The University of Impossible-to-Get-Into (Update)
22 August 2024 - 1 hour 11 minsAmerica’s top colleges are facing record demand. So why don’t they increase supply? (Part 2 of our series from 2022, “Freakonomics Radio Goes Back to School.”)
SOURCES:Peter Blair, professor of education at Harvard University and faculty research fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research.Zachary Bleemer, assistant professor of economics at Princeton University and faculty research fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research.Amalia Miller, professor of economics at the University of Virginia.Morton Schapiro, professor of economics and former president of Northwestern University.Miguel Urquiola, professor of economics at Columbia University.
RESOURCES:“Elite Schools and O...
Series Episodes
Steve Levitt Quits His Podcast, Joins Ours
After five years, Levitt is ending People I (Mostly) Admire, and will start hosting the occasional Freakonomics Radio episode. We couldn’t be happier.
45 mins
21 January Finished
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
