241. Are Payday Loans Really as Evil as People Say?
Critics -- including President Obama -- say short-term, high-interest loans are predatory, trapping borrowers in a cycle of debt. But some economists see them as a useful financial instrument for peop...
7 Apr 201649min
The Economics of Sleep, Part 2 (Rebroadcast)
People who sleep better earn more money. Now all we have to do is teach everyone to sleep better. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and...
31 Mars 201642min
The Economics of Sleep, Part 1 (Rebroadcast)
Could a lack of sleep help explain why some people get much sicker than others? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal d...
24 Mars 201645min
240. Yes, the American Economy Is in a Funk -- But Not for the Reasons You Think
As sexy as the digital revolution may be, it can't compare to the Second Industrial Revolution (electricity! the gas engine! antibiotics!), which created the biggest standard-of-living boost in U.S. h...
17 Mars 201633min
239. The No-Tipping Point
The restaurant business model is warped: kitchen wages are too low to hire cooks, while diners are put in charge of paying the waitstaff. So what happens if you eliminate tipping, raise menu prices, a...
11 Mars 201643min
238. The United States of Cory Booker
The junior U.S. Senator from New Jersey thinks bipartisanship is right around the corner. Is he just an idealistic newbie or does he see a way forward that everyone else has missed? Hosted by Simpleca...
3 Mars 201639min
237. Ask Not What Your Podcast Can Do for You
Now and again, Freakonomics Radio puts hat in hand and asks listeners to donate to the public-radio station that produces the show. Why on earth should anyone pay good money for something that can be ...
25 Feb 201641min
236. How Can This Possibly Be True?
A famous economics essay features a pencil (yes, a pencil) arguing that “not a single person on the face of this earth knows how to make me.” Is the pencil just bragging? In any case, what can the pen...
18 Feb 201640min
