNA replication, " by Jack Szostak, Lijun Zhou, and Dian Ding (RNA, 2021). " Protocells and RNA Self-Replication, " by Gerald Joyce and Jack Szostak (Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology, 2018). " The Narrow Road to the Deep Past: In Search of the Chemistry of the Origin of Life, " by Jack Szostak (Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2017). " Jack Szostak on 'Life in the Lab' (And Autocatalytic Sets) " by Suzan Mazur (Huffington Post, 2014). " Jack W. Szostak Interview " (The Nobel Prize, 2009). " The Miller-Urey Experiment " (National Center for Science Education). " From Old Vials, New Hints on Origin of Life, " by Kenny Chang (New York Times, 2008). EXTRAS : What Is It Like to Be an Addict?: Understanding Substance Abuse, by Owen Flanagan (2025) " UPDATE: What It’s Like to Be Steve Levitt’s Daughters, " by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024). " We Can Play God Now, " by Freakonomics Radio
Sat, February 15, 2025
151. Neurobiologist, Philosopher, and Addict
Owen Flanagan's newest book details his 20-year dependence on alcohol and pills — and outlines his research on what addiction can tell us about the nature of consciousness. SOURCES: Owen Flanagan, philosopher, neurobiologist, and professor emeritus at Duke University. RESOURCES: What Is It Like to Be an Addict?: Understanding Substance Abuse, by Owen Flanagan (2025). Consciousness Reconsidered, by Owen Flanagan (1993). Against Happiness, by Owen Flanagan, Joseph E. LeDoux, Bobby Bingle, Daniel M. Haybron, Batja Mesquita, Michele Moody-Adams, Songyao Ren, Anna Sun, and Yolonda Y. Wilson. (2023). The Bodhisattva's Brain: Buddhism Naturalized, by Owen Flanagan (2013). The Really Hard Problem: Meaning in a Material World, by Owen Flanagan (2009). Big Book, by Alcoholics Anonymous. " Impact of the DSM-IV to DSM-5 Changes on the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, " by Cristie Glasheen, Kathryn Batts, Rhonda Karg, Jonaki Bose, Sarra Hedden, and Kathryn Piscopo (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2016). EXTRAS: " Professor Carl Hart Argues All Drugs Should Be Legal — Can He Convince Steve? " by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021). Drug Use for Grown-Ups: Chasing Liberty in the Land of Fear, by Carl Hart (2021).
Sat, February 08, 2025
Jane Goodall Changed the Way We See Animals. She’s Not Done. (Replay)
The primatologist discusses the thrill of observing chimpanzees in the wild, the value of challenging orthodoxy, and why dying is her next great adventure. SOURCES: Dr. Jane Goodall, GBE , founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and U.N. Messenger of Peace. RESOURCES: The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times , by Jane Goodall, Douglas Abrams, and Gail Hudson (2021). Jane , by Brett Morgen (2017). “ Remembering My Mentor: Robert Hinde ,” by Jane Goodall (2017). The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness , by Sy Montgomery (2015). Dr. Spock On Parenting: Sensible, Reassuring Advice for Today’s Parent , by by Benjamin Spock, M.D. (2001). The Mentality of Apes , by Wolfgang Kohler (1976). “ Miss Goodall and the Wild Chimpanzees ,” (1965). EXTRAS: Roots and Shoots . Jane Goodall Hopecast . The Jane Goodall Institute . Grameen Foundation . “ A Cross Between Sherlock Holmes and Indiana Jones ,” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022). “‘ No One Can Resist a Jolly, Happy Pig ,'” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022).
Sat, February 01, 2025
150. His Brilliant Videos Get Millions of Views. Why Don’t They Make Money?
Hank Green is an internet phenomenon and a master communicator, with a plan to reform higher education. He and Steve talk about the video blog that launched Hank’s career, the economics of the internet, and how a cancer diagnosis prompted him to become a stand-up comedian. SOURCES: Hank Green , founder of Complexly and science communicator RESOURCES: Complexly CrashCourse YouTube Channel SciShow YouTube Channel Vlogbrothers YouTube Channel The Show with Ze Frank Study Hall " An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, " by Hank Green (2018) " A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor, " by Hank Green (2020) " So, I've got cancer, " by Vlogbrothers (2023) " My Cancer Press Tier List, " by Vlogbrothers (2023) " Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted " by Suleika Jaouad (2021) " The Impact of Legalized Abortion on Crime, " by John Donohue III and Steve Levitt (The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2001) " Hoodwinked? " by Stephen Dubner and Steve Levitt (New York Times, 2006) " An Ancient Roman Shipwreck May Explain the Universe, " by SciShow (2024) EXTRAS: " John Green’s Reluctant Rocket Ship Ride, " by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022) " Suleika Jaouad’s Survival Mechanisms, " by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024)
Sat, January 18, 2025
149. Stanford’s President Knows He Can’t Make Everyone Happy
Jonathan Levin is an academic economist who now runs one of the most influential universities in the world. He tells Steve how he saved Comcast a billion dollars, why he turned down Steve’s unusual pitch to come to the University of Chicago, and why being a nice guy makes him a better college president. SOURCE : Jonathan Levin , president of Stanford University. RESOURCES: " Income Segregation and Intergenerational Mobility Across Colleges in the United States ," by Raj Chetty, John N Friedman, Emmanuel Saez, Nicholas Turner, and Danny Yagan ( The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2020). " Jonathan Levin: The Most Recent John Bates Clark Medal Winner ," by Steve Levitt ( Freakonomics Blog, 2011). " Winning Play in Spectrum Auctions ," by Jeremy Bulow, Jonathan Levin, and Paul Milgrom ( NBER Working Paper, 2009). " Information and Competition in U.S. Forest Service Timber Auctions ," by Susan Athey and Jonathan Levin ( Journal of Political Economy, 2001). EXTRAS: Vintage Pokémon card pack Instagram video , by Tyler Thrasher (2025). " Higher Education Is Broken. Can It Be Fixed? " by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023). " How Much Are the Right Friends Worth? " by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022).
Sat, January 11, 2025
Why Numbers are Music to Our Ears (Update)
Sarah Hart investigates the mathematical structures underlying musical compositions and literature. Using examples from Monteverdi to Lewis Carroll, Sarah explains to Steve how math affects how we hear music and understand stories. SOURCE: Sarah Hart , professor emerita of mathematics at the University of London. RESOURCES: Once Upon a Prime: The Wondrous Connections Between Mathematics and Literature , by Sarah Hart (2023). " Ahab's Arithmetic: The Mathematics of Moby-Dick ," by Sarah B. Hart ( Journal of Humanistic Mathematics, 2021). " Online Lecture: The Mathematics of Musical Composition ," by Sarah Hart (Gresham College, 2020). Black Mirror: Bandersnatch , film (2018). The Luminaries: A Novel , by Eleanor Catton (2013). Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure , edited by Rachel Fershleiser and Larry Smith (2008). Les Revenentes , by Georges Perec (1972). A Void , by Georges Perec (1969). Cent Mille Milliards de Poèmes , by Raymond Queneau (1961). Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There , by Lewis Carroll (1871). Alice's Adventures in Wonderland , by Lewis Carroll (1865). OuLiPo . EXTRAS: " The Joy of Math With Sarah Hart ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023). " Mathematician Sarah Hart on Why Numbers are Music to Our Ears ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).
Sat, January 04, 2025
148. How to Have Good Ideas
Sarah Stein Greenberg runs Stanford’s d.school, which teaches design as a mode of problem solving. She and Steve talk about what makes her field different from other academic disciplines, how to approach hard problems, and why brainstorms are so annoying. SOURCE: Sarah Stein Greenberg , executive director of the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford University. RESOURCES: Creative Acts for Curious People: How to Think, Create, and Lead in Unconventional Ways , by Sarah Stein Greenberg (2021). Noora Health . Civilla . Substantial . Rare . Sarah Stein Greenberg wildlife photography . EXTRAS: " Feeling Sound and Hearing Color ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024). " Why Are Boys and Men in Trouble? " by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024). " What’s Impacting American Workers? " by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024). " Richard Dawkins on God, Genes, and Murderous Baby Cuckoos ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024). " The World’s Most Controversial Ornithologist ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024). " How PETA Made Radical Ideas Mainstream ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024). " Pay Attention! (Your Body Will Thank You) ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024). " How to Have Great Conversations ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024). " Suleika Jaouad’s Survival Mechanisms ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024). " Daron Acemoglu on Economics, Politics, and Power ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024). "<a href="https://f
Sat, December 21, 2024
147. Is Your Gut a Second Brain?
In her book, Rumbles , medical historian Elsa Richardson explores the history of the human gut. She talks with Steve about dubious medical practices, gruesome tales of survival, and the things that medieval doctors may have gotten right. SOURCE: Elsa Richardson , medical historian at the University of Strathclyde. RESOURCES: Rumbles: A Curious History of the Gut: The Secret Story of the Body's Most Fascinating Organ , by Elsa Richardson (2024). Michael Levitt retirement speech (2024). " Was There Really a Hawthorne Effect at the Hawthorne Plant? An Analysis of the Original Illumination Experiments ," by Steven D. Levitt and John A. List ( NBER Working Paper, 2009). " Floating Stools — Flatus versus Fat ," by Michael D. Levitt and William C. Duane ( The New England Journal of Medicine, 1972). " Factors Influencing Pulmonary Methane Excretion in Man ," by John H. Bond, Rolf R. Engel, and Michael D. Levitt ( Journal of Experimental Medicine, 1971). The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals , by Charles Darwin (1872). The Levitt Lab Founding School Leader , job listing. The Levitt Lab , information page. EXTRAS: " An Update on the Khan World School ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023). “ Is This the Future of High School? ” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022). “ Sal Khan: ‘If It Works for 15 Cousins, It Could Work for a Billion People ,'” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021). " The Power of Poop ," by Freakonomics Radio (2011).
Sat, December 14, 2024
Turning Work into Play (Update)
How psychologist Dan Gilbert went from high school dropout to Harvard professor, found the secret of joy, and inspired Steve Levitt's divorce. SOURCE: Daniel Gilbert , professor of psychology at Harvard University. RESOURCES: " What the Data Says (and Doesn’t Say) About Crime in the United States ," by John Gramlich (Pew Research Center, 2020). Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress , by Stephen Pinker (2018). " Mistakenly Seeking Solitude ," by Nicholas Epley and Juliana Schroeder ( Journal of Experimental Psychology , 2014). " Just Think: The Challenges of the Disengaged Mind ," by Timothy D. Wilson, David A. Reinhard, Erin C. Westgate, Daniel T. Gilbert, Nicole Ellerbeck, Cheryl Hahn, Casey L. Brown, and Adi Shaked ( Science , 2013). " The End of History Illusion ," by Jordi Quoidbach, Daniel T. Gilbert, and Timothy D. Wilson ( Science , 2013). Happy Money: The Science of Smarter Spending , by Elizabeth Dunn (2013). " If Money Doesn't Make You Happy Then You Probably Aren't Spending It Right ," by Elizabeth W. Dunn, Daniel T. Gilbert, and Timothy D. Wilson ( Journal of Consumer Psychology , 2011). This Emotional Life , by Daniel Gilbert (2010). Stumbling on Happiness , by Dan Gilbert (2006). " Affective Forecasting ," by Timothy D. Wilson and Daniel T. Gilbert ( Advances in Experimental Social Psychology , 2003). EXTRAS: " Drawing from Life (and Death) ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023). " Who Gives the Worst Advice? " by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021). " Sendhil Mullainathan Thinks Messing Around Is the Best Use of Your Time ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021). "<a href="https://freak
Sat, December 07, 2024
146. Is There a Fair Way to Divide Us?
Moon Duchin is a math professor at Cornell University whose theoretical work has practical applications for voting and democracy. Why is striving for fair elections so difficult? SOURCE: Moon Duchin , professor of mathematics at Cornell University. RESOURCES: " Gerrymandering: The Origin Story ," by Neely Tucker ( Timeless: Stories from the Library of Congress, 2024). " Redistricting for Proportionality ," by Gabe Schoenbach and Moon Duchin ( The Forum, 2023). " The Atlas Of Redistricting ," by Aaron Bycoffe, Ella Koeze, David Wasserman, and Julia Wolfe ( FiveThirtyEight, 2018). " In a Comically Drawn Pennsylvania District, the Voters Are Not Amused ," by Trip Gabriel ( The New York Times, 2018). EXTRAS: " Why Are Boys and Men in Trouble? " by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024). " Is This the Future of High School? " by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022).
Sat, November 23, 2024
145. Neil deGrasse Tyson Is Still Starstruck
The director of the Hayden Planetarium is one of the best science communicators of our time. He and Steve talk about his role in reclassifying Pluto, bad teachers, and why economics isn’t a science. SOURCE: Neil deGrasse Tyson , director of the Hayden Planetarium. RESOURCES: Starry Messenger: Cosmic Perspectives on Civilization , by Neil deGrasse Tyson (2022). “ The Universe and Beyond, with Stephen Hawking ,” by Neil deGrasse Tyson ( StarTalk , 2018). The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America's Favorite Planet , by Neil deGrasse Tyson (2009). " Pluto's Not a Planet? Only in New York ," by Kenneth Chang ( The New York Times, 2001). The Sky Is Not the Limit: Adventures of an Urban Astrophysicist , by Neil deGrasse Tyson (2000). Merlin's Tour of the Universe , by Neil deGrasse Tyson (1989). EXTRAS: " Richard Dawkins on God, Genes, and Murderous Baby Cuckoos ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024).
