//podcastplus.net/feed/freakonomics-radio~e1f20ab9 Freakonomics co-author Stephen J. Dubner uncovers the hidden side of everything. Why is it safer to fly in an airplane than drive a car? How do we decide whom to marry? Why is the media so full of bad news? Also: things you never knew you wanted to know about wolves, bananas, pollution, search engines, and the quirks of human behavior.To get every show in the Freakonomics Radio Network without ads and a monthly bonus episode of Freakonomics Radio, start a free trial for SiriusXM Podcasts+ on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus. Sun, 06 Sep 2026 21:09:26 +0000 https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/tracking.swap.fm/track/0bDcdoop59bdTYSfajQW/stitcher.simplecastaudio.com/2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e/episodes/2c03f1fb-6d4b-4eb0-8d98-e13d582e8f25/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e&awEpisodeId=2c03f1fb-6d4b-4eb0-8d98-e13d582e8f25&feed=Y8lFbOT4 A lot of jobs in the modern economy don’t pay a living wage, and some of those jobs may be wiped out by new technologies. So what’s to be done? We revisit an episode from 2016 for a potential solution.   SOURCES: Erik Brynjolfsson , professor of economics at Stanford University. Evelyn Forget , professor of economics and community health sciences at the University of Manitoba. Sam Altman , C.E.O. of OpenAI. Robert Gordon , professor emeritus of economics at Northwestern University. Greger Larson , professor of archeology at the University of Oxford.   RESOURCES: " Here's what a Sam Altman-backed basic income experiment found ," by Megan Cerullo (CBS News, 2024). Utopia for Realists, by Rutger Bregman. The Correspondent (2016). The Second Machine Age , by Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee (2014). " The Town With No Poverty: Using Health Administration Data To Revisit Outcomes of a Canadian Guaranteed Annual Income Field Experiment ," by Eve... Wed, 17 Sep 2025 12:00:00 +0000 https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/tracking.swap.fm/track/0bDcdoop59bdTYSfajQW/stitcher.simplecastaudio.com/2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e/episodes/2c03f1fb-6d4b-4eb0-8d98-e13d582e8f25/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e&awEpisodeId=2c03f1fb-6d4b-4eb0-8d98-e13d582e8f25&feed=Y8lFbOT4 https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/tracking.swap.fm/track/0bDcdoop59bdTYSfajQW/stitcher.simplecastaudio.com/2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e/episodes/0a548363-ba01-4e24-acf0-c9295e43b832/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e&awEpisodeId=0a548363-ba01-4e24-acf0-c9295e43b832&feed=Y8lFbOT4 What does it take to “play 3D chess at 250 miles an hour”? And how far will $12.5 billion of “Big, Beautiful” funding go toward modernizing the F.A.A.? (Part two of a two-part series .)   SOURCES: David Strayer , professor of cognition and neural science at the University of Utah. Dorothy Robyn , senior fellow at I.T.I.F. Ed Bastian , C.E.O. of Delta Airlines. Ed Bolen , president and C.E.O. of the National Business Aviation Association. John Strong , professor of finance and economics at the William and Mary School of Business. Kenneth Levin, retired air traffic controller. Olivia Grace , former product manager at Slack. Polly Trottenberg , former deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation.   RESOURCES: “ An Air Traffic Controller Speaks Out About Newark Airport ,” by The Journal (2025). " Why Did Air Traffic Control Reform Efforts Fail (Again)? " by Jeff Davis ( Eno Center for Transportation, 2023). " Supertaskers... Fri, 12 Sep 2025 10:00:00 +0000 https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/tracking.swap.fm/track/0bDcdoop59bdTYSfajQW/stitcher.simplecastaudio.com/2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e/episodes/0a548363-ba01-4e24-acf0-c9295e43b832/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e&awEpisodeId=0a548363-ba01-4e24-acf0-c9295e43b832&feed=Y8lFbOT4 https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/tracking.swap.fm/track/0bDcdoop59bdTYSfajQW/stitcher.simplecastaudio.com/2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e/episodes/5ada9744-8a72-40ce-b2dc-c49948c2d5a1/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e&awEpisodeId=5ada9744-8a72-40ce-b2dc-c49948c2d5a1&feed=Y8lFbOT4 Flying in the U.S. is still exceptionally safe, but the system relies on outdated tech and is under tremendous strain. Six experts tell us how it got this way and how it can (maybe) be fixed. (Part one of a two-part series .)   