Freakonomics Radio transcripts.
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Freakonomics co-author Stephen J. Dubner uncovers the hidden side of everything. Why is it safer to fly in an airplane than drive a car? How do we decide whom to marry? Why is the media so full of bad news? Also: things you never knew you wanted to know about wolves, bananas, pollution, search engines, and the quirks of human behavior. To get every show in the Freakonomics Radio Network without ads and a monthly bonus episode of Freakonomics Radio, start a free trial for SiriusXM Podcasts+ on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.

• 2026-10-02 689. Here’s Why Your Hamburger Just Got So Pricey An economist calls America’s beef industry a “miracle.” An antitrust scholar calls it “broken.” Maybe they’re both right? SOURCES:Austin Frerick, agriculture antitrust expert, fellow at Yale University, author of Barons: Money, Power, and the Corruption of America's Food Industry Transcript →
• 2026-10-01 PLUS: The Building Blocks of a Great Quarterback Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner looks back on his career and examines the traits that helped him thrive on the football field. To get subscriber-only episodes, sign up for SiriusXM Podcasts+ on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus. Transcript →
• 2026-09-25 688. When Is a Bet Not a Bet? That’s the question at the heart of a battle between Kalshi and state gambling regulators. As prediction markets boom, there are other questions, too — about insider trading, market manipulation, and whether the public has turned against them. (Part two of a two-part series.) SOU Transcript →
• 2026-09-18 687. Are Prediction Markets the Best Forecasting Tool Ever — or Just Another Casino? The promise is that they can beat the experts at predicting inflation, elections, and FDA approvals. But right now, roughly 90 percent of the action is sports. Is this a future we want to bet on? Stephen Dubner speaks with, among others, the C.E.O. of Kalshi. (Part one of a two-p Transcript →
• 2026-09-16 How to Be a Double Unicorn, with John Urschel | Better in Person He was thriving in the N.F.L., but then he decided to focus on mathematics — a subject he now teaches at M.I.T. John walks Stephen Dubner through the whole story, teaches him some blocking techniques, and explains why some infinities are bigger than o Transcript →
• 2026-09-11 686. Why Is It So Hard to Find an NFL Quarterback? For decades, teams have tried (and mostly failed) to predict which college quarterbacks will thrive in the pros. Is the science finally catching up? Stephen Dubner speaks with a scout, a psychologist, a data warrior, and a Hall of Fame quarterback who nobody wanted. SOURCES:Scott Transcript →
• 2026-09-09 Amazon Was Supposed to Kill the Bookstore. James Daunt Had Other Plans | Better in Person He started with one small shop in London. He has since resuscitated both Barnes & Noble and Waterstones. He tells Stephen Dubner exactly how he does it. If you'd like to see the video version of Better in Person, you can watch it on YouTube or Apple P Transcript →
• 2026-09-04 685. How to Survive the A.I. Shock Gina Raimondo, a former commerce secretary and governor, thinks A.I. will create plenty of jobs in the long run. She also thinks a poorly managed transition could tear the country apart. So she came up with a plan. SOURCES:Gina Raimondo, co-chair and C.E.O. of RAISE US. RESOURCES Transcript →
• 2026-09-02 How to Run an Institution in an Anti-Institution Era | Better in Person Anne Pasternak (Brooklyn Museum) and Michael Roth (Wesleyan University) tell Stephen Dubner how they keep the peace in the middle of a culture war. If you'd like to see the video version of Better in Person, you can watch it on YouTube or Apple Pod Transcript →
• 2026-08-28 How to Return Stolen Art (Update) Museums are purging their collections of looted treasures. Can they also get something in return? And what does it mean to be a museum in the 21st century? (Part 3 of an updated series originally published in 2023.) SOURCES: Patricia Allan, museum consultant, former curator of wo Transcript →
• 2026-08-26 “I Trust Almost Anyone More Than Myself” | Better in Person The Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Jennifer Egan talks about confidence, luck, and why it takes 35 drafts to get to the finish line. If you'd like to see the video version of Better in Person, you can watch it on YouTube or Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Transcript →
• 2026-08-21 Is a Museum Just a Trophy Case? (Update) The world’s great museums are full of art and artifacts that were plundered during an era when plunder was the norm. Now there’s a push to return these works to their rightful owners. Sounds simple, right? It's not. (Part 2 of an updated series originally published in 2023.) SOUR Transcript →
• 2026-08-19 Meet Warren Zanes, the Author and Rocker Behind the Springsteen Movie | Better in Person When he joined the Del Fuegos, his big brother’s band, all Warren knew how to play was a record player. Things went great for a while — and then it all fell apart. So how did he wind up writing definitive books on Springsteen and Tom Petty? If y Transcript →
• 2026-08-14 The Case of the $4 Million Gold Coffin (Update) How did a freshly looted Egyptian antiquity end up in the Metropolitan Museum of Art? Why did it take Kim Kardashian to crack the case? And how much of what you see in any museum is stolen? (Part 1 of “Stealing Art Is Easy. Giving It Back Is Hard,” first published in 2023.) SOURC Transcript →
• 2026-08-12 What if Being a Stranger Is Actually Your Superpower? | Better in Person Angela Buchdahl was the first Asian American to be ordained as a rabbi, and now she is among the most influential rabbis in the world. She and Stephen Dubner talk about boundary-crossing, the aftermath of October 7, and whether you can be a good Jew wit Transcript →
• 2026-08-07 684. He Helped Clean Up the Last Crash. Does He See Another One Coming? Former S.E.C. chair Gary Gensler has had a front-row seat to numerous financial booms and busts. How does he feel about America’s massive bet on A.I.? “Something has to give.” SOURCES: Gary Gensler, professor of the practice of global economics, management, and finance at M.I.T. Transcript →
• 2026-08-05 Does it Take a Twisted Mind to Write Twisted Stories? | Better In Person Harlan Coben doesn’t think so. The mega-best-selling author talks suburbia, impostor syndrome, and what he learned from his college friend David Foster Wallace. If you'd like to see the video version of Better in Person, you can watch it on YouTube o Transcript →
• 2026-08-04 PLUS: Space: The Final Frontier — for Data Centers? Planet Labs co-founder Will Marshall and former NASA economist Alex MacDonald give us a 30,000-foot view of the growing space industry. To get subscriber-only episodes, sign up for SiriusXM Podcasts+ on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus. Transcript →
• 2026-07-31 683. In the New Space Race, Who Makes the Rules? Governments started the space age. Now, billionaires and private firms are reinventing it. Guest host Steve Levitt explores what the past can teach us about a high-stakes future. (Part two of a two-part series.) SOURCES: Blaise Agüera y Arcas, vice president and fellow at Google, Transcript →
• 2026-07-29 How Gary Gulman Turned Depression Into Comedy Gold | Better in Person Gary and Stephen talk about creativity, recovery, getting fired, and holding grudges. They also get outside and play basketball, which is a big part of how Gary stays well. If you'd like to see the video version of Better in Person, watch it on YouTube Transcript →