Sat, November 16, 2024
Pete Docter: “What If Monsters Really Do Exist?” (Update)
He’s the chief creative officer of Pixar, and the Academy Award-winning director of Soul, Inside Out, Up, and Monsters, Inc. Pete Docter and Steve talk about Pixar’s scrappy beginnings, why wrong turns are essential, and the movie moment that changed Steve’s life. SOURCE: Pete Docter , chief creative officer of Pixar. RESOURCES: " ‘Inside Out 2’ Becomes the Highest-Grossing Animated Film of All Time Globally ," (The Walt Disney Company, 2024). Soul , film (2020). The Red Turtle , film (2016). Inside Out , film (2015). Up , film (2009). Monsters, Inc. , film (2001). Toy Story , film (1995). Paper Moon , film (1973). EXTRA: " Walt Hickey Wants to Track Your Eyeballs ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024).
Sat, November 09, 2024
144. Feeling Sound and Hearing Color
David Eagleman is a Stanford neuroscientist, C.E.O., television host, and founder of the Possibilianism movement. He and Steve talk about how wrists can substitute for ears, why we dream, and what Fisher-Price magnets have to do with neuroscience. SOURCE: David Eagleman , professor of cognitive neuroscience at Stanford University and C.E.O. of Neosensory. RESOURCES: Livewired: The Inside Story of the Ever-Changing Brain , by David Eagleman (2020). " Why Do We Dream? A New Theory on How It Protects Our Brains ," by David Eagleman and Don Vaughn ( TIME, 2020). " Prevalence of Learned Grapheme-Color Pairings in a Large Online Sample of Synesthetes ," by Nathan Witthoft, Jonathan Winawer, and David Eagleman ( PLoS One, 2015). Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives , by David Eagleman (2009). The vOICe app . Neosensory . EXTRAS: " What’s Impacting American Workers? " by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024). " This Is Your Brain on Podcasts ," by Freakonomics Radio (2016).
Sat, October 26, 2024
143. Why Are Boys and Men in Trouble?
Boys and men are trending downward in education, employment, and mental health. Richard Reeves, author of the book Of Boys and Men , has some solutions that don’t come at the expense of women and girls. Steve pushes him to go further. SOURCE: Richard Reeves , senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, president of the American Institute for Boys and Men, and author. RESOURCES: Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do About It , by Richard Reeves (2022). " The Crisis of Men and Boys ," by David Brooks ( The New York Times, 2022). Dream Hoarders: How the American Upper Middle Class Is Leaving Everyone Else in the Dust, Why That Is a Problem, and What to Do About It , by Richard Reeves (2017). " An Empirical Analysis of the Gender Gap in Mathematics ," by Roland Fryer and Steven Levitt ( American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 2010). John Stuart Mill: Victorian Firebrand , by Richard Reeves (2007) EXTRA: " What Is the Future of College — and Does It Have Room for Men? (Update) ," by Freakonomics Radio (2024).
Sat, October 19, 2024
Nobel Laureate Daron Acemoglu on Economics, Politics, and Power (Replay)
Daron Acemoglu was just awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in economics. Earlier this year, he and Steve talked about his groundbreaking research on what makes countries succeed or fail. SOURCES: Daron Acemoglu , professor of economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. RESOURCES: The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2024 . Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity , by Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson (2023). " Economists Pin More Blame on Tech for Rising Inequality ," by Steve Lohr ( The New York Times, 2022). " America’s Slow-Motion Wage Crisis: Four Decades of Slow and Unequal Growth ," by John Schmitt, Elise Gould, and Josh Bivens ( Economic Policy Institute, 2018). " A Machine That Made Stockings Helped Kick Off the Industrial Revolution ," by Sarah Laskow ( Atlas Obscura, 2017). " The Long-Term Jobs Killer Is Not China. It’s Automation ," by Claire Cain Miller ( The New York Times, 2016). Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty , by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson (2012). " The Colonial Origins of Comparative Development: An Empirical Investigation ," by Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson, and James A. Robinson ( American Economic Review, 2001). " Learning about Others' Actions and the Investment Accelerator ," by Daron Acemoglu ( The Economic Journal, 1993). " A Friedman Doctrine — The Social Responsibility of Business Is to Increase Its Profits ," by Milton Friedman ( The New York Times, 1970). EXTRAS: " What’s Impacting American Workers? " by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024). "<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/my-god-t
Sat, October 12, 2024
142. What’s Impacting American Workers?
David Autor took his first economics class at 29 years old. Now he’s one of the central academics studying the labor market. The M.I.T. economist and Steve dissect the impact of technology on labor, spar on A.I., and discuss why economists can sometimes be oblivious. SOURCES: David Autor , professor of economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. RESOURCES: " Does Automation Replace Experts or Augment Expertise? The Answer Is Yes ," by David Autor (Joseph Schumpeter Lecture at the European Economic Association Annual Meeting, 2024). “ Applying AI to Rebuild Middle Class Jobs ,” by David Autor (NBER Working Paper, 2024). “ New Frontiers: The Origins and Content of New Work, 1940–2018 ,” by David Autor, Caroline Chin, Anna Salomons, and Bryan Seegmiller ( The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2024). “ Bottlenecks: Sectoral Imbalances and the US Productivity Slowdown ,” by Daron Acemoglu, David Autor, and Christina Patterson ( NBER Macroeconomics Annual, 2024). " Good News: There’s a Labor Shortage ," by David Autor ( The New York Times, 2021). " David Autor, the Academic Voice of the American Worker ," ( The Economist, 2019). “ Why Are There Still So Many Jobs? The History and Future of Workplace Automation ,” by David Autor ( The Journal of Economic Perspectives, 2015). “ The Growth of Low-Skill Service Jobs and the Polarization of the US Labor Market ,” by David Autor and David Dorn ( The American Economic Review, 2013). “ The China Syndrome: Local Labor Market Effects of Import Competition in the United States ,” by David Autor, David Dorn, and Gordon H. Hanson ( The American Economic Review, 2013). EXTRAS: " What Do People Do All Day? " by Freakonomics Radio (2024). " Daron Ace
Bonus · Sat, October 05, 2024
EXTRA: Using Data to Win Gold
Kate Douglass is a world-class swimmer and data scientist who’s used mathematical modeling to help make her stroke more efficient. She and Steve talk about why the Olympics were underwhelming, how she won gold, and why she won’t be upset to say goodbye to the pool. SOURCE: Kate Douglass , Olympic swimmer and graduate student. RESOURCES: " Kate Douglass HOLDS OFF Tatjana Smith to win 200m breaststroke | Paris Olympics " ( NBC Sports, 2024). “ The Plane Partition Function Abides by Benford’s Law ,” by Katherine Douglass and Ken Ono ( UPB Scientific Bulletin, Series A, 2024). “ Swimming in Data ,” by Katherine Douglass, Augustus Lamb, Jerry Lu, Ken Ono, and William Tenpas ( The Mathematical Intelligencer, 2024). " Why Some Olympic Swimmers Think About Math in the Pool ," by Jenny Vrentas ( The New York Times, 2024). EXTRAS: " The Language of the Universe ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024).
Sat, September 28, 2024
141. The Language of the Universe
Ken Ono is a math prodigy whose skills have helped produce a Hollywood movie and made Olympic swimmers faster. The number theorist tells Steve why he sees mathematics as art — and about his unusual path to success, which came without a high school diploma. SOURCE: Ken Ono , professor of mathematics and STEM adviser to the provost at the University of Virginia. RESOURCES: " ‘Digital Twins’ Give Olympic Swimmers a Boost ," by Katherine Douglass, Augustus Lamb, Jerry Lu, Ken Ono, and William Tenpas ( Scientific American, 2024). " Swimming in Data ," by Katherine Douglass, Augustus Lamb, Jerry Lu, Ken Ono, and William Tenpas ( The Mathematical Intelligencer, 2024). " Integer Partitions Detect the Primes ," by William Craig, Jan-Willem van Ittersum, and Ken Ono ( PNAS, 2024). The Man Who Knew Infinity , film by Matt Brown (2015). " Proof of the Umbral Moonshine Conjecture ," by John F. R. Duncan, Michael J. Griffin, and Ken Ono ( Research in the Mathematical Sciences, 2015). " Ramanujan's Ternary Quadratic Form ," by Ken Ono and K. Soundararajan ( Inventiones Mathematicae, 1997). EXTRA: " Richard Dawkins on God, Genes, and Murderous Baby Cuckoos ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024).
Sat, September 21, 2024
Drawing from Life (and Death) (Update)
Artist Wendy MacNaughton knows the difficulty of sitting in silence and the power of having fun. She explains to Steve the lessons she’s gleaned from drawing hospice residents, working in Rwanda, and reporting from Guantanamo Bay. SOURCE: Wendy MacNaughton , artist and graphic journalist. RESOURCES: " What Happens if Two Complete Strangers Draw Each Other? " video by the National Gallery of Art (2024). How to Say Goodbye , by Wendy MacNaughton (2023). " How to Have Fun Again ," by Wendy MacNaughton (The New York Times, 2022). " Inside America’s War Court: Clothing and Culture at Guantánamo Bay ," by Carol Rosenberg and Wendy MacNaughton ( The New York Times, 2019). " Drawing the Guantánamo Bay War Court ," by Wendy MacNaughton ( The New York Times, 2019). Think Like a Freak , by Steve Levitt and Stephen Dubner (2014). DrawTogether . The Grown-Ups Table . Zen Caregiving Project . DrawTogether Strangers . EXTRAS: " Rick Rubin on How to Make Something Great ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023). " Does Death Have to Be a Death Sentence? " by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022). " Sendhil Mullainathan Explains How to Generate an Idea a Minute (Part 2) ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021). " Sendhil Mullainathan Thinks Messing Around Is the Best Use of Your Time ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).
Sat, September 14, 2024
140. How to Breathe Better
Bestselling author James Nestor believes that we can improve our lives by changing the way we breathe. He’s persuasive enough to get Steve taping his mouth shut at night. He explains how humans dive to depths of 300 feet without supplemental oxygen, and describes what it’s like to be accepted into a pod of whales. SOURCES: James Nestor , author and journalist. RESOURCES: Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art , by James Nestor (2020). Deep: Freediving, Renegade Science, and What the Ocean Tells Us about Ourselves , by James Nestor (2014). " Open Your Mouth and You’re Dead ," by James Nestor ( Outside Magazine, 2012). " The Brain on Sonar — How Blind People Find Their Way Around With Echoes ," by Ed Yong ( National Geographic, 2011). " How I Held My Breath for 17 Minutes ," by David Blaine ( TED Talk, 2009). Project CETI . EXTRA: Data Science for Everyone Survey .
Sat, August 31, 2024
139. How PETA Made Radical Ideas Mainstream
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals founder Ingrid Newkirk has been badgering meat-eaters, fur-wearers, and circus-goers for more than 40 years. For a woman who’s leaving her liver to the president of France in her will, she sounds quite sensible when she tells Steve what we can learn from animals, why she supports euthanasia, and who’ll get her other organs. SOURCE : Ingrid Newkirk , founding president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. RESOURCES: " Paradoxical Gender Effects in Meat Consumption Across Cultures ," by Christopher J. Hopwood, Jahn N. Zizer, Wiebke Bleidorn, et al. ( Nature Scientific Reports, 2024). " PETA President Bequeaths Her Rump to a Reality Show ," (PETA.org, 2023). Animalkind: Remarkable Discoveries about Animals and Revolutionary New Ways to Show Them Compassion , by Ingrid Newkirk (2020). " One Last U.S. Medical School Still Killed Animals to Teach Surgery. But No More ," by Darryl Fears ( The Washington Post, 2016). " The Naked and the Dead ," by Katie Glass ( The Times, 2013). " The Betrayal of 'No-Kill' Sheltering ," by Ingrid Newkirk (PETA YouTube channel, 2013). " The Lab-Monkey Controversy That Launched the Animal-Rights Movement ," by Caroline Fraser ( The New Yorker, 1993). EXTRAS: " Suleika Jaouad’s Survival Mechanisms ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024). " Jane Goodall Changed the Way We See Animals. She’s Not Done ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022). " Peter Singer Isn’t a Saint, But He’s Better Than Steve Levitt ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022). " Bruce Friedrich Thinks There’s a Better Way to Eat Meat ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021). Project Donor . </u
Sat, August 24, 2024
Sendhil Mullainathan Thinks Messing Around Is the Best Use of Your Time (Update)
Revisiting Steve’s 2021 conversation with the economist and MacArthur “genius” about how to make memories stickier, why change is undervalued, and how to find something new to say on the subject of scarcity. SOURCE: Sendhil Mullainathan , university professor of computation and behavioral science at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. RESOURCES: " Fictional Money, Real Costs: Impacts of Financial Salience on Disadvantaged Students ," by Claire Duquennois ( American Economic Review, 2022). " Do Financial Concerns Make Workers Less Productive? " by Supreet Kaur, Sendhil Mullainathan, Suanna Oh, and Frank Schilbach ( NBER Working Paper, 2022). Subtract: The Untapped Science of Less , by Leidy Klotz (2021). " Heads or Tails: The Impact of a Coin Toss on Major Life Decisions and Subsequent Happiness ," by Steve Levitt ( NBER Working Paper, 2016). Scarcity: Why Having Too Little Means So Much , by Sendhil Mullainathan and Eldar Shafir (2013). " The End of History Illusion ," by Jordi Quoidbach, Daniel T. Gilbert, and Timothy D. Wilson ( Science, 2013). EXTRAS: " Leidy Klotz on Why the Best Solutions Involve Less — Not More ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021). " Sendhil Mullainathan Explains How to Generate an Idea a Minute ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).
