407. Is There Really a “Loneliness Epide...

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

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

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

Public health experts have been warning for years about a looming “loneliness epidemic” in the United States, with serious potential impacts on our mental and physical health. But what’s the cure? Dr. Sanjay Gupta talks to loneliness expert Professor Julianne Holt-Lunstad about h ... Show More

Loneliness is a growing issue around the world, and a recent national survey reveals that 1 in 4 Australians are lonely. Research also shows that loneliness can have a profound impact not just on our mental health but on our physical health as well. In fact, it could be as bad fo ... Show More

<p>Former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy shares with us the startling effects of chronic loneliness and how we can combat this public health crisis -- even in a socially distant world.</p> 

<p>Experts are divided on whether modern lifestyle factors, like social media use and smaller family units, are leading to greater lonliness. Either way: What can we do about it? We explore in this episode of BrainStuff.</p><p> </p> Learn more about your ad-choices at <a href="ht ... Show More

I came across some mildly terrifying statistics on loneliness and wanted to figure out what was going on. In this episode Drew and I break down three paradoxes we're calling “The Three Paradoxes of Modern Loneliness” and they are as follows: We are more connected than ever, yet ... Show More

The U.S. is in the midst of a loneliness epidemic. And for a lot of people, the feeling is even more pronounced during the holidays. In addition to its emotional impact, chronic loneliness and social isolation have some dramatic health consequences: increased risk of heart diseas ... Show More

Half of Americans say they are lonely and the average person reports having only one close friend. Loneliness can also make us sick, contributing to heart disease, depression, suicide and cognitive decline. Dr. Julianne Holt-Lunstad, professor of psychology and neuroscience at Br ... Show More

In this episode we break down the growing conversation around the “male loneliness epidemic”: what’s true, what’s misleading, and what the research actually says. This is a complex and controversial topic, but one that deserves a clear, evidence-based perspective. Why has lonelin ... Show More

Loneliness is a far more common and far more serious problem than we think. It affects one in five Americans, and takes a toll on our bodies and minds. To thrive we need to several types of social interactions - both casual and more intimate.   With the help of US Surgeon General ... Show More