People I (Mostly) Admire

People I (Mostly) Admire

Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher
Society & Culture
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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 memorized 160,000 flashcards.

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Episodes (197)

People I (Mostly) Admire

165. The Economist Who (Gasp!) Asks People What They Think

August 30, 2025 53m Episode 165
Stefanie Stantcheva’s approach seemed like career suicide. In fact, it won her the John Bates Clark Medal. She talks to fellow winner Steve Levitt about why she uses methods that most of the...
People I (Mostly) Admire

Rick Rubin on How to Make Something Great (Update)

August 23, 2025 53m Episode 103
From recording some of the first rap hits to revitalizing Johnny Cash's career, the legendary producer has had an extraordinary creative life. In this episode he talks about his new book and his...
People I (Mostly) Admire

164. Unravelling the Universe, Again

August 16, 2025 1h 2m Episode 164
More than two decades ago, Adam Riess’s Nobel Prize-winning work fundamentally changed our understanding of the universe. His new work is reshaping cosmology for a second time.
People I (Mostly) Admire

163. The Data Sleuth Taking on Shoddy Science

August 02, 2025 56m Episode 163
Uri Simonsohn is a behavioral science professor who wants to improve standards in his field — so he’s made a sideline of investigating fraudulent academic research. He tells Steve Levitt, who's spent...
People I (Mostly) Admire

Arne Duncan Says All Kids Deserve a Chance — and Criminals Deserve a Second One (Update)

July 26, 2025 46m Episode 43
Former U.S. Secretary of Education, 3x3 basketball champion, and leader of an anti-gun violence organization are all on Arne’s resume. He’s also Steve’s neighbor. The two talk about teachers caught...
People I (Mostly) Admire

162. Will We Solve the Climate Problem?

July 19, 2025 57m Episode 162
Kate Marvel spends her days playing with climate models, which she says are “like a very expensive version of The Sims.” As a physicist she gets tired of being asked to weigh in on economics,...
People I (Mostly) Admire

161. How to Captivate an Audience

July 05, 2025 48m Episode 161
Twenty years ago, before the Freakonomics book tour, Bill McGowan taught Steve Levitt to speak in public. In his new book he tries to teach everyone else.
People I (Mostly) Admire

Annie Duke Thinks You Should Quit (Update)

June 28, 2025 48m Episode 93
Former professional poker player Annie Duke wrote a book about Steve’s favorite subject: quitting. They talk about why quitting is so hard, how to do it sooner, and why we feel shame when we do...
People I (Mostly) Admire

160. How to Help Kids Succeed

June 21, 2025 1h 0m Episode 160
Psychologist David Yeager thinks the conventional wisdom for how to motivate young people is all wrong. His model for helping kids cope with stress is required reading at Steve’s new high school.
People I (Mostly) Admire

159. Robin Wall Kimmerer’s Manifesto for a Gift Economy

June 07, 2025 57m Episode 159
She’s a botanist, a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, and the author of the bestselling "Braiding Sweetgrass." In her new book she criticizes the market economy — but she and Steve find a...
People I (Mostly) Admire

Does Death Have to Be a Death Sentence? (Update)

May 31, 2025 42m Episode 69
Palliative physician B.J. Miller asks: Is there a better way to think about dying? And can death be beautiful?
People I (Mostly) Admire

158. Why Did Rome Fall — and Are We Next?

May 24, 2025 55m Episode 158
Historian Tom Holland narrowly escaped a career writing vampire novels to become the co-host of the wildly popular podcast "The Rest Is History." At Steve’s request, he compares President Trump and...
People I (Mostly) Admire

157. The Deadliest Disease in Human History

May 10, 2025 1h 5m Episode 157
John Green returns to the show to talk about tuberculosis — a disease that kills more than a million people a year. Steve has an idea for a new way to get treatment to those in need.
People I (Mostly) Admire

Abraham Verghese Thinks Medicine Can Do Better (Update)

May 03, 2025 46m Episode 116
Abraham Verghese is a physician and a best-selling author — in that order, he says. He explains the difference between curing and healing, and tells Steve why doctors should spend more time with...
People I (Mostly) Admire

156. A Solution to America’s Gun Problem

April 26, 2025 59m Episode 156
Jens Ludwig has an idea for how to fix America’s gun violence problem — and it starts by rejecting conventional wisdom from both sides of the political aisle.
People I (Mostly) Admire

155. Helping People Die

April 12, 2025 54m Episode 155
Ellen Wiebe is a physician who helps seriously ill patients end their lives in Canada, where assisted suicide is legal. Is death a human right?
People I (Mostly) Admire

Yul Kwon: “Don't Try to Change Yourself All at Once.” (Update)

April 05, 2025 44m Episode 13
He has been a lawyer, an instructor at the F.B.I. Academy, the owner of a frozen-yogurt chain, and a winner of the TV show Survivor. Today, Kwon works at Google, but things haven’t always come easily...
People I (Mostly) Admire

154. Can Robots Get a Grip?

March 29, 2025 57m Episode 154
Ken Goldberg is at the forefront of robotics — which means he tries to teach machines to do things humans find trivial.
People I (Mostly) Admire

153. We’re Not Getting Sicker — We’re Overdiagnosed

March 15, 2025 1h 3m Episode 153
Suzanne O'Sullivan is a neurologist who sees many patients with psychosomatic disorders. Their symptoms may be psychological in origin, but their pain is real and physical — and the way we practice...
People I (Mostly) Admire

Reading Dostoevsky Behind Bars (Update)

March 08, 2025 49m Episode 112
Reginald Dwayne Betts spent more than eight years in prison. Today he's a Yale Law graduate, a MacArthur Fellow, and a poet. His nonprofit works to build libraries in prisons so that more incarcerated...
People I (Mostly) Admire

152. Hunting for the Origins of Life

March 01, 2025 46m Episode 152
Chemist Jack Szostak wants to understand how the first life forms came into being on Earth. He and Steve discuss the danger of "mirror bacteria," the origin of biology in poisonous chemicals, and the...
People I (Mostly) Admire

151. Neurobiologist, Philosopher, and Addict

February 15, 2025 53m Episode 151
Owen Flanagan's newest book details his 20-year dependence on alcohol and pills — and outlines his research on what addiction can tell us about the nature of consciousness.
People I (Mostly) Admire

Jane Goodall Changed the Way We See Animals. She’s Not Done. (Replay)

February 08, 2025 53m Episode 91
The primatologist discusses the thrill of observing chimpanzees in the wild, the value of challenging orthodoxy, and why dying is her next great adventure.
People I (Mostly) Admire

150. His Brilliant Videos Get Millions of Views. Why Don’t They Make Money?

February 01, 2025 58m Episode 150
Hank Green is an internet phenomenon and a master communicator, with a plan to reform higher education. He and Steve talk about the video blog that launched Hank’s career, the economics of the...
People I (Mostly) Admire

149. Stanford’s President Knows He Can’t Make Everyone Happy

January 18, 2025 56m Episode 149
Jonathan Levin is an academic economist who now runs one of the most influential universities in the world. He tells Steve how he saved Comcast a billion dollars, why he turned down Steve’s unusual...
People I (Mostly) Admire

Why Numbers are Music to Our Ears (Update)

January 11, 2025 48m Episode 104
Sarah Hart investigates the mathematical structures underlying musical compositions and literature. Using examples from Monteverdi to Lewis Carroll, Sarah explains to Steve how math affects how we...
People I (Mostly) Admire

