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EconTalk

Russ Roberts
Gaza
Hamas
Israel
Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Arab-Israeli Conflict
Artificial Intelligence
October 7
Palestinian-Israeli Conflict
Middle East
Media Coverage
Zionism
Anti-Semitism
Arab Citizens Of Israel
Public Opinion
History Of Economic Thought
Economics
Letters To My Palestinian Neighbor
Free Speech
Iran
Extermination Of Jews

EconTalk: Conversations for the Curious is an award-winning weekly podcast hosted by Russ Roberts of Shalem College in Jerusalem and Stanford's Hoover Institution. The eclectic guest list includes authors, doctors, psychologists, historians, philosophers, economists, and more. Learn how the health care system really works, the serenity that comes from humility, the challenge of interpreting data, ... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes1041Founded20 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
CoursesSocial SciencesEducationScience

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Artwork for EconTalk

Latest Episodes

Duke University leaves millions of dollars on the table every year by giving away free tickets to the most sought-after game in college basketball. The bizarre ticket allocation system includes weeks of camping in tents, a 58-question trivia exam, bo... more

What if humanity's capacity for cruelty was actually one of our greatest moral achievements? That's just one of the provocative ideas philosopher Hanno Sauer explores in this conversation about his book The Invention of Good and Evil with EconTalk's ... more

Introverts are underrated. So says Susan Cain in her conversation with EconTalk's Russ Roberts about her book, Quiet. She explains why introversion isn't the same thing as shyness and she speaks of the many benefits of solitude and silent contemplati... more

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been dragging Saudi Arabia into the modern world over the last decade. Journalist and author Karen Elliott House lays out the Saudi leader's motivations, hopes, and contradictions. Listen as she and EconTalk's Rus... more

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Hanno Sauer
Philosopher and author of The Invention of Good and Evil
Author, Philosopher
Episode: How We Tamed Ourselves and Invented Good and Evil (with Hanno Sauer)
Karen Elliott House
Journalist and author, focusing on Saudi Arabia and Mohammed bin Salman.
Episode: The Man Who Would Be King of Saudi Arabia (with Karen Elliott House)
Aled Maclean-Jones
Writer and author of the essay 'The Survival of Swiss Watches'
Works in Progress
Episode: Seiko, Swatch, and the Swiss Watch Industry (with Aled Maclean-Jones)
Daniel Coyle
Author and consultant, known for his insights on learning and growth
Author of 'Flourish: The Art of Building Meaning, Joy and Fulfillment'
Episode: How to Flourish (with Daniel Coyle)
Rachel Cockerell
Author of The Melting Point, Family, Memory, and the Search for a Promised Land
Episode: Zionism, the Melting Pot, and the Galveston Project (with Rachel Cockerell)
Rebecca Newberger Goldstein
Philosopher and author known for exploring themes of identity and human connection
Episode: The Mattering Instinct (with Rebecca Newberger Goldstein)
Anna Gat
Founder and CEO of Interintellect and host of The Hope Axis
Interintellect
Episode: Conversation, Interintellect, and Arcadia (with Anna Gat)
Gerd Gigerenzer
Psychologist and author.
Max Planck Institute for Human Development
Episode: In Defense of Intuition (with Gerd Gigerenzer)
David Deutsch
Renowned physicist and author
Oxford University
Episode: David Deutsch on the Pattern

Host

Russ Roberts
Economist and author known for hosting in-depth conversations across economics, psychology, philosophy, and current affairs.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 6.4k ratings
  • Infinity

    Russ, Datsun/Nissan have a luxury brand in Infinity. Just saying.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    #puppypundit
    United Statesa month ago
  • No

    Nononono

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Rachelnallen_
    United Kingdoma month ago
  • Zionist Israeli propaganda. Every episode is just kissing Israel's butt.

