627. Sludge, Part 1: The World Is Drowning in It Image

627. Sludge, Part 1: The World Is Drowning in It

28 March - 54 mins
Podcast Series Freakonomics Radio

Insurance forms that make no sense. Subscriptions that can’t be cancelled. A never-ending blizzard of automated notifications. Where does all this sludge come from — and how much is it costing us? (Part one of a two-part series.)

 

SOURCES:Benjamin Handel, professor of economics at UC Berkeley.Neale Mahoney, professor of economics at Stanford University.Richard Thaler, professor of economics at The University of Chicago. 

RESOURCES:"Selling Subscriptions," by Liran Einav, Ben Klopack, and Neale Mahoney (Stanford University, 2023)."The ‘Enshittification’ of TikTok," by Cory Doctorow (WIRED, 2023)."Dominated Options in Health Insurance Plans," by Chenyuan Liu and Justin Sydnor (American Eco...

54 mins

Series Episodes

631. Will "3 Summers of Lincoln" Make It to Broadway?

631. Will "3 Summers of Lincoln" Make It to Broadway?

It’s been in development for five years and has at least a year to go. On the eve of its out-of-town debut, the actor playing Lincoln quit. And the producers still need to raise another $15 million to bring the show to New York. There really is no business like show business. (Part three of a three-part series.)

46 mins

25 April Finished

Is It a Theater Piece or a Psychological Experiment? (Update)

Is It a Theater Piece or a Psychological Experiment? (Update)

In an episode from 2012, we looked at what "Sleep No More" and the Stanford Prison Experiment can tell us about who we really are.

37 mins

23 April Finished

630. On Broadway, Nobody Knows Nothing

630. On Broadway, Nobody Knows Nothing

A hit like "Hamilton" can come from nowhere while a sure bet can lose $20 million in a flash. We speak with some of the biggest producers in the game — Sonia Friedman, Jeffrey Seller, Hal Luftig — and learn that there is only one guarantee: the theater owners always win. (Part two of a three-part series.)

1 hour 1 min

18 April Finished

629. How Is Live Theater Still Alive?

629. How Is Live Theater Still Alive?

It has become fiendishly expensive to produce, and has more competition than ever. And yet the believers still believe. Why? And does the world really want a new musical about ... Abraham Lincoln?! (Part one of a three-part series.)

59 mins

11 April Finished

Policymaking Is Not a Science — Yet (Update)

Policymaking Is Not a Science — Yet (Update)

Why do so many promising solutions in education, medicine, and criminal justice fail to scale up into great policy? And can a new breed of “implementation scientists” crack the code?

45 mins

9 April Finished

628. Sludge, Part 2: Is Government the Problem, or the Solution?

628. Sludge, Part 2: Is Government the Problem, or the Solution?

There is no sludgier place in America than Washington, D.C. But there are signs of a change. We’ll hear about this progress — and ask where Elon Musk and DOGE fit in. (Part two of a two-part series.)

48 mins

4 April Finished

Recommended

Show name

Title

Sub title

Now Playing

The Pat Kenny Show

Live Now: 9AM - 12PM

Presenter logo
Brand

9AM

12AM

Now Playing

The Pat Kenny Show

The Pat Kenny Show

Of The Ball

1 hour left

Today Finished


Next Up

Default

Default

default

0 mins

No Account

Subscriptions to podcast series are only available to users with an account. Sign in or register to subscribe and access your subscriptions.

Register Sign in

Woops!

Error text.