SOURCES: Dorothy Robyn , senior fellow at I.T.I.F. Ed Bastian , C.E.O. of Delta Airlines. John Strong , professor of finance and economics at the William and Mary School of Business. Kenneth Levin, retired air traffic controller. Polly Trottenberg , former deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation.   RESOURCES: " Brand New Air Traffic Control System Plan ," ( Federal Aviation Administration, 2025). The Air Traffic Controller Workforce Imperative: Staffing Models and Their Implementation to Ensure Safe and Efficient Airspace Operations , by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (2025). " Annual Aviation Infrastructure Report: 2025 ," by Marc Scribner (Reason Foundation, 2025). " New... Fri, 05 Sep 2025 10:00:00 +0000 https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/tracking.swap.fm/track/0bDcdoop59bdTYSfajQW/stitcher.simplecastaudio.com/2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e/episodes/5ada9744-8a72-40ce-b2dc-c49948c2d5a1/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e&awEpisodeId=5ada9744-8a72-40ce-b2dc-c49948c2d5a1&feed=Y8lFbOT4 https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/tracking.swap.fm/track/0bDcdoop59bdTYSfajQW/stitcher.simplecastaudio.com/2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e/episodes/591eb09a-5294-4f1e-9d27-6193c50b453b/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e&awEpisodeId=591eb09a-5294-4f1e-9d27-6193c50b453b&feed=Y8lFbOT4 Patrick Deneen, a political philosopher at Notre Dame, says yes. He was a Democrat for years, and has now come to be seen as an “ideological guru” of the Trump administration. But that only tells half the story ...   SOURCES: Patrick Deneen , professor of political science at the University of Notre Dame.   RESOURCES: " The Ideological Gurus Battling for the Soul of Trump World ," by Joshua Chaffin and Zusha Elinson (Wall Street Journal, 2025). " Why the MAGA-DOGE coalition will hold ," by Patrick Deneen (UnHerd, 2025). " ‘I Don’t Want to Violently Overthrow the Government. I Want Something Far More Revolutionary ,’" by Ian Ward (POLITICO, 2023). Regime Change: Toward a Postliberal Future , by Patrick Deneen (2023). Why Liberalism Failed , by Patrick Deneen (2018).   EXTRAS: " In Search of the Real Adam Smith ," series by Freakonomics Radio (2022). Fri, 29 Aug 2025 10:00:00 +0000 https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/tracking.swap.fm/track/0bDcdoop59bdTYSfajQW/stitcher.simplecastaudio.com/2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e/episodes/591eb09a-5294-4f1e-9d27-6193c50b453b/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e&awEpisodeId=591eb09a-5294-4f1e-9d27-6193c50b453b&feed=Y8lFbOT4 https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/tracking.swap.fm/track/0bDcdoop59bdTYSfajQW/stitcher.simplecastaudio.com/2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e/episodes/591eb09a-5294-4f1e-9d27-6193c50b453b/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e&awEpisodeId=591eb09a-5294-4f1e-9d27-6193c50b453b&feed=Y8lFbOT4 Patrick Deneen, a political philosopher at Notre Dame, says yes. He was a Democrat for years, and has now come to be seen as an “ideological guru” of the Trump administration. But that only tells half the story ...   SOURCES: Patrick Deneen , professor of political science at the University of Notre Dame.   RESOURCES: " The Ideological Gurus Battling for the Soul of Trump World ," by Joshua Chaffin and Zusha Elinson (Wall Street Journal, 2025). " Why the MAGA-DOGE coalition will hold ," by Patrick Deneen (UnHerd, 2025). " ‘I Don’t Want to Violently Overthrow the Government. I Want Something Far More Revolutionary ,’" by Ian Ward (POLITICO, 2023). Regime Change: Toward a Postliberal Future , by Patrick Deneen (2023). Why Liberalism Failed , by Patrick Deneen (2018).   EXTRAS: " In Search of the Real Adam Smith ," series by Freakonomics Radio (2022). