People I (Mostly) Admire

Seth Berkley used to run the world's largest vaccine funding organization. He and Steve talk about the incredible value of vaccines, the economics of immunizing the developing world, and the current attacks on public health. SOURCES:Seth Berkley, epidemiologist at Brown University School of Public Health. RESOURCES:"Trump Administration Ends Program Critical to Search for an H.I.V. Vaccine," by Apoorva Mandavilli (New York Times, 2025).Fair Doses: An Insider's Story of the Pandemic and the Global Fight for Vaccine Equity, by Seth Berkley (2025)."How a partnership saved millions of children’s lives with vaccines," (Gates Foundation).Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. EXTRAS:"Sendhil Mullainathan Thinks Messing Around Is the Best Use of Your Time," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021)."Moncef Slaoui: 'It’s Unfortunate That It Takes a Crisis for This to Happen,'" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2020).

Stefanie Stantcheva’s approach seemed like career suicide. In fact, it won her the John Bates Clark Medal. She talks to fellow winner Steve Levitt about why she uses methods that most of the profession dismisses — and what she’s found that can’t be learned any other way. SOURCES:Stefanie Stantcheva, professor of political economy at Harvard University. RESOURCES:"Understanding Economic Behavior Using Open-ended Survey Data," by Ingar Haaland, Christopher Roth, Stefanie Stantcheva, and Johannes Wohlfart (Working Paper, 2025)."Fighting Climate Change: International Attitudes toward Climate Policies," by Antoine Dechezleprêtre, Adrien Fabre, Tobias Kruse, Bluebery Planterose, Ana Sanchez Chico, and Stefanie Stantcheva (American Economic Review, 2025)."Zero-Sum Thinking and the Roots of U.S. Political Divides," by Stefanie Stantcheva (NBER Working Paper, 2024)."Why Do We Dislike Inflation?," by Stefanie Stantcheva (NBER Working Paper, 2024)."How to Run Surveys: A Guide to Creating Your Own Identifying Variation and Revealing the Invisible," by Stefanie Stantcheva (Annual Review of Economics, 2022)."Eliciting People's First-Order Concerns: Text Analysis of Open-Ended Survey Questions," by Beatrice Ferrario and Stefanie Stantcheva (NBER Working Paper, 2022)."Understanding Tax Policy: How Do People Reason?," by Stefanie Stantcheva (The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2021)."Immigration and Redistribution," by Alberto Alesina, Armando Miano, and Stefanie Stantcheva (NBER Working Paper, 2018). EXTRAS:VerbAI by Generation Lab.

From recording some of the first rap hits to revitalizing Johnny Cash's career, the legendary producer has had an extraordinary creative life. In this episode he talks about his new book and his art-making process — and helps Steve get in touch with his own artistic side.  SOURCES:Rick Rubin, music producer and record executive. RESOURCES:The Creative Act: A Way of Being, by Rick Rubin (2023).“How Google’s AlphaGo Beat a Go World Champion,” by Christopher Moyer (The Atlantic, 2016).“DMC: The Real Story of Aerosmith + Run-D.M.C.’s ‘Walk This Way’,” by Loudwire (2016).“Hurt,” by Johnny Cash, music video (2003).“Walk This Way,” by Run-DMC, ft. Aerosmoth (1986).“It’s Yours,” by T La Rock (1984).“Walk This Way,” by Aerosmith (1975).The Way of Code. EXTRAS:“How To Be Creative,” series by Freakonomics Radio (2018).

More than two decades ago, Adam Riess’s Nobel Prize-winning work fundamentally changed our understanding of the universe. His new work is reshaping cosmology for a second time. RESOURCES:Adam Riess, astrophysicist at Johns Hopkins University. SOURCES:"The Nobel Prize Winner Who Thinks We Have the Universe All Wrong," by Ross Andersen (The Atlantic, 2025)."The answer to life, the universe and everything might be 73. Or 67," by Hannah Devlin (The Guardian, 2018)."Adam G. Riess Nobel Prize Lecture," (The Nobel Foundation, 2011)."Breakthroughs 1998," by Floyd Bloom (Science, 1998)."Observational Evidence from Supernovae for an Accelerating Universe and a Cosmological Constant," by Adam Riess, Alexei Filippenko, Peter Challis, Alejandro Clocchiatti, Alan Diercks, Peter Garnavich, Ron Gilliland, Craig Hogan, Saurabh Jha, Robert Kirshner, Bruno Leibundgut, Mark Phillips, David Reiss, Brian Schmidt, Robert Schommer, Chris Smith, Jason Spyromilio, Christopher Stubbs, Nicholas Suntzeff, and John Tonry (The Astronomical Journal, 1998)."1912: Henrietta Leavitt Discovers the Distance Key," (Carnegie Institution for Science).

Uri Simonsohn is a behavioral science professor who wants to improve standards in his field — so he’s made a sideline of investigating fraudulent academic research. He tells Steve Levitt, who's spent plenty of time rooting out cheaters in other fields, how he does it. SOURCES:Uri Simonsohn, professor of behavioral science at Esade Business School. RESOURCES:"Gino v. President and Fellows of Harvard College," (Court Listener, 2025)."Statement from Dan Ariely," (2024)."Data Falsificada (Part 4): 'Forgetting The Words,'" by Uri Simonsohn, Leif Nelson, and Joe Simmons (Data Colada, 2023)."They Studied Dishonesty. Was Their Work a Lie?" by Gideon Lewis-Kraus (The New Yorker, 2023)."Evidence of Fraud in an Influential Field Experiment About Dishonesty," by Uri Simonsohn, Leif Nelson, and Joe Simmons (Data Colada, 2023)."Signing at the beginning makes ethics salient anddecreases dishonest self-reports in comparison tosigning at the end," by Lisa Shu, Nina Mazar, Francesca Gino, Dan Ariely, and Max Bazerman (PNAS, 2021)."Power Posing: Reassessing The Evidence Behind The Most Popular TED Talk," by Uri Simonsohn and Joe Simmons (Data Colada, 2015)."Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are," by Amy Cuddy (TED, 2012)."Daily Horizons: Evidence of Narrow Bracketing in Judgment from 10 Years of MBA-Admission Interviews," by Uri Simohnson and Francesa Gino (Psychological Science, 2012)."Spurious? Name similarity effects (implicit egotism) in marriage, job, and moving decisions," by Uri Simohnson (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2011)."False-Positive Psychology: Undisclosed Flexibility in Data Collection and Analysis Allows Presenting Anything as Significant," by Joe Simmons, Leif Nelson, and Uri Simohnson (Psychological Science, 2011). EXTRAS:"Will We Solve the Climate Problem?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2025)."Why Is There So Much Fraud in Academia?" by Freakonomics Radio (2024)."When I'm Sixty Four," by The Beatles (1967).

Former U.S. Secretary of Education, 3x3 basketball champion, and leader of an anti-gun violence organization are all on Arne’s resume. He’s also Steve’s neighbor. The two talk about teachers caught cheating in Chicago public schools and Steve shares a story he’s never told Arne, about a defining moment in the educator’s life. SOURCES:Arne Duncan, the 9th U.S. Secretary of Education; founder of C.R.E.D.; former head of Chicago Public Schools; and former professional basketball player. RESOURCES:How Schools Work, by Arne Duncan (2018)."Benji," (ESPN's 30 for 30, 2012). EXTRAS:Chicago C.R.E.D.

