In this episode from 2013, we look at whether spite pays — and if it even exists.
Jul 17
Are You Really Allergic to Penicillin? (Update)
Like tens of millions of people, Stephen Dubner thought he had a penicillin allergy. Like the vast majority, he didn’t. This misdiagnosis costs billions of dollars and causes serious health problems, so why hasn’t it been fixed? We find out in this update of a 2025 episode. SOURC ... Show More
1h 5m
Jul 14
How a Great Architect Thinks, with Bjarke Ingels | Better in Person
Is the oxymoron really “the secret sauce to everything”? That’s the case Ingels makes in this debut episode of our new video show Better in Person, filmed in Stephen Dubner’s living room. If you'd like to see the video version of Better in Person, watch it on YouTube or Apple Pod ... Show More
43m 27s
Jul 9
681. How to Host a Talk Show, with Dick Cavett
Stephen Dubner had an idea for a new project. So he drove to Connecticut and knocked on the door of the master. Dubner’s new TV talk show Better in Person launches July 14 on the Freakonomics YouTube channel. SOURCES: Dick Cavett, writer, former talk show host. RESOURCES: Eye on ... Show More
43m 27s
Jul 2020
Introducing “People I (Mostly) Admire”
<p>Steve Levitt has spent decades as an academic economist, “studying strange phenomena and human behavior in weird circumstances.” Now he’s turning his curiosity to something new: interviewing some of the most interesting, unorthodox people around — from actresses to athletes, a ... Show More
4m 46s
Sep 2022
Is the war for talent real? | After Hours
Are we witnessing the slow death of Facebook? Does Adam Neumann (WeWork) deserve a second chance? Is the War for Talent real? Plus, thoughts on everything from Serena, to Kim Kardashian, to House of the Dragon, and more. This is an episode of After Hours, a weekly chat show about ... Show More
55 m
<p>What do Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud, and Malcolm Gladwell have in common? Are interesting theories more significant than true ones? And what has been keeping Angela up at night? Plus: an important announcement about the show. </p><p> </p><ul><li><strong>SOURCES:</strong><ul><li>< ... Show More