148. How to Have Good Ideas

January 04, 2025 59m Episode 148
Sarah Stein Greenberg runs Stanford’s d.school, which teaches design as a mode of problem solving. She and Steve talk about what makes her field different from other academic disciplines, how to...
People I (Mostly) Admire

147. Is Your Gut a Second Brain?

December 21, 2024 57m Episode 147
In her book, "Rumbles," medical historian Elsa Richardson explores the history of the human gut. She talks with Steve about dubious medical practices, gruesome tales of survival, and the things that...
People I (Mostly) Admire

Turning Work into Play (Update)

December 14, 2024 50m Episode 73
How psychologist Dan Gilbert went from high school dropout to Harvard professor, found the secret of joy, and inspired Steve Levitt's divorce.
People I (Mostly) Admire

146. Is There a Fair Way to Divide Us?

December 07, 2024 1h 5m Episode 146
Moon Duchin is a math professor at Cornell University whose theoretical work has practical applications for voting and democracy. Why is striving for fair elections so difficult?
People I (Mostly) Admire

145. Neil deGrasse Tyson Is Still Starstruck

November 23, 2024 51m Episode 145
The director of the Hayden Planetarium is one of the best science communicators of our time. He and Steve talk about his role in reclassifying Pluto, bad teachers, and why economics isn’t a science.
People I (Mostly) Admire

Pete Docter: “What If Monsters Really Do Exist?” (Update)

November 16, 2024 45m Episode 21
He’s the chief creative officer of Pixar, and the Academy Award-winning director of "Soul, Inside Out, Up, and Monsters, Inc." Pete Docter and Steve talk about Pixar’s scrappy beginnings, why wrong...
People I (Mostly) Admire

144. Feeling Sound and Hearing Color

November 09, 2024 1h 2m Episode 144
David Eagleman is a Stanford neuroscientist, C.E.O., television host, and founder of the Possibilianism movement. He and Steve talk about how wrists can substitute for ears, why we dream, and what...
People I (Mostly) Admire

143. Why Are Boys and Men in Trouble?

October 26, 2024 1h 6m Episode 143
Boys and men are trending downward in education, employment, and mental health. Richard Reeves, author of the book "Of Boys and Men", has some solutions that don’t come at the expense of women and...
People I (Mostly) Admire

Nobel Laureate Daron Acemoglu on Economics, Politics, and Power (Replay)

October 19, 2024 40m Episode 124
Daron Acemoglu was just awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in economics. Earlier this year, he and Steve talked about his groundbreaking research on what makes countries succeed or fail.
People I (Mostly) Admire

142. What’s Impacting American Workers?

October 12, 2024 1h 3m Episode 142
David Autor took his first economics class at 29 years old. Now he’s one of the central academics studying the labor market. The M.I.T. economist and Steve dissect the impact of technology on labor,...
People I (Mostly) Admire

EXTRA: Using Data to Win Gold

October 05, 2024 26m
Kate Douglass is a world-class swimmer and data scientist who’s used mathematical modeling to help make her stroke more efficient. She and Steve talk about why the Olympics were underwhelming, how she...
People I (Mostly) Admire

141. The Language of the Universe

September 28, 2024 47m Episode 141
Ken Ono is a math prodigy whose skills have helped produce a Hollywood movie and made Olympic swimmers faster. The number theorist tells Steve why he sees mathematics as art — and about his unusual...
People I (Mostly) Admire

Drawing from Life (and Death) (Update)

September 21, 2024 1h 1m Episode 110
Artist Wendy MacNaughton knows the difficulty of sitting in silence and the power of having fun. She explains to Steve the lessons she’s gleaned from drawing hospice residents, working in Rwanda, and...
People I (Mostly) Admire

140. How to Breathe Better

September 14, 2024 1h 4m Episode 140
Bestselling author James Nestor believes that we can improve our lives by changing the way we breathe. He’s persuasive enough to get Steve taping his mouth shut at night. He explains how humans dive...
People I (Mostly) Admire

139. How PETA Made Radical Ideas Mainstream

August 31, 2024 1h 0m Episode 139
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals founder Ingrid Newkirk has been badgering meat-eaters, fur-wearers, and circus-goers for more than 40 years. For a woman who’s leaving her liver to the...
People I (Mostly) Admire

Sendhil Mullainathan Thinks Messing Around Is the Best Use of Your Time (Update)

August 24, 2024 46m Episode 37
Revisiting Steve’s 2021 conversation with the economist and MacArthur “genius” about how to make memories stickier, why change is undervalued, and how to find something new to say on the subject of...
People I (Mostly) Admire

138. Chris Anderson on the Power of TED

August 17, 2024 58m Episode 138
Under his helm, the TED Conference went from a small industry gathering to a global phenomenon. Chris and Steve talk about how to build lasting institutions, how to make generosity go viral, and what...
People I (Mostly) Admire

EXTRA: Remembering Susan Wojcicki

August 13, 2024 31m Episode 5
The former YouTube C.E.O. — and sixteenth Google employee — died on August 9, 2024. Steve talked with her in 2020 about her remarkable career, and how her background in economics shaped her work.
People I (Mostly) Admire

137. Richard Dawkins on God, Genes, and Murderous Baby Cuckoos

August 03, 2024 52m Episode 137
The author of the classic "The Selfish Gene" is still changing the way we think about evolution.
People I (Mostly) Admire

What It Takes to Know Everything (Update)

July 27, 2024 40m Episode 85
Victoria Groce is the best trivia contestant on earth. The winner of the 2024 World Quizzing Championship explains the structure of a good question, why she knits during competitions, and how to...
People I (Mostly) Admire

136. The World’s Most Controversial Ornithologist

July 20, 2024 1h 4m Episode 136
Richard Prum says there's a lot that traditional evolutionary biology can't explain. He thinks a neglected hypothesis from Charles Darwin — and insights from contemporary queer theory — hold the...
People I (Mostly) Admire

135. How to Grow a White Rhino

July 06, 2024 55m Episode 135
Thomas Hildebrandt is trying to bring the northern white rhinoceros back from the brink of extinction. The wildlife veterinarian tells Steve about the far-out techniques he employs, why we might see...
People I (Mostly) Admire

Sue Bird: “You Have to Pay the Superstars.” (Replay)

June 29, 2024 42m Episode 12
She is one of the best basketball players ever. She’s won multiple championships, including five Olympic gold medals and four W.N.B.A. titles. She also helped negotiate a landmark contract for the...
People I (Mostly) Admire

134. Why Do We Still Teach People to Calculate?

June 22, 2024 58m Episode 134
Conrad Wolfram wants to transform the way we teach math — by taking advantage of computers. The creator of Computer-Based Maths convinced the Estonian government to give his radical curriculum a try —...
People I (Mostly) Admire

133. Pay Attention! (Your Body Will Thank You)

June 08, 2024 59m Episode 133
Ellen Langer is a psychologist at Harvard who studies the mind-body connection. She’s published some of the most remarkable scientific findings Steve has ever encountered. Can we really improve our...
People I (Mostly) Admire

John Green’s Reluctant Rocket Ship Ride (Update)

June 01, 2024 1h 1m Episode 92
Author and YouTuber John Green thought his breakout bestseller wouldn’t be a commercial success, wrote 40,000 words for one sentence, and brought Steve to tears.
People I (Mostly) Admire

