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(884)

625. The Biden Policy That Trump Hasn’t Touched

625. The Biden Policy That Trump Hasn’t Touched

Lina Khan, the youngest F.T.C. chair in history, reset U.S. antitrust policy by thwarting mega-mergers and other monopolistic behavior. This earned her enemies in some places, and big fans in others —...

7 Maalis 20251h 3min

EXTRA: The Downside of Disgust (Update)

EXTRA: The Downside of Disgust (Update)

It’s a powerful biological response that has preserved our species for millennia. But now it may be keeping us from pursuing strategies that would improve the environment, the economy, even our own he...

5 Maalis 202544min

624. The Animal No One Loves, Until They Do

624. The Animal No One Loves, Until They Do

To most people, the rat is vile and villainous. But not to everyone! We hear from a scientist who befriended rats and another who worked with them in the lab — and from the animator who made one the h...

28 Helmi 202545min

623. Can New York City Win Its War on Rats?

623. Can New York City Win Its War on Rats?

Even with a new rat czar, an arsenal of poisons, and a fleet of new garbage trucks, it won’t be easy — because, at root, the enemy is us. (Part two of a three-part series, “Sympathy for the Rat.”) SOU...

21 Helmi 202550min

The Show That Never Happened

The Show That Never Happened

A brief meditation on loss, relativity, and the vagaries of show business.RESOURCES:Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry, documentary (2021)Genius & Anxiety: How Jews Changed the World, 1847-194...

20 Helmi 202513min

622. Why Does Everyone Hate Rats?

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?

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?

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

Suosittua kategoriassa Yhteiskunta

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