The Most Interesting Fruit in the World ...

In sports, the rules are meant to be sacrosanct. But when it comes to performance-enhancing drugs, the slope is super-slippery. (Part one of a two-part series.) SOURCES:April Henning, associate professor of international sport management at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Sc ... Show More

They used to be the N.F.L.’s biggest stars, with paychecks to match. Now their salaries are near the bottom, and their careers are shorter than ever. In this updated episode from 2025, we speak with an analytics guru, an agent, an economist, and some former running backs to under ... Show More

For 50 years, the healthcare industry has been trying (and failing) to harness the power of artificial intelligence. It may finally be ready for prime time. What will this mean for human doctors — and the rest of us? (Part four of “The Freakonomics Radio Guide to Getting Better.” ... Show More

Liz Waid and Adam Navis look at the most popular fruit in the world - the long, thin, yellow banana. This fruit is under threat. 

Bananas are one of the most popular fruits on the planet - more than 100 million tonnes of them are eaten every year. But on banana plantations on four continents, a deadly fungus is creeping through the soil and destroying the plants. Some say the end is nigh for the banana. But ... Show More

The banana is a staple of the American diet and has been for generations. But how did this exotic tropical fruit become so commonplace? How one Brooklyn-born entrepreneur ruthlessly created the modern banana industry and the infamous banana republics. Learn more about sponsor mes ... Show More

On this episode of Our American Stories, if you think of the quintessential American fruit, it would probably have to be the apple. But apples are not our cheapest fruit—bananas are! But why? Here’s the History Guy with the story of the banana. Support the show (https://www.ouram ... Show More

<p>From monkey lifehacks, to Victorian shame about bananas to why slipping on a peel became the go-to gag, Will and Mango are ready to dish on the Cavendish. Featuring the International Banana Club’s Top Banana, Ken Bannister.</p><p> </p> Learn more about your ad-choices at <a hr ... Show More

The banana is a staple of the American diet and has been for generations. But how did this exotic tropical fruit become so commonplace? How one Brooklyn-born entrepreneur ruthlessly created the modern banana industry and the infamous banana republics. Learn more about sponsor mes ... Show More

Bananas. That yummy yellow fruit. We love it. But let me tell you, this simple fruit has a COMPLICATED past. We’re talking labor strikes, insurrections, murder, environmental destruction, insider trading, and even potential nuclear war. No, seriously. Today we get into the very d ... Show More

Can bread really grow on trees? This episode, meet the all-star, super productive, low-maintenance, gluten-free carbohydrate of the future. Did we mention it's also delicious? How can one fruit—that's also a vegetable and a staple starch—become chips, crackers, and cheesecake, wh ... Show More