Rephonic
Artwork for Freakonomics Radio
New York City
Artificial Intelligence
Cannabis
Public Health
Economics
Immigration
Rats
Opioid Crisis
Healthcare
Covid-19 Pandemic
Broadway
Public Policy
Psychology
Behavioral Economics
San Francisco
Richard Feynman
Failure
Labor Market
Stereophonic
NFL

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 ad... more

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes967Founded16 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
DocumentarySociety & Culture

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Freakonomics Radio

Latest Episodes

Epic Systems manages the electronic health records for hundreds of millions of people. This makes Faulkner a healthcare heavyweight and one of the most successful female entrepreneurs in history. So why haven’t we ever heard much from her? Stephen Du... more

New York City’s mayor called them “public enemy number one.” History books say they caused the Black Death — although recent scientific evidence disputes that claim. In an updated episode from 2025, we ask: Is the rat a scapegoat? And what does our r... more

One possibility: a leading hypothesis pursued by researchers (and funders) was built on science that now appears to be fraudulent. Stephen Dubner speaks with the scientist and the journalist who blew the whistle.

• SOURCES:

• Charles Piller, ... more

How do beekeepers make a living? Why is there so much honey fraud? And why did billions of bees suddenly disappear? To find out, guest host Steve Levitt activates his hive mind.

• SOURCES:

• Alex Sapoznik, historian, reader in late medieval h... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

The Economics of Everyday Things
The Economics of Everyday ThingsFreakonomics Network & Zachary Crockett
People I (Mostly) Admire
People I (Mostly) AdmireFreakonomics Radio + Stitcher
Radiolab
RadiolabWNYC Studios
Hidden Brain
Hidden BrainHidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam

Recent Guests

Judith Faulkner
Founder and CEO of Epic Systems
Epic Systems
Episode: 672. What Makes Judy Faulkner Run?
Seth Howard
Senior colleague, Executive VP of Research and Development at Epic
Epic Systems
Episode: 672. What Makes Judy Faulkner Run?
Niels Christian Stenseth
Professor of Ecology and Evolution
University of Oslo
Episode: Why Does Everyone Hate Rats? (Update)
Ed Glaeser
Professor of Economics
Harvard University
Episode: Why Does Everyone Hate Rats? (Update)
Eric Adams
Former Mayor of New York City
City government
Episode: Why Does Everyone Hate Rats? (Update)
Zoran Mamdani
Mayor (successor of Eric Adams at time of update)
New York City Government
Episode: Why Does Everyone Hate Rats? (Update)
Charles Piller
Investigative journalist, Science Magazine; author of Doctored
Science Magazine
Episode: 671. Why Has There Been So Little Progress on Alzheimer’s Disease?
Chris Hyatt
Past president of the American Honey Producers Association; beekeeper
Hyatt Honey Company
Episode: 670. Beeconomics 101
Michael T. Roberts
Founding executive director of the Resnick Center for Food Law and Policy at UCLA
UCLA Law School
Episode: 670. Beeconomics 101

Host

Stephen J. Dubner
Host and co-author of Freakonomics, Stephen J. Dubner is known for blending economics with engaging storytelling, exploring the unseen sides of various topics across society and culture.

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 53.7k ratings
  • I like it but

    The follow button is very mean FREAKONOMICS YOU NEED TO FIX IT AND I WILL MAKE THIS 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    DallasW..
    United States21 days ago
  • Bapu Jena is much more informative than Zachary Crockett

    After listening episode 668, I am reminded of the anger I feel that Dubner cancelled Bapu Jena’s show. What a blow to science. I can’t for the life of me understand why Stephen Dubner canceled Bapu Jena. It makes me question his discernment. “The Economics of Everyday Things” is a characature of intelligent examination. Perhaps some franchises just outlive their ability to be useful.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    etherdog
    United Statesa month ago
  • About self driving cars: I think they are much better and safer.

    Podcast Addict
    5
    Cyclorbit
    a month ago
  • Slow decline in quality

    Not sure what’s happened but the quality and consistency has declined. Most of time I have to skip the episode minutes in bc of poor production or interview progression.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    TippleTopple
    United Statesa month ago
  • Sanity!

    Thank you Stephen.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Facilator 1st Class
    Canadaa month ago

Listeners Say

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

Listeners frequently highlight the podcast's insightful and humorous approach to economics and behavioral insights.
Overall, the podcast is praised for its variety of topics and ability to engage listeners in complex subjects.
Critics note a perceived decline in content quality and challenge the neutrality of guest interviews, particularly in political contexts.

Chart Rankings

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

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

671. Why Has There Been So Little Progress on Alzheimer’s Disease?
Q: What is the state of Alzheimer's research and the amyloid hypothesis today?
The experts acknowledge that while amyloid has a role, the biology is complex and single-factor hypotheses are insufficient; there is growing consensus that dementia results from multiple interacting processes, including vascular factors and waste clearance issues.
Ten Myths About the U.S. Tax System (Update)
Q: Do you think 2025 will be dominated by tax policy, given other pressing issues?
She notes that while tax policy may not dominate on the surface, the underlying fiscal questions are central and will re-emerge as major issues as lawmakers address deficits and spending.
Ten Myths About the U.S. Tax System (Update)
Q: Why did you decide to write the Top 10 Tax Myths piece and what were the circumstances that led to its publication?
Riedel explains she was frustrated by misleading information in articles and on social media, wrote the piece to provide background knowledge, and aimed to inform a smarter national debate ahead of a consequential year in tax policy.
668. Do Taylor Swift and Bad Bunny Have Blood on Their Hands?
Q: What is the main finding of the paper and how robust is it?
The main finding is that on big music album release days, traffic fatalities increase by about 18 deaths across the US, with streaming activity rising sharply; the result is supported by multiple robustness checks, falsification tests, and replication efforts, though the effect weakens when newer data from 2023 is added.
670. Beeconomics 101
Q: What roles do retailers play in preventing food fraud, and why are private-labels relevant?
Retailers are gatekeepers in the supply chain; they have leverage to demand verifiable origin and authenticity, and as private-labeling grows, their interest in trustworthy labeling increases, driving better testing and tracking.

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 Freakonomics Radio

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

Exploring the hidden side of diverse topics, this podcast combines economics with storytelling to illuminate the often-overlooked aspects of everyday life. From the safety of air travel versus driving to the complexities behind personal relationships, it offers insightful discussions that challenge conventional wisdom. Unique in its approach, engaging guests from various fields such as healthcare, sports, and academia provide audience members with unexpected perspectives on familiar subjects. The blend of humor, serious inquiry, and accessible analysis makes this a compelling choice for listeners interested in understanding the world through an economic lens.

Where can I find podcast stats for Freakonomics Radio?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Freakonomics Radio. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Freakonomics Radio and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Freakonomics Radio get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Freakonomics Radio, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Freakonomics Radio?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Freakonomics Radio, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Freakonomics Radio have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Freakonomics Radio has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Freakonomics Radio?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Freakonomics Radio:

1. The Economics of Everyday Things
2. People I (Mostly) Admire
3. Planet Money
4. Radiolab
5. Hidden Brain

How many episodes of Freakonomics Radio are there?

Freakonomics Radio launched 16 years ago and published 967 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Freakonomics Radio?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Freakonomics Radio?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Freakonomics Radio from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Freakonomics Radio?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Freakonomics Radio. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Freakonomics Radio?

Recent guests on Freakonomics Radio include:

1. Judith Faulkner
2. Seth Howard
3. Niels Christian Stenseth
4. Ed Glaeser
5. Eric Adams
6. Zoran Mamdani
7. Charles Piller
8. Chris Hyatt

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days