Are Human Drivers Finally Obsolete?
20 March - 1 hour 11 minsHow a secret project at Google led to driverless cars on American roads.
Freakonomics Radio shares a story from our friends at Search Engine. (Part one of a two-part series.)
SOURCES:
Alex Davies, author of Driven: The Race To Create the Autonomous Car.
Chris Urmson, co-founder and C.E.O. of Aurora.
Don Burnette, founder and C.E.O. of Kodiak AI.
PJ Vogt, reporter, writer, and host of the Search Engine podcast.
Sebastian Thrun, roboticist, C.E.O. of Sage AI Labs, adjunct faculty at Stanford University.
Timothy B. Lee, author of Understanding AI newsletter.
RESOURCES:
"Very few of Waymo’s most serious crashes were Waymo’s fault," by Kai Willi...
Series Episodes
667. Here’s Why You Are Constantly Fighting Off Scammers
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.
47 mins
13 March Finished
666. This Is How Progress Happens
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.
53 mins
6 March Finished
The Most Powerful People You’ve Never Heard Of (Update)
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 commodity traders.
1 hour 6 mins
4 March Finished
665. Werner Herzog Isn’t Afraid ...
... of bad reviews, meager financing, or artificial intelligence. But he is worried that the world is full of sloppy thinkers who mistake facts for the truth.
49 mins
27 February Finished
664. Are Thousands of Medical Cures Hiding in Plain Sight?
Existing drugs can sometimes be repurposed to treat rare diseases. But making that match can be hard — and the financial incentives are weak. Guest host Steve Levitt tries to solve the puzzle.
51 mins
20 February Finished