Kate Marvel spends her days playing with climate models, which she says are “like a very expensive version of The Sims.” As a physicist she gets tired of being asked to weigh in on economics, geopolitics, and despair — but she still defends the right of scientists to have strong feelings about the planet. SOURCES:Kate Marvel, climate scientist and science writer. RESOURCES:Human Nature: Nine Ways to Feel About Our Changing Planet, by Kate Marvel (2025)."Are Americans Concerned About Global Warming?" (Gallup, 2024)."Can clouds buy us more time to solve climate change?" by Kate Marvel (TED, 2017).SuperFreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance, by Stephen Dubner and Steve Levitt (2011)."Global Warming’s Six Americas," (Yale Program on Climate Change Communication)."Fred Rogers: Look for the Helpers."

Twenty years ago, before the Freakonomics book tour, Bill McGowan taught Steve Levitt to speak in public. In his new book he tries to teach everyone else. SOURCES:Bill McGowan, founder and C.E.O. of Clarity Media Group. RESOURCES:Speak, Memorably: The Art of Captivating an Audience, by Bill McGowan (2025)."Sheryl Sandberg Gives UC Berkeley Commencement Keynote Speech," (UC Berkeley, 2016)."Our failing schools. Enough is enough!" by Geoffrey Canada (TED, 2013). EXTRAS:"The Power of a Bad Example – A Field Experiment In Household Garbage Disposal," by Robert Dur and Ben Vollaard (Tilburg Law and Economics Center, 2013)."Unit pricing of municipal solid waste and illegal dumping: an empirical analysis of Korean experience," by Geum-Soo Kim, Young-Jae Chang and David Kelleher (Environmental Economics and Policy Studies, 2008)."Garbage, Recycling, and Illicit Burning or Dumping," by Don Fullerton and Thomas Kinnaman (Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 2002).

Former professional poker player Annie Duke wrote a book about Steve’s favorite subject: quitting. They talk about why quitting is so hard, how to do it sooner, and why we feel shame when we do something that’s good for us. SOURCES:Annie Duke, author and former professional poker player. RESOURCES:Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away, by Annie Duke (2022)."Heads or Tails: The Impact of a Coin Toss on Major Life Decisions and Subsequent Happiness," by Steven Levitt (NBER Working Papers, 2016).Superforecasting: The Art and Science of Prediction, by Philip E. Tetlock and Dan Gardner (2015)."Knee-Deep in the Big Muddy: A Study of Escalating Commitment to a Chosen Course of Action," by Barry M. Staw (Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 1976).Alliance for Decision Education. EXTRAS:"How to Make Your Own Luck," by Freakonomics Radio (2020)."How Do You Know When It’s Time to Quit?" by No Stupid Questions (2020)."The Upside of Quitting," by Freakonomics Radio (2011).

Psychologist David Yeager thinks the conventional wisdom for how to motivate young people is all wrong. His model for helping kids cope with stress is required reading at Steve’s new high school. SOURCES:David Yeager, professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. RESOURCES:10 to 25: The Science of Motivating Young People: A Groundbreaking Approach to Leading the Next Generation―And Making Your Own Life Easier, by David Yeager (2024)."A synergistic mindsets intervention protects adolescents from stress," by David Yeager, Christopher Bryan, James Gross, Jared Murray, Danielle Krettek Cobb, Pedro Santos, Hannah Gravelding, Meghann Johnson, and Jeremy Jamieson (Nature, 2022)."Harnessing adolescent values to motivate healthier eating," by Christopher Bryan, David Yeager, Cintia Hinojosa, Aimee Chabot, Holly Bergen, Mari Kawamura, and Fred Steubing (Proceedings of the Natural Academy of Sciences, 2016)."Breaking the Cycle of Mistrust: Wise Interventions to Provide Critical Feedback Across the Racial Divide," by David Yeager, Julio Garcia, Patti Brzustoski, William Hessert, Valeria Purdie-Vaughns, Nancy Apfel, Allison Master, and Matthew Williams (Journal of Experimental Psychology, 2014)."The Influence of the National truth Campaign on Smoking Initiation," by Matthew Farrelly, James Nonnemaker, Kevin Davis, Altijani Hussin (American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2009)."Tobacco is Whacko Commercial," (2002)."Florida Tobacco Pilot Program: Thanking Customers," (2000)."Think, Don't Smoke PSA Commercial," (1999)."The Mentor’s Dilemma: Providing Critical Feedback Across the Racial Divide," by Geoffrey Cohen, Claude Steele, and Lee Ross (Personal and Social Psychology Bulletin, 1999). EXTRAS:"The Suit, Savile Row, and Smartly Dressed Men," by The Rest is History (2024).

She’s a botanist, a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, and the author of the bestselling Braiding Sweetgrass. In her new book she criticizes the market economy — but she and Steve find a surprising amount of common ground. SOURCES:Robin Wall Kimmerer, botanist and founder and director of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment. RESOURCES:The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World, by Robin Wall Kimmerer (2024).Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants, by Robin Wall Kimmerer (2015).Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses, by Robin Wall Kimmerer (2003)."The Deadweight Loss of Christmas," by Joel Waldfogel (The American Economic Review, 1993)."Reproductive Ecology of Tetraphis pellucida. I. Population Density and Reproductive Mode," by Robin Wall Kimmerer (The Bryologist, 1991). EXTRAS:"The Deadliest Disease in Human History," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2025)."How Smart Is a Forest?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023)."Jane Goodall Changed the Way We See Animals. She’s Not Done." by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022).

Palliative physician B.J. Miller asks: Is there a better way to think about dying? And can death be beautiful? SOURCES:B.J. Miller, palliative-care physician and President at Mettle Health. RESOURCES:A Beginner’s Guide to the End: Practical Advice for Living Life and Facing Death, by Shoshana Berger and B.J. Miller and (2019).“After A Freak Accident, A Doctor Finds Insight Into ‘Living Life And Facing Death,'” by Fresh Air (W.Y.P.R., 2019).“Dying In A Hospital Means More Procedures, Tests And Costs,” by Alison Kodjak (W.Y.P.R., 2016).“The Final Year: Visualizing End Of Life,” by Arcadia (2016).“What Really Matters at the End of Life,” by B.J. Miller (TED, 2015).“The Flexner Report ― 100 Years Later,” by Thomas P. Duffy (Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine, 2011).“My Near Death Panel Experience,” by Earl Blumenauer (The New York Times, 2009).The Center for Dying and Living. EXTRAS:“Max Tegmark on Why Superhuman Artificial Intelligence Won’t be Our Slave (Part 2),” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).“Max Tegmark on Why Treating Humanity Like a Child Will Save Us All,” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).“Amanda & Lily Levitt Share What It’s Like to be Steve’s Daughters,” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).“Edward Glaeser Explains Why Some Cities Thrive While Others Fade Away,” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).“Sendhil Mullainathan Explains How to Generate an Idea a Minute (Part 2),” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).“Sendhil Mullainathan Thinks Messing Around Is the Best Use of Your Time,” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).“How Does Facing Death Change Your Life?” by No Stupid Questions (2021).“How to Be Better at Death,” by Freakonomics Radio (2021).

Historian Tom Holland narrowly escaped a career writing vampire novels to become the co-host of the wildly popular podcast The Rest Is History. At Steve’s request, he compares President Trump and Julius Caesar and explains why the culture wars are arguments about Christian theology. SOURCES:Tom Holland, historian and host of The Rest is History. RESOURCES:Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World, by Tom Holland (2019).Rubicon, by Tom Holland (2005). EXTRAS:Unforgiving Places: The Unexpected Origins of American Gun Violence, by Jens Ludwig (2025)."A Solution to America’s Gun Problem," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2025)."Richard Dawkins on God, Genes, and Murderous Baby Cuckoos," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024).

