622. Why Does Everyone Hate Rats?
New York City’s mayor calls them “public enemy number one.” History books say they caused the Black Death — although recent scientific evidence disputes that claim. So is the rat a scapegoat? And what...
14 Helmi 202541min
621. Is Professional Licensing a Racket?
Licensing began with medicine and law; now it extends to 20 percent of the U.S. workforce, including hair stylists and auctioneers. In a new book, the legal scholar Rebecca Allensworth calls licensing...
7 Helmi 202555min
When Is a Superstar Just Another Employee?
In 2023, the N.F.L. players’ union conducted a workplace survey that revealed clogged showers, rats in the locker room — and some insights for those of us who don’t play football. Today we’re updating...
5 Helmi 20251h 8min
620. Why Don’t Running Backs Get Paid Anymore?
They used to be the N.F.L.’s biggest stars, with paychecks to match. Now their salaries are near the bottom, and their careers are shorter than ever. We speak with an analytics guru, an agent, some fo...
31 Tammi 20251h 1min
619. How to Poison the A.I. Machine
When the computer scientist Ben Zhao learned that artists were having their work stolen by A.I. models, he invented a tool to thwart the machines. He also knows how to foil an eavesdropping Alexa and ...
24 Tammi 202552min
Is San Francisco a Failed State? (And Other Questions You Shouldn’t Ask the Mayor)
Stephen Dubner, live on stage, mixes it up with outbound mayor London Breed, and asks economists whether A.I. can be “human-centered” and if Tang is a gateway drug. SOURCES:London Breed, former mayor ...
22 Tammi 202559min
618. Are Realtors Having an Existential Crisis?
Their trade organization just lost a huge lawsuit. Their infamous commission model is under attack. And there are way too many of them. If they go the way of travel agents, will we miss them when they...
17 Tammi 202553min
617. Are You Really Allergic to Penicillin?
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, ...
10 Tammi 20251h 3min