Sat, August 17, 2024
138. Chris Anderson on the Power of TED
Under his helm, the TED Conference went from a small industry gathering to a global phenomenon. Chris and Steve talk about how to build lasting institutions, how to make generosity go viral, and what Chris has learned about public speaking. SOURCE: Chris Anderson , head of TED. RESOURCES: Infectious Generosity: The Ultimate Idea Worth Spreading , by Chris Anderson (2024). TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking , by Chris Anderson (2016). " The Best Stats You've Ever Seen ," by Hans Rosling ( TED, 2006). " Do Schools Kill Creativity? " by Sir Ken Robinson ( TED, 2006). " Close-Up Card Magic With a Twist ," by Lennart Green ( TED, 2005). " The Freakonomics of Crack Dealing ," by Steve Levitt ( TED, 2004). ZoeCoral.com . EXTRAS: " Giving It Away ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022). " We Can Play God Now ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022). " Self-Help for Data Nerds ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022). " Steven Pinker: 'I Manage My Controversy Portfolio Carefully ,'" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2020).
Tue, August 13, 2024
EXTRA: Remembering Susan Wojcicki
The former YouTube C.E.O. — and sixteenth Google employee — died on August 9, 2024. Steve talked with her in 2020 about her remarkable career, and how her background in economics shaped her work. SOURCES: Susan Wojcicki , former C.E.O. of YouTube. RESOURCES: " Susan Wojcicki, Former Chief of YouTube, Dies at 56 ," by John Yoon and Mike Isaac ( The New York Times, 2024).
Sat, August 03, 2024
137. Richard Dawkins on God, Genes, and Murderous Baby Cuckoos
The author of the classic The Selfish Gene is still changing the way we think about evolution. SOURCE: Richard Dawkins , professor emeritus of the public understanding of science at Oxford University. RESOURCES: The Genetic Book of the Dead , by Richard Dawkins (2024). Flights of Fancy: Defying Gravity by Design and Evolution , by Richard Dawkins (2021). " About Three-in-Ten U.S. Adults Are Now Religiously Unaffiliated ," by Gregory A. Smith ( Pew Research Center, 2021). Cuckoo: Cheating by Nature , by Nick Davies (2015). The God Delusion , by Richard Dawkins (2006). " Why the Universe Seems So Strange ," by Richard Dawkins ( TED Global, 2005). " Surprising Stats About Child Carseats ," by Steve Levitt ( TED Global, 2005). " Genes and Memes ," by John Maynard Smith ( London Review of Books, 1982). The Extended Phenotype: The Long Reach of the Gene , by Richard Dawkins (1982). The Selfish Gene , by Richard Dawkins (1976). " Child Endowments and the Quantity and Quality of Children ," by Gary Becker and Nigel Tomes ( Journal of Political Economy, 1976). " Selective Pecking in the Domestic Chick ," by Richard Dawkins (University of Oxford Ph.D. thesis, 1966). EXTRAS: " The World’s Most Controversial Ornithologist ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024). " Is Gynecology the Best Innovation Ever? " by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024).
Sat, July 27, 2024
What It Takes to Know Everything (Update)
Victoria Groce is the best trivia contestant on earth. The winner of the 2024 World Quizzing Championship explains the structure of a good question, why she knits during competitions, and how to memorize 160,000 flashcards. SOURCE: Victoria Groce , “The Queen” on the television game show The Chase . RESOURCES: The Chase , TV series (2013-2015, 2021-present). LearnedLeague . Anki . EXTRAS: " Ken Jennings on How a Midlife Crisis Led Him to Jeopardy! (Replay) ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021). " Mayim Bialik on the Surprising Risks of Academia and Stability of Show Biz (Replay) ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).
Sat, July 20, 2024
136. The World’s Most Controversial Ornithologist
Richard Prum says there's a lot that traditional evolutionary biology can't explain. He thinks a neglected hypothesis from Charles Darwin — and insights from contemporary queer theory — hold the answer. Plus: You won't believe what female ducks use for contraception. SOURCE: Richard Prum , professor of ornithology, ecology and evolutionary biology at Yale University. RESOURCES: " Stop Your Populist Grandstanding Over Wendy’s ‘Surge Pricing’ ," by Catherine Rampell ( The Washington Post, 2024). " Dynamic Pricing Tech May Brighten Retail Bottom Lines and Put Consumers in the Dark ," by Kristin Schwab and Sofia Terenzio ( Marketplace, 2024). Performance All the Way Down: Genes, Development, and Sexual Difference , by Richard Prum (2023). The Evolution of Beauty: How Darwin's Forgotten Theory of Mate Choice Shapes the Animal World — and Us , by Richard Prum (2017). " Duck Sex and the Patriarchy ," by Richard Prum ( The New Yorker, 2017). " Dinosaur Feathers Came before Birds and Flight ," by Richard Prum and Alan Brush ( Scientific American, 2014). " How Chickens Lost Their Penises (And Ducks Kept Theirs) ," by Ed Yong ( National Geographic, 2013). " Media Attacks Duck Genitalia Research ," by Emma Goldberg ( Yale Daily News, 2013). " Mate Choice and Sexual Selection: What Have We Learned Since Darwin? " by Adam G. Jones and Nicholas L. Ratterman ( PNAS, 2009). " Development and Evolutionary Origin of Feathers ," by Richard O. Prum ( Journal of Experimental Zoology, 2002). The Blind Watchmaker: Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe without Design , by Richard Dawkins (1986). " Display Behavior, Foraging Ecology, and Systematics of the Golden-Winged Manakin (Masius c
Sat, July 06, 2024
135. How to Grow a White Rhino
Thomas Hildebrandt is trying to bring the northern white rhinoceros back from the brink of extinction. The wildlife veterinarian tells Steve about the far-out techniques he employs, why we might see woolly mammoths in the future, and why he was frustrated the day the Berlin Wall came down. SOURCES: Thomas Hildebrandt , head of the department of reproduction management at the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research and professor of wildlife reproduction medicine at the veterinary faculty of the Freie Universität Berlin. RESOURCES: " An Inside Look at the Embryo Transplant That May Help Save the Northern White Rhino ," by Jeffrey Kluger ( TIME, 2024). " Mud, Bugs, and Dung: How Rhinos Shape Their World ," by Rinjan Shrestha ( World Wildlife Fund, 2022). " The Last Two Northern White Rhinos On Earth ," by Sam Anderson ( The New York Times Magazine, 2021). " Embryos and Embryonic Stem Cells From the White Rhinoceros ," by Thomas B. Hildebrandt, Robert Hermes, Cesare Galli, et al. ( Nature Communications, 2018). " Loss of a Species – A Giant, Extinct ," by Thomas Hildebrandt ( TED, 2017). Colossal . EXTRAS: " Why Do We Still Teach People to Calculate? " by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024). " What’s Stopping Us From Curing Rare Diseases? " by Freakonomics, M.D. (2023). " We Can Play God Now ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022).
Sat, June 29, 2024
Sue Bird: “You Have to Pay the Superstars.” (Replay)
She is one of the best basketball players ever. She’s won multiple championships, including five Olympic gold medals and four W.N.B.A. titles. She also helped negotiate a landmark contract for the league’s players. Sue Bird tells Steve Levitt the untold truth about clutch players, her thoughts about the pay gap between male and female athletes, and what it means to be part of the first gay couple in ESPN The Magazine ’s Body Issue . SOURCE: Sue Bird , former professional basketball player. RESOURCES: " ‘We’re Betting on Ourselves’: Why WNBA’s Landmark New Deal Is a Huge Win for Women’s Professional Sports ," by Percy Allen ( The Seattle Times, 2020). " Sue Bird & Megan Rapinoe ," ( ESPN The Magazine Body Issue , 2018). " Missed Shots at the Free-Throw Line: Analyzing the Determinants of Choking Under Pressure ," by Mattie Toma ( Journal of Sports Economics, 2015). EXTRAS: " Marc Davis Can’t Stop Watching Basketball — But He Doesn’t Care Who Wins ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021). " The Hidden Side of Sports ," series by Freakonomics Radio (2018-19). " The True Story of the Gender Pay Gap ," by Freakonomics Radio (2016).
Sat, June 22, 2024
134. Why Do We Still Teach People to Calculate?
Conrad Wolfram wants to transform the way we teach math — by taking advantage of computers. The creator of Computer-Based Maths convinced the Estonian government to give his radical curriculum a try — so why is the rest of the world so resistant? SOURCE: Conrad Wolfram, strategic director and European cofounder/C.E.O. of Wolfram Research, and founder of computerbasedmath.org. RESOURCES: "In California, a Math Problem: Does Data Science = Algebra II?" by Amy Harmon (The New York Times, 2023). The Math(s) Fix: An Education Blueprint for the AI Age, by Conrad Wolfram (2020). "The Movement to Modernize Math Class," by Yoree Koh (The Wall Street Journal, 2020). "Math Rebels Invade Estonia With Computerized Education," by Klint Finley (Wired, 2013). "Do Left-Handed People Really Die Young?" by Hannah Barnes (BBC News, 2013). "Teaching Kids Real Math With Computers," by Conrad Wolfram (TED Talk, 2010). EXTRAS: "Bringing Data to Life," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023). "Steven Strogatz Thinks You Don’t Know What Math Is," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023). "Mathematician Sarah Hart on Why Numbers are Music to Our Ears," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021). "America’s Math Curriculum Doesn’t Add Up," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).
Sat, June 08, 2024
133. Pay Attention! (Your Body Will Thank You)
Ellen Langer is a psychologist at Harvard who studies the mind-body connection. She’s published some of the most remarkable scientific findings Steve has ever encountered. Can we really improve our physical health by changing our mind? SOURCE: Ellen Langer , professor of psychology at Harvard University. RESOURCES: Brave New Words: How AI Will Revolutionize Education (and Why That's a Good Thing) , by Sal Khan (2024). " F.D.A.’s Review of MDMA Cites Health Risks and Study Flaws ," by Andrew Jacobs and Christina Jewett ( The New York Times, 2024). The Mindful Body: Thinking Our Way to Chronic Health , by Ellen Langer (2023). " Physical Healing as a Function of Perceived Time ," by Peter Aungle and Ellen Langer ( Nature: Scientific Reports, 2023). " Aging as a Mindset: A Study Protocol to Rejuvenate Older Adults With a Counterclockwise Psychological Intervention ," by Francesco Pagnini, Cesare Cavalera, Ellen Langer, et al. ( BMJ Open, 2019). Counterclockwise: Mindful Health and the Power of Possibility , by Ellen Langer (2009). " Mind-Set Matters: Exercise and the Placebo Effect ," by Alia Crum and Ellen Langer (2007). " The Effects of Choice and Enhanced Personal Responsibility for the Aged: A Field Experiment in an Institutional Setting ," by Ellen Langer and Judith Rodin ( Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1976). EXTRAS: " The Future of Therapy Is Psychedelic ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023). " Extra: An Update on the Khan World School ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023). " Is This the Future of High School? " by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022). " What It Takes to Know Everything ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022). " Sal Khan: 'If It Works for 15 Cousins,
Sat, June 01, 2024
John Green’s Reluctant Rocket Ship Ride (Update)
Author and YouTuber John Green thought his breakout bestseller wouldn’t be a commercial success, wrote 40,000 words for one sentence, and brought Steve to tears. SOURCE: John Green , best-selling author and YouTube creator. RESOURCES : " The Deadliest Infectious Disease Isn’t a Science Problem. It’s a Money Problem ," by John Green ( The Washington Post, 2024). “ Tuition Inflation Isn’t as Bad as You Think ,” by Felix Salmon ( Axios, 2022). “ Fast Facts: Expenditures ,” by the National Center for Education Statistics (2022). “ Trends in College Pricing and Student Aid 2021 ,” by the College Board (2021). “ #37 John ,” by Heavyweight (2021). The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet , by John Green (2021). “ Scratch ‘n’ Sniff Stickers and the Indianapolis 500 ,” by The Anthropocene Reviewed Podcast (2019). “ How Joan of Arc Conquered Mark Twain ,” by Ted Gioia ( America: The Jesuit Review, 2018). Turtles All the Way Down , by John Green (2017). The Fault in Our Stars , film (2014). The Fault in Our Stars , by John Green (2012). Looking for Alaska , by John Green (2005). All the King’s Men , by Robert Penn Warren and Noel Polk (1946). Harvey , film (1950). vlogbrothers , YouTube channel by John and Hank Green. Crash Course , YouTube channel by John and Hank Green. EXTRAS: “ Peter Singer Isn’t a Saint, But He’s Better Than Steve Levitt ,” by People I (Mostly) Admire (20
Sat, May 25, 2024
132. Suleika Jaouad’s Survival Mechanisms
Suleika Jaouad was diagnosed with cancer at 22. She made her illness the subject of a New York Times column and a memoir, Between Two Kingdoms. She and Steve talk about what it means to live with a potentially fatal illness, how to talk to people who've gone through a tragedy, and ways to encourage medical donations. SOURCE: Suleika Jaouad , author. RESOURCES: " The Art of Survival ," by Jennifer Senior ( The Atlantic, 2024). American Symphony , film by Matthew Heineman (2023). Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted , by Suleika Jaouad (2021). " Max Ritvo, Poet Who Chronicled His Cancer Fight, Dies at 25 ," by John Schwartz ( The New York Times, 2016). “ Life, Interrupted ,” column by Suleika Jaouad ( The New York Times, 2012-2015). The Fault in Our Stars , by John Green (2012). Bright-sided: How Positive Thinking Is Undermining America , by Barbara Ehrenreich (2009). The Isolation Journals , newsletter by Suleika Jaouad. EXTRAS: " John Green’s Reluctant Rocket Ship Ride ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022). " Does Death Have to Be a Death Sentence? " by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022).
