logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2022
44m 43s

Are You Ready for a Fresh Start? (Ep. 45...

Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher
About this episode

Behavioral scientists have been exploring if — and when — a psychological reset can lead to lasting change. We survey evidence from the London Underground, Major League Baseball, and New Year’s resolutions; we look at accidental fresh starts, forced fresh starts, and fresh starts that backfire. And we wonder: will the pandemic’s end provide the biggest fresh start ever?

 

Up next
Yesterday
649. Should Ohio State (and Michigan, and Clemson) Join the N.F.L.?
Soccer leagues around the world use a promotion-and-relegation system to reward the best teams and punish the worst. We ask whether American sports fans would enjoy a similar system. (Part two of a two-part series.) SOURCES:Domonique Foxworth, sports analyst and former N.F.L. pla ... Show More
55m 21s
Oct 3
648. The Merger You Never Knew You Wanted
The N.F.L. is a powerful cartel with imperial desires. College football is about to undergo a financial reckoning. So maybe they should team up? (Part one of a two-part series.) SOURCES:DeMaurice Smith, former executive director of the National Football League Players Association ... Show More
1h 6m
Sep 26
Is the U.S. Really Less Corrupt Than China? (Update)
In this episode we first published in 2021, the political scientist Yuen Yuen Ang argues that different forms of government create different styles of corruption — and that the U.S. and China have more in common than we’d like to admit. SOURCES:Yuen Yuen Ang, professor of politic ... Show More
57m 34s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2020
A New Hope
Research shows we all look for moments to make a fresh start - new years, new seasons, new decades. Our optimism about making big, positive changes is strong, but it fades quickly. As we enter 2020, Dr Laurie Santos asks Wharton's Katy Milkman about the science behind the "fresh ... Show More
22m 53s
Jun 2021
Fresh Start: The Deep Clean
One of the things I never quite got a grasp on is seasons... I mean I grew up in Hawaii and we basically had hot and not quite as hot. But this comes up for me because technically we're still in Spring right now so I guess this could still be a Spring Cleaning episode - officiall ... Show More
15m 2s
Jun 2020
Lockdown easing and mental health; early life stress and catching cold; new lockdown jobs
Emerging from lockdown might not be as easy on our mental health as it sounds. After weeks spent adjusting to lockdown and working out how to cope, how easy is it to re-adjust to old routines? And is it even possible to predict how we’ll feel about things in a few weeks’ time? Da ... Show More
28m 4s
May 2022
IMAGINABLE: How Anyone Can Predict the Future (Yes, Even You)
In January 2020, when the coronavirus started making headlines around the world, Jane McGonigal’s inbox was flooded with emails from Silicon Valley execs, government officials, and non-profit leaders. They all had the same question: “Jane, didn’t you run a simulation of a respira ... Show More
1h 11m
Dec 2022
Ready to make a change for New Year's? Behavioral science can help
When is the best time to start a new habit? And why are some habits easier to practice than others? Behavioral scientist Katy Milkman, author of 'How to Change,' explains how to get a behavior to stick. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Pr ... Show More
19m 54s
Dec 2021
NEW YEAR NEW ME | Best Motivational Speeches Compilation 2022
"A fresh start isn't a new place, it's a new mindset" - unknown 
28m 59s
Aug 2021
#34 Living Truthfully
New beginnings. The difficulties of starting anew. Having the capacity to handle what life throws at you. The choices of living genuinely and truthfully. 
26m 27s
Jan 2022
Need to make a change in your life? Behavioral science can help
When's the best time to start a new habit? And what makes some stick while others fall by the wayside? Behavioral scientist Katy Milkman's new book, How to Change, breaks down the research about how to leverage human nature instead of working against it to achieve your goals. (Th ... Show More
18m 23s
Apr 2020
Dr. Don Curry M.D., MPH - Ecology of viruses & the reshaping of modern civilization [E134]
We go beyond the present day numbers, stats, and COVID news cycle and we discuss the ecology of viruses and how this crisis is merely a dress rehearsal that will shape society for the next century.We hit on: The testing needed to pull out of this crisis. Why countries are respond ... Show More
1h 7m