It’s an unnatural activity that has become normal. You’re stuck in a metal tube with hundreds of strangers (and strange smells), defying gravity and racing through the sky. But oh, the places you’ll go! We visit the world’s busiest airport to see how it all comes together. (Part 1 of “Freakonomics Radio Takes to the Skies.”)
Oct 16
691. Is This What a “Good Billionaire” Looks Like?
David Rubenstein, a product of the old bipartisan D.C., made his fortune in private equity. He’s been spending it on “patriotic philanthropy” and institutions like the Kennedy Center, where Trump fired him as chairman. Now he wonders if the center can hold. SOURCES:David Rubenste ... Show More
43m 23s
Oct 9
690. It’s Show Business, Baby!
Podcasting started as a niche-nerd pursuit. Now it’s a $9 billion industry. Is that a lot? The strange economics of this thing we do. SOURCES:Jim Bankoff, chairman and C.E.O. of Vox Media.Ben Davis, head of digital at WME.Will Page, former chief economist at Spotify and author of ... Show More
1h 1m
Oct 2
689. Here’s Why Your Hamburger Just Got So Pricey
An economist calls America’s beef industry a “miracle.” An antitrust scholar calls it “broken.” Maybe they’re both right? SOURCES:Austin Frerick, agriculture antitrust expert, fellow at Yale University, author of Barons: Money, Power, and the Corruption of America's Food Industry ... Show More
49m 25s
Dec 2022
The Flight Before Christmas
<p>At any given moment, nearly 500,000 people are crammed together in a metal tube, hurtling through the air. In this episode, we look at the strange human experiment that is flying together.</p>
<p><em>Special thanks to Natalie Compton, Julia Longoria, Mike Arnot, and everyone a ... Show More
43m 59s
Dec 2024
9 ✈️ ✈️ ✈️ High-Flying Facts ✈️ ✈️ ✈️ About Skywriting!
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s… an ad for cigarettes?! For the past 102 years, people have been using airplanes to turn exhaust into ads, political slogans, birthday greetings, and more. But where did this strangely brilliant idea come from? What kind of sorcery do pilots use to ... Show More
25m 45s
Dec 2023
Why does flying suck so much?
Flying can be a frustrating experience, but holiday travel tends to shift our stress levels into overdrive. Overbooking, delays, lost baggage, and long TSA lines are just the tip of the iceberg. Even pricey membership services can't promise a completely efficient or comfortable t ... Show More
28m 14s
Jan 2023
Could airplanes be haunted?
More than a century since the Wright brothers made history at Kitty Hawk, aircraft still seem like a stunning, new -- and potentially terrifying -- invention. It's no wonder that flight, like so many other forms of transit, has become embedded in the the human psyche. In today's ... Show More
1h 6m
Jan 2023
130: Nateland | Ep #130 - Air Travel
It’s been tough times for the airline industry lately, so Nate, Brian, Aaron and Dusty decided to share their thoughts on airline travel. The guys delve into hot topics like saving seats on a Southwest flight, pilots sleeping in the cockpit, and a poop so bad it grounded a flight ... Show More
1h 56m