Does a surplus of information create a shortage of attention? Are today’s young people really unable to focus? And do goldfish need better PR?
May 2025
How to Succeed at Failing, Part 3: Grit vs. Quit (Update)
<p>Giving up can be painful. That's why we need to talk about it. Today: stories about glitchy apps, leaky paint cans, broken sculptures — and a quest for the perfect bowl of ramen. (Part three of a <a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast-tag/how-to-succeed-at-failing/">four-pa ... Show More
1h 3m
May 2024
Your Mind Is Being Fracked
<p>The steady dings of notifications. The 40 tabs that greet you when you open your computer in the morning. The hundreds of unread emails, most of them spam, with subject lines pleading or screaming for you to click. Our attention is under assault these days, and most of us are ... Show More
1h 12m
Dec 2024
Michael Garfield — Play the (Mind) Jazz (EP.246)
<p>My guest today is Michael Garfield, a paleontologist, futurist, writer, podcast host and strategic advisor whose "mind-jazz" performances — essays, music and fine art — bridge the worlds of art, science and philosophy.</p> <p>This year, Michael received a <a href= "https://new ... Show More
1h 19m
Oct 15
How Can We Break Our Addiction to Contempt? (Update)
<p>Arthur Brooks, an economist and former head of the American Enterprise Institute, believes that there is only one remedy for our political polarization: love. In this 2021 episode, we ask if Brooks is a fool for thinking this — and if perhaps you are his kind of fool?</p><p> < ... Show More
40m 23s
<p>Daniel Kahneman left his mark on academia (and the real world) in countless ways. A group of his friends and colleagues recently gathered in Chicago to reflect on this legacy — and we were there, with microphones.</p><p> </p><ul><li><strong>SOURCES:</strong><ul><li><a href="ht ... Show More
<p>Only a tiny number of “supertaskers” are capable of doing two things at once. The rest of us are just making ourselves miserable, and less productive. How can we put the — <i>hang on a second, I've just got to get this</i>.</p><p><br />Come see Stephen Dubner live! </p><p>“A Q ... Show More
<p>Ken Goldberg is at the forefront of robotics — which means he tries to teach machines to do things humans find trivial.</p><p> </p><ul><li><strong>SOURCES:</strong><ul><li><a href="https://goldberg.berkeley.edu/">Ken Goldberg</a>, professor of industrial engineering and operat ... Show More