logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2024
38m 34s

186. Do You Need a Routine?

Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher
About this episode
Would you be more adventurous if you had more structure? Do you multitask while brushing your teeth? And what would Mike’s perfect brother Peter do? 
Up next
Mar 1
63. How Contagious Is Behavior? With Laurie Santos of “The Happiness Lab.” (Replay)
Why do we mirror other people’s accents? Does DJ Khaled get tired of winning? And also: life is good — so why aren’t you happy? This episode originally aired on August 8th, 2021. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection an ... Show More
36m 23s
Feb 22
62. How Can You Escape a Drama Triangle?
Also: how do awards affect motivation? This episode originally aired on August 1st, 2021. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. 
39m 44s
Feb 15
61. Should We Just Ignore Our Weaknesses?
Also: why do we like what we like? This episode originally aired on July 25th, 2021. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. 
33m 35s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2024
573. Can Academic Fraud Be Stopped?
tail spinning
1h 2m
Jun 2024
133. Pay Attention! (Your Body Will Thank You)
<p>Ellen Langer is a psychologist at Harvard who studies the mind-body connection. She’s published some of the most remarkable scientific findings Steve has ever encountered. Can we really improve our physical health by changing our mind?</p><p> </p><ul><li><strong>SOURCE:</stron ... Show More
59m 30s
Dec 2023
569. Do You Need Closure?
tail spinning
39m 34s
Jan 2024
572. Why Is There So Much Fraud in Academia?
<p>Some of the biggest names in behavioral science stand accused of faking their results. Last year, an astonishing 10,000 research papers were retracted. We talk to whistleblowers, reformers, and a co-author who got caught up in the chaos. (Part 1 of 2)</p><p> </p><ul><li><stron ... Show More
1h 14m
Jul 2023
Is the journey to self-discovery pointless?
There are many ways people are trying to know themselves these days – from taking the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator test to analyzing their astrological birth charts to identifying their attachment styles. But are any of these methods helpful? Allie Volpe, a senior reporter at Vox, ... Show More
52m 57s
May 2023
#209 — A Good Life
Sam Harris speaks with Scott Barry Kaufman about human well-being. They discuss intelligence and creativity, wisdom and transcendence, the history of humanistic psychology, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the connection between well-being and ethics, self-esteem, psychedelics and me ... Show More
45m 20s
Feb 2022
Political Gabfest - Am I Normal?
Emily, John and David discuss Donald Trump’s attempts to seize voting machines, the racist attacks on the yet-to-be-named SCOTUS nominee, and they are joined by Joseph Allen, director of the Healthy Buildings program at Harvard University's T. H. Chan School of Public Health, to ... Show More
58m 21s
Jan 2022
A scientist's case for "woo-woo"
Sean Illing talks with David Hamilton, a scientist and former research chemist turned author, about his new book Why Woo-Woo Works, in which he offers a scientifically-grounded defense of alternative practices like meditation, crystals, and the law of attraction. They discuss the ... Show More
58m 34s
Dec 2021
The good life is painful
Sean Illing talks with psychologist Paul Bloom about his new book The Sweet Spot, and whether it's necessary to experience suffering in order to live a fulfilling, meaningful life. They discuss the rich philosophical history of the question: what does it mean to be happy? They al ... Show More
53m 20s