logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2019
1h 3m

395. Speak Softly and Carry Big Data

Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher
About this episode
Do economic sanctions work? Are big democracies any good at spreading democracy? What is the root cause of terrorism? It turns out that data analysis can help answer all these questions — and make better foreign-policy decisions. Guests include former Department of Defense officials Chuck Hagel and Michèle Flournoy and Chicago Project on Security and Threats ... Show More
Up next
Jul 3
680. Can Universities Win Back Our Trust?
Dartmouth president Sian Beilock, a psychologist by training, made her name studying why people choke. Now she’s applying those insights to one of the most scrutinized jobs in America. No pressure! SOURCES: Sian Beilock, president of Dartmouth College. RESOURCES: "Growing share o ... Show More
49m 55s
Jun 26
679. Why Does Vanderbilt Keep Winning?
It’s a hard time to run a university: public trust is low, political pressure is high, and finances are fragile. But Daniel Diermeier, who trained as a political scientist, has Vanderbilt humming. How? He says the key is choosing magnets over wedges. SOURCES: Daniel Diermeier, ch ... Show More
1h 4m
Jun 24
The World Is (Still) Drowning in Sludge
Insurance forms that make no sense. Subscriptions that can’t be cancelled. A never-ending blizzard of automated notifications. In this update of a 2025 episode, Stephen Dubner discovers where all this sludge comes from — and how much it’s costing us. SOURCES: Benjamin Handel, pro ... Show More
54m 46s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2020
163. DATA, MINE: taking back control from Big Tech
Hello! We hear a lot about the problems of the data economy. How can we take back control? Philosopher Carissa Veliz explains why governments need to step in to protect our privacy. Then Jack Hardinges from the Open Data Institute talks about exciting new ideas to help steward da ... Show More
56m 36s
Sep 2021
NCTAUUS
In this final episode we hear actual audio from the chairman and vice-chairman of the 9/11 Commission as they present their findings to the American people. We also hear an exchange between the chairman and a member of Congress. Finally, we get perspective from a well-known milit ... Show More
30m 4s
Jun 2017
16 Years Down, 50 to Go: An Update on the Changing Nature of the War on Terror
Do low tech attacks on soft targets suggest a change in the nature of both the war on terror and how our societies express their political dysfunction? Or is the mayhem that drives the news daily more or less what we have always seen in the past? On this episode of Deep State Rad ... Show More
45m 6s
Nov 2023
What Topples Democracies
Around the world, democratic ideals are being tested in surprising ways. As the curtains rise on a big election year, TED speakers explore what can keep people united and what drives them apart. Guests include journalist and Broadway producer Jose Antonio Vargas, civil war expert ... Show More
51m 9s
Jun 2023
Audacious Solutions
Big problems need audacious solutions. This hour, TED speakers use data and common sense to make laws more effective, reform the foster care system and hold environmental offenders accountable. Guests include criminal justice reform activist Sheena Meade, child welfare advocates ... Show More
50m 20s
Aug 2025
#429 — The New World Order
<p dir="ltr">Sam Harris speaks with Anne Applebaum about the erosion of democracy at home and abroad. They discuss the Sudanese civil war and the outside forces involved, America's retreat from global leadership, the impacts of USAID cuts, gerrymandering, the integrity of U.S. el ... Show More
26m 52s
May 2018
#089: Bringing Statistics to Digital Analytics Data with Matt Policastro
<p>Regression. Correlation. Normality. t-tests. Falsities of both the positive <em>and</em> negative varieties. How do these terms and techniques play nicely with digital analytics data? Are they the schoolyard bullies wielded by data scientists, destined to simply run by and kic ... Show More
58m 4s
Jun 2019
#160 — The Revenge of History
<p>Sam Harris speaks with Michael Weiss and Yascha Mounk about the state of global politics. They discuss the rise of right-wing populism in Europe, the prospect that democracy could fail in the US, Trump's political instincts, the political liability of "wokeness," the Left's fa ... Show More
58m 7s
May 2017
#011 Fascism Or Democracy - Is This Our Last Chance To Choose? (with George Monbiot)
George Monbiot and I discuss the dark money capturing our politics for the billionaires and corporations; the terrifying power of Big Data; and the opportunity for a new democracy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. 
59m 35s
Listen to millions of songs and podcasts on Anghami