Podcast Episodes
Back to Search595. Why Don't We Have Better Candidates for President?
Episode 595
American politics is trapped in a duopoly, with two all-powerful parties colluding to stifle competition. We revisit a 2018 episode to explain how the political industry works, and talk to a reformer…
Published on 1 year, 5 months ago
594. Your Brand’s Spokesperson Just Got Arrested — Now What?
Episode 594
It’s hard to know whether the benefits of hiring a celebrity are worth the risk. We dig into one gruesome story of an endorsement gone wrong, and find a surprising result.
SOURCES:John Cawley, profes…
Published on 1 year, 6 months ago
593. You Can Make a Killing, but Not a Living
Episode 593
Broadway operates on a winner-take-most business model. A runaway hit like Stereophonic — which just won five Tony Awards — will create a few big winners. But even the stars of the show will have to …
Published on 1 year, 6 months ago
EXTRA: The Fascinatingly Mundane Secrets of the World’s Most Exclusive Nightclub
The Berlin dance mecca Berghain is known for its eight-hour line and inscrutable door policy. PJ Vogt, host of the podcast Search Engine, joins us to crack the code. It has to do with Cold War rivalr…
Published on 1 year, 6 months ago
592. How to Make the Coolest Show on Broadway
Episode 592
Hit by Covid, runaway costs, and a zillion streams of competition, serious theater is in serious trouble. A new hit play called Stereophonic — the most Tony-nominated play in history — has something …
Published on 1 year, 6 months ago
591. Signs of Progress, One Year at a Time
Episode 591
Every December, a British man named Tom Whitwell publishes a list of 52 things he’s learned that year. These fascinating facts reveal the spectrum of human behavior, from fraud and hypocrisy to Whitw…
Published on 1 year, 6 months ago
EXTRA: The Opioid Tragedy — How We Got Here
An update of our 2020 series, in which we spoke with physicians, researchers, and addicts about the root causes of the crisis — and the tension between abstinence and harm reduction.
SOURCES:Gail D’O…
Published on 1 year, 6 months ago
590. Can $55 Billion End the Opioid Epidemic?
Episode 590
Thanks to legal settlements with drug makers and distributors, states have plenty of money to boost prevention and treatment. Will it work? (Part two of a two-part series.)
SOURCES:Keith Humphreys, p…
Published on 1 year, 7 months ago
589. Why Has the Opioid Crisis Lasted So Long?
Episode 589
Most epidemics flare up, do their damage, and fade away. This one has been raging for almost 30 years. To find out why, it’s time to ask some uncomfortable questions. (Part one of a two-part series.)…
Published on 1 year, 7 months ago
Extra: Car Colors & Storage Units
Presenting two stories from The Economics of Everyday Things: Why does it seem like every car is black, white, or gray these days? And: How self-storage took over America.
SOURCES:Tom Crockett, class…
Published on 1 year, 7 months ago