Sat, May 11, 2024
131. Getting Old, Adventurously
Caroline Paul is a thrill-seeker and writer who is on a quest to encourage women to get outside and embrace adventure as they age. She and Steve talk about fighting fires, walking on airplane wings, and finding awe in birdwatching. SOURCE: Caroline Paul , author and former firefighter. RESOURCES : Tough Broad: From Boogie Boarding to Wing Walking ― How Outdoor Adventure Improves Our Lives as We Age , by Caroline Paul (2024). " FAA Halts Sequim Wing-Walking Flights, Revokes Owner’s Pilot License ," by Dominic Gates ( The Seattle Times, 2024). " How a Bit of Awe Can Improve Your Health ," by Hope Reese ( The New York Times, 2023). The Gutsy Girl: Escapades for Your Life of Epic Adventure , by Caroline Paul (2016). " Why Do We Teach Girls That It’s Cute to Be Scared? " by Caroline Paul ( The New York Times, 2016). " What if Age Is Nothing but a Mind-Set? " by Bruce Grierson ( The New York Times Magazine, 2014). Lost Cat: A True Story of Love, Desperation, and GPS Technology , by Caroline Paul (2013). " The Cognitive Benefits of Interacting With Nature ," by Marc G. Berman, John Jonides, and Stephen Kaplan ( Psychological Science, 2008). " Longevity Increased by Positive Self-Perceptions of Aging ," by Becca R. Levy, Martin D. Slade, Suzanne R. Kunkel, and Stanislav V. Kasl ( Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2002). Fighting Fire , by Caroline Paul (1998). EXTRAS: " Is Fear Running Your Life? " by No Stupid Questions (2024). " Arnold Schwarzenegger Has Some Advice for You ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024). " Should You Spend More Time in Nature? " by No Stupid Questions (2023). "<a href="https
Sat, May 04, 2024
What It’s Like to Be Steve Levitt’s Daughters (Update)
Steve shows a different side of himself in very personal interviews with his two oldest daughters. Amanda talks about growing up with social anxiety and her decision not to go to college, while Lily speaks candidly about her battle with anorexia and the conversation she had with Steve that led her to seek treatment. SOURCES: Lily Levitt, daughter of Steve Levitt. Amanda Levitt, daughter of Steve Levitt. RESOURCES: Can I Ask You a Question? by Amanda Levitt (2020). " Does “Early Education” Come Way Too Late? " Freakonomics Radio (2018) . EXTRAS: NEDA Crisis Support.
Sat, April 27, 2024
130. Is Our Concept of Freedom All Wrong?
The economist Joseph Stiglitz has devoted his life to exposing the limits of markets. He tells Steve about winning an argument with fellow Nobel laureate Milton Friedman, why small governments don’t lead to more freedom, and why he’s not afraid to be an advocate. SOURCE: Joseph Stiglitz , professor at Columbia University and chief economist at the Roosevelt Institute. RESOURCES : The Road to Freedom: Economics and the Good Society , by Joseph Stiglitz (2024). " Equilibrium in Competitive Insurance Markets: An Essay on the Economics of Imperfect Information ," by Michael Rothschild and Joseph Stiglitz ( The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2010). " Hirsh: The Missing Link on Obama's Economic Team ," by Michael Hirsh ( Newsweek, 2008). Globalization and Its Discontents , by Joseph Stiglitz (2002). Two Lucky People: Memoirs , by Milton Friedman and Rose Friedman (1998). " On Value Maximization and Alternative Objectives of the Firm ," by Sanford Grossman and Joseph Stiglitz ( The Journal of Finance, 1977). EXTRAS : " Remembering Daniel Kahneman ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024). " Ninety-Eight Years of Economic Wisdom ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023).
Sat, April 13, 2024
129. How to Fix Medical Research
Monica Bertagnolli went from a childhood on a cattle ranch to a career as a surgeon to a top post in the Biden administration. As director of the National Institutes of Health, she’s working to improve the way we find new treatments — despite regulatory constraints and tight budgets. SOURCE : Monica Bertagnolli , director of the National Institutes of Health. RESOURCES: " Steven Levitt and John Donohue Defend a Finding Made Famous by 'Freakonomics' ," by Steven Levitt and John Donohue ( The Economist, 2024). " Why 'Freakonomics' Failed to Transform Economics ," ( The Economist, 2024). " Steven D. Levitt (Freakonomics Co-Author and U Chicago Econ Prof) on His Career and Decision to Retire From Academic Economics ," by Jon Hartley ( The Capitalism and Freedom in the Twenty-First Century Podcast, 2024). " Why Autoimmune Disease Is More Common in Women: X Chromosome Holds Clues ," by Elie Dolgin ( Nature, 2024). " Casgevy and Lyfgenia: Two Gene Therapies Approved for Sickle Cell Disease ," by Carrie MacMillan ( Yale Medicine News, 2023). " Fact Sheet: President Biden Reignites Cancer Moonshot to End Cancer as We Know It ," (2022). " Mini-Antibodies Discovered in Sharks and Camels Could Lead to Drugs for Cancer and Other Diseases ," by Mitch Leslie ( Science, 2018). EXTRAS: " Who Pays for Multimillion-Dollar Miracle Cures? " by Freakonomics, M.D. (2023). " What’s Stopping Us From Curing Rare Diseases? " by Freakonomics, M.D. (2023). " Abortion and Crime, Revisited (Update) ," by Freakonomics
Sat, April 06, 2024
EXTRA: Remembering Daniel Kahneman
Nobel laureate, bestselling author, and groundbreaking psychologist Daniel Kahneman died in March. In 2021 he talked with Steve Levitt — his friend and former business partner — about his book Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment (cowritten with Olivier Sibony and Cass Sunstein) and much more. SOURCES: Daniel Kahneman , professor emeritus of psychology and public affairs at Princeton University. RESOURCES: Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment , by Olivier Sibony, Daniel Kahneman, and Cass R. Sunstein (2021). Thinking, Fast and Slow , by Daniel Kahneman (2011). EXTRAS: " What’s the Secret to Making a Great Prediction? " by No Stupid Questions (2021). " The Men Who Started a Thinking Revolution ," by Freakonomics Radio (2017). " How to Be Less Terrible at Predicting the Future ," by Freakonomics Radio (2016).
Sat, March 30, 2024
128. Are Our Tools Becoming Part of Us?
Google researcher Blaise Agüera y Arcas spends his work days developing artificial intelligence models and his free time conducting surveys for fun. He tells Steve how he designed an algorithm for the U.S. Navy at 14, how he discovered the truth about printing-press pioneer Johannes Gutenberg, and when A.I. first blew his mind. SOURCE: Blaise Agüera y Arcas , fellow at Google Research. RESOURCES: Who Are We Now? , by Blaise Agüera y Arcas (2023). " Artificial General Intelligence Is Already Here ," by Blaise Agüera y Arcas and Peter Norvig ( Noema Magazine, 2023). " Transformer: A Novel Neural Network Architecture for Language Understanding ," by Jakob Uszkoreit ( Google Research Blog, 2017). " Communication-Efficient Learning of Deep Networks from Decentralized Data ," by H. Brendan McMahan, Eider Moore, Daniel Ramage, Seth Hampson, and Blaise Agüera y Arcas ( arXiv, 2016). " How PhotoSynth Can Connect the World's Images ," by Blaise Agüera y Arcas ( TED Talk, 2007). " Has History Been Too Generous to Gutenberg? " by Dinitia Smith ( The New York Times, 2001). EXTRAS: " 'My God, This Is a Transformative Power ,'" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023). " How to Think About A.I. ," series by Freakonomics Radio (2023). " Satya Nadella’s Intelligence Is Not Artificial ," by Freakonomics Radio (2023). " Yul Kwon (Part 2): 'Hey, Do You Have Any Bright Ideas?' " by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021). " Yul Kwon: 'Don’t Try to Change Yourself All at Once ,'" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).
Sat, March 16, 2024
127. Rajiv Shah Never Wastes a Crisis
After Haiti’s devastating earthquake, Rajiv Shah headed the largest humanitarian effort in U.S. history. As chief economist of the Gates Foundation he tried to immunize almost a billion children. He tells Steve why it’s important to take big gambles, follow the data, and own up to your mistakes. SOURCE : Rajiv Shah , president of the Rockefeller Foundation. RESOURCES: Big Bets: How Large-Scale Change Really Happens , by Rajiv Shah (2023). " The Root of Haiti’s Misery: Reparations to Enslavers ," by Catherine Porter, Constant Méheut, Matt Apuzzo, and Selam Gebrekidan ( The New York Times, 2022). " Testing Is Our Way Out ," by Paul Romer and Rajiv Shah ( The Wall Street Journal, 2020). " How to Get Millions of People to Take Coronavirus Tests and Stay Home if They're Positive ," by Steven Levitt, Paul Romer, and Jeff Severts ( USA Today, 2020). " Haiti In Ruins: A Look Back At The 2010 Earthquake ," by The Picture Show (2020). " Vaccine for a Global Childhood Illness Passes Last Big Hurdle ," ( The New York Times, 1997). EXTRAS : " Dambisa Moyo Says Foreign Aid Can’t Solve Problems, but Maybe Corporations Can ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021). " Moncef Slaoui: 'It’s Unfortunate That It Takes a Crisis for This to Happen ,'" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2020).
Sat, March 02, 2024
126. How to Have Great Conversations
The Power of Habit author Charles Duhigg wrote his new book in an attempt to learn how to communicate better. Steve shares how the book helped him understand his own conversational weaknesses. SOURCES: Charles Duhigg , journalist and author. RESOURCES : Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection , by Charles Duhigg (2024). " 2023 Word of the Year Is 'Enshittification ,'" by the American Dialect Association (2024). " When Someone You Love Is Upset, Ask This One Question ," by Jancee Dunn ( The New York Times, 2023). Smarter Faster Better: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business , by Charles Duhigg (2016). " The 36 Questions That Lead to Love ," by Daniel Jones ( The New York Times, 2015). The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business , by Charles Duhigg (2012). " The Experimental Generation of Interpersonal Closeness: A Procedure and Some Preliminary Findings ," by Arthur Aron, Edward Melinat, Elaine N. Aron, Robert Darrin Vallone, and Renee J. Bator ( Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 1997). EXTRAS: " How Can You Get Closer to the People You Care About? " by No Stupid Questions (2023). " How Do You Connect With Someone You Just Met? " by No Stupid Questions (2023). " Can I Ask You a Ridiculously Personal Question? " by Freakonomics Radio (2021). " Amanda & Lily Levitt Share What It’s Like to be Steve’s Daughters ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021). " Marina Nitze: 'If You Googled ‘Business Efficiency Consultant,’ I Was the Only Result ,'" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021). " Ho
Sat, February 17, 2024
125. Is Gynecology the Best Innovation Ever?
Cat Bohannon’s new book puts female anatomy at the center of human evolution. She tells Steve why it takes us so long to give birth, what breast milk is really for, and why the human reproductive system is a flaming pile of garbage. SOURCE: Cat Bohannon , researcher and author. RESOURCES: Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution , by Cat Bohannon (2023). “ Genomic Inference of a Severe Human Bottleneck During the Early to Middle Pleistocene Transition ,” by Wangjie Hu, Ziqian Hao, Pengyuan Du, Fabio Di Vincenzo, Giorgio Manzi, Jialong Cui, Yun-Xin Fu, Yi-Hsuan, and Haipeng Li ( Science, 2023). “ The Greatest Invention in the History of Humanity ,” by Cat Bohannon ( The Atlantic, 2023). “ A Newborn Infant Chimpanzee Snatched and Cannibalized Immediately After Birth: Implications for ‘Maternity Leave’ in Wild Chimpanzee ,” by Hitonaru Nishie and Michio Nakamura ( American Journal of Biological Anthropology, 2018). “ War in the Womb ,” by Suzanne Sadedin ( Aeon, 2014). “ Timing of Childbirth Evolved to Match Women’s Energy Limits ,” by Erin Wayman ( Smithsonian Magazine, 2012). “ Bonobo Sex and Society ,” by Frans B. M. de Waal ( Scientific American, 2006). EXTRAS: “ Ninety-Eight Years of Economic Wisdom ,” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023). “ We Can Play God Now ,” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022). “ Yuval Noah Harari Thinks Life Is Meaningless and Amazing ,” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022). “ Jared Diamond on the Downfall of Civilizations — and His Optimism for Ours ,” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).