John Green returns to the show to talk about tuberculosis — a disease that kills more than a million people a year. Steve has an idea for a new way to get treatment to those in need. SOURCES: John Green, best-selling author and YouTube creator. RESOURCES: Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection, by John Green (2025)."The Deadliest Infectious Disease Isn’t a Science Problem. It’s a Money Problem," by John Green (The Washington Post, 2024)."The Deadliest Infectious Disease of All Time," by John Green (Crash Course, 2024)."Barely Contained Rage: An Open Letter to Johnson & Johnson," by John Green (Vlogbrothers, 2023)."Designing Advance Market Commitments for New Vaccines," by Michael Kremer, Jonathan D. Levin, and Christopher M. Snyder (NBER, 2020)."Are CEOs Rewarded for Luck? The Ones Without Principals Are," by Marianne Bertrand and Sendhil Mullainathan (The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2001)."A Further Communication on a Remedy for Tuberculosis," by Robert Koch (The Indian Medical Gazette, 1891). EXTRAS: "His Brilliant Videos Get Millions of Views. Why Don’t They Make Money?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2025)."Sendhil Mullainathan Thinks Messing Around Is the Best Use of Your Time (Update)," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024)."John Green’s Reluctant Rocket Ship Ride (Update)" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024)."Rajiv Shah Never Wastes a Crisis," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024)."'There’s So Many Problems — Which Ones Can I Make a Difference On?'" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022).The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet, by John Green (2021).The Anthropocene Reviewed (podcast).Nerdfighteria.TBFighters.

Abraham Verghese is a physician and a best-selling author — in that order, he says. He explains the difference between curing and healing, and tells Steve why doctors should spend more time with patients and less with electronic health records. SOURCES:Abraham Verghese, professor of medicine at Stanford University and best-selling novelist. RESOURCES:The Covenant of Water, by Abraham Verghese (2023).“Abraham Verghese’s Sweeping New Fable of Family and Medicine,” by Andrew Solomon (The New York Times, 2023).“Watch Oprah’s Emotional Conversation with Abraham Verghese, Author of the 101st Oprah’s Book Club Pick” (Oprah Daily, 2023).“How Indian Teachers Have Shaped Ethiopia’s Education System,” by Mariam Jafri (The Quint, 2023).“How Tech Can Turn Doctors Into Clerical Workers,” by Abraham Verghese (The New York Times Magazine, 2018).Cutting for Stone, by Abraham Verghese (2009).“Culture Shock — Patient as Icon, Icon as Patient,” by Abraham Verghese (The New England Journal of Medicine, 2008).“The Cowpath to America,” by Abraham Verghese (The New Yorker, 1997).My Own Country: A Doctor’s Story, by Abraham Verghese (1994).“Urbs in Rure: Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection in Rural Tennessee,” by Abraham Verghese, Steven L. Berk, and Felix Sarubbi (The Journal of Infectious Diseases, 1989). EXTRAS:“Are You Suffering From Burnout?” by No Stupid Questions (2023).“Would You Rather See a Computer or a Doctor?” by Freakonomics, M.D. (2022).“How Do You Cure a Compassion Crisis?” by Freakonomics Radio (2020).The Citadel, by A. J. Cronin (1937).Uncle Tom’s Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe (1852).

Jens Ludwig has an idea for how to fix America’s gun violence problem — and it starts by rejecting conventional wisdom from both sides of the political aisle.  SOURCES:Jens Ludwig, professor of economics at the University of Chicago and director of the University of Chicago Crime Lab. RESOURCES:Unforgiving Places: The Unexpected Origins of American Gun Violence, by Jens Ludwig (2025)."Scope Challenges to Social Impact," by Monica Bhatt, Jonathan Guryan, Jens Ludwig, and Anuj Shah (National Bureau of Economic Research, 2021)."Citywide cluster randomized trial to restore blighted vacant land and its effects on violence, crime, and fear," by Charles Branas, Eugenia South, Michelle Kondo, Bernadette Hohl, Philippe Bourgois, Douglas Wiebe, and John MacDonald (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2018)."Thinking, Fast and Slow? Some Field Experiments to Reduce Crime and Dropout in Chicago," by Sara Heller, Anuj Shah, Jonathan Guryan, Jens Ludwig, Sendhil Mullainathan, and Harold Pollack (Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2016).Thinking, Fast and Slow, by Daniel Kahneman (2013)."Homicide and Suicide Rates Associated With Implementation of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act," by Jens Ludwig and Philip Cook (Journal of the American Medical Association, 2000).The Death and Life of Great American Cities, by Jane Jacobs (1992).The University of Chicago Crime Lab."Becoming a Man" (University of Chicago Crime Lab). EXTRAS:"Do the Police Have a Management Problem?" by Freakonomics Radio (2023)."From prison to Ph.D, this activist fights for peace in Chicago," by Kenya Downs (PBS News, 2016).

Ellen Wiebe is a physician who helps seriously ill patients end their lives in Canada, where assisted suicide is legal. Is death a human right? SOURCES: Ellen Wiebe, clinical professor of medicine at the University of British Columbia. RESOURCES: "The Last Decision by the World’s Leading Thinker on Decisions," by Jason Zweig (The Wall Street Journal, 2025)."Most Americans Favor Legal Euthanasia," by Rachael Yi (Gallup, 2024).Canadian Association of MAID Assessors and Providers."Medical Assistance in Dying: Overview," (Government of Canada). EXTRAS: "Can Robots Get a Grip?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2025)."Remembering Daniel Kahneman," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024)."Does Death Have to Be a Death Sentence?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).Thinking, Fast and Slow, by Daniel Kahneman (2011).

He has been a lawyer, an instructor at the F.B.I. Academy, the owner of a frozen-yogurt chain, and a winner of the TV show Survivor. Today, Kwon works at Google, but things haven’t always come easily for him. Steve Levitt talks to Kwon about his debilitating childhood anxieties, his compulsion to choose the hardest path in life, and how Kwon used game theory to stage a victory on Survivor. SOURCES:Yul Kwon, vice president of product management at Google. RESOURCES:Teacher Application for ASU Prep Tempe. EXTRAS:"Are Our Tools Becoming Part of Us?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024)."Yul Kwon: 'Hey, Do You Have Any Bright Ideas?' (Part 2)," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021)."Robert Axelrod on Why Being Nice, Forgiving, and Provokable are the Best Strategies for Life," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).

Ken Goldberg is at the forefront of robotics — which means he tries to teach machines to do things humans find trivial. SOURCES:Ken Goldberg, professor of industrial engineering and operations research at U.C. Berkeley. RESOURCES:"The Bitter Lesson," by Rich Sutton (UT Austin, 2019).R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots): A Fantastic Melodrama in Three Acts and an Epilogue, by Karel Capek (2019)."The Robot in the Cloud: A Conversation With Ken Goldberg," by Quentin Hardy (New York Times, 2014).Mind Children: The Future of Robot and Human Intelligence, by Hans Moravec (1990)."Stochastic Plans for Robotic Manipulation," by Ken Goldberg (Carnegie Mellon University, 1990)."The Two Cultures And The Scientific Revolution," by C. P. Snow (Cambridge University Press, 1959).Dex-NetAncient Wisdom for a Future Ecology: Trees, Time, and Technology.Ambi Robotics."The Telegarden." EXTRAS:"Feeling Sound and Hearing Color," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024)."Are Our Tools Becoming Part of Us?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024).“My God, This Is a Transformative Power,” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023)."Drawing from Life (and Death)" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023)."Aicha Evans Wants You to Take Your Eyes Off the Road," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).

