Read the original book when it first came out and the podcast continues to be my go to favorite listen. Thanks and keep up the good work.

I used to love this podcast, but the idea that the Ari Emmanuel interview was SO CONVENIENTLY lost is so unbelievable - I’m just done. It’s 2025 and an allegedly professional podcast knows how to capture sound and check in real time. I’m in the court reporting industry which is decades (literally) behind modern media and even we know this. Stop lying to us and just say Ari paid you off. I hope you go down in a figurative ball of flames - you had my trust and you lost it.

I really enjoyed the series on rats! A topic I never would have thought about. Which is why I always look forward to this podcast. You are always teaching me new things.

You mysteriously lost the entire audio content of the Ari Emmanuel interview in a “black swan” event? You’re documentarians with no integrity. Unsubscribing

The dog ate their homework and now the Ari Emanuel episode isn’t dropping. Have some integrity. Letting the most powerful people bully Justin on your mics is despicable. Do better with your platform.

Disappointed to learn y’all have a price and Ari has the $. Unfollowing and will never listen/support again.

I heard leaked audio… ooofffff….🤬😳😑20+ yr sub, own the books… the doc. Apologize to Justin for your role getting caught trying to be a cool kid & give him a platform too. Guilty until proven innocent man. sad you got caught up in this nonsense. I don’t come to you for gossip but facts/logic. I’m speechless yall let yourself get used like this for evil but it happens.. please make it right, redeem yourself. You’re better than this.

I really enjoy listening to the Freakonomics Radio podcast. Stephen Dubner does an excellent job of finding intelligent, interesting, and thought-provoking guests on a wide variety of topics. I always feel smarter and more capable of intelligently discussing whatever topic is being discussed (even though I’m probably not) after listening to an episode. I have been a fan of Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner since I read the first Freakonomics book, and I feel like a learn something new or am challenged to think about something differently after each episode. Please keep up the great work! Love your podcast guys!

I love this show. It’s almost always entertaining and it’s always enlightening. The topics are fascinating, the guests are often outstanding people in their field, etc. Well worth a listen if you haven’t yet.

The only issue I’ve had is when the host gets overly glib or combative. It’s rare but the few times it’s happened have been very off putting.

Holy anti-doctor! How interesting for a lawyer and academic to take shots at physicians, but not investigate the bar association and self regulation of attorneys by their associations. She wants more regulation of doctors but less of nurse practitioners/PAs citing access to care, but doesn’t want a path back to practice for docs who have mental health issues/substance abuse history? Also she claims substance abuse counselors have less clinical hours than a doctor? I’d love to see the math on that. To get an unrestricted medical license you get at least 3 years of clinic work (last two yrs of med school + internship = 7200-9600 hrs) Maybe I need to read the book to better understand her position. Overall love the podcast!

Smart people talking about interesting topics, at times with sensible solutions. Great listen.

I have a bunch of episodes saved that I listened to a second time. You might not be allergic to Penicillin even if you have been told you are. America’s political system is a duopoly. Want to learn more? Listen to this podcast!

I feel smarter every time I listen.

Just discovered this podcast. Love it!

Steven Dubner = 🐐

What an insightful episode! Very informative thoughtful and clearly communicated! I recently was sent Freakonomics from a friend and it is by far one of the best podcasts I have ever listened to!

Always so refreshing to listen to such a clear explanation in such a complex world.

The academic fraud investigation is excellent. The problematic incentives created by industry-funded research doesn’t get much attention — and seem most impervious to the remedies proposed here. Can you go deep in thus for an episode? Thanks!!

Freakonomics Radio is a fascinating exploration of the background of so many human endeavors. I particularly enjoyed the shows on 1) the eyeglass industry, 2) the growing marijuana industry in the US and 3) the series about academic fraud. I would highly recommend this podcast for anyone with an inquiring mind.

Thank you for pronouncing Willamette correctly. 5 stars.

Loved hearing Dr. Emanuel

Some of us care about people less fortunate than us, and it’s not always about money and which candidate can make us the most.

I really enjoy all content from Freakonomics and I appreciate their unbiased, fair, respectful and logic way of presenting data and their points of view.

Sullivan is a warmonger that’s been involved in starting most evil U.S. foreign affairs since GHWBush. Used to like this pod for its dedication to the data.

Consistently intriguing. Consistently informative. Bless you.

I haven't enjoyed the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade this much in years, lol. Love all the behind the scenes insights and context.

I don’t listen to a lot of podcasts. But this is one I never miss.

Listening to this show always is time we’ll spent. It’s genuine journalism. So thorough, deep, and fun too. Dubner and team always treats their audience like able, interesting, thinking grown ups. An honest spirit of inquiry underpins every episode. So good.

Please don’t conflate Trumpism with Republican /GOP politics. The two governing philosophies are diametrically opposed. He will surely brand his reign with his name, not an ideology.