    Podcast Addict
    1
    Kodiak62
    a month ago
  • A stand out podcast the world needs

    I found Econtalks only recently and have been blown away by the quality and insight. Russ is amazing

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Jamez1971
    United Kingdom3 months ago
  • One of my all time faves

    Russ is such a thoughtful host. He knows how to guide the conversation in authentic and interesting directions, and has some fantastic guests. Always worth a listen!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    soewnz
    Canada4 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

High-quality, intellectually rigorous conversations that challenge guests and listeners alike.
Some episodes spark strong opinions on current events; audiences appreciate nuance but may crave more explicit stances on hot-button issues.
Thoughtful and wide ranging discussions with strong guests and a calm, open-minded host.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#4
United States/Education/Courses
Apple Podcasts
#89
United States/Education
Apple Podcasts
#3
United Kingdom/Education/Courses
Apple Podcasts
#5
Canada/Education/Courses
Apple Podcasts
#150
Canada/Education
Apple Podcasts
#157
United Kingdom/Education

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

How We Tamed Ourselves and Invented Good and Evil (with Hanno Sauer)
Q: What about the role of religion in enforcing morality if one is skeptical about divine command as a foundation?
Religion contributes by ritual, hierarchy, and cohesion that reinforce group norms and cooperation, and even without divine command, beliefs and shared narratives can anchor moral systems and strengthen social cooperation across cities and empires.
How We Tamed Ourselves and Invented Good and Evil (with Hanno Sauer)
Q: But the question is, how did we become this way and what mechanisms stabilized cooperation as groups grew larger?
We developed enforcement mechanisms—soft sanctions like gossip and telling people off, up to capital punishment in extreme cases—and over time these social sanctions substituted for direct kin-based cooperation, enabling large-scale coordination across millions of people.
How We Tamed Ourselves and Invented Good and Evil (with Hanno Sauer)
Q: So take a crack at your book, in some sense, is trying to answer that whole question. So it's a long answer, but give us a short answer.
The core idea is that cooperation evolved because groups with stable norms and mechanisms to deter free riding could outcompete less organized groups, and culture, institutions, and even religion helped scale cooperation to large, modern societies.
A Military Analysis of Israel's War in Gaza (with Andrew Fox)
Q: What was your impression of Israeli soldiers and their understanding of their mission?
I was struck by the unity of purpose among Israeli soldiers; they all understood the importance of their mission despite no one wanting to be there.
A Military Analysis of Israel's War in Gaza (with Andrew Fox)
Q: What have you learned from your experiences regarding the IDF's approach and how does it compare to other militaries?
The IDF operates with a citizen army structure which creates a flat command hierarchy, empowering soldiers to make decisions based on their ground experiences.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About EconTalk

What is EconTalk about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A thoughtful, wide-ranging interview show that consistently brings together economists, scientists, philosophers, journalists, and authors to unpack big ideas in economics, behavior, policy, and culture. Episodes frequently explore how systems work—from healthcare and development to technology, education, and international affairs—while inviting guests to share rigorous reasoning, empirical insights, and compelling storytelling. The conversation style tends to be calm, curiosity-driven, and open to challenging assumptions, with a strength in connecting abstract theory to real-world implications. Notable strengths include deep dives with highly credentialed guests and a willingness to tackle controversial topics with nuance, making it a stro... more

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Which podcasts are similar to EconTalk?

These podcasts share a similar audience with EconTalk:

1. Conversations with Tyler
2. Uncommon Knowledge
3. Honestly with Bari Weiss
4. Conversations with Coleman
5. Dwarkesh Podcast

How many episodes of EconTalk are there?

EconTalk launched 20 years ago and published 1041 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on EconTalk?

Recent guests on EconTalk include:

1. Hanno Sauer
2. Karen Elliott House
3. Aled Maclean-Jones
4. Daniel Coyle
5. Rachel Cockerell
6. Rebecca Newberger Goldstein
7. Anna Gat
8. Gerd Gigerenzer

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