535. Why Is Flying Safer Than Driving?

Stephen Dubner recently served on a criminal jury. Twelve strangers — selected randomly and barely paid — took the job seriously. Afterward, he wondered: why can’t our politics work that way? A growing movement, inspired by Athenian democracy, says it can. SOURCES:Terry Bouricius ... Show More

SNL writer and Weekend Update anchor Michael Che joins Trevor and Eugene in this episode preview. Watch What Now? with Trevor Noah on Youtube or tune-in anywhere you listen to podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collec ... Show More

It may just be being human. Stephen Dubner interviews A.I. performer Tilly Norwood to find out if we are as replaceable as we fear. (Part two of a two-part series.) SOURCES:Sean Astin, actor, president of SAG-AFTRA.Kevin Kelly, co-founder of Wired.Ethan Mollick, associate profess ... Show More

In recent months, an Alaska Airlines jet lost a door plug mid-flight, and a Japan Airlines plane collided with another aircraft at an airport in Tokyo. Accidents like these are uncommon, but they could help engineers design safer airplanes. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University as ... Show More

<p>Theoretically, every US driver could replace his or her automobile with a flying car -- but is it a good idea? Tune in to learn about the past and future of flying cars in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.</p><p> </p> Learn more about your ad-choices at <a href="https://www.ihe ... Show More

Prices have dropped; air travel's been democratized; the number of people flying's more than tripled in the last 30 years. Also, seats are smaller seats and lines are longer. MUCH longer. We spend more time than ever in tight spaces with our fellow humans. The results can be grim ... Show More

As automobiles took the world by storm, manufacturers quickly realized they needed to make a ton of safety improvements -- and fast. But how could you accurately determine what happened in a car crash, without risking human lives? In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max dive into t ... Show More

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

<p>As there has been some problems with Boeing 777s in the news recently I thought I'd talk a bit about plane crashes and travel safety in general.</p> 

Recent airplane crashes and near misses have everyone freaked out, just as DOGE is laying off workers at the agency charged with keeping people safe in the air. This episode was produced by Victoria Chamberlin and Gabrielle Berbey, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura B ... Show More

Flying, for many of us, is now routine. For a few of us it is a weekly, maybe even daily, event. At the same time global protests, concerned with the pressing danger of climate change and the need to reduce CO2 emissions, are gaining attention and causing alarm. So, will we ever ... Show More