An Economics Lesson from a Talking Pencil (Update)
Freakonomics Radio11 Kesä 2025

An Economics Lesson from a Talking Pencil (Update)

A famous essay argues that “not a single person on the face of this earth” knows how to make a pencil. How true is that? In this 2016 episode, we looked at what pencil-making can teach us about global manufacturing — and the proper role of government in the economy.

  • SOURCES:
    • Caroline Weaver, creator of the Locavore Guide.
    • Matt Ridley, science writer, British viscount and retired member of the House of Lords
    • Tim Harford, economist, author and columnist for the Financial Times
    • Jim Weissenborn, former CEO of General Pencil Company
    • Thomas Thwaites, freelance designer and associate lecturer at Central Saint Martins.


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jaksot(887)

593. You Can Make a Killing, but Not a Living

593. You Can Make a Killing, but Not a Living

Broadway operates on a winner-take-most business model. A runaway hit like Stereophonic — which just won five Tony Awards — will create a few big winners. But even the stars of the show will have to g...

20 Kesä 202449min

EXTRA: The Fascinatingly Mundane Secrets of the World’s Most Exclusive Nightclub

EXTRA: The Fascinatingly Mundane Secrets of the World’s Most Exclusive Nightclub

The Berlin dance mecca Berghain is known for its eight-hour line and inscrutable door policy. PJ Vogt, host of the podcast Search Engine, joins us to crack the code. It has to do with Cold War rivalri...

17 Kesä 202444min

592. How to Make the Coolest Show on Broadway

592. How to Make the Coolest Show on Broadway

Hit by Covid, runaway costs, and a zillion streams of competition, serious theater is in serious trouble. A new hit play called Stereophonic — the most Tony-nominated play in history — has something t...

13 Kesä 20241h 5min

591. Signs of Progress, One Year at a Time

591. Signs of Progress, One Year at a Time

Every December, a British man named Tom Whitwell publishes a list of 52 things he’s learned that year. These fascinating facts reveal the spectrum of human behavior, from fraud and hypocrisy to Whitwe...

6 Kesä 202453min

EXTRA: The Opioid Tragedy — How We Got Here

EXTRA: The Opioid Tragedy — How We Got Here

An update of our 2020 series, in which we spoke with physicians, researchers, and addicts about the root causes of the crisis — and the tension between abstinence and harm reduction. SOURCES:Gail D’On...

3 Kesä 202441min

590. Can $55 Billion End the Opioid Epidemic?

590. Can $55 Billion End the Opioid Epidemic?

Thanks to legal settlements with drug makers and distributors, states have plenty of money to boost prevention and treatment. Will it work? (Part two of a two-part series.) SOURCES:Keith Humphreys, pr...

30 Touko 202440min

589. Why Has the Opioid Crisis Lasted So Long?

589. Why Has the Opioid Crisis Lasted So Long?

Most epidemics flare up, do their damage, and fade away. This one has been raging for almost 30 years. To find out why, it’s time to ask some uncomfortable questions. (Part one of a two-part series.) ...

23 Touko 202448min

Extra: Car Colors & Storage Units

Extra: Car Colors & Storage Units

Presenting two stories from The Economics of Everyday Things: Why does it seem like every car is black, white, or gray these days? And: How self-storage took over America. SOURCES:Tom Crockett, classi...

20 Touko 202435min

Suosittua kategoriassa Yhteiskunta

olipa-kerran-otsikko
i-dont-like-mondays
siita-on-vaikea-puhua
gogin-ja-janin-maailmanhistoria
kolme-kaannekohtaa
poks
antin-palautepalvelu
sita
aikalisa
kaksi-aitia
yopuolen-tarinoita-2
rss-murhan-anatomia
mamma-mia
rss-palmujen-varjoissa
rss-ootsa-kuullut-tasta
meidan-pitais-puhua
rss-nikotellen
terapeuttiville-qa
ootsa-kuullut-tasta-2
loukussa