132. Suleika Jaouad’s Survival Mechanisms

May 25, 2024 1h 4m Episode 132
Suleika Jaouad was diagnosed with cancer at 22. She made her illness the subject of a New York Times column and a memoir, "Between Two Kingdoms". She and Steve talk about what it means to live with a...
People I (Mostly) Admire

131. Getting Old, Adventurously

May 11, 2024 52m Episode 131
Caroline Paul is a thrill-seeker and writer who is on a quest to encourage women to get outside and embrace adventure as they age. She and Steve talk about fighting fires, walking on airplane wings,...
People I (Mostly) Admire

What It’s Like to Be Steve Levitt’s Daughters (Update)

May 04, 2024 47m Episode 46
Steve shows a different side of himself in very personal interviews with his two oldest daughters. Amanda talks about growing up with social anxiety and her decision not to go to college, while Lily...
People I (Mostly) Admire

130. Is Our Concept of Freedom All Wrong?

April 27, 2024 55m Episode 130
The economist Joseph Stiglitz has devoted his life to exposing the limits of markets. He tells Steve about winning an argument with fellow Nobel laureate Milton Friedman, why small governments don’t...
People I (Mostly) Admire

129. How to Fix Medical Research

April 13, 2024 55m Episode 129
Monica Bertagnolli went from a childhood on a cattle ranch to a career as a surgeon to a top post in the Biden administration. As director of the National Institutes of Health, she’s working to...
People I (Mostly) Admire

EXTRA: Remembering Daniel Kahneman

April 06, 2024 41m Episode 27
Nobel laureate, bestselling author, and groundbreaking psychologist Daniel Kahneman died in March. In 2021 he talked with Steve Levitt — his friend and former business partner — about his book "Noise:...
People I (Mostly) Admire

128. Are Our Tools Becoming Part of Us?

March 30, 2024 56m Episode 128
Google researcher Blaise Agüera y Arcas spends his work days developing artificial intelligence models and his free time conducting surveys for fun. He tells Steve how he designed an algorithm for the...
People I (Mostly) Admire

127. Rajiv Shah Never Wastes a Crisis

March 16, 2024 57m Episode 127
After Haiti’s devastating earthquake, Rajiv Shah headed the largest humanitarian effort in U.S. history. As chief economist of the Gates Foundation he tried to immunize almost a billion children. He...
People I (Mostly) Admire

126. How to Have Great Conversations

March 02, 2024 47m Episode 126
"The Power of Habit" author Charles Duhigg wrote his new book in an attempt to learn how to communicate better. Steve shares how the book helped him understand his own conversational weaknesses.
People I (Mostly) Admire

125. Is Gynecology the Best Innovation Ever?

February 17, 2024 48m Episode 125
Cat Bohannon’s new book puts female anatomy at the center of human evolution. She tells Steve why it takes us so long to give birth, what breast milk is really for, and why the human reproductive...
People I (Mostly) Admire

124. Daron Acemoglu on Economics, Politics, and Power

February 03, 2024 44m Episode 124
Economist Daron Acemoglu likes to tackle big questions. He tells Steve how colonialism still affects us today, who benefits from new technology, and why democracy wasn’t always a sure thing.
People I (Mostly) Admire

123. Walt Hickey Wants to Track Your Eyeballs

January 20, 2024 50m Episode 123
Journalist Walt Hickey uses data to understand how culture works. He and Steve talk about why China hasn’t produced any hit movies yet and how he got his own avatar in the Madden NFL video game.
People I (Mostly) Admire

122. Arnold Schwarzenegger Has Some Advice for You

January 06, 2024 39m Episode 122
Arnold Schwarzenegger has been a bodybuilder, an actor, a governor, and, now, an author. He tells Steve how he’s managed to succeed in so many fields — and what to do when people throw eggs at you.
People I (Mostly) Admire

121. Exploring Physics, from Eggshells to Oceans

December 23, 2023 45m Episode 121
Physicist Helen Czerski loves to explain how the world works. She talks with Steve about studying bubbles, setting off explosives, and how ocean waves have changed the course of history.
People I (Mostly) Admire

120. Werner Herzog Thinks His Films Are a Distraction

December 09, 2023 50m Episode 120
The filmmaker doesn’t want to be known only for his movies. He tells Steve why he considers himself a writer first, how it feels to be recognized for his role in "The Mandalorian," and why he once...
People I (Mostly) Admire

119. Higher Education Is Broken. Can It Be Fixed?

November 25, 2023 47m Episode 119
Economist Michael D. Smith says universities are scrambling to protect a status quo that deserves to die. He tells Steve why the current system is unsustainable, and what’s at stake if nothing...
People I (Mostly) Admire

118. “My God, This Is a Transformative Power”

November 11, 2023 43m Episode 118
Computer scientist Fei-Fei Li had a wild idea: download one billion images from the internet and teach a computer to recognize them. She ended up advancing the state of artificial intelligence — and...
People I (Mostly) Admire

117. Nate Silver Says We're Bad at Making Predictions

October 28, 2023 42m Episode 117
Data scientist Nate Silver gained attention for his election predictions. But even the best prognosticators get it wrong sometimes. He talks to Steve about making good decisions with data, why he’d...
People I (Mostly) Admire

116. Abraham Verghese Thinks Medicine Can Do Better

October 14, 2023 48m Episode 116
Abraham Verghese is a physician and a best-selling author — in that order, he says. He explains the difference between curing and healing, and tells Steve why doctors should spend more time with...
People I (Mostly) Admire

EXTRA: Nobel Laureate Claudia Goldin on "Greedy Work" and the Wage Gap

October 09, 2023 43m
Claudia Goldin is the newest winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics. Steve spoke to her in 2021 about how inflexible jobs and family responsibilities make it harder for women to earn wages equal to...
People I (Mostly) Admire

115. The Future of Therapy Is Psychedelic

September 30, 2023 53m Episode 115
For 37 years, Rick Doblin has been pushing the F.D.A. to approve treating post-traumatic stress disorder with MDMA, better known as Ecstasy. He tells Steve why he persisted for so long, why he doesn’t...
People I (Mostly) Admire

114. Is Perfectionism Ruining Your Life?

September 16, 2023 58m Episode 114
Psychologist Thomas Curran argues that perfectionism isn’t about high standards — it’s about never being enough. He explains how the drive to be perfect is harming education, the economy, and our...
People I (Mostly) Admire

113. Do We Have Evidence of Alien Life?

September 02, 2023 49m Episode 113
Avi Loeb is a Harvard astronomer who argues that we’ve already encountered extraterrestrial technology. His approach to the search for interstellar objects is scientific, but how plausible is his...
People I (Mostly) Admire

112. Reading Dostoevsky Behind Bars

August 19, 2023 53m Episode 112
Reginald Dwayne Betts spent more than eight years in prison. Today he's a Yale Law graduate, a MacArthur Fellow, and a poet. His nonprofit works to build libraries in prisons so that more incarcerated...
People I (Mostly) Admire

111. Can a Moonshot Approach to Mental Health Work?

August 05, 2023 56m Episode 111
Obi Felten used to launch projects for X, Google’s innovation lab, but she’s now tackling mental health. She explains why Steve’s dream job was soul-destroying for her, and how peer support could...
People I (Mostly) Admire

110. Drawing from Life (and Death)

July 22, 2023 1h 1m Episode 110
Artist Wendy MacNaughton knows the difficulty of sitting in silence and the power of having fun. She explains to Steve the lessons she’s gleaned from drawing hospice residents, working in Rwanda, and...
People I (Mostly) Admire