I just listened to the episode with Mr Zakaria. I didn’t agree with some of his theories but overall, I learned and felt my listen was helpful. I plan to play it again. Thanks.

If you are easily led, this is the liberal show for you.

About Cannabis The “Gateway Drug” theory turned out to be a self fulfilling prophesy by criminalizing a perfectly safe and gentle herb in use for 10,000 years. Because “If they’re lying to you about pot then they’re surely lying about acid, speed, cocaine!”  And your experts that argue “we just dont know the danger” and pose No scientific studies. Fact is theres been no money for real tests. The only test in the last 50 years was when Nixon gave Johns Hopkins $40,000 to prove that smoking pot causes lung cancer. The study showed it not only didnt cause cancer it may pervent it. Nixon sealed the study for 40 years. You can just hear him cussing them out!  The Botany of Desire author found a true scientific double blind study (Isreali) and found it to be less toxic and safer than most household substances. If fact, No deaths have ever been documented from cannabis use. And there is no known danger from overdosing. Alcohol, salt, aspirin all deadly in large quantities. Even water can kill you if over hydrated! Cigarettes can addict you by smoking just one. Thats why it’s unlawful to sell them in less than packs of Twenty. And it kills 33% of all smokers! Im sure alcohol is just as deadly.  I cringe when a talking head says “we all know its just as dangerous as alcohol”. In the seventies they said 30% of Highschool students had smoked marijuana. Surely there would be police reports to match all of the arrests from alcohol. Battery, Homicide, malicious property damage, sexual assault & DUI!  In the late 80s One of the major car magazines did a driving test of alcohol verses grass. Taking a shot or glass of wine or a couple hits off a joint every 15 minutes and running a course in a car. The booze group after one got a little faster than a little too aggressive, then sloppy and clipping cones after 4 drinks And yet the pot smokers slowed down a bit and got slower and slower and more cautious after about a whole joint.   

Ever heard of it?

I absolutely love the show. Always informative. But in the episode about predicting Presidential race you spent an inordinate amount of time on the business enterprise named PolyMarket. How is it possible that you never mentioned that its largest investor is Peter Thiel? That seems biased considering how Mr Thiel is a rabid MAGA surrogate.

So allowing the poor/minorities to kill their babies makes the country safer for liberals, while conservatives wanting babies to live regardless of race is sexist?

The anti Trumper on the presidency episode was a perfect demonstration of TDS. This moron took the leftist view of Trump and never once considered that the left might be the evil, corrupt and destructive side of American Politics. Assessing Biden’s nearly 4 years was more successful than the Trump years defies reality. Partisans cannot see truth.

I love how the host makes such an intentional effort to offer a balanced perspective, laying out the arguments of both sides, always. Integrity 100% And always super well researched and documented with excellent guests, controversial or not.

I’m a new listener and am loving the show. Thanks and keep up the great work. I love the behind the scenes moments at the end!

I always new this show was left leaning but seemed to be somewhat fair. The last show was basically an advertisement for the Democratic Party. Shameful to bring left wing guests without any counter balance.

If you want leftist propaganda this is the podcast for you.

It’s more than okay to have guests speakers who disagree with Trump and his policies. However, the first guest in the election podcast stated that Trump could not string along sentences as well as Biden. Anyone reasonable person who watched the Biden and Trump debate would be aware of the categorical difference in cognition between the two. A reasonable person would also not hold that opinion. Also a reasonable host would challenge that comment. For this podcast, to have someone this blindingly bias and to not at least provide some pushback in some of his statements is a categorical failure. Half the country supports Trump. At least pretend to have a shred of objectivity.

Facts speak for themselves. Dubner finds interesting topics, but he can’t help but let his biases and his guests biases come through. Generally it is minor, but there are episodes where I crack up at the hypocrisy. How can such educated individuals drop all scientific reasoning when a hot topic comes up? TDS is a thing on this show. I loved it when Dubner asked his guest to assure his audience that his research was politically unbiased, to which his guest said “I hate Trump” and then proceeded with one of the most biased interviews ever on this channel.

Straying from objective economics to a writer’s political pitch. I discount the book authors for obvious reasons and the questions specificslly enable the pitch.

Whether I seek out an episode or one starts playing, I always find it interesting, no matter the topic. I also highly value political objectivity for settings like this and I think Dubner does a good job remaining neutral even with topics that may be closely tied to politics.

Wow, I can consciously support you in any fashion.

A curious host who consistently come up with interesting subjects and never talks down to his audience. I’m never sorry I listened and often find myself thinking and talking about what I’ve heard long after the episode is over.

It’s great to have options for intelligent podcasts!

I listen to many podcast s over the years and this one is clearly the best produced, most interesting, informative and entertaining podcast that I listen to. Just the right amount of narration (and background music) to go along with clips and tightly edited interesting experts. Topics are well chosen-the kind of stuff you want to dig into. And good depth. They cover the topic completely. It all works because of Dubner who knows when to fill in the details and how to ask probing questions.

My favorite podcast