Freakonomics Radio

How a secret project at Google led to driverless cars on American roads. 

Freakonomics Radio shares a story from our friends at Search Engine. (Part one of a two-part series.)

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A ruthless (and ruthlessly efficient) industry is using digital tools to supercharge one of the world’s oldest behaviors. We look at how the industry works, and ask the scam-fighters what they’re doing about it.

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Economists don’t usually talk about “culture.” But Joel Mokyr argues that it’s the engine of innovation — and the Nobel Prize committee agreed. Stephen Dubner sits down for a thousand-year conversation (including advice!) with the new Nobel laureate.

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Just beneath the surface of the global economy, there is a hidden layer of dealmakers for whom war, chaos, and sanctions can be a great business opportunity. In this updated episode from 2025, journalists Javier Blas and Jack Farchy help us shine a light on the shadowy realm of commodity traders.

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... of bad reviews, meager financing, or artificial intelligence. But he is worried that the world is full of sloppy thinkers who mistake facts for the truth.

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Existing drugs can sometimes be repurposed to treat rare diseases. But making that match can be hard — and the financial incentives are weak. Guest host Steve Levitt tries to solve the puzzle.

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When Richard Thaler first published Nudge, the world was just starting to believe in his brand of behavioral economics. In this 2021 episode, we ask: How has nudge theory held up in the face of a global financial meltdown, a pandemic, and other existential crises?

• SOURCES:
  • Richard Thaler, professor of economics at the University of Chicago.

• RESOURCES:
  • Nudge: The Final Edition, by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein (2021).
  • Sludge: What Stops Us from Getting Things Done and What to Do About It, by Cass Sunstein (2021).
  • "Sludge: Americans Spend 11.4 Billion Hours Filling Out Federal Paperwork," by Cass Sunstein (Big Think, 2021).
  • "Carbon Taxation in Sweden," by Government Offices of Sweden Ministry of Finance (2021).
  • "The Climate Club: How to Fix a Failing Global Effort," by William Nordhaus (Foreign Affairs, 2020).
  • "Organ Donation: Presumed Consent and Focusing on What Matters," by Rebecca Brown (The Journal of Medical Ethics Blog, 2017).

• EXTRAS:
  • "Sludge," series by Freakonomics Radio (2025).
  • “People Aren’t Dumb. The World Is Hard. (Ep. 340 Rebroadcast),” by Freakonomics Radio (2018).

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The science says no, at least not in the athletic sense. But the psychic benefits can be large — just ask former N.F.L. star Ricky Williams. He says athletes should consider cannabis a healing drug, not a party drug. Even the N.F.L. is starting to agree. (Part two of a two-part series.)

• SOURCES:
  • Angela Bryan, professor, associate chair for faculty development in the department of psychology and neuroscience at the University of Colorado, Boulder.
  • Ricky Williams, former N.F.L. running back, founder of Highsman.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Using A Lab On Wheels To Study Weed From Dispensaries," by Science Friday (2024).
  • "Exercise-induced euphoria and anxiolysis do not depend on endogenous opioids in humans," by Michael Siebers, Sarah Biedermann, Laura Bindila, Beat Lutz, and Johannes Fuss (Psychoneuroendocrinology, 2021).
  • "Endocannabinoids mediate runner’s high," by Sudhakaran Prabakaran (Science Signaling, 2015).
  • "Cannabis and Exercise Science: A Commentary on Existing Studies and Suggestions for Future Directions," by Angela Bryan, Arielle Gilman, and Kent Hutchison (Sports Medicine, 2015).
  • Run Ricky Run, documentary (2010).

• EXTRAS:
  • "Is America Switching from Booze to Weed?" series by Freakonomics Radio (2024).

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In sports, the rules are meant to be sacrosanct. But when it comes to performance-enhancing drugs, the slope is super-slippery. (Part one of a two-part series.)

• SOURCES:
  • April Henning, associate professor of international sport management at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland.
  • Aron D'Souza, founder of the Enhanced Games.
  • Floyd Landis, former professional cyclist, founder of Floyd's of Leadville.
  • Louisa Thomas, staff writer at The New Yorker.

• RESOURCES:
  • Doping: A Sporting History, by April Henning and Paul Dimeo (2022).
  • "The Man Who Brought Down Lance Armstrong," by Matt Hart (The Atlantic, 2018).
  • Cycle of Lies: The Fall of Lance Armstrong, by Juliet Macur (2014).
  • Positively False: The Real Story of How I Won the Tour de France, by Floyd Landis (2007).
  • Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll (1865).

• EXTRAS:
  • "Has Lance Armstrong Finally Come Clean?" by Freakonomics Radio (2018).

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They used to be the N.F.L.’s biggest stars, with paychecks to match. Now their salaries are near the bottom, and their careers are shorter than ever. In this updated episode from 2025, we speak with an analytics guru, an agent, an economist, and some former running backs to understand why.

• SOURCES:
  • Brian Burke, sports data scientist at ESPN.
  • Roland Fryer, professor of economics at Harvard University.
  • LeSean McCoy, former running back in the N.F.L., co-host for Fox's daily studio show, "The Facility."
  • Robert Smith, former running back for the Minnesota Vikings, N.F.L. analyst.
  • Robert Turbin, former running back, N.F.L. analyst for CBS Sports HQ, college football announcer.
  • Jeffery Whitney, founder and president at The Sports & Entertainment Group.

• RESOURCES:
  • "The Economics of Running Backs," by Roland Fryer (Wall Street Journal, 2024).
  • Confessions of a Hero-Worshiper, by Stephen Dubner (2007).
  • The Rest of the Iceberg: An Insider’s View on the World of Sports and Celebrity, by Robert Smith (2004).

• EXTRAS:
  • "Roland Fryer Refuses to Lie to Black America," by Freakonomics Radio (2022).
  • "Why Does the Most Monotonous Job in the World Pay $1 Million?" by Freakonomics Radio (2022).

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