Podcast Episodes
Back to SearchHow to Make Your Own Luck (Update)
Episode 424
Before she decided to become a poker pro, Maria Konnikova didn’t know how many cards are in a deck. But she did have a Ph.D. in psychology, a brilliant coach, and a burning desire to know whether lif…
Published on 1 month, 2 weeks ago
639. “This Country Kicks My Ass All the Time”
Episode 639
Cory Booker on the politics of fear, the politics of hope, and how to split the difference.
SOURCES:Cory Booker, senior United States Senator from New Jersey.
RESOURCES:"'When Are More Americans Goin…
Published on 1 month, 3 weeks ago
638. Are You Ready for the Elder Swell?
Episode 638
In the U.S., there will soon be more people over 65 than there are under 18 — and it’s not just lifespan that’s improving, it’s “healthspan” too. Unfortunately, the American approach to aging is stuc…
Published on 2 months ago
What Do Medieval Nuns and Bo Jackson Have in Common? (Update)
Episode 126
In this episode from 2013, we look at whether spite pays — and if it even exists.
SOURCES:Benedikt Herrmann, research officer at the European Commission.Steve Levitt, co-author of Freakonomics and ho…
Published on 2 months ago
637. What It’s Like to Be Middle-Aged (in the Middle Ages)
Episode 637
The simplicity of life back then is appealing today, as long as you don’t mind Church hegemony, the occasional plague, trial by gossip — and the lack of ibuprofen. (Part two of a three-part series, “…
Published on 2 months, 1 week ago
636. Why Aren’t We Having More Babies?
Episode 636
For decades, the great fear was overpopulation. Now it’s the opposite. How did this happen — and what’s being done about it? (Part one of a three-part series, “Cradle to Grave.”)
SOURCES:Matthias Doe…
Published on 2 months, 2 weeks ago
An Economics Lesson from a Talking Pencil (Update)
Episode 236
A famous essay argues that “not a single person on the face of this earth” knows how to make a pencil. How true is that? In this 2016 episode, we looked at what pencil-making can teach us about glob…
Published on 2 months, 2 weeks ago
635. Can a Museum Be the Conscience of a Nation?
Episode 635
Nicholas Cullinan, the new director of the British Museum, seems to think so. “I'm not afraid of the past,” he says — which means talking about looted objects, the basement storerooms, and the leakin…
Published on 2 months, 3 weeks ago
634. “Fault-Finder Is a Minimum-Wage Job”
Episode 634
Austan Goolsbee, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, is less reserved than the average banker. He explains why vibes are overrated, why the Fed’s independence is non-negotiable, and why…
Published on 2 months, 4 weeks ago
633. The Most Powerful People You’ve Never Heard Of
Episode 633
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. Javier Blas and Jack Farchy, the authors …
Published on 3 months ago