How Can We Break Our Addiction to Contem...

A ruthless (and ruthlessly efficient) industry is using digital tools to supercharge one of the world’s oldest behaviors. We look at how the industry works, and ask the scam-fighters what they’re doing about it. SOURCES: Kati Daffan, former assistant director at the Federal Trade ... Show More

Economists don’t usually talk about “culture.” But Joel Mokyr argues that it’s the engine of innovation — and the Nobel Prize committee agreed. Stephen Dubner sits down for a thousand-year conversation (including advice!) with the new Nobel laureate. SOURCES: Joel Mokyr, economic ... Show More

Just beneath the surface of the global economy, there is a hidden layer of dealmakers for whom war, chaos, and sanctions can be a great business opportunity. In this updated episode from 2025, journalists Javier Blas and Jack Farchy help us shine a light on the shadowy realm of c ... Show More

In this episode, John sits down with Harvard professor Arthur Brooks to discuss the brain chemistry of love, why dating apps don’t work, and how to overcome a victim mentality.  Next Steps:  🧠Learn more about Arthur Brooks: Arthur Brooks - Teaching the Science of Happiness. Liv ... Show More

Higher education is under attack. You've probably heard about the cases of Mahmoud Kahlil, Rumeysa Ozturk, and Alireza Doroudi. Students, studying in American universities being arrested and disappeared for their political stances. And our academic institutions are all too willin ... Show More

<p>Steven Pinker’s new book argues that all our relationships depend on shared assumptions and “recursive mentalizing” — our constant efforts to understand what other people are thinking. He and Steve talk about the psychology of eye contact, the particular value of Super Bowl ad ... Show More

Arthur Brooks is a social scientist, professor at Harvard University, and an author. Can romance and love be decoded? From falling in and out of love to finding “the one,” what does the science say about what makes someone a good partner, best friend, and lifelong companion? Expe ... Show More

<p>Capitalism's addiction to growth doesn't just show up in the external world. It can also be found inside us—in our manufactured desire for more and better. Not only do we have to keep wanting to keep the machine going, we have to keep wanting what is "scarce" and easily privat ... Show More