Suzanne O'Sullivan is a neurologist who sees many patients with psychosomatic disorders. Their symptoms may be psychological in origin, but their pain is real and physical — and the way we practice medicine, she argues, is making those and other health problems worse. SOURCES:Suzanne O'Sullivan, neurologist and author of The Age of Diagnosis How Our Obsession with Medical Labels Is Making Us Sicker. RESOURCES:The Age of Diagnosis: How Our Obsession with Medical Labels Is Making Us Sicker, by Suzanne O'Sullivan (2025)."Associations of Depression, Anxiety, Worry, Perceived Stress, and Loneliness Prior to Infection With Risk of Post-COVID-19 Conditions," by Siwen Wang, Luwei Quan, Jorge Chavarro, Natalie Slopen, Laura Kubzansky, Karestan Koenen, Jae Hee Kang, Marc G. Weisskopf, Westyn Branch-Elliman, and Andrea Roberts (JAMA Psychiatry, 2022)."How beliefs about coronavirus disease (COVID) influence COVID-like symptoms? – A longitudinal study." by Liron Rozenkrantz, Tobias Kube, Michael H Bernstein, and John D.E. Gabrieli (Health Psychology, 2022)."Risk factors for worsening of somatic symptom burden in a prospective cohort during the COVID-19 pandemic," by Petra Engelmann, Bernd Löwe, Thomas Theo Brehm, Angelika Weigel, Felix Ullrich, Marylyn Addo, Julian Schulze Zur Wiesch, Ansgar Lohse, and Anne Toussaint (Frontier Psychology, 2022).The Sleeping Beauties: And Other Stories of Mystery Illness, by Suzanne O'Sullivan (2021).Brainstorm: Detective Stories from the World of Neurology, by Suzanne O'Sullivan (2018)."The Trauma of Facing Deportation," by Rachel Aviv (The New Yorker, 2017).It's All in Your Head: True Stories of Imaginary Illness, by Suzanne O'Sullivan (2015).The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma, by Bessel van der Kolk (2014)."Explaining the Rise in Youth Suicide," by David Cutler, Edward Glaeser,and Karen Norberg (National Bureau of Economic Research, 2001). EXTRAS:Counted Out, documentary (2024)."Bringing Data to Life," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023)."Adding Ten Healthy Years to Your Life," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023)."America’s Math Curriculum Doesn’t Add Up," by Freakonomics Radio (2019).Race to Nowhere, documentary (2010).Data Science for Everyone.

Reginald Dwayne Betts spent more than eight years in prison. Today he's a Yale Law graduate, a MacArthur Fellow, and a poet. His nonprofit works to build libraries in prisons so that more incarcerated people can find hope. SOURCES:Reginald Dwayne Betts, founder and director of Freedom Reads, award-winning poet, and lawyer. RESOURCES:Doggerel: Poems, by Reginald Dwayne Betts (2025).“The Poet Writing on Prison Underwear,” by Adam Iscoe (The New Yorker, 2023).The Voltage Effect, by John List (2022).“If We Truly Believe in Redemption and Second Chances, Parole Should Be Celebrated,” by Reginald Dwayne Betts (The Washington Post, 2021).Insurrections, by Rion Scott (2016).The Secret History of Wonder Woman, by Jill Lepore (2014).Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values, by Robert M. Pirsig (1974).The Black Poets, by Dudley Randall (1971).“For Freckle-Faced Gerald,” by Etheridge Knight (Poems from Prison, 1968).Felon: An America Washi Tale, by Reginald Dwayne Betts.Freedom Reads. EXTRAS:“Can a Moonshot Approach to Mental Health Work?” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023).“Can Data Keep People Out of Prison?” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023).“The Price of Doing Business with John List,” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022).“Why Do Most Ideas Fail to Scale?” by Freakonomics Radio (2022).

Chemist Jack Szostak wants to understand how the first life forms came into being on Earth. He and Steve discuss the danger of "mirror bacteria," the origin of biology in poisonous chemicals, and the possibility that life might exist on other planets too.  SOURCES:Jack Szostak, Nobel laureate and professor of chemistry at The University of Chicago. RESOURCES:Is Earth Exceptional?: The Quest for Cosmic Life, by Mario Livio and Jack Szostak (2024)"Q&A: How ‘Mirror Bacteria’ Could Take a Devastating Toll on Humanity," by Isabella Backman (Yale School of Medicine, 2024)."The virtual circular genome model for primordial RNA replication," by Jack Szostak, Lijun Zhou, and Dian Ding (RNA, 2021)."Protocells and RNA Self-Replication," by Gerald Joyce and Jack Szostak (Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology, 2018)."The Narrow Road to the Deep Past: In Search of the Chemistry of the Origin of Life," by Jack Szostak (Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2017)."Jack Szostak on 'Life in the Lab' (And Autocatalytic Sets)" by Suzan Mazur (Huffington Post, 2014)."Jack W. Szostak Interview" (The Nobel Prize, 2009)."The Miller-Urey Experiment" (National Center for Science Education)."From Old Vials, New Hints on Origin of Life," by Kenny Chang (New York Times, 2008). EXTRAS:What Is It Like to Be an Addict?: Understanding Substance Abuse, by Owen Flanagan (2025)"UPDATE: What It’s Like to Be Steve Levitt’s Daughters," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024)."We Can Play God Now," by Freakonomics Radio (2022).

Owen Flanagan's newest book details his 20-year dependence on alcohol and pills — and outlines his research on what addiction can tell us about the nature of consciousness. SOURCES:Owen Flanagan, philosopher, neurobiologist, and professor emeritus at Duke University. RESOURCES:What Is It Like to Be an Addict?: Understanding Substance Abuse, by Owen Flanagan (2025).Consciousness Reconsidered, by Owen Flanagan (1993).Against Happiness, by Owen Flanagan, Joseph E. LeDoux, Bobby Bingle, Daniel M. Haybron, Batja Mesquita, Michele Moody-Adams, Songyao Ren, Anna Sun, and Yolonda Y. Wilson. (2023).The Bodhisattva's Brain: Buddhism Naturalized, by Owen Flanagan (2013).The Really Hard Problem: Meaning in a Material World, by Owen Flanagan (2009).Big Book, by Alcoholics Anonymous."Impact of the DSM-IV to DSM-5 Changes on the National Survey on Drug Use and Health," by Cristie Glasheen, Kathryn Batts, Rhonda Karg, Jonaki Bose, Sarra Hedden, and Kathryn Piscopo (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2016). EXTRAS:"Professor Carl Hart Argues All Drugs Should Be Legal — Can He Convince Steve?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).Drug Use for Grown-Ups: Chasing Liberty in the Land of Fear, by Carl Hart (2021).

The primatologist discusses the thrill of observing chimpanzees in the wild, the value of challenging orthodoxy, and why dying is her next great adventure. SOURCES:Dr. Jane Goodall, GBE, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and U.N. Messenger of Peace. RESOURCES:The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times, by Jane Goodall, Douglas Abrams, and Gail Hudson (2021).Jane, by Brett Morgen (2017).“Remembering My Mentor: Robert Hinde,” by Jane Goodall (2017).The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness, by Sy Montgomery (2015).Dr. Spock On Parenting: Sensible, Reassuring Advice for Today’s Parent, by by Benjamin Spock, M.D. (2001).The Mentality of Apes, by Wolfgang Kohler (1976).“Miss Goodall and the Wild Chimpanzees,” (1965). EXTRAS:Roots and Shoots.Jane Goodall Hopecast.The Jane Goodall Institute.Grameen Foundation.“A Cross Between Sherlock Holmes and Indiana Jones,” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022).“‘No One Can Resist a Jolly, Happy Pig,'” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022).

