Freakonomics Radio

Could a lack of sleep help explain why some people get much sicker than others?

Takeru Kobayashi revolutionized the sport of competitive eating. What can the rest of us learn from his breakthrough?

We seem to have decided that ethnic food tastes better when it's served by people of that ethnicity (or at least something close). Does this make sense -- and is it legal?

Sure, markets generally work well. But for some transactions -- like school admissions and organ transplants -- money alone can't solve the problem. That's when you need a market-design wizard like Al Roth.

Sure, sex crimes are horrific, and the perpetrators deserve to be punished harshly. But society keeps exacting costs -- out-of-pocket and otherwise -- long after the prison sentence has been served.

One man's attempt to remake his life in the mold of homo economicus.

The debut of a live game show from Freakonomics Radio, with judges Malcolm Gladwell, Ana Gasteyer, and David Paterson.

In which we argue that failure should not only be tolerated but celebrated.

Dubner and Levitt are live onstage at the 92nd Street Y in New York to celebrate their new book "When to Rob a Bank" -- and a decade of working together.

Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh has a wild vision and the dollars to try to make it real. But it still might be the biggest gamble in town.

When it comes to generating ideas and asking questions it can be really fruitful to have the mentality of an eight year old.

America's favorite statistical guru answers our FREAK-quently Asked Questions, and more.

It may seem like winning a valuable diamond is an unalloyed victory. It's not. It's not even clear that a diamond is so valuable.

The practice of medicine has been subsumed by the business of medicine. This is great news for healthcare shareholders -- and bad news for pretty much everyone else.

A lot of the conventional wisdom in medicine is nothing more than hunch or wishful thinking. A new breed of data detectives is hoping to change that.

If you are driving and kill a pedestrian, there's a good chance you'll barely be punished. Why?

Thick markets, thin markets, and the triumph of attributes over compatibility.

Sure, we all want to make good personal decisions, but it doesn't always work out. That's where "temptation bundling" comes in.

Every year, Edge.org asks its salon of big thinkers to answer one big question. This year's question borders on heresy: what scientific idea is ready for retirement?

Advertisers have always been adept at manipulating our emotions. Now they're using behavioral economics to get even better.