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People I (Mostly) Admire

Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher
Economics
Climate Change
Education
Mental Health
Behavioral Economics
Cancer
Artificial Intelligence
Mathematics
Super Communicators
Covid-19
Youtube
Public Health
Death
Communication Skills
Fraud In Academia
Sue Bird
Empathy
Tuberculosis
Higher Education
Inequality

Freakonomics co-author Steve Levitt tracks down other high achievers for surprising, revealing conversations about their lives and obsessions. Join Levitt as he goes through the most interesting midlife crisis you’ve ever heard — and learn how a renegade sheriff is transforming Chicago's jail, how a biologist is finding the secrets of evolution in the Arctic tundra, and how a trivia champion memor... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes250Founded6 years ago
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Society & Culture

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Latest Episodes

A special episode: Steve reports on a passion of his. Most high-school math classes are still preparing students for the Sputnik era. Steve wants to get rid of the “geometry sandwich” and instead have kids learn what they really need in the modern er... more

YouTube

He’s a Harvard physician and economist who just started a third job: host of the new podcast Freakonomics, M.D. He’s also Steve’s former student. The two discuss why medicine should embrace econ-style research, the ethics of human-challenge trials, a... more

YouTube

Is the oxymoron really “the secret sauce to everything”? That’s the case Ingels makes in this debut episode of our new video show Better in Person, filmed in Stephen Dubner’s living room.

If you'd like to see the video version of Better in Person, y... more

He argues that personal finance is so simple all you need to know can fit on an index card. How will he deal with Steve’s suggestion that Harold’s nine rules for managing money are overly complicated? Harold and Steve also talk about gun violence — a... more

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People also subscribe to these shows.

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No Stupid Questions
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Recent Guests

Bapu Jena
Economist and physician featured as guest; described as medical doctor and PhD economist
University of Chicago; Freakonomics MD podcast guest
Episode: 41. Dr. Bapu Jena on Why Freakonomics Is the Best Medicine
Bjarke Ingels
Architect, founder of BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group)
Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG)
Episode: How a Great Architect Thinks, with Bjarke Ingels | Better in Person
Harold Pollack
Public policy professor, University of Chicago
University of Chicago
Episode: 40. Harold Pollack on Why Managing Your Money is as Easy as Taking Out the Garbage
Aicha Evans
Head of autonomous vehicle company Zoox
Zoox
Episode: 39. Aicha Evans Wants You to Take Your Eyes Off the Road
Sendhil Mullainathan
World-class economist, MacArthur Genius recipient, professor
University of Chicago
Episode: 37. Sendhil Mullainathan Thinks Messing Around Is the Best Use of Your Time
Rahm Emanuel
Former Mayor of Chicago; former White House Chief of Staff
Politics and public service
Episode: 36. How Rahm Emanuel Would Run the World
David Epstein
Journalist and science writer, author of Range and The Sports Gene
Episode: 35. David Epstein Knows Something About Almost Everything
Maya Shankar
Behavioral economist and former White House senior advisor on behavioral science
University of Chicago (RISC) and Google (former)
Episode: 34. Maya Shankar Is Changing People’s Behavior — and Her Own
Travis Tygart
CEO of Usada (United States Anti-Doping Agency)
Usada
Episode: 33. Travis Tygart Is Coming for Cheaters — Just Ask Lance Armstrong

Host

Steve Levitt
Host of the show; economist and co-author of Freakonomics; network association with Freakonomics Radio Network; often guides interviews and probes topics deeply.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 4k ratings
  • Product Placement

    I’ve have heard some enlightening interviews from this show. However, the majority is 100% pitching some tech or perspective that isn’t quite gaining ground with the public at the moment. Money, special interests, not interested very in the public good.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    Absolute Deez
    United States19 days ago
  • Fabulous Fascinating Podcast