Hank Green is an internet phenomenon and a master communicator, with a plan to reform higher education. He and Steve talk about the video blog that launched Hank’s career, the economics of the internet, and how a cancer diagnosis prompted him to become a stand-up comedian. SOURCES:Hank Green, founder of Complexly and science communicator RESOURCES:ComplexlyCrashCourse YouTube ChannelSciShow YouTube ChannelVlogbrothers YouTube ChannelThe Show with Ze FrankStudy Hall"An Absolutely Remarkable Thing," by Hank Green (2018)"A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor," by Hank Green (2020)"So, I've got cancer," by Vlogbrothers (2023)"My Cancer Press Tier List," by Vlogbrothers (2023)"Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted" by Suleika Jaouad (2021)"The Impact of Legalized Abortion on Crime," by John Donohue III and Steve Levitt (The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2001)"Hoodwinked?" by Stephen Dubner and Steve Levitt (New York Times, 2006)"An Ancient Roman Shipwreck May Explain the Universe," by SciShow (2024) EXTRAS:"John Green’s Reluctant Rocket Ship Ride," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022)"Suleika Jaouad’s Survival Mechanisms," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024)

Jonathan Levin is an academic economist who now runs one of the most influential universities in the world. He tells Steve how he saved Comcast a billion dollars, why he turned down Steve’s unusual pitch to come to the University of Chicago, and why being a nice guy makes him a better college president. SOURCE:Jonathan Levin, president of Stanford University.   RESOURCES:"Income Segregation and Intergenerational Mobility Across Colleges in the United States," by Raj Chetty, John N Friedman, Emmanuel Saez, Nicholas Turner, and Danny Yagan (The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2020)."Jonathan Levin: The Most Recent John Bates Clark Medal Winner," by Steve Levitt (Freakonomics Blog, 2011)."Winning Play in Spectrum Auctions," by Jeremy Bulow, Jonathan Levin, and Paul Milgrom (NBER Working Paper, 2009)."Information and Competition in U.S. Forest Service Timber Auctions," by Susan Athey and Jonathan Levin (Journal of Political Economy, 2001). EXTRAS:Vintage Pokémon card pack Instagram video, by Tyler Thrasher (2025)."Higher Education Is Broken. Can It Be Fixed?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023)."How Much Are the Right Friends Worth?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022).

Sarah Hart investigates the mathematical structures underlying musical compositions and literature. Using examples from Monteverdi to Lewis Carroll, Sarah explains to Steve how math affects how we hear music and understand stories.    SOURCE:Sarah Hart, professor emerita of mathematics at the University of London. RESOURCES:Once Upon a Prime: The Wondrous Connections Between Mathematics and Literature, by Sarah Hart (2023)."Ahab's Arithmetic: The Mathematics of Moby-Dick," by Sarah B. Hart (Journal of Humanistic Mathematics, 2021)."Online Lecture: The Mathematics of Musical Composition," by Sarah Hart (Gresham College, 2020).Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, film (2018).The Luminaries: A Novel, by Eleanor Catton (2013).Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure, edited by Rachel Fershleiser and Larry Smith (2008).Les Revenentes, by Georges Perec (1972).A Void, by Georges Perec (1969).Cent Mille Milliards de Poèmes, by Raymond Queneau (1961).Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There, by Lewis Carroll (1871).Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll (1865).OuLiPo. EXTRAS:"The Joy of Math With Sarah Hart," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023)."Mathematician Sarah Hart on Why Numbers are Music to Our Ears," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).

Sarah Stein Greenberg runs Stanford’s d.school, which teaches design as a mode of problem solving. She and Steve talk about what makes her field different from other academic disciplines, how to approach hard problems, and why brainstorms are so annoying. SOURCE:Sarah Stein Greenberg, executive director of the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford University. RESOURCES:Creative Acts for Curious People: How to Think, Create, and Lead in Unconventional Ways, by Sarah Stein Greenberg (2021).Noora Health.Civilla.Substantial.Rare.Sarah Stein Greenberg wildlife photography. EXTRAS:"Feeling Sound and Hearing Color," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024)."Why Are Boys and Men in Trouble?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024)."What’s Impacting American Workers?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024)."Richard Dawkins on God, Genes, and Murderous Baby Cuckoos," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024)."The World’s Most Controversial Ornithologist," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024)."How PETA Made Radical Ideas Mainstream," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024)."Pay Attention! (Your Body Will Thank You)," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024)."How to Have Great Conversations," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024)."Suleika Jaouad’s Survival Mechanisms," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024)."Daron Acemoglu on Economics, Politics, and Power," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024)."Nobel Laureate Claudia Goldin on 'Greedy Work' and the Wage Gap," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023)."A Rockstar Chemist and Her Cancer-Attacking 'Lawn Mower,'" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022)."Daniel Kahneman on Why Our Judgment is Flawed — and What to Do About It," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021)."Why Is Richard Thaler Such a ****ing Optimist?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).

In her book, Rumbles, medical historian Elsa Richardson explores the history of the human gut. She talks with Steve about dubious medical practices, gruesome tales of survival, and the things that medieval doctors may have gotten right. SOURCE:Elsa Richardson, medical historian at the University of Strathclyde. RESOURCES:Rumbles: A Curious History of the Gut: The Secret Story of the Body's Most Fascinating Organ, by Elsa Richardson (2024).Michael Levitt retirement speech (2024)."Was There Really a Hawthorne Effect at the Hawthorne Plant? An Analysis of the Original Illumination Experiments," by Steven D. Levitt and John A. List (NBER Working Paper, 2009)."Floating Stools — Flatus versus Fat," by Michael D. Levitt and William C. Duane (The New England Journal of Medicine, 1972)."Factors Influencing Pulmonary Methane Excretion in Man," by John H. Bond, Rolf R. Engel, and Michael D. Levitt (Journal of Experimental Medicine, 1971).The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals, by Charles Darwin (1872).The Levitt Lab Founding School Leader, job listing.The Levitt Lab, information page. EXTRAS:"An Update on the Khan World School," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023).“Is This the Future of High School?” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022).“Sal Khan: ‘If It Works for 15 Cousins, It Could Work for a Billion People,'” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021)."The Power of Poop," by Freakonomics Radio (2011).

How psychologist Dan Gilbert went from high school dropout to Harvard professor, found the secret of joy, and inspired Steve Levitt's divorce. SOURCE:Daniel Gilbert, professor of psychology at Harvard University. RESOURCES:"What the Data Says (and Doesn’t Say) About Crime in the United States," by John Gramlich (Pew Research Center, 2020).Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress, by Stephen Pinker (2018)."Mistakenly Seeking Solitude," by Nicholas Epley and Juliana Schroeder (Journal of Experimental Psychology, 2014)."Just Think: The Challenges of the Disengaged Mind," by Timothy D. Wilson, David A. Reinhard, Erin C. Westgate, Daniel T. Gilbert, Nicole Ellerbeck, Cheryl Hahn, Casey L. Brown, and Adi Shaked (Science, 2013)."The End of History Illusion," by Jordi Quoidbach, Daniel T. Gilbert, and Timothy D. Wilson (Science, 2013).Happy Money: The Science of Smarter Spending, by Elizabeth Dunn (2013)."If Money Doesn't Make You Happy Then You Probably Aren't Spending It Right," by Elizabeth W. Dunn, Daniel T. Gilbert, and Timothy D. Wilson (Journal of Consumer Psychology, 2011).This Emotional Life, by Daniel Gilbert (2010).Stumbling on Happiness, by Dan Gilbert (2006)."Affective Forecasting," by Timothy D. Wilson and Daniel T. Gilbert (Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 2003). EXTRAS:"Drawing from Life (and Death)," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023)."Who Gives the Worst Advice?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021)."Sendhil Mullainathan Thinks Messing Around Is the Best Use of Your Time," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021)."Am I Boring You?" by Freakonomics Radio (2015).

