stitcherLogoCreated with Sketch.

The Stitcher app and web listening are no longer available. Check out our Farewell FAQs for more details.

Listen Now

Discover Premium Shows Likes

Freakonomics Radio

717 Episodes

51 minutes | Sep 28, 2023
559. Are Two C.E.O.s Better Than One?
If two parents can run a family, why shouldn’t two executives run a company? We dig into the research and hear firsthand stories of both triumph and disaster. Also: lessons from computer programmers, Simon and Garfunkel, and bears versus alligators.    RESOURCES: "How Allbirds Lost Its Way," by Suzanne Kapner (The Wall Street Journal, 2023). "Is It Time to Consider Co-C.E.O.s?" by Marc A. Feigen, Michael Jenkins, and Anton Warendh (Harvard Business Review, 2022). "The Costs and Benefits of Pair Programming," by Alistair Cockburn and Laurie Williams (2000). "Strengthening the Case for Pair Programming," by Laurie Williams, Robert R. Kessler, Ward Cunningham, and Ron Jeffries (IEEE Software, 2000). EXTRAS: "The Facts Are In: Two Parents Are Better Than One," by Freakonomics Radio (2023). "The Secret Life of a C.E.O.," series by Freakonomics Radio (2018-2023).
63 minutes | Sep 21, 2023
558. The Facts Are In: Two Parents Are Better Than One
In her new book The Two-Parent Privilege, the economist Melissa Kearney says it’s time for liberals to face the facts: U.S. marriage rates have plummeted but the babies keep coming, and the U.S. now leads the world in single-parent households. Plus: our friends at Atlas Obscura explore just how many parents a kid can have.
61 minutes | Sep 14, 2023
557. When Is a Superstar Just Another Employee?
The union that represents N.F.L. players conducted their first-ever survey of workplace conditions, and issued a report card to all 32 teams. What did the survey reveal? Clogged showers, rats in the locker room — and some helpful insights for those of us who don’t play pro football.   For show notes, visit freakonomics.com/podcast/when-is-a-superstar-just-another-employee/
49 minutes | Sep 7, 2023
556. A.I. Is Changing Everything. Does That Include You?
For all the speculation about the future, A.I. tools can be useful right now. Adam Davidson discovers what they can help us do, how we can get the most from them — and why the things that make them helpful also make them dangerous. (Part 3 of "How to Think About A.I.")
48 minutes | Aug 31, 2023
555. New Technologies Always Scare Us. Is A.I. Any Different?
Guest host Adam Davidson looks at what might happen to your job in a world of human-level artificial intelligence, and asks when it might be time to worry that the machines have become too powerful. (Part 2 of "How to Think About A.I.")
48 minutes | Aug 24, 2023
554. Can A.I. Take a Joke?
Artificial intelligence, we’ve been told, will destroy humankind. No, wait — it will usher in a new age of human flourishing! Guest host Adam Davidson (co-founder of Planet Money) sorts through the big claims about A.I.'s future by exploring its past and present — and whether it has a sense of humor. (Part 1 of "How to Think About A.I.")
56 minutes | Aug 17, 2023
553. The Suddenly Diplomatic Rahm Emanuel
The famously profane politician and operative is now U.S. ambassador to Japan, where he’s trying to rewrite the rules of diplomacy. But don’t worry: When it comes to China, he’s every bit as combative as you’d expect.
47 minutes | Aug 10, 2023
Should Traffic Lights Be Abolished? (Ep. 454 Replay)
Americans are so accustomed to the standard intersection that we rarely consider how dangerous it can be — as well as costly, time-wasting, and polluting. Is it time to embrace the lowly, lovely roundabout?
27 minutes | Aug 6, 2023
Extra: A Modern Whaler Speaks Up
Bjorn Andersen killed 111 minke whales this season. He tells us how he does it, why he does it, and what he thinks would happen if whale-hunting ever stopped.  (This bonus episode is a follow-up to our series “Everything You Never Knew About Whaling.")
47 minutes | Aug 3, 2023
552. Freakonomics Radio Presents: The Economics of Everyday Things
In three stories from our newest podcast, host Zachary Crockett digs into sports mascots, cashmere sweaters, and dinosaur skeletons. 
48 minutes | Jul 27, 2023
551. What Can Whales Teach Us About Clean Energy, Workplace Harmony, and Living the Good Life?
In the final episode of our whale series, we learn about fecal plumes, shipping noise, and why "Moby-Dick" is still worth reading. (Part 3 of "Everything You Never Knew About Whaling.")
37 minutes | Jul 20, 2023
550. Why Do People Still Hunt Whales?
For years, whale oil was used as lighting fuel, industrial lubricant, and the main ingredient in (yum!) margarine. Whale meat was also on a few menus. But today, demand for whale products is at a historic low. And yet some countries still have a whaling industry. We find out why. (Part 2 of “Everything You Never Knew About Whaling.”)
44 minutes | Jul 13, 2023
549. The First Great American Industry
Whaling was, in the words of one scholar, “early capitalism unleashed on the high seas.” How did the U.S. come to dominate the whale market? Why did whale hunting die out here — and continue to grow elsewhere? And is that whale vomit in your perfume? (Part 1 of “Everything You Never Knew About Whaling.”)
45 minutes | Jul 6, 2023
548. Why Is the U.S. So Good at Killing Pedestrians?
Actually, the reasons are pretty clear. The harder question is: Will we ever care enough to stop?
47 minutes | Jun 29, 2023
Why Did You Marry That Person? (Ep. 511 Replay)
Sure, you were “in love.” But economists — using evidence from Bridgerton to Tinder — point to what’s called “assortative mating.” And it has some unpleasant consequences for society.
37 minutes | Jun 22, 2023
547. Satya Nadella’s Intelligence Is Not Artificial
But as C.E.O. of the resurgent Microsoft, he is firmly at the center of the A.I. revolution. We speak with him about the perils and blessings of A.I., Google vs. Bing, the Microsoft succession plan — and why his favorite use of ChatGPT is translating poetry.
55 minutes | Jun 15, 2023
546. Are E.S.G. Investors Actually Helping the Environment?
Probably not. The economist Kelly Shue argues that E.S.G. investing just gives more money to firms that are already green while depriving polluting firms of the financing they need to get greener. But she has a solution.
44 minutes | Jun 8, 2023
545. Enough with the Slippery Slopes!
Gun control, abortion rights, drug legalization — it seems like every argument these days claims that if X happens, then Y will follow, and we’ll all be doomed to Z. Is the slippery-slope argument a valid logical construction or just a game of feelingsball?
66 minutes | Jun 1, 2023
544. Ari Emanuel Is Never Indifferent
He turned a small Hollywood talent agency into a massive sports-and-entertainment empire. In a freewheeling conversation, he explains how he did it and why it nearly killed him.
69 minutes | May 25, 2023
Make Me a Match (Ep. 209 Update)
Sure, markets work well in general. But for some transactions — like school admissions and organ transplants — money alone can’t solve the problem. That’s when you need a market-design wizard like Al Roth. Plus: We hear from a listener who, inspired by this episode, made a remarkable decision.
COMPANY
Help
AFFILIATES
Podswag Stitcher Studios
Privacy Policy Terms of Service Your Privacy Choices
© Stitcher 2023