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What Can Whales Teach Us About Clean Energy, Workplace Harmony, and Living the Good Life? (Update)
Episode 551
In the final episode of our whale series, we learn about fecal plumes, shipping noise, and why Moby-Dick is still worth reading. (Part 3 of "Everythi…
6 months, 1 week ago
Why Do People Still Hunt Whales? (Update)
Episode 550
For years, whale oil was used as lighting fuel, industrial lubricant, and the main ingredient in (yum!) margarine. Whale meat was also on a few menus…
6 months, 2 weeks ago
The First Great American Industry (Update)
Episode 549
Whaling was, in the words of one scholar, “early capitalism unleashed on the high seas.” How did the U.S. come to dominate the whale market? Why did …
6 months, 3 weeks ago
Why Does Tipping Still Exist? (Update)
Episode 396
It’s a haphazard way of paying workers, and yet it keeps expanding. With federal tax policy shifting in a pro-tip direction, we revisit an episode fr…
7 months ago
643. Why Do Candles Still Exist?
Episode 643
They should have died out when the lightbulb was invented. Instead they’re a $10 billion industry. What does it mean that we still want tiny fires in…
7 months ago
642. How to Wage Peace, According to Tony Blinken
Episode 642
The former secretary of state isn’t a flamethrower, but he certainly has strong opinions. In this wide-ranging conversation with Stephen Dubner, he g…
7 months, 1 week ago
Why Does One Tiny State Set the Rules for Everyone? (Update)
Episode 539
Until recently, Delaware was almost universally agreed to be the best place for companies to incorporate. Now, with Elon Musk leading a corporate sta…
7 months, 1 week ago
641. What Does It Cost to Lead a Creative Life?
Episode 641
For years, the playwright David Adjmi was considered “polarizing and difficult.” But creating Stereophonic seems to have healed him. Stephen Dubner g…
7 months, 2 weeks ago
640. Why Governments Are Betting Big on Sports
Episode 640
The Gulf States and China are spending billions to build stadiums and buy up teams — but what are they really buying? And can an entrepreneur from Ci…
7 months, 3 weeks ago
How 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 brillia…
7 months, 3 weeks ago