Extra: An Update on the Khan World School

July 15, 2023 24m
Sal Khan returns to discuss his innovative online high school’s first year — and Steve grills a member of the school’s class of 2026 about what it’s really like.
People I (Mostly) Admire

109. David Simon Is On Strike. Here’s Why.

July 08, 2023 58m Episode 109
The creator of "The Wire", "The Deuce", and other shows is leading the Writers Guild on the picket lines. He and Steve break down the economics of TV writing, how A.I. could change television, and why...
People I (Mostly) Admire

The Economics of Everyday Things: T. rex Skeletons

July 01, 2023 18m
In the newest show from the Freakonomics Radio Network, host Zachary Crockett explores the hidden side of the things around us. This week: How do dinosaur bones emerge from the Upper Cretaceous period...
People I (Mostly) Admire

108. Ninety-Eight Years of Economic Wisdom

June 24, 2023 54m Episode 108
Robert Solow is 98 years old and a giant among economists. He tells Steve about cracking German codes in World War II, why it’s so hard to reduce inequality, and how his field lost its way.
People I (Mostly) Admire

107. Bringing Data to Life

June 10, 2023 58m Episode 107
Talithia Williams thinks you should rigorously track your body's data. She and Steve Levitt trade birth stories and bemoan the state of STEM education.
People I (Mostly) Admire

106. Will A.I. Make Us Smarter?

May 27, 2023 56m Episode 106
Kevin Kelly believes A.I. will create more problems for humanity — and help us solve them. He talks to Steve about embracing complexity, staying enthusiastic, and taking the 10,000-year view.
People I (Mostly) Admire

105. Can Data Keep People Out of Prison?

May 13, 2023 51m Episode 105
Clementine Jacoby went from performing in a circus to founding a nonprofit that works to shrink the prison population.
People I (Mostly) Admire

104. The Joy of Math With Sarah Hart

April 29, 2023 53m Episode 104
Steve is on a mission to reform math education, and Sarah Hart is ready to join the cause. In her return visit to the show, Sarah explains how patterns are everywhere, constraints make us more...
People I (Mostly) Admire

103. Rick Rubin on How to Make Something Great

April 15, 2023 57m Episode 103
From recording some of the first rap hits to revitalizing Johnny Cash's career, the legendary producer has had an extraordinary creative life. In this episode he talks about his new book and his...
People I (Mostly) Admire

102. Adding Ten Healthy Years to Your Life

April 01, 2023 56m Episode 102
Physician Peter Attia returns to the show to talk about the science of longevity — which focuses not only on extending life but on maintaining good health into old age. He explains the possibilities...
People I (Mostly) Admire

101. Celebrating 100 People I (Mostly) Admire

March 18, 2023 49m Episode 101
Steve and producer Morgan Levey look back at the first 100 episodes of the podcast, including surprising answers, spectacular explanations, and listeners who heard the show and changed their lives.
People I (Mostly) Admire

100. Chicago’s Renegade Sheriff Wants to Fix Law Enforcement

March 04, 2023 1h 3m Episode 100
Tom Dart is transforming Cook County’s jail, reforming evictions, and, with Steve Levitt, trying a new approach to electronic monitoring.
People I (Mostly) Admire

99. Greg Norman Takes On the P.G.A. Tour

February 18, 2023 48m Episode 99
Since his last visit to "People I (Mostly) Admire," the formerly top-ranked golfer has become the sport's most controversial figure. Why has he partnered with the Saudi government — and can his new...
People I (Mostly) Admire

98. Searching for Our Aquatic Ancestors

February 04, 2023 57m Episode 98
Neil Shubin hunts for fossils in the Arctic and experiments with D.N.A. in the lab, hoping to find out how fish evolved to walk on land. He explains why unlocking these answers could help humans...
People I (Mostly) Admire

97. How Smart Is a Forest?

January 21, 2023 58m Episode 97
Ecologist Suzanne Simard studies the relationships between trees in a forest: they talk to each other, punish each other, and depend on each other. What can we learn from them?
People I (Mostly) Admire

96. Steven Strogatz Thinks You Don’t Know What Math Is

January 07, 2023 58m Episode 96
The mathematician and author sees mathematical patterns everywhere — from DNA to fireflies to social connections.
People I (Mostly) Admire

95. The One Thing Stephen Dubner Hasn’t Quit

December 24, 2022 1h 7m Episode 95
When "Freakonomics" co-authors Steve Levitt and Stephen Dubner first met, one of them hated the other. Two decades later, Levitt grills Dubner about asking questions, growing the pie, and what he...
People I (Mostly) Admire

94. The Price of Doing Business with John List

December 10, 2022 1h 6m Episode 94
From baseball card conventions to Walmart, John List has always used field experiments to say revolutionary things about economics. He explains the value of an apology, why scaling shouldn’t be an...
People I (Mostly) Admire

93. Annie Duke Thinks You Should Quit

November 26, 2022 55m Episode 93
Former professional poker player Annie Duke has a new book on Steve’s favorite subject: quitting. They talk about why quitting is so hard, how to do it sooner, and why we feel shame when we do...
People I (Mostly) Admire

92. John Green’s Reluctant Rocket Ship Ride

November 12, 2022 1h 8m Episode 92
Author and YouTuber John Green thought his breakout bestseller wouldn’t be a commercial success, wrote 40,000 words for one sentence, and brought Steve to tears.
People I (Mostly) Admire

91. Jane Goodall Changed the Way We See Animals. She’s Not Done.

October 29, 2022 58m Episode 91
The ethologist and conservationist discusses the thrill of observing chimpanzees in the wild, the value of challenging orthodoxy, and why dying is her next great adventure.
People I (Mostly) Admire

90. Peter Singer Isn’t a Saint, But He’s Better Than Steve Levitt

October 15, 2022 58m Episode 90
The philosopher known for his rigorous ethics explains why Steve is leading a morally inconsistent life.
People I (Mostly) Admire

Extra: A Rockstar Chemist Wins the Nobel Prize

October 08, 2022 51m
Stanford professor Carolyn Bertozzi’s imaginative ideas for treating disease have led to ten start-ups. She talks with Steve about the next generation of immune therapy she’s created, and why she...
People I (Mostly) Admire

89. A Cross Between Sherlock Holmes and Indiana Jones

October 01, 2022 53m Episode 89
Heeding the warnings of public health officer Charity Dean about Covid-19 could have saved lives. Charity explains why she loves infectious diseases and why she moved to the private sector.
People I (Mostly) Admire

88. Ken Burns on Heroism, Horror, and History

September 17, 2022 49m Episode 88
The documentary filmmaker, known for "The Civil War," "Jazz," and "Baseball," turns his attention to the Holocaust, and asks what we can learn from the evils of the past.
People I (Mostly) Admire

87. How Much Are the Right Friends Worth?

September 03, 2022 53m Episode 87
Harvard economist Raj Chetty uses tax data to study inequality, kid success, and social mobility. He explains why you should be careful when choosing your grade school teachers — and your friends.
People I (Mostly) Admire

86. A Million-Year View on Morality

August 20, 2022 52m Episode 86
Philosopher Will MacAskill thinks about how to do as much good as possible. But that's really hard, especially when you're worried about humans who won't be born for many generations.
People I (Mostly) Admire

85. What It Takes to Know Everything

August 06, 2022 43m Episode 85
Victoria Groce is one of the best trivia contestants on earth. She explains the structure of a good question, why she knits during competitions, and how to memorize 160,000 flashcards.
People I (Mostly) Admire

84. Yuval Noah Harari Thinks Life Is Meaningless and Amazing

July 23, 2022 53m Episode 84
The author of "Sapiens" has a knack for finding the profound in the obvious. He tells Steve why money is fiction, traffic can be mind-blowing, and politicians have a right to say stupid things in...
People I (Mostly) Admire

83. “There's So Many Problems — Which Ones Can I Make a Difference On?”