Sat, February 03, 2024
124. Daron Acemoglu on Economics, Politics, and Power
Economist Daron Acemoglu likes to tackle big questions. He tells Steve how colonialism still affects us today, who benefits from new technology, and why democracy wasn’t always a sure thing. SOURCE: Daron Acemoglu , professor of economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. RESOURCES: Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity , by Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson (2023). " Economists Pin More Blame on Tech for Rising Inequality ," by Steve Lohr ( The New York Times, 2022). " America’s Slow-Motion Wage Crisis: Four Decades of Slow and Unequal Growth ," by John Schmitt, Elise Gould, and Josh Bivens ( Economic Policy Institute, 2018). " Why Mental Health Advocates Use the Words 'Died by Suicide ,'" by Nicole Spector ( NBC News, 2018). " A Machine That Made Stockings Helped Kick Off the Industrial Revolution ," by Sarah Laskow ( Atlas Obscura, 2017). " The Long-Term Jobs Killer Is Not China. It’s Automation ," by Claire Cain Miller ( The New York Times, 2016). Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty , by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson (2012). " The Colonial Origins of Comparative Development: An Empirical Investigation ," by Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson, and James A. Robinson ( American Economic Review, 2001). " Learning about Others' Actions and the Investment Accelerator ," by Daron Acemoglu ( The Economic Journal, 1993). " A Friedman Doctrine — The Social Responsibility of Business Is to Increase Its Profits ," by Milton Friedman ( The New York Times, 1970). EXTRAS: " 'My God, This Is a Transformative Power ,'" by People I (Mostly) Admir
Sat, January 20, 2024
123. Walt Hickey Wants to Track Your Eyeballs
Journalist Walt Hickey uses data to understand how culture works. He and Steve talk about why China hasn’t produced any hit movies yet and how he got his own avatar in the Madden NFL video game. SOURCE: Walter Hickey , author, journalist, and data expert. RESOURCES: You Are What You Watch: How Movies and TV Affect Everything , by Walter Hickey (2023). " France Gave Teenagers $350 for Culture. They’re Buying Comic Books ," by Aurelien Breeden ( The New York Times, 2021). " How I Escaped a Chinese Internment Camp ," by Fahmida Azim, Anthony Del Col, and Josh Adams ( Business Insider, 2021). " Why You Should Stop Binge-Watching ," by Alan Jern ( Psychology Today, 2021). " China Wants Soft Power. But Censorship Is Stifling Its Film Industry ," by Eduardo Baptista ( CNN, 2019). " The Economic Impact of On-Screen Tourism: The Case of The Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit ," by ShiNa Li, Hengyun Li, Haiyan Song, Christine Lundberg, and Shujie Shen ( Tourism Management, 2017). " A Lazy, Out-Of-Shape Amateur Won Two More Super Bowls Than Tony Romo ," by Walter Hickey and Jody Avirgan ( FiveThirtyEight, 2015). " How Madden Helped a Schlub Like Me Make It Into the NFL ," by Walter Hickey ( FiveThirtyEight, 2015). " 'Kung Fu Panda' Prompts Soul-Searching in China ," by Simon Rabinovitch ( Reuters, 2008). Numlock News , by Walter Hickey. EXTRAS: " Nate Silver Says We’re Bad at Making Predictions ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023). " Adding Ten Healthy Years to Your Life ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023). " David Epstein Knows Something About Almost
Sat, January 06, 2024
122. Arnold Schwarzenegger Has Some Advice for You
Arnold Schwarzenegger has been a bodybuilder, an actor, a governor, and, now, an author. He tells Steve how he’s managed to succeed in so many fields — and what to do when people throw eggs at you. SOURCE: Arnold Schwarzenegger , professional bodybuilder, actor, and former governor of California. RESOURCES: Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life , by Arnold Schwarzenegger (2023). " Arnold Schwarzenegger: Environmentalists Are Behind the Times. And Need to Catch Up Fast ," by Arnold Schwarzenegger ( USA Today, 2023). Arnold , Netflix documentary (2023). " Gubernatorial Recall Election Debate ," ( C-SPAN , 2003). " Cinema: Best of '84: Cinema ," ( TIME, 1985). EXTRAS: " This Is Your Brain on Pollution (Update) ," by Freakonomics Radio (2022). Twins , film by Ivan Reitman (1988). The Terminator , film by James Cameron (1984).
Sat, December 23, 2023
121. Exploring Physics, from Eggshells to Oceans
Physicist Helen Czerski loves to explain how the world works. She talks with Steve about studying bubbles, setting off explosives, and how ocean waves have changed the course of history. SOURCE: Helen Czerski , physicist and oceanographer at University College London. RESOURCES: The Blue Machine: How the Ocean Works , by Helen Czerski (2023). " Ocean Bubbles Under High Wind Conditions – Part 1: Bubble Distribution and Development ," by Helen Czerski, Ian M. Brooks, Steve Gunn, Robin Pascal, Adrian Matei, and Byron Blomquist ( Ocean Science, 2022). " When It Comes to Sucking Up Carbon Emissions, ‘The Ocean Has Been Forgiving.’ That Might Not Last ," by Bella Isaacs-Thomas ( PBS NewsHour, 2022). " Ocean's Hidden Heat Measured With Earthquake Sounds ," by Paul Voosen ( Science, 2020). " Why Is the Ocean so Important for Climate Change? " by Kathryn Tso ( MIT Climate Portal, 2020). " Issues Brief: Ocean Deoxygenation ," by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (2019). " Behold the Bubbly Ocean ," by Helen Czerski ( Physics World, 2017). Storm in a Teacup: The Physics of Everyday Life , by Helen Czerski (2016). " Research Highlight: Scripps and the Science Behind the D-Day Landings ," by James Vazquez and Mario C. Aguilera ( Scripps Institution of Oceanography , 2014). " A Mechanism Stimulating Sound Production From Air Bubbles Released From a Nozzle ," by Grant B. Deane and Helen Czerski ( Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 2008). " β-δ Phase Transition During Dropweight Impact on Cyclotetramethylene-Tetranitroamine ," by Helen Czerski, M. W. Greenaway, William G. Proud, and John E. Field ( Journal of Applied Physics, 2004). EXTRAS: "<a href
Sat, December 09, 2023
120. Werner Herzog Thinks His Films Are a Distraction
The filmmaker doesn’t want to be known only for his movies. He tells Steve why he considers himself a writer first, how it feels to be recognized for his role in The Mandalorian , and why he once worked as a rodeo clown. SOURCE: Werner Herzog , filmmaker, author, and actor. RESOURCES: Every Man for Himself and God Against All , by Werner Herzog (2023). The Mandalorian , TV show (2019-2023). The Twilight World , by Werner Herzog (2021). Family Romance, LLC , film by Werner Herzog (2019). Fitzcarraldo , film by Werner Herzog (1982). Of Walking in Ice , by Werner Herzog (1978). Aguirre, the Wrath of God , film by Werner Herzog (1972). Rogue Film School . EXTRAS: " David Simon Is On Strike. Here’s Why ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023). " Will A.I. Make Us Smarter? " by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023). Freakonomics: The Movie (2010).
Sat, November 25, 2023
119. Higher Education Is Broken. Can It Be Fixed?
Economist Michael D. Smith says universities are scrambling to protect a status quo that deserves to die. He tells Steve why the current system is unsustainable, and what’s at stake if nothing changes. RESOURCES: The Abundant University: Remaking Higher Education for a Digital World , by Michael D. Smith (2023). " Diversifying Society’s Leaders? The Determinants and Causal Effects of Admission to Highly Selective Private Colleges ," by Raj Chetty, David J. Deming, and John N. Friedman ( NBER Working Paper, 2023). " Are Universities Going the Way of CDs and Cable TV? " by Michael D. Smith ( The Atlantic, 2020). " For Sale: SAT-Takers’ Names. Colleges Buy Student Data and Boost Exclusivity ," by Douglas Belkin ( The Wall Street Journal, 2019). " High School GPAs and ACT Scores as Predictors of College Completion: Examining Assumptions About Consistency Across High Schools ," by Elaine M. Allensworth and Kallie Clark ( Educational Researcher, 2020). " Mobility Report Cards: The Role of Colleges in Intergenerational Mobility ," by Raj Chetty, John N. Friedman, Emmanuel Saez, Nicholas Turner, and Danny Yagan ( NBER Working Paper, 2017). " How U.S. News College Rankings Promote Economic Inequality on Campus ," by Benjamin Wermund ( Politico, 2017). Streaming, Sharing, Stealing: Big Data and the Future of Entertainment , by Michael D. Smith (2016). " Higher Education's Work Preparation Paradox ," by Brandon Busteed ( Gallup, 2014). " Let’s Level the Playing Field for SAT Prep ," by Sal Khan ( Khan Academy, 2014). " Race, Poverty and SAT Scores: Modeling the Influences of Family Income on Black and White High School Students' SAT Performance ," by Ezekiel J. Dixon-Roman, Howard Everson, and John J Mcardle ( Teachers College Record, 2013). EXTRAS: "<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/the-professor-who-sa
Sat, November 11, 2023
118. “My God, This Is a Transformative Power”
Computer scientist Fei-Fei Li had a wild idea: download one billion images from the internet and teach a computer to recognize them. She ended up advancing the state of artificial intelligence — and she hopes that will turn out to be a good thing for humanity. RESOURCES: The Worlds I See: Curiosity, Exploration, and Discovery at the Dawn of A.I. , by Fei-Fei Li (2023). " Fei-Fei Li's Quest to Make AI Better for Humanity ," by Jessi Hempel ( Wired, 2018). " ImageNet Large Scale Visual Recognition Challenge ," by Olga Russakovsky, Li Fei-Fei, et al. ( International Journal of Computer Vision, 2015). EXTRAS: “ How to Think About A.I. " series by Freakonomics Radio (2023). “ Will A.I. Make Us Smarter? ” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023). “ Satya Nadella’s Intelligence Is Not Artificial ,” by Freakonomics Radio (2023). “ Max Tegmark on Why Superhuman Artificial Intelligence Won’t be Our Slave ,” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021). SOURCES: Fei-Fei Li , professor of computer science and co-director of the Human-Centered A.I. Institute at Stanford University.
Sat, October 28, 2023
117. Nate Silver Says We're Bad at Making Predictions
Data scientist Nate Silver gained attention for his election predictions. But even the best prognosticators get it wrong sometimes. He talks to Steve about making good decisions with data, why he’d rather write a newsletter than an academic paper, and how online poker led him to the world of politics. RESOURCES " Not Everyone Who Disagrees With You Is a Closet Right-Winger ," by Nate Silver ( Silver Bulletin, 2023). " The 2 Key Facts About U.S. Covid Policy That Everyone Should Know ," by Nate Silver ( Silver Bulletin, 2023). " Excess Death Rates for Republican and Democratic Registered Voters in Florida and Ohio During the Covid-19 Pandemic ," by Jacob Wallace, Paul Goldsmith-Pinkham, Jason L. Schwartz ( JAMA Internal Medicine, 2023). " Why Weather Forecasting Keeps Getting Better ," by Hannah Fry ( The New Yorker, 2019). " Why FiveThirtyEight Gave Trump A Better Chance Than Almost Anyone Else ," by Nate Silver ( FiveThirtyEight, 2016). The Signal and the Noise: Why So Many Predictions Fail — but Some Don't , by Nate Silver (2012). EXTRAS " Steven Strogatz Thinks You Don’t Know What Math Is ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023). " A Rockstar Chemist and Her Cancer-Attacking 'Lawn Mower ,'" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022). " What’s the Secret to Making a Great Prediction? " by No Stupid Questions (2021). " How to Be Less Terrible at Predicting the Future ," by Freakonomics Radio (2016). " Nate Silver Says: 'Everyone Is Kind of Weird ,'" by Freakonomics Radio (2015). " The Folly of Prediction ," by Freakonomics Radio (2011). SOURCES: Nate Silver , founder of Five
Sat, October 14, 2023
116. Abraham Verghese Thinks Medicine Can Do Better
Abraham Verghese is a physician and a best-selling author — in that order, he says. He explains the difference between curing and healing, and tells Steve why doctors should spend more time with patients and less with electronic health records. RESOURCES: The Covenant of Water , by Abraham Verghese (2023). " Abraham Verghese’s Sweeping New Fable of Family and Medicine ,” by Andrew Solomon ( The New York Times, 2023). “ Watch Oprah’s Emotional Conversation with Abraham Verghese, Author of the 101st Oprah’s Book Club Pick ” ( Oprah Daily, 2023). " How Indian Teachers Have Shaped Ethiopia's Education System ," by Mariam Jafri ( The Quint, 2023). “ How Tech Can Turn Doctors Into Clerical Workers ,” by Abraham Verghese ( The New York Times Magazine, 2018). Cutting for Stone , by Abraham Verghese (2009). " Culture Shock — Patient as Icon, Icon as Patient ," by Abraham Verghese ( The New England Journal of Medicine, 2008). “ The Cowpath to America ,” by Abraham Verghese ( The New Yorker, 1997). My Own Country: A Doctor's Story , by Abraham Verghese (1994). " Urbs in Rure : Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection in Rural Tennessee ," by Abraham Verghese, Steven L. Berk, and Felix Sarubbi ( The Journal of Infectious Diseases, 1989). EXTRAS: " Are You Suffering From Burnout? " by No Stupid Questions (2023). " Would You Rather See a Computer or a Doctor? " by Freakonomics, M.D. (2022). “ How Do You Cure a Compassion Crisis? ” by Freakonomics Radio (2020). The Citadel , by A. J. Cronin (1937). Uncle Tom's Cabin , by Harriet Bee
Bonus · Mon, October 09, 2023
EXTRA: Nobel Laureate Claudia Goldin on "Greedy Work" and the Wage Gap
Claudia Goldin is the newest winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics. Steve spoke to her in 2021 about how inflexible jobs and family responsibilities make it harder for women to earn wages equal to their male counterparts. SOURCES: Claudia Goldin , professor of economics at Harvard University.
