EXTRA: Here’s Why You’re Not an Elite Athlete (Update)
12 August 2024 - 1 hour 5 minsThere are a lot of factors that go into greatness, many of which are not obvious. As the Olympics come to a close, we revisit a 2018 episode in which top athletes from a variety of sports tell us how they made it, and what they sacrificed.
SOURCES:Lance Armstrong, former professional cyclist.David Canton, director of African American studies and professor of history at the University of Florida.David Epstein, science journalist and author.Domonique Foxworth, former professional football player.Justin Humphries, former professional baseball player.Andre Ingram, professional basketball player.Shawn Johnson, former professional gymnast and Olympian.Steve Levitt, professor of economics at th...
Series Episodes
643. Why Do Candles Still Exist?
They should have died out when the lightbulb was invented. Instead they’re a $10 billion industry. What does it mean that we still want tiny fires inside our homes?
47 mins
1 August Finished
642. How to Wage Peace, According to Tony Blinken
The former secretary of state isn’t a flamethrower, but he certainly has strong opinions. In this wide-ranging conversation with Stephen Dubner, he gives them all: on Israel, Gaza, China, Iran, Russia, Biden, Trump — and the rest of the world.
1 hour 6 mins
25 July Finished
Why Does One Tiny State Set the Rules for Everyone? (Update)
Until recently, Delaware was almost universally agreed to be the best place for companies to incorporate. Now, with Elon Musk leading a corporate stampede out of the First State, we revisit an episode from 2023 that asked if Delaware’s “franchise” is wildly corrupt, wildly efficient … or both?
47 mins
23 July Finished
641. What Does It Cost to Lead a Creative Life?
For years, the playwright David Adjmi was considered “polarizing and difficult.” But creating "Stereophonic" seems to have healed him. Stephen Dubner gets the story — and sorts out what Adjmi has in common with Richard Wagner.
46 mins
18 July Finished
640. Why Governments Are Betting Big on Sports
The Gulf States and China are spending billions to build stadiums and buy up teams — but what are they really buying? And can an entrepreneur from Cincinnati make his own billions by bringing baseball to Dubai?
50 mins
11 July Finished
How to Make Your Own Luck (Update)
Before she decided to become a poker pro, Maria Konnikova didn’t know how many cards are in a deck. But she did have a Ph.D. in psychology, a brilliant coach, and a burning desire to know whether life is driven more by skill or chance. She found some answers in poker — and she’s willing to tell us everything she learned.
58 mins
9 July Finished