Moon Duchin is a math professor at Cornell University whose theoretical work has practical applications for voting and democracy. Why is striving for fair elections so difficult?  SOURCE:Moon Duchin, professor of mathematics at Cornell University. RESOURCES:"Gerrymandering: The Origin Story," by Neely Tucker (Timeless: Stories from the Library of Congress, 2024)."Redistricting for Proportionality," by Gabe Schoenbach and Moon Duchin (The Forum, 2023)."The Atlas Of Redistricting," by Aaron Bycoffe, Ella Koeze, David Wasserman, and Julia Wolfe (FiveThirtyEight, 2018)."In a Comically Drawn Pennsylvania District, the Voters Are Not Amused," by Trip Gabriel (The New York Times, 2018). EXTRAS:"Why Are Boys and Men in Trouble?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024)."Is This the Future of High School?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022).

The director of the Hayden Planetarium is one of the best science communicators of our time. He and Steve talk about his role in reclassifying Pluto, bad teachers, and why economics isn’t a science. SOURCE:Neil deGrasse Tyson, director of the Hayden Planetarium. RESOURCES:Starry Messenger: Cosmic Perspectives on Civilization, by Neil deGrasse Tyson (2022).“The Universe and Beyond, with Stephen Hawking,” by Neil deGrasse Tyson (StarTalk, 2018).The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America's Favorite Planet, by Neil deGrasse Tyson (2009)."Pluto's Not a Planet? Only in New York," by Kenneth Chang (The New York Times, 2001).The Sky Is Not the Limit: Adventures of an Urban Astrophysicist, by Neil deGrasse Tyson (2000).Merlin's Tour of the Universe, by Neil deGrasse Tyson (1989). EXTRAS:"Richard Dawkins on God, Genes, and Murderous Baby Cuckoos," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024).

He’s the chief creative officer of Pixar, and the Academy Award-winning director of Soul, Inside Out, Up, and Monsters, Inc. Pete Docter and Steve talk about Pixar’s scrappy beginnings, why wrong turns are essential, and the movie moment that changed Steve’s life. SOURCE:Pete Docter, chief creative officer of Pixar. RESOURCES:"‘Inside Out 2’ Becomes the Highest-Grossing Animated Film of All Time Globally," (The Walt Disney Company, 2024).Soul, film (2020).The Red Turtle, film (2016).Inside Out, film (2015).Up, film (2009).Monsters, Inc., film (2001).Toy Story, film (1995).Paper Moon, film (1973). EXTRA:"Walt Hickey Wants to Track Your Eyeballs," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024).

David Eagleman is a Stanford neuroscientist, C.E.O., television host, and founder of the Possibilianism movement. He and Steve talk about how wrists can substitute for ears, why we dream, and what Fisher-Price magnets have to do with neuroscience. SOURCE:David Eagleman, professor of cognitive neuroscience at Stanford University and C.E.O. of Neosensory. RESOURCES:Livewired: The Inside Story of the Ever-Changing Brain, by David Eagleman (2020)."Why Do We Dream? A New Theory on How It Protects Our Brains," by David Eagleman and Don Vaughn (TIME, 2020)."Prevalence of Learned Grapheme-Color Pairings in a Large Online Sample of Synesthetes," by Nathan Witthoft, Jonathan Winawer, and David Eagleman (PLoS One, 2015).Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives, by David Eagleman (2009).The vOICe app.Neosensory. EXTRAS:"What’s Impacting American Workers?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024)."This Is Your Brain on Podcasts," by Freakonomics Radio (2016).

Boys and men are trending downward in education, employment, and mental health. Richard Reeves, author of the book Of Boys and Men, has some solutions that don’t come at the expense of women and girls. Steve pushes him to go further. SOURCE:Richard Reeves, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, president of the American Institute for Boys and Men, and author. RESOURCES:Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do About It, by Richard Reeves (2022)."The Crisis of Men and Boys," by David Brooks (The New York Times, 2022).Dream Hoarders: How the American Upper Middle Class Is Leaving Everyone Else in the Dust, Why That Is a Problem, and What to Do About It, by Richard Reeves (2017)."An Empirical Analysis of the Gender Gap in Mathematics," by Roland Fryer and Steven Levitt (American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 2010).John Stuart Mill: Victorian Firebrand, by Richard Reeves (2007) EXTRA:"What Is the Future of College — and Does It Have Room for Men? (Update)," by Freakonomics Radio (2024).

Daron Acemoglu was just awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in economics. Earlier this year, he and Steve talked about his groundbreaking research on what makes countries succeed or fail. SOURCES:Daron Acemoglu, professor of economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. RESOURCES:The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2024.Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity, by Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson (2023)."Economists Pin More Blame on Tech for Rising Inequality," by Steve Lohr (The New York Times, 2022)."America’s Slow-Motion Wage Crisis: Four Decades of Slow and Unequal Growth," by John Schmitt, Elise Gould, and Josh Bivens (Economic Policy Institute, 2018)."A Machine That Made Stockings Helped Kick Off the Industrial Revolution," by Sarah Laskow (Atlas Obscura, 2017)."The Long-Term Jobs Killer Is Not China. It’s Automation," by Claire Cain Miller (The New York Times, 2016).Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty, by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson (2012)."The Colonial Origins of Comparative Development: An Empirical Investigation," by Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson, and James A. Robinson (American Economic Review, 2001)."Learning about Others' Actions and the Investment Accelerator," by Daron Acemoglu (The Economic Journal, 1993)."A Friedman Doctrine — The Social Responsibility of Business Is to Increase Its Profits," by Milton Friedman (The New York Times, 1970). EXTRAS:"What’s Impacting American Workers?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024)."'My God, This Is a Transformative Power,'" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023)."New Technologies Always Scare Us. Is A.I. Any Different?" by Freakonomics Radio (2023)."How to Prevent Another Great Depression," by Freakonomics Radio (2020)."Is Income Inequality Inevitable?" by Freakonomics Radio (2017).

David Autor took his first economics class at 29 years old. Now he’s one of the central academics studying the labor market. The M.I.T. economist and Steve dissect the impact of technology on labor, spar on A.I., and discuss why economists can sometimes be oblivious. SOURCES:David Autor, professor of economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. RESOURCES:"Does Automation Replace Experts or Augment Expertise? The Answer Is Yes," by David Autor (Joseph Schumpeter Lecture at the European Economic Association Annual Meeting, 2024).“Applying AI to Rebuild Middle Class Jobs,” by David Autor (NBER Working Paper, 2024).“New Frontiers: The Origins and Content of New Work, 1940–2018,” by David Autor, Caroline Chin, Anna Salomons, and Bryan Seegmiller (The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2024).“Bottlenecks: Sectoral Imbalances and the US Productivity Slowdown,” by Daron Acemoglu, David Autor, and Christina Patterson (NBER Macroeconomics Annual, 2024)."Good News: There’s a Labor Shortage," by David Autor (The New York Times, 2021)."David Autor, the Academic Voice of the American Worker," (The Economist, 2019).“Why Are There Still So Many Jobs? The History and Future of Workplace Automation,” by David Autor (The Journal of Economic Perspectives, 2015).“The Growth of Low-Skill Service Jobs and the Polarization of the US Labor Market,” by David Autor and David Dorn (The American Economic Review, 2013).“The China Syndrome: Local Labor Market Effects of Import Competition in the United States,” by David Autor, David Dorn, and Gordon H. Hanson (The American Economic Review, 2013). EXTRAS:"What Do People Do All Day?" by Freakonomics Radio (2024)."Daron Acemoglu on Economics, Politics, and Power," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024)."You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Experiment," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022)."In Search of the Real Adam Smith," series by Freakonomics Radio (2022)."Max Tegmark on Why Superhuman Artificial Intelligence Won’t be Our Slave," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021)."Automation," by Last Week Tonight With John Oliver (2019).

