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Freakonomics Radio

Podcast Series 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.

To get every show in the Freakonomics Radio Network without ads and a monthly bonus episode of Freakonomics Radio, start a free trial for SiriusXM Podcasts+ on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.

Series Episodes

694. Does Democracy Really Need Elections? Playing

694. Does Democracy Really Need Elections?

Stephen Dubner recently served on a criminal jury. Twelve strangers — selected randomly and barely paid — took the job seriously. Afterward, he wondered: why can’t our politics work that way? A growing movement, inspired by Athenian democracy, says it can.

1 hour 4 mins

6 November Finished

What Now? with Trevor Noah | Michael Che: The Unspoken Rules of Comedy Playing

What Now? with Trevor Noah | Michael Che: The Unspoken Rules of Comedy

SNL writer and Weekend Update anchor Michael Che joins Trevor and Eugene in this episode preview. Watch What Now? with Trevor Noah on Youtube or tune-in anywhere you listen to podcasts.

10 mins

4 November Finished

693. What’s Our Job as Humans Anymore? Playing

693. What’s Our Job as Humans Anymore?

It may just be being human. Stephen Dubner interviews A.I. performer Tilly Norwood to find out if we are as replaceable as we fear. (Part two of a two-part series.)

57 mins

30 October Finished

692. What Will A.I. Do to (and for) Human Creativity? Playing

692. What Will A.I. Do to (and for) Human Creativity?

Writers, designers, actors, coders, musicians, thinkers — they’re all worried about being replaced by machines. But what if the A.I.s are actually here to help? (Part one of a two-part series.)

59 mins

23 October Finished

Are Private Equity Firms Plundering the U.S. Economy? (Update) Playing

Are Private Equity Firms Plundering the U.S. Economy? (Update)

They say they make companies more efficient through savvy management. Critics say they bend the rules to enrich themselves at the expense of consumers and employees. Can they both be right? (Probably not.)

48 mins

20 October Finished

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