578. Water, Water Everywhere — But You ...

They say they make companies more efficient through savvy management. Critics say they bend the rules to enrich themselves at the expense of consumers and employees. Can they both be right? (Probably not.) SOURCES:Brendan Ballou, C.E.O. of the Public Integrity Project.Dan Glickbe ... Show More

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

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

<p>What's in the water in Flint? Did city officials really cover up a potentially deadly situation? Tune in as Ben, Matt and Noel look into the Stuff They Don't Want You to Know about the Flint water crisis.</p><p><a href="https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should- ... Show More

What can past struggles over American water access tell us about national power and politics? Heather and Joanne place state and federal government responses to the Southwest’s current megadrought in the tangled history of water management, from Aaron Burr’s duplicitous scheme to ... Show More

<p>Flushing the toilet: an act that most of us carelessly perform several times a day, but that for 4.2 billion people in the world is still a luxury. Kim Chakanetsa talks to two pioneering engineers about the crucial role wastewater management plays in society, including how sew ... Show More

From lakes to oceans, glasses to jugs, Water has taken the world by storm. But how much do you really know these clear, mysterious beverage? Also we solve a listener problem concerning their obnoxious neighbor complaining about their struggle to survive and Tom uses his influence ... Show More

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

Just how hard is it to keep wastewater out of our drinking water? Super hard. In this episode, we take a look at the lengths one great American city, Chicago, went to in order to keep the source of its drinking water clean. Reverse the flow of the river? Why not? Then we explore ... Show More

<p>Most of us don’t like to dwell on our toilet habits, but this week Crowdscience has gone down the drain to discover what wastewater can tell us about our health.</p><p>It’s been more than a year since scientists across the globe started to track the spread of Covid-19, with he ... Show More

<p>Americans get an incredible deal on tap water. For just $.03, you can draw 10 gallons of drinkable, bathable, flushable liquid easily from your faucet. But is there a water crisis on the horizon? (Spoiler: yes.) And can a whole slate of incredible inventions save the world? (S ... Show More

<p>Have scientists discovered a new building material for future Martian colonies? Why might a vaccine for COVID-19 lead to the deaths of thousands of deep-sea sharks? Is it true that crows can think about thinking (and are they really in an unending, existential war with owls)? ... Show More

Bridget Kendal is joined by Professor in Water Management Arjen Hoekstra to discuss the idea that we urgently need to change industrial and agricultural practices to reduce our water footprint and avert a global crisis. Esther de Jong specialises in water usage in the developing ... Show More