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Freakonomics Radio
Thursday at 3pm and Sunday at Noon

Freakonomics Radio ferrets out connections between seemingly unrelated things. The program explores the riddles of everyday life and the weird wrinkles of human nature-from cheating and crime to parenting and sports-using the tools of economics to explore real-world behavior.

Booksavers of Virginia and Gift and Thrift are proud to sponsor Freakonomics Radio on WMRA.

Credit Audrey S. Bernstein
Stephen Dubner - Host of Freakonomics Radio

Host Stephen J. Dubner discovers the hidden side of everything in interviews with Nobel laureates and provocateurs, social scientists and entrepreneurs-and with his "Freakonomics" co-author Steve Levitt.

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  • Season 16, Episode 6
    When Is a Bet Not a Bet? That’s the question at the heart of a battle between Kalshi and state gambling regulators. As prediction markets boom, there are other questions, too — about insider trading, market manipulation, and whether the public has turned against them. (Part two of a two-part series.) The post Season 16, Episode 6 appeared first on Freakonomics.
  • Season 16, Episode 5
    The promise is that they can beat the experts at predicting inflation, elections, and FDA approvals. But right now, roughly 90 percent of the action is sports. Is this a future we want to bet on? Stephen Dubner speaks with, among others, the C.E.O. of Kalshi. (Part one of a two-part series.) The post Season 16, Episode 5 appeared first on Freakonomics.
  • Season 16, Episode 4
    For decades, teams have tried (and mostly failed) to predict which college quarterbacks will thrive in the pros. Is the science finally catching up? Stephen Dubner speaks with a scout, a psychologist, a data warrior, and a Hall of Fame quarterback who nobody wanted. The post Season 16, Episode 4 appeared first on Freakonomics.
  • Season 16, Episode 3
    Gina Raimondo, a former commerce secretary and governor, thinks A.I. will create plenty of jobs in the long run. She also thinks a poorly managed transition could tear the country apart. So she came up with a plan. The post Season 16, Episode 3 appeared first on Freakonomics.
  • Season 16, Episode 2
    Museums are purging their collections of looted treasures. Can they also get something in return? And what does it mean to be a museum in the 21st century? (Part 3 of an updated series originally published in 2023.) The post Season 16, Episode 2 appeared first on Freakonomics.
  • Season 16, Episode 1
    The world’s great museums are full of art and artifacts that were plundered during an era when plunder was the norm. Now there’s a push to return these works to their rightful owners. Sounds simple, right? It’s not. (Part 2 of an updated series originally published in 2023.) The post Season 16, Episode 1 appeared first on Freakonomics.
  • Season 15, Episode 52
    How did a freshly looted Egyptian antiquity end up in the Metropolitan Museum of Art? Why did it take Kim Kardashian to crack the case? And how much of what you see in any museum is stolen? (Part 1 of “Stealing Art Is Easy. Giving It Back Is Hard,” first published in 2023.) The post Season 15, Episode 52 appeared first on Freakonomics.
  • Season 15, Episode 51
    Former S.E.C. chair Gary Gensler has had a front-row seat to numerous financial booms and busts. How does he feel about America’s massive bet on A.I.? “Something has to give.” The post Season 15, Episode 51 appeared first on Freakonomics.
  • Season 15, Episode 50
    Governments started the space age. Now, billionaires and private firms are reinventing it. Guest host Steve Levitt explores what the past can teach us about a high-stakes future. (Part two of a two-part series.) The post Season 15, Episode 50 appeared first on Freakonomics.
  • Season 15, Episode 49
    Should A.I. move to space? At first it sounds ridiculous. But it might be inevitable. Guest host Steve Levitt talks to a team that hopes to push A.I. infrastructure off the planet. (Part one of a two-part series.) To find out more, check out the podcast from which this hour was drawn: “Should A.I. Move to Space?“ The post Season 15, Episode 49 appeared first on Freakonomics.
  • Season 15, Episode 48
    Like tens of millions of people, Stephen Dubner thought he had a penicillin allergy. Like the vast majority, he didn’t. This misdiagnosis costs billions of dollars and causes serious health problems, so why hasn’t it been fixed? We find out in this update of a 2025 episode. The post Season 15, Episode 48 appeared first on Freakonomics.
  • Season 15, Episode 47
    Stephen Dubner had an idea for a new project. So he drove to Connecticut and knocked on the door of the master, Dick Cavett. Dubner’s new TV talk show Better in Person is live on the Freakonomics YouTube channel. The post Season 15, Episode 47 appeared first on Freakonomics.