Kate Douglass is a world-class swimmer and data scientist who’s used mathematical modeling to help make her stroke more efficient. She and Steve talk about why the Olympics were underwhelming, how she won gold, and why she won’t be upset to say goodbye to the pool. SOURCE:Kate Douglass, Olympic swimmer and graduate student.RESOURCES:"Kate Douglass HOLDS OFF Tatjana Smith to win 200m breaststroke | Paris Olympics" (NBC Sports, 2024).“The Plane Partition Function Abides by Benford’s Law,” by Katherine Douglass and Ken Ono (UPB Scientific Bulletin, Series A, 2024).“Swimming in Data,” by Katherine Douglass, Augustus Lamb, Jerry Lu, Ken Ono, and William Tenpas (The Mathematical Intelligencer, 2024)."Why Some Olympic Swimmers Think About Math in the Pool," by Jenny Vrentas (The New York Times, 2024). EXTRAS:"The Language of the Universe," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024).

Ken Ono is a math prodigy whose skills have helped produce a Hollywood movie and made Olympic swimmers faster. The number theorist tells Steve why he sees mathematics as art — and about his unusual path to success, which came without a high school diploma. SOURCE:Ken Ono, professor of mathematics and STEM adviser to the provost at the University of Virginia. RESOURCES:"‘Digital Twins’ Give Olympic Swimmers a Boost," by Katherine Douglass, Augustus Lamb, Jerry Lu, Ken Ono, and William Tenpas (Scientific American, 2024)."Swimming in Data," by Katherine Douglass, Augustus Lamb, Jerry Lu, Ken Ono, and William Tenpas (The Mathematical Intelligencer, 2024)."Integer Partitions Detect the Primes," by William Craig, Jan-Willem van Ittersum, and Ken Ono (PNAS, 2024).The Man Who Knew Infinity, film by Matt Brown (2015)."Proof of the Umbral Moonshine Conjecture," by John F. R. Duncan, Michael J. Griffin, and Ken Ono (Research in the Mathematical Sciences, 2015)."Ramanujan's Ternary Quadratic Form," by Ken Ono and K. Soundararajan (Inventiones Mathematicae, 1997). EXTRA:"Richard Dawkins on God, Genes, and Murderous Baby Cuckoos," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024).

Artist Wendy MacNaughton knows the difficulty of sitting in silence and the power of having fun. She explains to Steve the lessons she’s gleaned from drawing hospice residents, working in Rwanda, and reporting from Guantanamo Bay. SOURCE:Wendy MacNaughton, artist and graphic journalist. RESOURCES:"What Happens if Two Complete Strangers Draw Each Other?" video by the National Gallery of Art (2024).How to Say Goodbye, by Wendy MacNaughton (2023)."How to Have Fun Again," by Wendy MacNaughton (The New York Times, 2022)."Inside America’s War Court: Clothing and Culture at Guantánamo Bay," by Carol Rosenberg and Wendy MacNaughton (The New York Times, 2019)."Drawing the Guantánamo Bay War Court," by Wendy MacNaughton (The New York Times, 2019).Think Like a Freak, by Steve Levitt and Stephen Dubner (2014).DrawTogether.The Grown-Ups Table.Zen Caregiving Project.DrawTogether Strangers. EXTRAS:"Rick Rubin on How to Make Something Great," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023)."Does Death Have to Be a Death Sentence?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022)."Sendhil Mullainathan Explains How to Generate an Idea a Minute (Part 2)," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021)."Sendhil Mullainathan Thinks Messing Around Is the Best Use of Your Time," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).

Bestselling author James Nestor believes that we can improve our lives by changing the way we breathe. He’s persuasive enough to get Steve taping his mouth shut at night. He explains how humans dive to depths of 300 feet without supplemental oxygen, and describes what it’s like to be accepted into a pod of whales. SOURCES:James Nestor, author and journalist. RESOURCES:Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art, by James Nestor (2020).Deep: Freediving, Renegade Science, and What the Ocean Tells Us about Ourselves, by James Nestor (2014)."Open Your Mouth and You’re Dead," by James Nestor (Outside Magazine, 2012)."The Brain on Sonar — How Blind People Find Their Way Around With Echoes," by Ed Yong (National Geographic, 2011)."How I Held My Breath for 17 Minutes," by David Blaine (TED Talk, 2009).Project CETI. EXTRA:Data Science for Everyone Survey.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals founder Ingrid Newkirk has been badgering meat-eaters, fur-wearers, and circus-goers for more than 40 years. For a woman who’s leaving her liver to the president of France in her will, she sounds quite sensible when she tells Steve what we can learn from animals, why she supports euthanasia, and who’ll get her other organs.  SOURCE:Ingrid Newkirk, founding president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. RESOURCES:"Paradoxical Gender Effects in Meat Consumption Across Cultures," by Christopher J. Hopwood, Jahn N. Zizer, Wiebke Bleidorn, et al. (Nature Scientific Reports, 2024)."PETA President Bequeaths Her Rump to a Reality Show," (PETA.org, 2023).Animalkind: Remarkable Discoveries about Animals and Revolutionary New Ways to Show Them Compassion, by Ingrid Newkirk (2020)."One Last U.S. Medical School Still Killed Animals to Teach Surgery. But No More," by Darryl Fears (The Washington Post, 2016)."The Naked and the Dead," by Katie Glass (The Times, 2013)."The Betrayal of 'No-Kill' Sheltering," by Ingrid Newkirk (PETA YouTube channel, 2013)."The Lab-Monkey Controversy That Launched the Animal-Rights Movement," by Caroline Fraser (The New Yorker, 1993). EXTRAS:"Suleika Jaouad’s Survival Mechanisms," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024)."Jane Goodall Changed the Way We See Animals. She’s Not Done," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022)."Peter Singer Isn’t a Saint, But He’s Better Than Steve Levitt," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022)."Bruce Friedrich Thinks There’s a Better Way to Eat Meat," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).Project Donor.

Revisiting Steve’s 2021 conversation with the economist and MacArthur “genius” about how to make memories stickier, why change is undervalued, and how to find something new to say on the subject of scarcity. SOURCE:Sendhil Mullainathan, university professor of computation and behavioral science at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. RESOURCES:"Fictional Money, Real Costs: Impacts of Financial Salience on Disadvantaged Students," by Claire Duquennois (American Economic Review, 2022)."Do Financial Concerns Make Workers Less Productive?" by Supreet Kaur, Sendhil Mullainathan, Suanna Oh, and Frank Schilbach (NBER Working Paper, 2022).Subtract: The Untapped Science of Less, by Leidy Klotz (2021)."Heads or Tails: The Impact of a Coin Toss on Major Life Decisions and Subsequent Happiness," by Steve Levitt (NBER Working Paper, 2016).Scarcity: Why Having Too Little Means So Much, by Sendhil Mullainathan and Eldar Shafir (2013)."The End of History Illusion," by Jordi Quoidbach, Daniel T. Gilbert, and Timothy D. Wilson (Science, 2013). EXTRAS:"Leidy Klotz on Why the Best Solutions Involve Less — Not More," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021)."Sendhil Mullainathan Explains How to Generate an Idea a Minute," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).

Under his helm, the TED Conference went from a small industry gathering to a global phenomenon. Chris and Steve talk about how to build lasting institutions, how to make generosity go viral, and what Chris has learned about public speaking. SOURCE:Chris Anderson, head of TED. RESOURCES:Infectious Generosity: The Ultimate Idea Worth Spreading, by Chris Anderson (2024).TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking, by Chris Anderson (2016)."The Best Stats You've Ever Seen," by Hans Rosling (TED, 2006)."Do Schools Kill Creativity?" by Sir Ken Robinson (TED, 2006)."Close-Up Card Magic With a Twist," by Lennart Green (TED, 2005)."The Freakonomics of Crack Dealing," by Steve Levitt (TED, 2004).ZoeCoral.com. EXTRAS:"Giving It Away," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022)."We Can Play God Now," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022)."Self-Help for Data Nerds," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022)."Steven Pinker: 'I Manage My Controversy Portfolio Carefully,'" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2020).