July 09, 2022 50m Episode 83
When she's not rescuing chickens from coyotes, Susan Athey uses economics to address real-world challenges — from online ad auctions to carbon capture technology.
People I (Mostly) Admire

82. Is This the Future of High School?

July 02, 2022 44m Episode 82
Khan Academy founder Sal Khan returns to share his vision for a new way to learn — and the conversation inspires Steve to make a big announcement.
People I (Mostly) Admire

81. Why Bother Searching for Aliens?

June 25, 2022 47m Episode 81
Astronomer Jill Tarter spent her career searching for extraterrestrial intelligence. She explains what civilizations from other planets could teach us about our own future.
People I (Mostly) Admire

80. Get Your Share of the Pie

June 18, 2022 50m Episode 80
Game theorist Barry Nalebuff explains how he used basic economics to build Honest Tea into a multimillion-dollar business, and shares his innovative approach to negotiation.
People I (Mostly) Admire

79. Solar Geoengineering Would Be Radical. It Might Also Be Necessary.

June 11, 2022 55m Episode 79
David Keith has spent his career studying ways to reflect sunlight away from the earth. It could reduce the risks of climate change — but it won’t save us.
People I (Mostly) Admire

78. Giving It Away

June 04, 2022 51m Episode 78
Billionaire John Arnold is figuring out how to do as much good as he can with his wealth. It takes hard work, risk tolerance, and a lot of spending.
People I (Mostly) Admire

77. Can Games Prepare Us for Catastrophes? (Part 2)

May 28, 2022 34m Episode 77
Many of us hate to think about future crises. Game designer Jane McGonigal wants to make it fun.
People I (Mostly) Admire

76. Is Gaming Good for You?

May 21, 2022 41m Episode 76
Jane McGonigal designed a game to help herself recover from a traumatic brain injury — and she thinks playing games can help us all lead our best lives.
People I (Mostly) Admire

75. Self-Help for Data Nerds

May 14, 2022 52m Episode 75
Seth Stephens-Davidowitz combs through mountains of information to find advice for everyday life.
People I (Mostly) Admire

74. Getting Our Hands Dirty

May 07, 2022 52m Episode 74
Soil scientist Asmeret Asefaw Berhe could soon hold one of the most important jobs in science. She explains why the ground beneath our feet is one of our greatest resources — and, possibly, one of our...
People I (Mostly) Admire

73. Turning Work into Play

April 30, 2022 51m Episode 73
How psychologist Dan Gilbert went from high school dropout to Harvard professor, found the secret of joy, and inspired Steve Levitt's divorce.
People I (Mostly) Admire

72. “Leaving Black People in the Lurch”

April 23, 2022 47m Episode 72
Linguist and social commentator John McWhorter explains how good intentions may be hurting Black America — and where the word “motherf*cker” comes from.
People I (Mostly) Admire

71. Bombs Away

April 16, 2022 46m Episode 71
Beatrice Fihn wants to rid the world of nuclear weapons. As Russian aggression raises the prospect of global conflict, can she put disarmament on the world's agenda?
People I (Mostly) Admire

70. You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Experiment

April 09, 2022 35m Episode 70
Nobel Prize winner Joshua Angrist explains how the draft lottery, the Talmud, and West Point let economists ask — and answer — tough questions.
People I (Mostly) Admire

69. Does Death Have to Be a Death Sentence?

April 02, 2022 45m Episode 69
Palliative physician B.J. Miller asks: Is there a better way to think about dying? And can death be beautiful?
People I (Mostly) Admire

68. “No One Can Resist a Jolly, Happy Pig.”

March 26, 2022 46m Episode 68
Naturalist Sy Montgomery explains how she learned to be social from a pig, discovered octopuses have souls, and came to love a killer that will never love her back.
People I (Mostly) Admire

67. We Can Play God Now

March 19, 2022 41m Episode 67
Gene-editing pioneer Jennifer Doudna worries that humanity might not be ready for the technology she helped develop.
People I (Mostly) Admire

66. The Professor Who Said “No” to Tenure

March 12, 2022 47m Episode 66
Columbia astrophysicist David Helfand is an academic who does things his own way — from turning down job security to helping found a radically unconventional university.
People I (Mostly) Admire

65. A Rockstar Chemist and Her Cancer-Attacking “Lawn Mower”

March 05, 2022 50m Episode 65
Stanford professor Carolyn Bertozzi’s imaginative ideas for treating disease have led to ten start-ups. She talks with Steve about the next generation of immune therapy she’s created, and why she...
People I (Mostly) Admire

64. How Larry Miller Went from Prison Valedictorian to Nike Executive

February 26, 2022 37m Episode 64
Climbing the corporate ladder to become head of Nike’s Jordan brand, he kept his teenage murder conviction a secret from employers. Larry talks about living in fear, accepting forgiveness, and why it...
People I (Mostly) Admire

63. The Only Covid-19 Book Worth Reading

February 19, 2022 50m Episode 63
Steve loved Michael Lewis’s latest, The Premonition, but has one critique: Why aren’t there even more villains? Also, why the author of best-sellers Moneyball and The Big Short can barely read a page...
People I (Mostly) Admire

62. How Does Historian Brad Gregory Make a Boring Topic So Mind-Blowing?

February 12, 2022 44m Episode 62
A leading expert on the Reformation era, Brad, a University of Notre Dame professor, tells Steve about how the “blood gets sucked out of history,” and why historians and economists don’t quite see eye...
People I (Mostly) Admire

61. Was Austan Goolsbee’s First Visit to the Oval Office Almost His Last?

February 05, 2022 52m Episode 61
The former chairman of the Obama administration’s Council of Economic Advisors tells Steve how improv comedy was a better training ground for teaching than a Ph.D. from M.I.T., and why he’s glad he...
People I (Mostly) Admire

60. Cassandra Quave Thinks the Way Antibiotics Are Developed Might Kill Us

January 29, 2022 49m Episode 60
By mid-century, 10 million people a year are projected to die from untreatable infections. Can Cassandra, an ethnobotanist at Emory University convince Steve that herbs and ancient healing are key to...
People I (Mostly) Admire

Why Aren’t All Drugs Legal? (Replay Ep. 28)

January 22, 2022 43m
The Columbia neuroscientist and psychology professor Carl Hart believes that recreational drug use, even heroin, methamphetamines, and cocaine, is an inalienable right. Can he convince Steve?
People I (Mostly) Admire

Are We Under Threat from a New Kind of Terror? (Replay Ep. 24)

January 15, 2022 49m
Amaryllis Fox is a former C.I.A. operative and host of the Netflix show The Business of Drugs. She explains why intelligence work requires empathy, and she soothes Steve’s fears about weapons of mass...
People I (Mostly) Admire

59. Who Gives the Worst Advice?

January 08, 2022 43m Episode 59
Steve usually asks his guests for advice, whether they’re magicians or Nobel laureates. After nearly 60 episodes, is any of it worth following — or should we just ask listeners instead?
People I (Mostly) Admire

