Freakonomics Radio
Sundays at noon
"Freakonomics Radio" is an award-winning weekly podcast with 7 million downloads a month; it also airs on public-radio stations across the country. Host Stephen Dubner has surprising conversations that explore the riddles of everyday life and the weird wrinkles of human nature -- from cheating and crime to parenting and sports. Dubner talks with Nobel laureates and provocateurs, social scientists and entrepreneurs -- and his "Freakonomics" co-author Steve Levitt.
"Freakonomics Radio" is produced by Dubner Productions and WNYC Studios.
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A backstage conversation with Jeffrey Seller, producer of Rent, Avenue Q, and Hamilton. To get Plus episodes, become a member at Apple Podcasts or at freakonomics.com/plus. The post “Musical Theater Is a Magic Trick” appeared first on Freakonomics.
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It’s been in development for five years and has at least a year to go. On the eve of its out-of-town debut, the actor playing Lincoln quit. And the producers still need to raise another $15 million to bring the show to New York. There really is no business like show business. (Part three of a three-part series.) The post Will 3 Summers of Lincoln Make it to Broadway? appeared first on Freakonomics.
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In an episode from 2012, we looked at what Sleep No More and the Stanford Prison Experiment can tell us about who we really are. The post Is It a Theater Piece or a Psychological Experiment? (Update) appeared first on Freakonomics.
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A hit like Hamilton can come from nowhere while a sure bet can lose $20 million in a flash. We speak with some of the biggest producers in the game — Sonia Friedman, Jeffrey Seller, Hal Luftig — and learn that there is only one guarantee: the theater owners always win. (Part two of a three-part series.) The post On Broadway, Nobody Knows Nothing appeared first on Freakonomics.
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It has become fiendishly expensive to produce, and has more competition than ever. And yet the believers still believe. Why? And does the world really want a new musical about ... Abraham Lincoln?! (Part one of a three-part series.) The post How Is Live Theater Still Alive? appeared first on Freakonomics.
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Why do so many promising solutions in education, medicine, and criminal justice fail to scale up into great policy? And can a new breed of “implementation scientists” crack the code? The post Policymaking Is Not a Science — Yet (Update) appeared first on Freakonomics.
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There is no sludgier place in America than Washington, D.C. But there are signs of a change. We’ll hear about this progress — and ask where Elon Musk and DOGE fit in. (Part two of a two-part series.) The post Sludge, Part 2: Is Government the Problem, or the Solution? appeared first on Freakonomics.
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Insurance forms that make no sense. Subscriptions that can’t be cancelled. A never-ending blizzard of automated notifications. Where does all this sludge come from — and how much is it costing us? (Part one of a two-part series.) The post Sludge, Part 1: The World Is Drowning in It appeared first on Freakonomics.
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A full-length conversation with Robert Sullivan, who wrote the best book on rats you’ll ever read. To get subscriber-only episodes, become a member at Apple Podcasts or at freakonomics.com/plus. The post The Rat Man appeared first on Freakonomics.
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The quirky little grocery chain with California roots and German ownership has a lot to teach all of us about choice architecture, efficiency, frugality, collaboration, and team spirit. The post Should America Be Run by … Trader Joe’s? (Update) appeared first on Freakonomics.
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Nearly everything that politicians say about taxes is at least half a lie. They are also dishonest when it comes to the national debt. Stephen Dubner finds one of the few people in Washington who is willing to tell the truth — and it’s even worse than you think. The post Ten Myths About the U.S. Tax System appeared first on Freakonomics.
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Lina Khan, the youngest F.T.C. chair in history, reset U.S. antitrust policy by thwarting mega-mergers and other monopolistic behavior. This earned her enemies in some places, and big fans in others — including the Trump administration. Stephen Dubner speaks with Khan about her tactics, her track record, and her future. The post The Biden Policy That Trump Hasn’t Touched appeared first on Freakonomics.