Sat, September 30, 2023
115. The Future of Therapy Is Psychedelic
For 37 years, Rick Doblin has been pushing the F.D.A. to approve treating post-traumatic stress disorder with MDMA, better known as Ecstasy. He tells Steve why he persisted for so long, why he doesn’t like calling drug use “recreational,” and what he learned from his pet wolf. RESOURCES: " MDMA-Assisted Therapy for Moderate to Severe PTSD: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Phase 3 Trial ," by Jennifer M. Mitchell, Marcela Ot’alora G., Bessel van der Kolk, Scott Shannon, Michael Bogenschutz, Rick Doblin, et al. ( Nature Medicine, 2023). " MDMA Therapy Inches Closer to Approval ," by Rachel Nuwer ( The New York Times, 2023). " Psychedelics Reopen the Social Reward Learning Critical Period ," by Romain Nardou, Edward Sawyer, Young Jun Song, Gül Dölen, et al. ( Nature, 2023). " The Social Costs of Keystone Species Collapse: Evidence from the Decline of Vultures in India ," by Eyal Frank and Anant Sudarshan ( SSRN, 2023). " Global Health, Climate Change and Migration: The Need for Recognition of 'Climate Refugees ,'" by Saverio Bellizzi, Christian Popescu, Catello M. Panu Napodano, Maura Fiamma, and Luca Cegolon ( Journal of Global Health, 2023). " Comparison of Prolonged Exposure vs Cognitive Processing Therapy for Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among U.S. Veterans ," by Paula P. Schnurr, Kathleen M. Chard, Josef I. Ruzek, et al. ( JAMA Network Open, 2022). " MDMA-Assisted Therapy for Severe PTSD: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Phase 3 Study ," Jennifer M. Mitchell, Michael Bogenschutz, Alia Lilienstein, Charlotte Harrison, Rick Doblin, et al. ( Nature Medicine, 2021). " Inner City Blues: Children Raised in Inner-Cities Face Comparable PTSD Causing Conditions and Consequences as Military Veterans and Deserve Our Attention ," by Eric Citizen ( SSRN, 2019). " Intergenerational Transmission of Trauma Effects: Putative Role of Epigenetic Mechanisms ," by Rachel Yehuda and Amy Lehrner ( World Psychiatry, 2018). " Durability of Improvement in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms and Absence of Harmful Effects or Drug Dependency After 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine-Assisted Psychotherapy: A Prospective Long-Term Fo
Sat, September 16, 2023
114. Is Perfectionism Ruining Your Life?
Psychologist Thomas Curran argues that perfectionism isn’t about high standards — it’s about never being enough. He explains how the drive to be perfect is harming education, the economy, and our mental health.
Sat, September 02, 2023
113. Do We Have Evidence of Alien Life?
Avi Loeb is a Harvard astronomer who argues that we’ve already encountered extraterrestrial technology. His approach to the search for interstellar objects is scientific, but how plausible is his argument?
Sat, August 19, 2023
112. Reading Dostoevsky Behind Bars
Reginald Dwayne Betts spent more than eight years in prison. Today he's a Yale Law graduate, a MacArthur Fellow, and a poet. His nonprofit works to build libraries in prisons so that more incarcerated people can find hope.
Sat, August 05, 2023
111. Can a Moonshot Approach to Mental Health Work?
Obi Felten used to launch projects for X, Google’s innovation lab, but she’s now tackling mental health. She explains why Steve’s dream job was soul-destroying for her, and how peer support could transform the therapeutic industry.
Sat, July 22, 2023
110. Drawing from Life (and Death)
Artist Wendy MacNaughton knows the difficulty of sitting in silence and the power of having fun. She explains to Steve the lessons she’s gleaned from drawing hospice residents, working in Rwanda, and reporting from Guantanamo Bay.
Bonus · Sat, July 15, 2023
Extra: An Update on the Khan World School
Sal Khan returns to discuss his innovative online high school’s first year — and Steve grills a member of the school’s class of 2026 about what it’s really like.
Sat, July 08, 2023
109. David Simon Is On Strike. Here’s Why.
The creator of "The Wire", "The Deuce", and other shows is leading the Writers Guild on the picket lines. He and Steve break down the economics of TV writing, how A.I. could change television, and why he’s taking a stand even though he’s at the top of the game.
Sat, July 01, 2023
The Economics of Everyday Things: T. rex Skeletons
In the newest show from the Freakonomics Radio Network, host Zachary Crockett explores the hidden side of the things around us. This week: How do dinosaur bones emerge from the Upper Cretaceous period to end up in natural-history museums and private collections?
Sat, June 24, 2023
108. Ninety-Eight Years of Economic Wisdom
Robert Solow is 98 years old and a giant among economists. He tells Steve about cracking German codes in World War II, why it’s so hard to reduce inequality, and how his field lost its way.
Sat, June 10, 2023
107. Bringing Data to Life
Talithia Williams thinks you should rigorously track your body's data. She and Steve Levitt trade birth stories and bemoan the state of STEM education.
Sat, May 27, 2023
106. Will A.I. Make Us Smarter?
Kevin Kelly believes A.I. will create more problems for humanity — and help us solve them. He talks to Steve about embracing complexity, staying enthusiastic, and taking the 10,000-year view.
Sat, May 13, 2023
105. Can Data Keep People Out of Prison?
Clementine Jacoby went from performing in a circus to founding a nonprofit that works to shrink the prison population.
Sat, April 29, 2023
104. The Joy of Math With Sarah Hart
Steve is on a mission to reform math education, and Sarah Hart is ready to join the cause. In her return visit to the show, Sarah explains how patterns are everywhere, constraints make us more creative, and literature is surprisingly mathematical.
Sat, April 15, 2023
103. Rick Rubin on How to Make Something Great
From recording some of the first rap hits to revitalizing Johnny Cash's career, the legendary producer has had an extraordinary creative life. In this episode he talks about his new book and his art-making process — and helps Steve get in touch with his own artistic side.
Sat, April 01, 2023
102. Adding Ten Healthy Years to Your Life
Physician Peter Attia returns to the show to talk about the science of longevity — which focuses not only on extending life but on maintaining good health into old age. He explains the possibilities and limits of current medicine and gives Steve his best advice on how to defeat the aging process.
Sat, March 18, 2023
101. Celebrating 100 People I (Mostly) Admire
Steve and producer Morgan Levey look back at the first 100 episodes of the podcast, including surprising answers, spectacular explanations, and listeners who heard the show and changed their lives.
Sat, March 04, 2023
100. Chicago’s Renegade Sheriff Wants to Fix Law Enforcement
Tom Dart is transforming Cook County’s jail, reforming evictions, and, with Steve Levitt, trying a new approach to electronic monitoring.
Sat, February 18, 2023
99. Greg Norman Takes On the P.G.A. Tour
Since his last visit to People I (Mostly) Admire , the formerly top-ranked golfer has become the sport's most controversial figure. Why has he partnered with the Saudi government — and can his new golf league unseat a monopoly?
Sat, February 04, 2023
98. Searching for Our Aquatic Ancestors
Neil Shubin hunts for fossils in the Arctic and experiments with D.N.A. in the lab, hoping to find out how fish evolved to walk on land. He explains why unlocking these answers could help humans today.
Sat, January 21, 2023
97. How Smart Is a Forest?
Ecologist Suzanne Simard studies the relationships between trees in a forest: they talk to each other, punish each other, and depend on each other. What can we learn from them?
Sat, January 07, 2023
96. Steven Strogatz Thinks You Don’t Know What Math Is
The mathematician and author sees mathematical patterns everywhere — from DNA to fireflies to social connections.
Sat, December 24, 2022
95. The One Thing Stephen Dubner Hasn’t Quit
When Freakonomics co-authors Steve Levitt and Stephen Dubner first met, one of them hated the other. Two decades later, Levitt grills Dubner about asking questions, growing the pie, and what he learned from Bruce Springsteen.
Sat, December 10, 2022
94. The Price of Doing Business with John List
From baseball card conventions to Walmart, John List has always used field experiments to say revolutionary things about economics. He explains the value of an apology, why scaling shouldn’t be an afterthought, and why he moved to the private sector to stay at the forefront of science.
Sat, November 26, 2022
93. Annie Duke Thinks You Should Quit
Former professional poker player Annie Duke has a new book on Steve’s favorite subject: quitting. They talk about why quitting is so hard, how to do it sooner, and why we feel shame when we do something that’s good for us.
Sat, November 12, 2022
92. John Green’s Reluctant Rocket Ship Ride
Author and YouTuber John Green thought his breakout bestseller wouldn’t be a commercial success, wrote 40,000 words for one sentence, and brought Steve to tears.
Sat, October 29, 2022
91. Jane Goodall Changed the Way We See Animals. She’s Not Done.
The ethologist and conservationist discusses the thrill of observing chimpanzees in the wild, the value of challenging orthodoxy, and why dying is her next great adventure.
Sat, October 15, 2022
90. Peter Singer Isn’t a Saint, But He’s Better Than Steve Levitt
The philosopher known for his rigorous ethics explains why Steve is leading a morally inconsistent life.
Sat, October 08, 2022
Extra: A Rockstar Chemist Wins the Nobel Prize
Stanford professor Carolyn Bertozzi’s imaginative ideas for treating disease have led to ten start-ups. She talks with Steve about the next generation of immune therapy she’s created, and why she might rather be a musician.
Sat, October 01, 2022
89. A Cross Between Sherlock Holmes and Indiana Jones
Heeding the warnings of public health officer Charity Dean about Covid-19 could have saved lives. Charity explains why she loves infectious diseases and why she moved to the private sector.
Sat, September 17, 2022
88. Ken Burns on Heroism, Horror, and History
The documentary filmmaker, known for The Civil War , Jazz , and Baseball , turns his attention to the Holocaust, and asks what we can learn from the evils of the past.
Sat, September 03, 2022
87. How Much Are the Right Friends Worth?
Harvard economist Raj Chetty uses tax data to study inequality, kid success, and social mobility. He explains why you should be careful when choosing your grade school teachers — and your friends.
Sat, August 20, 2022
86. A Million-Year View on Morality
Philosopher Will MacAskill thinks about how to do as much good as possible. But that's really hard, especially when you're worried about humans who won't be born for many generations.
Sat, August 06, 2022
85. What It Takes to Know Everything
Victoria Groce is one of the best trivia contestants on earth. She explains the structure of a good question, why she knits during competitions, and how to memorize 160,000 flashcards.
Sat, July 23, 2022
84. Yuval Noah Harari Thinks Life Is Meaningless and Amazing
The author of Sapiens has a knack for finding the profound in the obvious. He tells Steve why money is fiction, traffic can be mind-blowing, and politicians have a right to say stupid things in private.
Sat, July 09, 2022
83. “There's So Many Problems — Which Ones Can I Make a Difference On?”
When she's not rescuing chickens from coyotes, Susan Athey uses economics to address real-world challenges — from online ad auctions to carbon capture technology.
Sat, July 02, 2022
82. Is This the Future of High School?
Khan Academy founder Sal Khan returns to share his vision for a new way to learn — and the conversation inspires Steve to make a big announcement.
Sat, June 25, 2022
81. Why Bother Searching for Aliens?
Astronomer Jill Tarter spent her career searching for extraterrestrial intelligence. She explains what civilizations from other planets could teach us about our own future.
Sat, June 18, 2022
80. Get Your Share of the Pie
Game theorist Barry Nalebuff explains how he used basic economics to build Honest Tea into a multimillion-dollar business, and shares his innovative approach to negotiation.
Sat, June 11, 2022
79. Solar Geoengineering Would Be Radical. It Might Also Be Necessary.
David Keith has spent his career studying ways to reflect sunlight away from the earth. It could reduce the risks of climate change — but it won’t save us.
Sat, June 04, 2022
78. Giving It Away
Billionaire John Arnold is figuring out how to do as much good as he can with his wealth. It takes hard work, risk tolerance, and a lot of spending.
Sat, May 28, 2022
77. Can Games Prepare Us for Catastrophes? (Part 2)
Many of us hate to think about future crises. Game designer Jane McGonigal wants to make it fun.
Sat, May 21, 2022
76. Is Gaming Good for You?
Jane McGonigal designed a game to help herself recover from a traumatic brain injury — and she thinks playing games can help us all lead our best lives.
Sat, May 14, 2022
75. Self-Help for Data Nerds
Seth Stephens-Davidowitz combs through mountains of information to find advice for everyday life.
Sat, May 07, 2022
74. Getting Our Hands Dirty
Soil scientist Asmeret Asefaw Berhe could soon hold one of the most important jobs in science. She explains why the ground beneath our feet is one of our greatest resources — and, possibly, one of our deadliest threats.
Sat, April 30, 2022
73. Turning Work into Play
How psychologist Dan Gilbert went from high school dropout to Harvard professor, found the secret of joy, and inspired Steve Levitt's divorce.
Sat, April 23, 2022
72. “Leaving Black People in the Lurch”
Linguist and social commentator John McWhorter explains how good intentions may be hurting Black America — and where the word “motherf*cker” comes from.
Sat, April 16, 2022
71. Bombs Away
Beatrice Fihn wants to rid the world of nuclear weapons. As Russian aggression raises the prospect of global conflict, can she put disarmament on the world's agenda?
Sat, April 09, 2022
70. You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Experiment
Nobel Prize winner Joshua Angrist explains how the draft lottery, the Talmud, and West Point let economists ask — and answer — tough questions.
Sat, April 02, 2022
69. Does Death Have to Be a Death Sentence?
Palliative physician B.J. Miller asks: Is there a better way to think about dying? And can death be beautiful?
Sat, March 26, 2022
68. “No One Can Resist a Jolly, Happy Pig.”
Naturalist Sy Montgomery explains how she learned to be social from a pig, discovered octopuses have souls, and came to love a killer that will never love her back.
Sat, March 19, 2022
67. We Can Play God Now
Gene-editing pioneer Jennifer Doudna worries that humanity might not be ready for the technology she helped develop.
Sat, March 12, 2022
66. The Professor Who Said “No” to Tenure
Columbia astrophysicist David Helfand is an academic who does things his own way — from turning down job security to helping found a radically unconventional university.
Sat, March 05, 2022
65. A Rockstar Chemist and Her Cancer-Attacking “Lawn Mower”
Stanford professor Carolyn Bertozzi’s imaginative ideas for treating disease have led to ten start-ups. She talks with Steve about the next generation of immune therapy she’s created, and why she might rather be a musician.
Sat, February 26, 2022
64. How Larry Miller Went from Prison Valedictorian to Nike Executive
Climbing the corporate ladder to become head of Nike’s Jordan brand, he kept his teenage murder conviction a secret from employers. Larry talks about living in fear, accepting forgiveness, and why it was easier to be bookish behind bars.
Sat, February 19, 2022
63. The Only Covid-19 Book Worth Reading
Steve loved Michael Lewis’s latest, The Premonition, but has one critique: Why aren’t there even more villains? Also, why the author of best-sellers Moneyball and The Big Short can barely read a page of his first book without cringing.
