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by Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher
Freakonomics co-author Stephen J. Dubner uncovers the hidden side of everything. Why is it safer to fly in an airplane than drive a car? How do we decide whom to marry? Why is the media so full of bad news? Also: things you never knew you wanted to know about wolves, bananas, pollution, search engines, and the quirks of human behavior.
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- Yesterdaynarrative49 min6-min read
689. Here’s Why Your Hamburger Just Got So Pricey
The U.S. beef industry, a cornerstone of American agriculture and culture, is facing unprecedented price surges and structural challenges driven by biological constraints, market concentration, and decades of consolidation. Despite strong consumer demand—especially for ground beef—the supply chain is strained by a 10-year cattle cycle, drought, labor shortages, and the dominance of four major packers who control 85% of processing.
- 1 weeks agonarrative50 min6-min read
688. When Is a Bet Not a Bet?
Prediction markets like Kalshi claim to offer a more accurate, transparent, and socially beneficial alternative to traditional gambling by functioning as regulated financial exchanges that aggregate public knowledge. However, their rapid growth—especially in sports betting—has triggered legal battles over federal versus state jurisdiction, concerns about insider trading, and fears of a regulatory backlash.
- 2 weeks agonarrative48 min6-min read
687. Are Prediction Markets the Best Forecasting Tool Ever — or Just Another Casino?
Prediction markets, platforms where people bet on future events, are presented as a potentially transformative tool for aggregating accurate information and improving decision-making across politics, finance, and culture, though they face skepticism, regulatory hurdles, and ethical concerns.
- 2 weeks ago32 min
How to Be a Double Unicorn, with John Urschel | Better in Person
He was thriving in the N.F.L., but then he decided to focus on mathematics — a subject he now teaches at M.I.T. John walks Stephen Dubner through the whole story, teaches him some blocking techniques, and explains why some infinities are bigger than others. If you'd like to see the video version of Better in Person, you can watch it on YouTube or Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
- 3 weeks agonarrative58 min5-min read
686. Why Is It So Hard to Find an NFL Quarterback?
The episode explores why predicting NFL quarterback success is one of sports’ hardest challenges, despite mountains of data, and examines new tools like cognitive testing and AI models that aim to improve forecasting by measuring mental processing, resilience, and decision-making under pressure.
- 3 weeks agointerview32 min5-min read
Amazon Was Supposed to Kill the Bookstore. James Daunt Had Other Plans | Better in Person
James Daunt, the man behind the revival of Waterstones and Barnes & Noble, credits the survival and resurgence of physical bookstores to long-term thinking, decentralized store autonomy, and a deep belief in the cultural and emotional value of books — defying the narrative that Amazon and digital reading would render bookstores obsolete.
- 4 weeks agointerview57 min6-min read
685. How to Survive the A.I. Shock
Gina Raimondo, former U.S. Commerce Secretary and Rhode Island governor, argues that the U.S. must proactively manage the economic and social disruption caused by AI, learning from the failures of the 'China shock' that devastated American manufacturing communities. Her new nonprofit, Raise Us, aims to create a collaborative, state-led model for worker retraining, job transition, and economic resilience—before mass job losses occur.
- Sep 2, 2026conversational37 min5-min read
How to Run an Institution in an Anti-Institution Era | Better in Person
Running major cultural and educational institutions in an era of declining public trust requires moral clarity, resilience, and a commitment to core values. Stephen Dubner hosts a conversation with Anne Pasternak, director of the Brooklyn Museum, and Michael Roth, president of Wesleyan University, who reflect on the challenges of leadership amid political polarization, financial pressures, and public scrutiny—especially following the October 7 Hamas attacks. Both leaders emphasize the importance of modeling inclusion, free expression, and institutional courage, even when it invites backlash.
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About Freakonomics Radio
Freakonomics co-author Stephen J. Dubner uncovers the hidden side of everything. Why is it safer to fly in an airplane than drive a car? How do we decide whom to marry? Why is the media so full of bad news? Also: things you never knew you wanted to know about wolves, bananas, pollution, search engines, and the quirks of human behavior.
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