logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2021
24m 2s

11. Why Do So Many Donated Kidneys End U...

Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher
About this episode
Every year, thousands of people in the U.S. die while they’re waiting for a new kidney, yet thousands of available organs get thrown away. Bapu talks to a kidney doctor and an economics Nobel laureate about why this happens and how the system could improve. 
Up next
Jul 2023
The Economics of Everyday Things: Animal Urine
In the newest show from the Freakonomics Radio Network, host Zachary Crockett explores the hidden side of the things around us. This week: One creature’s trash is another’s cash. (Or, how one man found profit in pee.) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com ... Show More
12m 57s
Jul 2023
Tom Brady, A.D.H.D., and a Really Bad Headache (Bonus)
A sneak peek at Bapu's new book, Random Acts of Medicine, available now from Doubleday, and an announcement about the show. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. 
37m 40s
Mar 2023
78. Do Kids Cause Divorce?
Couples get divorced for all kinds of reasons. Is having kids one of them? Bapu talks about research that investigates what happens to parents who unexpectedly have twins. Plus, an announcement about the future of the show. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswiz ... Show More
18m 50s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2022
Kidney Donation: You Could Be A Saint!
Kidneys are one of the few organs that you can donate while you’re alive. And the vast majority of donors experience no complications and their remaining kidney functions just fine. Yet thousands of people die each year waiting for a donated kidney. Why?See omnystudio.com/listene ... Show More
47m 24s
Jun 2025
The Organ Transplant Revolution Starts Here
At any given moment, more than 100,000 people are waiting for an organ transplant. Every day, 17 of them die waiting. This is a story of survival, bravery, and a medical breakthrough that could solve everything – using organs from animals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ... Show More
28m 27s
Sep 2024
Should We Legalize the Market for Human Organs?
Over 103,000 people need organ donations in the U.S. Some economists and health experts wonder whether creating a free or regulated market would resolve this. Those in support argue that with proper regulations, it can be safe, ethical, and financially beneficial for both sellers ... Show More
53m 15s
Nov 2024
CLASSIC: The Red Market: Is China Executing People To Harvest Their Organs?
Until the day we're able to manufacture affordable, reliable organs from scratch, organ transplants will remain the only hope for millions of sick and dying people across the planet. For this reason, organs have been a big business for decades -- and not all aspects of the busine ... Show More
57m 24s
Jun 2022
CLASSIC: Crime, Kidnapping and Organs: The Red Market
<p>For the majority of human history, a failing vital organ was a death sentence. Yet hard-won lessons from countless tragic medical experiments have given modern humans the amazing ability to swap a failing organ from a healthy one, often with good odds of surviving the operatio ... Show More
56m 10s
Mar 2024
The miracle of organ donation — and a breakthrough for the future | Abbas Ardehali
Organ transplants save lives, but they come with challenges: every minute a healthy donated organ is on ice increases risk. And even if things go perfectly, rejection of the organ is still possible. Cardiothoracic surgeon Abbas Ardehali introduces cutting-edge medical advances in ... Show More
9m 29s
Apr 2022
Chimeras in medicine— Part 1: Xenotransplantation
Many people are waiting for an organ donation and some of them may die before a suitable organ is found. Some researchers think that in the near future we will be able to grow organs in animals to be safely transplanted into humans. This healthcare potential raises ethical questi ... Show More
28m 5s