Sat, February 12, 2022
62. How Does Historian Brad Gregory Make a Boring Topic So Mind-Blowing?
A leading expert on the Reformation era, Brad, a University of Notre Dame professor, tells Steve about how the “blood gets sucked out of history,” and why historians and economists don’t quite see eye to eye.
Sat, February 05, 2022
61. Was Austan Goolsbee’s First Visit to the Oval Office Almost His Last?
The former chairman of the Obama administration’s Council of Economic Advisors tells Steve how improv comedy was a better training ground for teaching than a Ph.D. from M.I.T., and why he’s glad he was wrong about the automotive-industry bailout.
Sat, January 29, 2022
60. Cassandra Quave Thinks the Way Antibiotics Are Developed Might Kill Us
By mid-century, 10 million people a year are projected to die from untreatable infections. Can Cassandra, an ethnobotanist at Emory University convince Steve that herbs and ancient healing are key to our medical future?
Sat, January 22, 2022
Why Aren’t All Drugs Legal? (Replay Ep. 28)
The Columbia neuroscientist and psychology professor Carl Hart believes that recreational drug use, even heroin, methamphetamines, and cocaine, is an inalienable right. Can he convince Steve?
Sat, January 15, 2022
Are We Under Threat from a New Kind of Terror? (Replay Ep. 24)
Amaryllis Fox is a former C.I.A. operative and host of the Netflix show The Business of Drugs . She explains why intelligence work requires empathy, and she soothes Steve’s fears about weapons of mass destruction.
Sat, January 08, 2022
59. Who Gives the Worst Advice?
Steve usually asks his guests for advice, whether they’re magicians or Nobel laureates. After nearly 60 episodes, is any of it worth following — or should we just ask listeners instead?
Sat, January 01, 2022
58. Why Is Richard Thaler Such a ****ing Optimist?
The Nobel laureate and pioneering behavioral economist spars with Steve over what makes a nudge a nudge, and admits that even economists have plenty of blind spots.
Sat, December 25, 2021
57. What Makes John Doerr Think He Can Save the Planet?
The legendary venture capitalist believes the same intuition that led him to bet early on Google can help us reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. But Steve wonders why his plan doesn’t include a carbon tax.
Sat, December 18, 2021
56. Claudia Goldin: What’s “Greedy Work” and Why Is It a Problem?
Harvard economist Claudia Goldin and Steve talk about how inflexible jobs and family responsibilities make it harder for women to earn wages equal to their male counterparts. But could Covid actually level the playing field?
Sat, December 11, 2021
55. Jared Diamond on the Downfall of Civilizations — and His Optimism for Ours
He’s the award-winning author of hugely popular books like Guns, Germs, and Steel ; Collapse ; and Upheaval . But Jared actually started his varied career as an expert on gallbladders and birds. The physiologist turned geographer talks with Steve about his brushes with death, why the Norse Greenlanders wouldn’t eat fish, and why he has never been invited to a cannibal ceremony.
Sat, December 04, 2021
54. Andrew Yang Is Not Giving Up on Politics — or the U.S. — Yet
He’s tried to shake up the status quo — as a Democratic presidential candidate, a New York City mayoral candidate, and now the founder of the Forward party. Will his third try be the charm? Andrew talks with Steve about what it’s like to lose an election and why a third political party might be the best chance for avoiding a new civil war.
Sat, November 27, 2021
53. The Simple Economics of Saving the Amazon Rainforest
Everyone agrees that massive deforestation is an environmental disaster. But most of the standard solutions — scolding the Brazilians, invoking universal morality — ignore the one solution that might actually work. Originally released on Freakonomics Radio , Steve gives an update on what’s happened in the two years since this episode first ran.
Sat, November 20, 2021
52. Max Tegmark on Why Superhuman Artificial Intelligence Won’t be Our Slave (Part 2)
He’s an M.I.T. cosmologist, physicist, and machine-learning expert, and once upon a time, almost an economist. Max and Steve continue their conversation about the existential threats facing humanity, and what Max is doing to mitigate our risk. The co-founder of the Future of Life Institute thinks that artificial intelligence can be the greatest thing to ever happen to humanity — if we don’t screw it up.
Sat, November 13, 2021
51. Max Tegmark on Why Treating Humanity Like a Child Will Save Us All
How likely is it that this conversation is happening in more than one universe? Should we worry more about Covid or about nuclear war? Is economics a form of “intellectual prostitution?” Steve discusses these questions, and more, with Max, an M.I.T cosmologist, physicist, and machine-learning expert — who was once almost an economist. He also tells Steve why we should be optimistic about the future of humanity (assuming we move Earth to a larger orbit before the sun evaporates our oceans).
Sat, November 06, 2021
50. Edward Miguel on Collecting Economic Data by Canoe and Correlating Conflict with Rainfall
He’s a pioneer of using randomized control experiments in economics — studying the long-term benefits of a $1 health intervention in Africa. Steve asks Edward, a Berkeley professor, about Africa’s long-term economic prospects, and how a parking-ticket-scandal in New York City led to a major finding on corruption around the world.
Sat, October 30, 2021
49. Mathematician Sarah Hart on Why Numbers are Music to Our Ears
Playing notes on her piano, she demonstrates for Steve why whole numbers sound pleasing, why octaves are mathematically imperfect, and how math underlies musical composition. Sarah, a professor at the University of London and Gresham College, also talks with Steve about the gender gap in mathematics and why being interested in everything can be a problem.
Sat, October 23, 2021
48. Marc Davis Can’t Stop Watching Basketball — But He Doesn’t Care Who Wins
His childhood dream of playing in the N.B.A. led him to a career as a referee. Marc is one of the league’s top performers after over 20 seasons, but he still reviews every single one of his calls. He talks with Steve about being scrutinized by players, fans, and management; how much work — and data — go into being fair; and why he talks about race with his colleagues and his kids.
Sat, October 16, 2021
Ken Jennings on How a Midlife Crisis Led Him to Jeopardy! (People I (Mostly) Admire, Ep. 4 Replay)
It was only in his late twenties that America’s favorite brainiac began to seriously embrace his love of trivia. Jeopardy! ’s newest host also holds the show’s “Greatest of All Time” title. Steve digs into how Ken trained for the show, what it means to have a "geographic memory," and why we lie to our children.
Sat, October 09, 2021
Mayim Bialik on the Surprising Risks of Academia and Stability of Show Biz (People I (Mostly) Admire, Ep. 2 Replay)
This new Jeopardy! host is best known for playing neurobiologist Amy Farrah Fowler on The Big Bang Theory , but she has a rich life outside of her acting career too, as a teacher, mother — and a real-life neuroscientist. Steve learns more about this one-time academic and Hollywood non-conformist, who is both very similar to him and also quite his opposite.
Sat, October 02, 2021
47. Robert Axelrod on Why Being Nice, Forgiving, and Provokable are the Best Strategies for Life
The prisoner’s dilemma is a classic game-theory problem. Robert, a political scientist at the University of Michigan, has spent his career studying it — and the ways humans can cooperate, or betray each other, for their own benefit. He and Steve talk about the best way to play it and how it shows up in real world situations, from war zones to Steve’s own life.
Sat, September 25, 2021
46. Amanda & Lily Levitt Share What It’s Like to be Steve’s Daughters
Steve shows a different side of himself in very personal interviews with his two oldest daughters. Amanda talks about growing up with social anxiety and her decision to not go to college, while Lily speaks candidly about her battle with anorexia and the conversation she had with Steve that led her to finally seek treatment.
Sat, September 18, 2021
45. Leidy Klotz on Why the Best Solutions Involve Less — Not More
When we try to improve things, our first thought is often: What can we add to make this better? But Leidy, a professor of engineering, says we tend to overlook the fact that a better solution might be to take something away. He and Steve talk about examples from Leidy’s book Subtract: The Untapped Science of Less, and from their own lives.
Sat, September 11, 2021
44. Edward Glaeser Explains Why Some Cities Thrive While Others Fade Away
An expert on urban economics and co-author of the new book Survival of the City , Ed says cities have faced far worse than Covid. Steve talks with the Harvard professor about why the slums of Mumbai function so well, high-quality housing in China sits empty, and declining cities hang on for so long.
Sat, September 04, 2021
43. Arne Duncan Says All Kids Deserve a Chance — and Criminals Deserve a Second One
Former U.S. Secretary of Education, 3x3 basketball champion, and leader of an anti-gun violence organization are all on Arne’s resume. He’s also Steve’s neighbor. The two talk about teachers caught cheating in Chicago public schools and Steve shares a story he’s never told Arne, about a defining moment in the educator’s life.
Sat, August 28, 2021
42. America’s Math Curriculum Doesn’t Add Up
A special episode: Steve reports on a passion of his. Most high-school math classes are still preparing students for the Sputnik era. Steve wants to get rid of the “geometry sandwich” and instead have kids learn what they really need in the modern era: data fluency. Originally broadcast on Freakonomics Radio , this episode includes an update from Steve about a project he launched to revamp the education system.
Sat, August 21, 2021
41. Dr. Bapu Jena on Why Freakonomics Is the Best Medicine
He’s a Harvard physician and economist who just started a third job: host of the new podcast Freakonomics, M.D. He’s also Steve’s former student. The two discuss why medicine should embrace econ-style research, the ethics of human-challenge trials, and Bapu’s role in one of Steve’s, ahem, less-than-successful experiments.
Sat, August 14, 2021
40. Harold Pollack on Why Managing Your Money Is as Easy as Taking Out the Garbage
He argues that personal finance is so simple all you need to know can fit on an index card. How will he deal with Steve’s suggestion that Harold’s nine rules for managing money are overly complicated? Harold and Steve also talk about gun violence — a topic Harold researches as a public-policy professor at the University of Chicago — and they propose some radical ideas for reducing it.
Sat, August 07, 2021
39. Aicha Evans Wants You to Take Your Eyes Off the Road
She’s the C.E.O. of Zoox, an autonomous vehicle company. Steve asks Aicha about the big promises the A.V. industry hasn’t yet delivered — and the radical bet Zoox is making on a driverless future. Plus, Steve wants to know how she’s maintained her spark.
Sat, July 31, 2021
38. Sendhil Mullainathan Explains How to Generate an Idea a Minute (Part 2)
Steve continues his conversation with his good friend, MacArthur “Genius Grant” recipient, and fellow University of Chicago economist. Sendhil breaks down the hypothesis of his book Scarcity , explains why machines aren’t competition for human intelligence, and tells Steve why it’s important to appreciate other people’s good ideas before developing your own.
Sat, July 24, 2021
37. Sendhil Mullainathan Thinks Messing Around Is the Best Use of Your Time
He’s a professor of computation and behavioral science at the University of Chicago, MacArthur “Genius Grant” recipient, and author. Steve and Sendhil laugh their way through a conversation about the importance of play, the benefits of change, and why we remember so little about the books we’ve read — and how Sendhil’s new app solves this problem.
Sat, July 17, 2021
36. How Rahm Emanuel Would Run the World
In this interview, first heard on Freakonomics Radio last year, Steve talks with the former top adviser to presidents Clinton and Obama, about his record — and his reputation. And Rahm explains that while he believes in the power of the federal government, as former mayor of Chicago, he says that cities are where problems really get solved.
Sat, July 10, 2021
35. David Epstein Knows Something About Almost Everything
He’s been an Arctic scientist, a sports journalist, and is now a best-selling author of science books. His latest, Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World , makes the argument that early specialization does not give you a head start in life. David and Steve talk about why frustration is a good sign, and why the 10,000-hour rule is definitely not a rule.
Sat, July 03, 2021
34. Maya Shankar Is Changing People’s Behavior — and Her Own
She used to run a behavioral unit in the Obama administration, and now has a similar role at Google. Maya and Steve talk about the power (and limits) of behavioral economics and also how people respond to change — the topic of her new podcast A Slight Change of Plans.
Sat, June 26, 2021
33. Travis Tygart Is Coming for Cheaters — Just Ask Lance Armstrong
He’s the C.E.O. of the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), which, under his charge, exposed the most celebrated American cyclist as a cheater. And Steve’s been studying cheaters for the last 25 years, so he’s also excited to talk to Travis about the incentives to cheat and the advances in testing technology — and offers his services as an anti-doping data detective for the sport of horse racing.
Sat, June 19, 2021
32. Angela Duckworth Explains How to Manage Your Goal Hierarchy
She’s the author of the bestselling book Grit, and a University of Pennsylvania professor of psychology — a field Steve says he knows nothing about. But once Angela gives Steve a quick tutorial on “goal conflict,” he is suddenly a fan. They also talk parenting, self-esteem, and how easy it is to learn econometrics if you feel like it.
Sat, June 12, 2021
31. Peter Leeson on Why Trial-by-Fire Wasn’t Barbaric and Why Pirates Were Democratic
He’s an economist who studies even weirder things than Steve. They discuss whether economics is the best of the social sciences, and why it’s a good idea to get a tattoo of a demand curve on your bicep.
Sat, June 05, 2021
30. Dambisa Moyo Says Foreign Aid Can’t Solve Problems, but Maybe Corporations Can
The African-born economist has written four bestselling books, including Dead Aid , which Bill Gates described as “promoting evil.” In her new book about corporate boards, Dambisa uses her experience with global corporations to explore how they can better meet society’s demands. And she explains to Steve why, even as a Harvard and Oxford-educated economist, her goal in life might sound “a little bit like a Miss America pageant.”
Sat, May 29, 2021
29. Bruce Friedrich Thinks There’s a Better Way to Eat Meat
Levitt rarely interviews advocates, but the founder of the Good Food Institute is different. Once an outspoken — and sometimes outlandish — animal-rights activist, Bruce has come to believe that market-driven innovation and scientific advancement are the best ways to reduce global meat consumption. Steve and Bruce talk about the negative externalities of factory-farmed meat, and why Bruce gave up antics like streaking at Buckingham Palace.