    What a surprising treat is Steve Levitt! I first encountered him through the book Freakonomics. However, I feel I really got to experience his essence through this podcast. PIMA marries my favorite topics: science, behavior, creativity, statistics, art, and mystery. To quote my mentor, a renaissance woman named Sherry Kafka Wagner, “The future belongs not to those who have the most information - but to those who see the connections.” …Steve Levitt sees the connections. That’s what makes this sh... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    StellaMacy
    United States4 months ago
  • Don’t bother

    Just another liberal podcast. Don’t waste your precious time.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Mokeyt3/35
    United States4 months ago
  • Incredibly Disappointing re-air of Attia

    Incredible that Leavitt and Dubner would re-air this episode given the details of Attia’s affiliation with Epstein. Have you read the details of Attia and Epstein? I’m shocked and officially done with Freakonomics radio.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    M from Ann Arbor
    United States7 months ago
  • 👎

    With guests like Peter Attia what could possibly go wrong?

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    GEFtheMongoose
    United States7 months ago

Listeners Say

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

Guests are high-caliber and insights are practically applicable.
Some critics feel occasional political or ideological bias colors questions.
A premium listening experience for fans of data-driven storytelling.
Production and interview quality consistently strong, with memorable moments.
Thoughtful deep-dives with diverse experts, well-researched and entertaining.

Chart Rankings

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

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

39. Aicha Evans Wants You to Take Your Eyes Off the Road
Q: What advice would you give to young people listening about maintaining a spark and happiness in a high-stakes career?
Evans emphasizes choosing happiness, embracing risk for discovery, and treating failure as a learning opportunity that drives creativity and progress.
39. Aicha Evans Wants You to Take Your Eyes Off the Road
Q: When do you hope to have the first paying customer in a Zoox vehicle?
Evans indicates it will not be next year, but progress is moving faster than most expect, with line-of-sight to commercial viability in the not-too-distant future.
39. Aicha Evans Wants You to Take Your Eyes Off the Road
Q: What do you think will happen with the political fight over autonomous vehicles?
Evans outlines a multi-layered view: deployment will occur in phases, with regulatory adaptation, job transitions, infrastructure considerations, and the recognition that complete zero-risk adoption is unlikely for decades.
39. Aicha Evans Wants You to Take Your Eyes Off the Road
Q: Do you remember what that hypothesis was about the inverse relationship between the need for control and happiness?
Steve explains that less need for control may correlate with greater happiness, and he shares how his own life experiences led him to embrace less need for control and a broader acceptance of uncertainty.
38. Sendhil Mullainathan Explains How to Generate an Idea a Minute (Part 2)
Q: What is your vision at the intersection of economics, data science, and AI?
The landscape is changing how we do science itself, moving beyond traditional frames to models and simulations that can reconstruct complex systems like the heart, enabling better health insights and smarter public policy.

Audience Metrics

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

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Frequently Asked Questions About People I

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

The show features in-depth interviews with high-achieving guests spanning economics, psychology, education, technology, sports, and policy. Conversations center on real-world applications of complex ideas, career trajectories, and how ambitious projects scale from pilots to broad impact. Noteworthy traits include a practitioner-scholarly lens, rigorous questioning, and a knack for drawing practical insights from diverse fields. Listeners who enjoy data-driven storytelling, experiments in behavior, and thinking about big problems through intimate, personality-driven chats are likely to find this series compelling.

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How many subscribers and views does People I have?

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Which podcasts are similar to People I?

These podcasts share a similar audience with People I:

1. Freakonomics Radio
2. The Economics of Everyday Things
3. No Stupid Questions
4. Planet Money
5. Hidden Brain

How many episodes of People I are there?

People I launched 6 years ago and published 250 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 People I?

Recent guests on People I include:

1. Bapu Jena
2. Bjarke Ingels
3. Harold Pollack
4. Aicha Evans
5. Sendhil Mullainathan
6. Rahm Emanuel
7. David Epstein
8. Maya Shankar

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.

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