58. Why Is Richard Thaler Such a ****ing Optimist?

January 01, 2022 46m Episode 58
The Nobel laureate and pioneering behavioral economist spars with Steve over what makes a nudge a nudge, and admits that even economists have plenty of blind spots.
People I (Mostly) Admire

57. What Makes John Doerr Think He Can Save the Planet?

December 25, 2021 51m Episode 57
The legendary venture capitalist believes the same intuition that led him to bet early on Google can help us reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. But Steve wonders why his plan doesn’t include a...
People I (Mostly) Admire

56. Claudia Goldin: What’s “Greedy Work” and Why Is It a Problem?

December 18, 2021 48m Episode 56
Harvard economist Claudia Goldin and Steve talk about how inflexible jobs and family responsibilities make it harder for women to earn wages equal to their male counterparts. But could Covid actually...
People I (Mostly) Admire

55. Jared Diamond on the Downfall of Civilizations — and His Optimism for Ours

December 11, 2021 47m Episode 55
He’s the award-winning author of hugely popular books like Guns, Germs, and Steel; Collapse; and Upheaval. But Jared actually started his varied career as an expert on gallbladders and birds. The...
People I (Mostly) Admire

54. Andrew Yang Is Not Giving Up on Politics — or the U.S. — Yet

December 04, 2021 53m Episode 54
He’s tried to shake up the status quo — as a Democratic presidential candidate, a New York City mayoral candidate, and now the founder of the Forward party. Will his third try be the charm? Andrew...
People I (Mostly) Admire

53. The Simple Economics of Saving the Amazon Rainforest

November 27, 2021 32m Episode 53
Everyone agrees that massive deforestation is an environmental disaster. But most of the standard solutions — scolding the Brazilians, invoking universal morality — ignore the one solution that might...
People I (Mostly) Admire

52. Max Tegmark on Why Superhuman Artificial Intelligence Won’t be Our Slave (Part 2)

November 20, 2021 30m Episode 52
He’s an M.I.T. cosmologist, physicist, and machine-learning expert, and once upon a time, almost an economist. Max and Steve continue their conversation about the existential threats facing humanity,...
People I (Mostly) Admire

51. Max Tegmark on Why Treating Humanity Like a Child Will Save Us All

November 13, 2021 45m Episode 51
How likely is it that this conversation is happening in more than one universe? Should we worry more about Covid or about nuclear war? Is economics a form of “intellectual prostitution?” Steve...
People I (Mostly) Admire

50. Edward Miguel on Collecting Economic Data by Canoe and Correlating Conflict with Rainfall

November 06, 2021 52m Episode 50
He’s a pioneer of using randomized control experiments in economics — studying the long-term benefits of a $1 health intervention in Africa. Steve asks Edward, a Berkeley professor, about Africa’s...
People I (Mostly) Admire

49. Mathematician Sarah Hart on Why Numbers are Music to Our Ears

October 30, 2021 46m Episode 49
Playing notes on her piano, she demonstrates for Steve why whole numbers sound pleasing, why octaves are mathematically imperfect, and how math underlies musical composition. Sarah, a professor at the...
People I (Mostly) Admire

48. Marc Davis Can’t Stop Watching Basketball — But He Doesn’t Care Who Wins

October 23, 2021 47m Episode 48
His childhood dream of playing in the N.B.A. led him to a career as a referee. Marc is one of the league’s top performers after over 20 seasons, but he still reviews every single one of his calls. He...
People I (Mostly) Admire

Ken Jennings on How a Midlife Crisis Led Him to Jeopardy! (People I (Mostly) Admire, Ep. 4 Replay)

October 16, 2021 47m
It was only in his late twenties that America’s favorite brainiac began to seriously embrace his love of trivia. Jeopardy!’s newest host also holds the show’s “Greatest of All Time” title. Steve digs...
People I (Mostly) Admire

Mayim Bialik on the Surprising Risks of Academia and Stability of Show Biz (People I (Mostly) Admire, Ep. 2 Replay)

October 09, 2021 49m
This new Jeopardy! host is best known for playing neurobiologist Amy Farrah Fowler on The Big Bang Theory, but she has a rich life outside of her acting career too, as a teacher, mother — and a...
People I (Mostly) Admire

47. Robert Axelrod on Why Being Nice, Forgiving, and Provokable are the Best Strategies for Life

October 02, 2021 44m Episode 47
The prisoner’s dilemma is a classic game-theory problem. Robert, a political scientist at the University of Michigan, has spent his career studying it — and the ways humans can cooperate, or betray...
46. Amanda & Lily Levitt Share What It’s Like to be Steve’s Daughters

46. Amanda & Lily Levitt Share What It’s Like to be Steve’s Daughters

September 25, 2021 47m Episode 46
Steve shows a different side of himself in very personal interviews with his two oldest daughters. Amanda talks about growing up with social anxiety and her decision to not go to college, while Lily...
45. Leidy Klotz on Why the Best Solutions Involve Less — Not More

45. Leidy Klotz on Why the Best Solutions Involve Less — Not More

September 18, 2021 40m Episode 45
When we try to improve things, our first thought is often: What can we add to make this better? But Leidy, a professor of engineering, says we tend to overlook the fact that a better solution might be...
44. Edward Glaeser Explains Why Some Cities Thrive While Others Fade Away

44. Edward Glaeser Explains Why Some Cities Thrive While Others Fade Away

September 11, 2021 46m Episode 44
An expert on urban economics and co-author of the new book Survival of the City, Ed says cities have faced far worse than Covid. Steve talks with the Harvard professor about why the slums of Mumbai...
43. Arne Duncan Says All Kids Deserve a Chance — and Criminals Deserve a Second One

43. Arne Duncan Says All Kids Deserve a Chance — and Criminals Deserve a Second One

September 04, 2021 46m Episode 43
Former U.S. Secretary of Education, 3x3 basketball champion, and leader of an anti-gun violence organization are all on Arne’s resume. He’s also Steve’s neighbor. The two talk about teachers caught...
42. America’s Math Curriculum Doesn’t Add Up

42. America’s Math Curriculum Doesn’t Add Up

August 28, 2021 43m Episode 42
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...
41. Dr. Bapu Jena on Why Freakonomics Is the Best Medicine

41. Dr. Bapu Jena on Why Freakonomics Is the Best Medicine

August 21, 2021 41m Episode 41
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...
40. Harold Pollack on Why Managing Your Money Is as Easy as Taking Out the Garbage

40. Harold Pollack on Why Managing Your Money Is as Easy as Taking Out the Garbage

August 14, 2021 46m Episode 40
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?...
39. Aicha Evans Wants You to Take Your Eyes Off the Road

39. Aicha Evans Wants You to Take Your Eyes Off the Road

August 07, 2021 49m Episode 39
She’s the C.E.O. of Zoox, an autonomous vehicle company. Steve asks Aicha about the big promises the A.V. industry hasn’t yet delivered — and the radical bet Zoox is making on a driverless future....
38. Sendhil Mullainathan Explains How to Generate an Idea a Minute (Part 2)

38. Sendhil Mullainathan Explains How to Generate an Idea a Minute (Part 2)

July 31, 2021 37m Episode 38
Steve continues his conversation with his good friend, MacArthur “Genius Grant” recipient, and fellow University of Chicago economist. Sendhil breaks down the hypothesis of his book Scarcity, explains...
37. Sendhil Mullainathan Thinks Messing Around Is the Best Use of Your Time

