EXTRA: The Opioid Tragedy — How We Got Here
3 June 2024 - 41 minsAn 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’Onofrio, professor and chair of emergency medicine at the Yale School of Medicine and chief of emergency services at Yale-New Haven Health.Keith Humphreys, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University.Stephen Loyd, chief medical officer of Cedar Recovery and chair of the Tennessee Opioid Abatement Council.Nicole O’Donnell, certified recovery specialist at the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Addiction Medicine and Policy.Jeanmarie Perrone, professor of emergenc...
Series Episodes
659. Can Marty Makary Fix the F.D.A.?
It regulates 20 percent of the U.S. economy, and its commissioner has an aggressive agenda — faster drug approvals, healthier food, cures for diabetes and cancer. How much can he deliver? (Part two of “The Freakonomics Radio Guide to Getting Better.”)
55 mins
16 January Finished
658. This Is Your Brain on Supplements
We all want to stay sharp, and forestall the cognitive effects of aging. But do brain supplements actually work? Are they safe? And why doesn’t the F.D.A. even know what’s in them? (Part one of “The Freakonomics Radio Guide to Getting Better.”)
53 mins
9 January Finished
Are Personal Finance Gurus Giving You Bad Advice? (Update)
One Yale economist certainly thinks so. But even if he’s right, are economists any better? We find out, in this update of a 2022 episode.
1 hour
2 January Finished
Are You Ready for a Fresh Start? (Update)
Behavioral scientists have been exploring whether a psychological reset can lead to lasting change. In this update of a 2021 episode, we survey evidence from the London Underground, Major League Baseball, and New Year’s resolutions to look at accidental fresh starts, forced fresh starts, fresh starts that backfire — and the ones that succeed.
42 mins
30 December 2025 Finished
Are the Rich Really Less Generous Than the Poor? (Update)
A series of academic studies suggest that the wealthy are, to put it bluntly, selfish jerks. It’s an easy narrative to embrace — but is it true? As part of GiveDirectly’s “Pods Fight Poverty” campaign, we revisit a 2017 episode.
43 mins
26 December 2025 Finished
657. Whose “Messiah” Is It Anyway?
All sorts of people have put their mark on “Messiah,” and it has been a hit for nearly 300 years. How can a single piece of music thrive in so many settings? You could say it’s because Handel really knew how to write a banger. (Part three of “Making ‘Messiah.’”)
48 mins
19 December 2025 Finished