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for inf... Fri, 29 Aug 2025 10:00:00 +0000 https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/tracking.swap.fm/track/0bDcdoop59bdTYSfajQW/stitcher.simplecastaudio.com/2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e/episodes/591eb09a-5294-4f1e-9d27-6193c50b453b/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e&awEpisodeId=591eb09a-5294-4f1e-9d27-6193c50b453b&feed=Y8lFbOT4 https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/tracking.swap.fm/track/0bDcdoop59bdTYSfajQW/stitcher.simplecastaudio.com/2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e/episodes/d64db568-518c-4a0a-bf77-fd881991f572/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e&awEpisodeId=d64db568-518c-4a0a-bf77-fd881991f572&feed=Y8lFbOT4 Bjørn Andersen has killed hundreds of minke whales. He tells us how he does it, why he does it, and what he thinks would happen if whale-hunting ever stopped. (This bonus episode is a follow-up to our series “ Everything You Never Knew About Whaling .”)   SOURCES: Bjørn Andersen, Norwegian whaler.   RESOURCES: " Digestive physiology of minke whales ," by S.D. Mathiesen, T.H. Aagnes, W. Sørmo, E.S. Nordøy, A.S. Blix, M.A. Olsen (Developments in Marine Biology, 1995). " Norway Is Planning to Resume Whaling Despite World Ban ," by Craig Whitney (New York Times, 1992). " Commission Votes to Ban Hunting of Whales ," by Philip Shabecoff (New York Times, 1982).   EXTRAS: " Everything You Never Knew About Whaling ," series by Freakonomics Radio (2023). Wed, 27 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000 https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/tracking.swap.fm/track/0bDcdoop59bdTYSfajQW/stitcher.simplecastaudio.com/2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e/episodes/d64db568-518c-4a0a-bf77-fd881991f572/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e&awEpisodeId=d64db568-518c-4a0a-bf77-fd881991f572&feed=Y8lFbOT4 https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/tracking.swap.fm/track/0bDcdoop59bdTYSfajQW/stitcher.simplecastaudio.com/2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e/episodes/d64db568-518c-4a0a-bf77-fd881991f572/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e&awEpisodeId=d64db568-518c-4a0a-bf77-fd881991f572&feed=Y8lFbOT4 Bjørn Andersen has killed hundreds of minke whales. He tells us how he does it, why he does it, and what he thinks would happen if whale-hunting ever stopped. (This bonus episode is a follow-up to our series “ Everything You Never Knew About Whaling .”)   SOURCES: Bjørn Andersen, Norwegian whaler.   RESOURCES: " Digestive physiology of minke whales ," by S.D. Mathiesen, T.H. Aagnes, W. Sørmo, E.S. Nordøy, A.S. Blix, M.A. Olsen (Developments in Marine Biology, 1995). " Norway Is Planning to Resume Whaling Despite World Ban ," by Craig Whitney (New York Times, 1992). " Commission Votes to Ban Hunting of Whales ," by Philip Shabecoff (New York Times, 1982).   EXTRAS: " Everything You Never Knew About Whaling ," series by Freakonomics Radio (2023). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. Wed, 27 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000 https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/tracking.swap.fm/track/0bDcdoop59bdTYSfajQW/stitcher.simplecastaudio.com/2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e/episodes/d64db568-518c-4a0a-bf77-fd881991f572/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e&awEpisodeId=d64db568-518c-4a0a-bf77-fd881991f572&feed=Y8lFbOT4 https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/tracking.swap.fm/track/0bDcdoop59bdTYSfajQW/stitcher.simplecastaudio.com/2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e/episodes/699a5bfd-4915-4057-be46-5c512a7a6bd7/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e&awEpisodeId=699a5bfd-4915-4057-be46-5c512a7a6bd7&feed=Y8lFbOT4 In the final episode of our whale series, we learn about fecal plumes, shipping noise, and why Moby-Dick is still worth reading. (Part 3 of " Everything You Never Knew About Whaling. ")   SOURCES: Michele Baggio , professor of economics at the University of Connecticut. Mary K. Bercaw-Edwards , professor of maritime English at the University of Connecticut and lead foreman at the Mystic Seaport Museum. Hester Blum , professor of English at Washington University in St. Louis. Eric Hilt , professor of economics at Wellesley College. Kate O’Connell , senior policy consultant for the marine life program at the Animal Welfare Institute. Maria Petrillo , director of interpretation at the Mystic Seaport Museum. Joe Roman , fellow and writer-in-residence at the Gund Institute for Environment, University of Vermont.   