Sat, May 22, 2021
28. Professor Carl Hart Argues All Drugs Should Be Legal — Can He Convince Steve?
As a neuroscientist and psychology professor at Columbia University who studies the immediate and long-term effects of illicit substances, Carl Hart believes that all drugs — including heroin, methamphetamines, and cocaine — should be legalized. Steve talks to Carl about his new book, Drug Use for Grown-Ups , and Carl tells Steve why decriminalizing drugs is as American as apple pie.
Sat, May 15, 2021
27. Daniel Kahneman on Why Our Judgment is Flawed — and What to Do About It
Nobel laureate, best-selling author, and groundbreaking psychologist Daniel Kahneman is also a friend and former business partner of Steve’s. In discussing Danny’s new book Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment , the two spar over inconsistencies in criminal sentencing and Danny tells Steve that “Your attitude is unusual” — no surprise there.
Sat, May 08, 2021
26. Memory Champion Nelson Dellis Helps Steve Train His Brain
He’s one of the world’s leading competitors, having won four U.S. memory tournaments and holding the record for most names memorized in 15 minutes (235!). But Nelson Dellis claims he was born with an average memory and that anyone can learn his tricks. Steve gives Nelson’s techniques a shot, without much hope — and is surprised by the result.
Sat, May 01, 2021
25. Sam Harris: “Spirituality Is a Loaded Term.”
He’s a cognitive neuroscientist and philosopher who has written five best-selling books. Sam Harris also hosts the Making Sense podcast and helps people discover meditation through his Waking Up app. Sam explains to Steve how to become spiritual as a skeptic and commit to never lying again.
Sat, April 24, 2021
Nathan Myhrvold: “I Am Interested in Lots of Things, and That's Actually a Bad Strategy.” (Episode 6 Rebroadcast)
He graduated high school at 14, and by 23 had several graduate degrees and was a research assistant with Stephen Hawking. He became the first chief technology officer at Microsoft (without having ever studied computer science) and then started a company focused on big questions — like how to provide the world with clean energy and how to optimize pizza-baking. Find out what makes Nathan Myhrvold’s fertile mind tick, and which of his many ideas Steve Levitt likes the most.
Sat, April 17, 2021
24. Amaryllis Fox: “What Does This New Version of Mutually Assured Destruction Look Like?”
She spent nearly a decade as an undercover C.I.A. operative working to prevent terrorism. More recently, she hosted The Business of Drugs on Netflix. Amaryllis Fox — now Kennedy — explains why intelligence work requires empathy, and she soothes Steve’s fears about weapons of mass destruction.
Sat, April 10, 2021
23. Greg Norman & Mark Broadie: Why Golf Beats an Orgasm and Why Data Beats Everything
Steve Levitt is obsessed with golf — and he’s pretty good at it too. As a thinly-veiled ploy to improve his own game, Steve talks to two titans of the sport: Greg “The Shark” Norman, who was the world’s top-ranked golfer for more than six years; and Mark Broadie, a Columbia professor whose data analysis changed how pros play the game.
Sat, April 03, 2021
22. Sal Khan: “If It Works for 15 Cousins, It Could Work for a Billion People.”
Khan Academy grew out of Sal Khan’s online math tutorials for his extended family. It’s now a platform used by more than 115 million people in 190 countries. So what does Khan want to do next? How about reinventing in-school learning, too? Find out why Steve nearly moved to Silicon Valley to be part of Khan's latest venture.
Sat, March 27, 2021
21. Pete Docter: “What If Monsters Really Do Exist?”
He’s the chief creative officer of Pixar, and the Academy Award-winning director of Soul , Inside Out , Up , and Monsters, Inc. Pete Docter and Steve talk about Pixar’s scrappy beginnings, why it costs $200 million to make an animated film, and the movie moment that changed Steve’s life.
Sat, March 20, 2021
20. John Donohue: “I'm Frequently Called a Treasonous Enemy of the Constitution.”
He’s a law professor with a Ph.D. in economics and a tendency for getting into fervid academic debates. Over 20 years ago, he and Steve began studying the impact of legalized abortion on crime. John and Steve talk about guns, the death penalty, the heat they took from their joint research, and why it’s frustratingly difficult to prove truth in the social sciences.
Sat, March 13, 2021
19. Marina Nitze: “If You Googled ‘Business Efficiency Consultant,’ I Was the Only Result.”
At 27— and without a college degree — she was named chief technology officer of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Today, Marina Nitze is trying to reform the foster care system. She tells Steve how she hacked the V.A.’s bureaucracy, opens up about her struggle with Type 1 diabetes, and explains how she was building websites for soap opera stars when she was just 12 years old.
Sat, March 06, 2021
18. Robert Sapolsky: “I Don’t Think We Have Any Free Will Whatsoever.”
He’s one of the world’s leading neuroscientists, with a focus on the physiological effects of stress. (For years, he spent his summers in Kenya, alone except for the baboons he was observing.) Steve asks Robert why we value human life over animals, why he’s lost faith in the criminal-justice system, and how to look casual when you’re about to blow-dart a very large and potentially unhappy primate.
Sat, February 27, 2021
17. Emily Oster: “I Am a Woman Who Is Prominently Discussing Vaginas.”
In addition to publishing best-selling books about pregnancy and child-rearing, Emily Oster is a respected economist at Brown University. Over the course of the pandemic, she’s become the primary collector of data about Covid-19 in schools. Steve and Emily discuss how she became an advocate for school reopening, how economists think differently from the average person, and whether pregnant women really need to avoid coffee.
Sat, February 20, 2021
16. Joshua Jay: “Humans Are So, So Easy to Fool.”
He’s a world-renowned magician who’s been performing since he was seven years old. But Joshua Jay is also an author, toy maker, and consultant for film and television. Steve Levitt talks to him about how magicians construct tricks, how Joshua’s academic studies of magic have influenced Levitt’s life, and whether Jesus might have been a magician.
Sat, February 13, 2021
15. Tim Harford: “If You Can Make Sure You're Not An Idiot, You've Done Well.”
He’s a former World Bank economist who became a prolific journalist and the author of one of Steve Levitt’s favorite books, The Undercover Economist . Tim Harford lives in England, where he’s made it his mission to help the public understand statistics. In their conversation, Steve gives Tim some feedback on his new book, The Data Detective , contemplates if it’s possible to tell great stories with data, and Tim explains how making mistakes can be fun.
Sat, February 06, 2021
Yul Kwon: “Hey, Do You Have Any Bright Ideas?” (Part 2)
He’s so fascinating that Steve Levitt brought him back for a second conversation. Yul Kwon currently works at Google, but he’s been a lawyer, political organizer, government regulator, organ donation activist, and Survivor winner. Steve asks Yul why he’s so altruistic, how Google and Apple are helping track COVID-19, and whether the best way to pick a president might be a reality show.
Sat, January 30, 2021
13. Yul Kwon: “Don't Try to Change Yourself All at Once.”
He has been a lawyer, an instructor at the F.B.I. Academy, the owner of a frozen-yogurt chain, and a winner of the TV show Survivor . Today, Kwon works at Google, where he helped build tools to track the spread of COVID-19. But things haven’t always come easily for him. Steve Levitt talks to Kwon about his debilitating childhood anxieties, his compulsion to choose the hardest path in life, and how Kwon used his obsession with game theory to stage a come-from-behind victory on Survivor .
Sat, January 23, 2021
12. Sue Bird: “You Have to Pay the Superstars.”
She is one of the best basketball players ever. She’s won multiple championships, including four Olympic gold medals and four W.N.B.A. titles — the most recent in 2020, just before turning 40. She also helped negotiate a landmark contract for the league’s players. Sue Bird tells Steve Levitt the untold truth about clutch players, her thoughts about the pay gap between male and female athletes, and what it means to be part of the first gay couple in ESPN’s The Body Issue .
Sat, January 09, 2021
11. Paul Romer: “I Figured Out How to Get Myself Fired From the World Bank.”
For many economists — Steve Levitt included — there is perhaps no greater inspiration than Paul Romer, the now-Nobel laureate who at a young age redefined the discipline and has maintained a passion for introducing new ideas to staid debates. Levitt finds out what makes Romer a serial “quitter,” why you can’t manufacture big ideas, and what happened when Romer tried to start a charter city.
Sat, December 26, 2020
10. Suzanne Gluck: “I'm a Person Who Can Convince Other People to Do Things”
She might not be a household name, but Suzanne Gluck is one of the most powerful people in the book industry. Her slush pile is a key entry point to the biggest publishers in the U.S., and the authors she represents have sold more than 100 million books worldwide. Steve Levitt talks with Gluck — his own agent — about negotiating a deal, advising prospective authors, and convincing him to co-write Freakonomics .
Sat, December 12, 2020
9. Moncef Slaoui: "It’s Unfortunate That It Takes a Crisis for This to Happen"
Born in Morocco and raised mostly by a single mother, Moncef Slaoui is now one of the world’s most influential scientists. As the head of Operation Warp Speed — the U.S. government’s Covid-19 vaccine program — Slaoui has overseen the development and distribution of a new vaccine at a pace once deemed impossible. Steve Levitt finds out how the latest generation of vaccines improve on their predecessors, why “educated intuition” is important in innovation, and what we can do to be better prepared for future pandemics.
Sat, November 28, 2020
8. Peter Attia: “I Definitely Lost a Lot of IQ Points That Day”
He’s been an engineer, a surgeon, a management consultant, and even a boxer. Now he’s a physician focused on the science of longevity. Peter Attia talks with Steve Levitt about the problem with immortality, what’s missing from our Covid response, and why nicotine is underrated.
Sat, November 14, 2020
7. Caverly Morgan: "I Am Not This Voice. I Am Not This Narrative."
She showed up late and confused to her first silent retreat, but Caverly Morgan eventually trained for eight years in silence at a Zen monastery. Now her mindfulness-education program Peace in Schools is part of the high-school curriculum in Portland, Ore. Steve Levitt finds out what daily life is like in a silent monastery, why teens find it easier than adults to learn meditation, and what happy children can teach their parents.
Sat, October 31, 2020
6. Nathan Myhrvold: “I Am Interested in Lots of Things, and That's Actually a Bad Strategy”
He graduated high school at 14, and by 23 had several graduate degrees and was a research assistant with Stephen Hawking. He became the first chief technology officer at Microsoft (without having ever studied computer science) and then started a company focused on big questions — like how to provide the world with clean energy and how to optimize pizza-baking. Find out what makes Nathan Myhrvold’s fertile mind tick, and which of his many ideas Steve Levitt likes the most.
Sat, October 17, 2020
5. Susan Wojcicki: “Hey, Let’s Go Buy YouTube!”
She was the sixteenth employee at Google — a company once based in her garage — and now she's the C.E.O. of its best-known subsidiary, YouTube. But despite being one of the most powerful people in the tech industry, few outside of Silicon Valley know the name Susan Wojcicki. Levitt talks with her about the early days of Google, how her background in economics shapes the company's products, and why YouTube's success has created a range of unforeseen and serious issues.
Sat, October 10, 2020
Steve Levitt: “I’m Not as Childlike as I’d Like to Be”
Steve Levitt has so far occupied the interviewer chair on this show, but in a special live event — recorded over Zoom and presented by WNYC and the Greene Space — the microphone is turned toward him. His Freakonomics friend and co-author Stephen Dubner checks in on the wisdom Levitt has extracted from his interviews, finds out why Levitt is happiest when angering everyone across the political spectrum, and asks Levitt why he ends every interview with the same question.
Sat, October 03, 2020
4. Ken Jennings: “Don’t Neglect the Thing That Makes You Weird”
It was only in his late twenties that America’s favorite brainiac began to seriously embrace his love of trivia. Now he holds the “Greatest of All Time” title on Jeopardy! Steve Levitt digs into how he trained for the show, what it means to have a "geographic memory," and why we lie to our children.
Sat, September 19, 2020
3. Kerwin Charles: “One Does Not Know Where an Insight Will Come From”
The dean of Yale’s School of Management grew up in a small village in Guyana. During his unlikely journey, he has researched video-gaming habits, communicable disease, and why so many African-Americans haven’t had the kind of success he’s had. Steve Levitt talks to Charles about his parents’ encouragement, his love of Sports Illustrated , and how he talks to his American-born kids about the complicated history of Blackness in America.
Sat, September 05, 2020
2. Mayim Bialik: “I Started Crying When I Realized How Beautiful the Universe Is”
She’s best known for playing neurobiologist Amy Farrah Fowler on The Big Bang Theory , but the award-winning actress has a rich life outside of her acting career, as a teacher, mother — and a real-life neuroscientist. Steve Levitt tries to learn more about this one-time academic and Hollywood non-conformist, who is both very similar to him and also quite his opposite.
Sat, August 22, 2020
1. Steven Pinker: "I Manage My Controversy Portfolio Carefully”
By cataloging the steady march of human progress, the Harvard psychologist and linguist has become a very public intellectual. But the self-declared “polite Canadian” has managed to enrage people on opposite ends of the political spectrum. Steve Levitt tries to understand why.
Trailer · Fri, July 31, 2020
Introducing “People I (Mostly) Admire”
Steve Levitt has spent decades as an academic economist, “studying strange phenomena and human behavior in weird circumstances.” Now he’s turning his curiosity to something new: interviewing some of the most interesting, unorthodox people around — from actresses to athletes, authors to inventors. Here is a preview of Levitt’s new podcast, which premieres August 21st. New episodes every two weeks. “People I (Mostly) Admire” is a production of the Freakonomics Radio Network.
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