37. Sendhil Mullainathan Thinks Messing Around Is the Best Use of Your Time

July 24, 2021 52m Episode 37
He’s a professor of computation and behavioral science at the University of Chicago, MacArthur “Genius Grant” recipient, and author. Steve and Sendhil laugh their way through a conversation about the...
36. How Rahm Emanuel Would Run the World

36. How Rahm Emanuel Would Run the World

July 17, 2021 42m Episode 36
In this interview, first heard on Freakonomics Radio last year, Steve talks with the former top adviser to presidents Clinton and Obama, about his record — and his reputation. And Rahm explains that...
35. David Epstein Knows Something About Almost Everything

35. David Epstein Knows Something About Almost Everything

July 10, 2021 50m Episode 35
He’s been an Arctic scientist, a sports journalist, and is now a best-selling author of science books. His latest, Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, makes the argument that early...
34. Maya Shankar Is Changing People’s Behavior — and Her Own

34. Maya Shankar Is Changing People’s Behavior — and Her Own

July 03, 2021 45m Episode 34
She used to run a behavioral unit in the Obama administration, and now has a similar role at Google. Maya and Steve talk about the power (and limits) of behavioral economics and also how people...
33. Travis Tygart Is Coming for Cheaters — Just Ask Lance Armstrong

33. Travis Tygart Is Coming for Cheaters — Just Ask Lance Armstrong

June 26, 2021 45m Episode 33
He’s the C.E.O. of the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), which, under his charge, exposed the most celebrated American cyclist as a cheater. And Steve’s been studying cheaters for the last 25...
32. Angela Duckworth Explains How to Manage Your Goal Hierarchy

32. Angela Duckworth Explains How to Manage Your Goal Hierarchy

June 19, 2021 51m Episode 32
She’s the author of the bestselling book Grit, and a University of Pennsylvania professor of psychology — a field Steve says he knows nothing about. But once Angela gives Steve a quick tutorial on...
31. Peter Leeson on Why Trial-by-Fire Wasn’t Barbaric and Why Pirates Were Democratic

31. Peter Leeson on Why Trial-by-Fire Wasn’t Barbaric and Why Pirates Were Democratic

June 12, 2021 46m Episode 31
He’s an economist who studies even weirder things than Steve. They discuss whether economics is the best of the social sciences, and why it’s a good idea to get a tattoo of a demand curve on your...
30. Dambisa Moyo Says Foreign Aid Can’t Solve Problems, but Maybe Corporations Can

30. Dambisa Moyo Says Foreign Aid Can’t Solve Problems, but Maybe Corporations Can

June 05, 2021 44m Episode 30
The African-born economist has written four bestselling books, including Dead Aid, which Bill Gates described as “promoting evil.” In her new book about corporate boards, Dambisa uses her experience...
29. Bruce Friedrich Thinks There’s a Better Way to Eat Meat

29. Bruce Friedrich Thinks There’s a Better Way to Eat Meat

May 29, 2021 45m Episode 29
Levitt rarely interviews advocates, but the founder of the Good Food Institute is different. Once an outspoken — and sometimes outlandish — animal-rights activist, Bruce has come to believe that...
28. Professor Carl Hart Argues All Drugs Should Be Legal — Can He Convince Steve?

28. Professor Carl Hart Argues All Drugs Should Be Legal — Can He Convince Steve?

May 22, 2021 44m Episode 28
As a neuroscientist and psychology professor at Columbia University who studies the immediate and long-term effects of illicit substances, Carl Hart believes that all drugs — including heroin,...
27. Daniel Kahneman on Why Our Judgment is Flawed — and What to Do About It

27. Daniel Kahneman on Why Our Judgment is Flawed — and What to Do About It

May 15, 2021 44m Episode 27
Nobel laureate, best-selling author, and groundbreaking psychologist Daniel Kahneman is also a friend and former business partner of Steve’s. In discussing Danny’s new book Noise: A Flaw in Human...
26. Memory Champion Nelson Dellis Helps Steve Train His Brain

26. Memory Champion Nelson Dellis Helps Steve Train His Brain

May 08, 2021 35m Episode 26
He’s one of the world’s leading competitors, having won four U.S. memory tournaments and holding the record for most names memorized in 15 minutes (235!). But Nelson Dellis claims he was born with an...
25. Sam Harris: “Spirituality Is a Loaded Term.”

25. Sam Harris: “Spirituality Is a Loaded Term.”

May 01, 2021 43m Episode 25
He’s a cognitive neuroscientist and philosopher who has written five best-selling books. Sam Harris also hosts the Making Sense podcast and helps people discover meditation through his Waking Up app....
Nathan Myhrvold: “I Am Interested in Lots of Things, and That's Actually a Bad Strategy.” (Episode 6 Rebroadcast)

Nathan Myhrvold: “I Am Interested in Lots of Things, and That's Actually a Bad Strategy.” (Episode 6 Rebroadcast)

April 24, 2021 49m
He graduated high school at 14, and by 23 had several graduate degrees and was a research assistant with Stephen Hawking. He became the first chief technology officer at Microsoft (without having ever...
24. Amaryllis Fox: “What Does This New Version of Mutually Assured Destruction Look Like?”

24. Amaryllis Fox: “What Does This New Version of Mutually Assured Destruction Look Like?”

April 17, 2021 58m Episode 24
She spent nearly a decade as an undercover C.I.A. operative working to prevent terrorism. More recently, she hosted The Business of Drugs on Netflix. Amaryllis Fox — now Kennedy — explains why...
23. Greg Norman & Mark Broadie: Why Golf Beats an Orgasm and Why Data Beats Everything

23. Greg Norman & Mark Broadie: Why Golf Beats an Orgasm and Why Data Beats Everything

April 10, 2021 42m Episode 23
Steve Levitt is obsessed with golf — and he’s pretty good at it too. As a thinly-veiled ploy to improve his own game, Steve talks to two titans of the sport: Greg “The Shark” Norman, who was the...
22. Sal Khan: “If It Works for 15 Cousins, It Could Work for a Billion People.”

22. Sal Khan: “If It Works for 15 Cousins, It Could Work for a Billion People.”

April 03, 2021 44m Episode 22
Khan Academy grew out of Sal Khan’s online math tutorials for his extended family. It’s now a platform used by more than 115 million people in 190 countries. So what does Khan want to do next? How...
21. Pete Docter: “What If Monsters Really Do Exist?”

21. Pete Docter: “What If Monsters Really Do Exist?”

March 27, 2021 43m Episode 21
He’s the chief creative officer of Pixar, and the Academy Award-winning director of Soul, Inside Out, Up, and Monsters, Inc. Pete Docter and Steve talk about Pixar’s scrappy beginnings, why it costs...
20. John Donohue: “I'm Frequently Called a Treasonous Enemy of the Constitution.”

20. John Donohue: “I'm Frequently Called a Treasonous Enemy of the Constitution.”

March 20, 2021 37m Episode 20
He’s a law professor with a Ph.D. in economics and a tendency for getting into fervid academic debates. Over 20 years ago, he and Steve began studying the impact of legalized abortion on crime. John...
19. Marina Nitze: “If You Googled ‘Business Efficiency Consultant,’ I Was the Only Result.”

19. Marina Nitze: “If You Googled ‘Business Efficiency Consultant,’ I Was the Only Result.”

March 13, 2021 38m Episode 19
At 27— and without a college degree — she was named chief technology officer of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Today, Marina Nitze is trying to reform the foster care system. She tells Steve how...
18. Robert Sapolsky: “I Don’t Think We Have Any Free Will Whatsoever.”