RESOURCES: Eat, Poop, Die: How Animals Make Our World , by Joe Roman (2023). “ Racial Diversity and Team Performance: Evidence from the... Fri, 22 Aug 2025 10:00:00 +0000 https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/tracking.swap.fm/track/0bDcdoop59bdTYSfajQW/stitcher.simplecastaudio.com/2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e/episodes/699a5bfd-4915-4057-be46-5c512a7a6bd7/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e&awEpisodeId=699a5bfd-4915-4057-be46-5c512a7a6bd7&feed=Y8lFbOT4 https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/tracking.swap.fm/track/0bDcdoop59bdTYSfajQW/stitcher.simplecastaudio.com/2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e/episodes/699a5bfd-4915-4057-be46-5c512a7a6bd7/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e&awEpisodeId=699a5bfd-4915-4057-be46-5c512a7a6bd7&feed=Y8lFbOT4 In the final episode of our whale series, we learn about fecal plumes, shipping noise, and why Moby-Dick is still worth reading. (Part 3 of " Everything You Never Knew About Whaling. ")   SOURCES: Michele Baggio , professor of economics at the University of Connecticut. Mary K. Bercaw-Edwards , professor of maritime English at the University of Connecticut and lead foreman at the Mystic Seaport Museum. Hester Blum , professor of English at Washington University in St. Louis. Eric Hilt , professor of economics at Wellesley College. Kate O’Connell , senior policy consultant for the marine life program at the Animal Welfare Institute. Maria Petrillo , director of interpretation at the Mystic Seaport Museum. Joe Roman , fellow and writer-in-residence at the Gund Institute for Environment, University of Vermont.   RESOURCES: Eat, Poop, Die: How Animals Make Our World , by Joe Roman (2023). “ Racial Diversity and Team Performance: Evidence from the... Fri, 22 Aug 2025 10:00:00 +0000 https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/tracking.swap.fm/track/0bDcdoop59bdTYSfajQW/stitcher.simplecastaudio.com/2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e/episodes/699a5bfd-4915-4057-be46-5c512a7a6bd7/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e&awEpisodeId=699a5bfd-4915-4057-be46-5c512a7a6bd7&feed=Y8lFbOT4 https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/tracking.swap.fm/track/0bDcdoop59bdTYSfajQW/stitcher.simplecastaudio.com/2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e/episodes/8d5e2f48-91df-4f92-b247-49acdb810fb1/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e&awEpisodeId=8d5e2f48-91df-4f92-b247-49acdb810fb1&feed=Y8lFbOT4 For years, whale oil was used as lighting fuel, industrial lubricant, and the main ingredient in (yum!) margarine. Whale meat was also on a few menus. But today, demand for whale products is at a historic low. And yet some countries still have a whaling industry. We find out why. (Part 2 of “ Everything You Never Knew About Whaling .”)   SOURCES: Jay Alabaster , doctoral student at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism. Bjorn Basberg , professor emeritus of economic history at the Norwegian School of Economics. Eric Hilt , professor of economics at Wellesley College. Kate O’Connell , senior policy consultant for the marine life program at the Animal Welfare Institute. Paul Watson , environmental activist and founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.   RESOURCES: “ The Soviet Union Killed an Appalling Number of Whales. I Wanted to Know Why ,” by Ryan Tucker Jones ( Slate, 2022). “ Behind the Smile: The Multi-Bil... Fri, 15 Aug 2025 10:00:00 +0000 https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/tracking.swap.fm/track/0bDcdoop59bdTYSfajQW/stitcher.simplecastaudio.com/2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e/episodes/8d5e2f48-91df-4f92-b247-49acdb810fb1/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e&awEpisodeId=8d5e2f48-91df-4f92-b247-49acdb810fb1&feed=Y8lFbOT4