18. Robert Sapolsky: “I Don’t Think We Have Any Free Will Whatsoever.”

March 06, 2021 41m Episode 18
He’s one of the world’s leading neuroscientists, with a focus on the physiological effects of stress. (For years, he spent his summers in Kenya, alone except for the baboons he was observing.) Steve...
17. Emily Oster: “I Am a Woman Who Is Prominently Discussing Vaginas.”

17. Emily Oster: “I Am a Woman Who Is Prominently Discussing Vaginas.”

February 27, 2021 42m Episode 17
In addition to publishing best-selling books about pregnancy and child-rearing, Emily Oster is a respected economist at Brown University. Over the course of the pandemic, she’s become the primary...
16. Joshua Jay: “Humans Are So, So Easy to Fool.”

16. Joshua Jay: “Humans Are So, So Easy to Fool.”

February 20, 2021 42m Episode 16
He’s a world-renowned magician who’s been performing since he was seven years old. But Joshua Jay is also an author, toy maker, and consultant for film and television. Steve Levitt talks to him about...
15. Tim Harford: “If You Can Make Sure You're Not An Idiot, You've Done Well.”

15. Tim Harford: “If You Can Make Sure You're Not An Idiot, You've Done Well.”

February 13, 2021 42m Episode 15
He’s a former World Bank economist who became a prolific journalist and the author of one of Steve Levitt’s favorite books, The Undercover Economist. Tim Harford lives in England, where he’s made it...
Yul Kwon: “Hey, Do You Have Any Bright Ideas?” (Part 2)

Yul Kwon: “Hey, Do You Have Any Bright Ideas?” (Part 2)

February 06, 2021 29m Episode 14
He’s so fascinating that Steve Levitt brought him back for a second conversation. Yul Kwon currently works at Google, but he’s been a lawyer, political organizer, government regulator, organ donation...
13. Yul Kwon: “Don't Try to Change Yourself All at Once.”

13. Yul Kwon: “Don't Try to Change Yourself All at Once.”

January 30, 2021 35m Episode 13
He has been a lawyer, an instructor at the F.B.I. Academy, the owner of a frozen-yogurt chain, and a winner of the TV show Survivor. Today, Kwon works at Google, where he helped build tools to track...
12. Sue Bird: “You Have to Pay the Superstars.”

12. Sue Bird: “You Have to Pay the Superstars.”

January 23, 2021 40m Episode 12
She is one of the best basketball players ever. She’s won multiple championships, including four Olympic gold medals and four W.N.B.A. titles — the most recent in 2020, just before turning 40. She...
11. Paul Romer: “I Figured Out How to Get Myself Fired From the World Bank.”

11. Paul Romer: “I Figured Out How to Get Myself Fired From the World Bank.”

January 09, 2021 34m Episode 11
For many economists — Steve Levitt included — there is perhaps no greater inspiration than Paul Romer, the now-Nobel laureate who at a young age redefined the discipline and has maintained a passion...
10. Suzanne Gluck: “I'm a Person Who Can Convince Other People to Do Things”

10. Suzanne Gluck: “I'm a Person Who Can Convince Other People to Do Things”

December 26, 2020 36m Episode 10
She might not be a household name, but Suzanne Gluck is one of the most powerful people in the book industry. Her slush pile is a key entry point to the biggest publishers in the U.S., and the authors...
9. Moncef Slaoui: "It’s Unfortunate That It Takes a Crisis for This to Happen"

9. Moncef Slaoui: "It’s Unfortunate That It Takes a Crisis for This to Happen"

December 12, 2020 36m Episode 9
Born in Morocco and raised mostly by a single mother, Moncef Slaoui is now one of the world’s most influential scientists. As the head of Operation Warp Speed — the U.S. government’s Covid-19 vaccine...
8. Peter Attia: “I Definitely Lost a Lot of IQ Points That Day”

8. Peter Attia: “I Definitely Lost a Lot of IQ Points That Day”

November 28, 2020 38m Episode 8
He’s been an engineer, a surgeon, a management consultant, and even a boxer. Now he’s a physician focused on the science of longevity. Peter Attia talks with Steve Levitt about the problem with...
7. Caverly Morgan: "I Am Not This Voice. I Am Not This Narrative."

7. Caverly Morgan: "I Am Not This Voice. I Am Not This Narrative."

November 14, 2020 38m Episode 7
She showed up late and confused to her first silent retreat, but Caverly Morgan eventually trained for eight years in silence at a Zen monastery. Now her mindfulness-education program Peace in Schools...
6. Nathan Myhrvold: “I Am Interested in Lots of Things, and That's Actually a Bad Strategy”

6. Nathan Myhrvold: “I Am Interested in Lots of Things, and That's Actually a Bad Strategy”

October 31, 2020 47m Episode 6
He graduated high school at 14, and by 23 had several graduate degrees and was a research assistant with Stephen Hawking. He became the first chief technology officer at Microsoft (without having ever...
5. Susan Wojcicki: “Hey, Let’s Go Buy YouTube!”

5. Susan Wojcicki: “Hey, Let’s Go Buy YouTube!”

October 17, 2020 30m Episode 5
She was the sixteenth employee at Google — a company once based in her garage — and now she's the C.E.O. of its best-known subsidiary, YouTube. But despite being one of the most powerful people in the...
Steve Levitt: “I’m Not as Childlike as I’d Like to Be”

Steve Levitt: “I’m Not as Childlike as I’d Like to Be”

October 10, 2020 38m
Steve Levitt has so far occupied the interviewer chair on this show, but in a special live event — recorded over Zoom and presented by WNYC and the Greene Space — the microphone is turned toward him....
4. Ken Jennings: “Don’t Neglect the Thing That Makes You Weird”

4. Ken Jennings: “Don’t Neglect the Thing That Makes You Weird”

October 03, 2020 42m Episode 4
It was only in his late twenties that America’s favorite brainiac began to seriously embrace his love of trivia. Now he holds the “Greatest of All Time” title on Jeopardy! Steve Levitt digs into how...
3. Kerwin Charles: “One Does Not Know Where an Insight Will Come From”

3. Kerwin Charles: “One Does Not Know Where an Insight Will Come From”

September 19, 2020 39m Episode 3
The dean of Yale’s School of Management grew up in a small village in Guyana. During his unlikely journey, he has researched video-gaming habits, communicable disease, and why so many...
2. Mayim Bialik: “I Started Crying When I Realized How Beautiful the Universe Is”

2. Mayim Bialik: “I Started Crying When I Realized How Beautiful the Universe Is”

September 05, 2020 45m Episode 2
She’s best known for playing neurobiologist Amy Farrah Fowler on The Big Bang Theory, but the award-winning actress has a rich life outside of her acting career, as a teacher, mother — and a real-life...
1. Steven Pinker: "I Manage My Controversy Portfolio Carefully”

1. Steven Pinker: "I Manage My Controversy Portfolio Carefully”

August 22, 2020 42m Episode 1
By cataloging the steady march of human progress, the Harvard psychologist and linguist has become a very public intellectual. But the self-declared “polite Canadian” has managed to enrage people on...
Introducing “People I (Mostly) Admire”

Introducing “People I (Mostly) Admire”

July 31, 2020 4m
Steve Levitt has spent decades as an academic economist, “studying strange phenomena and human behavior in weird circumstances.” Now he’s turning his curiosity to something new: interviewing some of...

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