The former YouTube C.E.O. — and sixteenth Google employee — died on August 9, 2024. Steve talked with her in 2020 about her remarkable career, and how her background in economics shaped her work. SOURCES:Susan Wojcicki, former C.E.O. of YouTube. RESOURCES:"Susan Wojcicki, Former Chief of YouTube, Dies at 56," by John Yoon and Mike Isaac (The New York Times, 2024).

The author of the classic The Selfish Gene is still changing the way we think about evolution. SOURCE:Richard Dawkins, professor emeritus of the public understanding of science at Oxford University. RESOURCES:The Genetic Book of the Dead, by Richard Dawkins (2024).Flights of Fancy: Defying Gravity by Design and Evolution, by Richard Dawkins (2021)."About Three-in-Ten U.S. Adults Are Now Religiously Unaffiliated," by Gregory A. Smith (Pew Research Center, 2021).Cuckoo: Cheating by Nature, by Nick Davies (2015).The God Delusion, by Richard Dawkins (2006)."Why the Universe Seems So Strange," by Richard Dawkins (TED Global, 2005)."Surprising Stats About Child Carseats," by Steve Levitt (TED Global, 2005)."Genes and Memes," by John Maynard Smith (London Review of Books, 1982).The Extended Phenotype: The Long Reach of the Gene, by Richard Dawkins (1982).The Selfish Gene, by Richard Dawkins (1976)."Child Endowments and the Quantity and Quality of Children," by Gary Becker and Nigel Tomes (Journal of Political Economy, 1976)."Selective Pecking in the Domestic Chick," by Richard Dawkins (University of Oxford Ph.D. thesis, 1966). EXTRAS:"The World’s Most Controversial Ornithologist," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024)."Is Gynecology the Best Innovation Ever?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024).

Victoria Groce is the best trivia contestant on earth. The winner of the 2024 World Quizzing Championship explains the structure of a good question, why she knits during competitions, and how to memorize 160,000 flashcards. SOURCE:Victoria Groce, “The Queen” on the television game show The Chase. RESOURCES:The Chase, TV series (2013-2015, 2021-present).LearnedLeague.Anki. EXTRAS:"Ken Jennings on How a Midlife Crisis Led Him to Jeopardy! (Replay)," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021)."Mayim Bialik on the Surprising Risks of Academia and Stability of Show Biz (Replay)," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).

Richard Prum says there's a lot that traditional evolutionary biology can't explain. He thinks a neglected hypothesis from Charles Darwin — and insights from contemporary queer theory — hold the answer. Plus: You won't believe what female ducks use for contraception.SOURCE:Richard Prum, professor of ornithology, ecology and evolutionary biology at Yale University. RESOURCES:"Stop Your Populist Grandstanding Over Wendy’s ‘Surge Pricing’," by Catherine Rampell (The Washington Post, 2024)."Dynamic Pricing Tech May Brighten Retail Bottom Lines and Put Consumers in the Dark," by Kristin Schwab and Sofia Terenzio (Marketplace, 2024).Performance All the Way Down: Genes, Development, and Sexual Difference, by Richard Prum (2023).The Evolution of Beauty: How Darwin's Forgotten Theory of Mate Choice Shapes the Animal World — and Us, by Richard Prum (2017)."Duck Sex and the Patriarchy," by Richard Prum (The New Yorker, 2017)."Dinosaur Feathers Came before Birds and Flight," by Richard Prum and Alan Brush (Scientific American, 2014)."How Chickens Lost Their Penises (And Ducks Kept Theirs)," by Ed Yong (National Geographic, 2013)."Media Attacks Duck Genitalia Research," by Emma Goldberg (Yale Daily News, 2013)."Mate Choice and Sexual Selection: What Have We Learned Since Darwin?" by Adam G. Jones and Nicholas L. Ratterman (PNAS, 2009)."Development and Evolutionary Origin of Feathers," by Richard O. Prum (Journal of Experimental Zoology, 2002).The Blind Watchmaker: Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe without Design, by Richard Dawkins (1986)."Display Behavior, Foraging Ecology, and Systematics of the Golden-Winged Manakin (Masius chrysopterus)," by Richard Prum and Ann Johnson (The Wilson Bulletin, 1987).The Selfish Gene, by Richard Dawkins (1976).The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex, by Charles Darwin (1871). EXTRAS:"Is Gynecology the Best Innovation Ever?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024)."The Price of Doing Business with John List," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022).

Thomas Hildebrandt is trying to bring the northern white rhinoceros back from the brink of extinction. The wildlife veterinarian tells Steve about the far-out techniques he employs, why we might see woolly mammoths in the future, and why he was frustrated the day the Berlin Wall came down. SOURCES:Thomas Hildebrandt, head of the department of reproduction management at the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research and professor of wildlife reproduction medicine at the veterinary faculty of the Freie Universität Berlin. RESOURCES:"An Inside Look at the Embryo Transplant That May Help Save the Northern White Rhino," by Jeffrey Kluger (TIME, 2024)."Mud, Bugs, and Dung: How Rhinos Shape Their World," by Rinjan Shrestha (World Wildlife Fund, 2022)."The Last Two Northern White Rhinos On Earth," by Sam Anderson (The New York Times Magazine, 2021)."Embryos and Embryonic Stem Cells From the White Rhinoceros," by Thomas B. Hildebrandt, Robert Hermes, Cesare Galli, et al. (Nature Communications, 2018)."Loss of a Species – A Giant, Extinct," by Thomas Hildebrandt (TED, 2017).Colossal. EXTRAS:"Why Do We Still Teach People to Calculate?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024)."What’s Stopping Us From Curing Rare Diseases?" by Freakonomics, M.D. (2023)."We Can Play God Now," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022).

She is one of the best basketball players ever. She’s won multiple championships, including five Olympic gold medals and four W.N.B.A. titles. She also helped negotiate a landmark contract for the league’s players. Sue Bird tells Steve Levitt the untold truth about clutch players, her thoughts about the pay gap between male and female athletes, and what it means to be part of the first gay couple in ESPN The Magazine’s Body Issue.   SOURCE:Sue Bird, former professional basketball player. RESOURCES:"‘We’re Betting on Ourselves’: Why WNBA’s Landmark New Deal Is a Huge Win for Women’s Professional Sports," by Percy Allen (The Seattle Times, 2020)."Sue Bird & Megan Rapinoe," (ESPN The Magazine Body Issue, 2018)."Missed Shots at the Free-Throw Line: Analyzing the Determinants of Choking Under Pressure," by Mattie Toma (Journal of Sports Economics, 2015). EXTRAS:"Marc Davis Can’t Stop Watching Basketball — But He Doesn’t Care Who Wins," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021)."The Hidden Side of Sports," series by Freakonomics Radio (2018-19)."The True Story of the Gender Pay Gap," by Freakonomics Radio (2016).

Conrad Wolfram wants to transform the way we teach math — by taking advantage of computers. The creator of Computer-Based Maths convinced the Estonian government to give his radical curriculum a try — so why is the rest of the world so resistant?SOURCE:Conrad Wolfram, strategic director and European cofounder/C.E.O. of Wolfram Research, and founder of computerbasedmath.org.RESOURCES:"In California, a Math Problem: Does Data Science = Algebra II?" by Amy Harmon (The New York Times, 2023).The Math(s) Fix: An Education Blueprint for the AI Age, by Conrad Wolfram (2020)."The Movement to Modernize Math Class," by Yoree Koh (The Wall Street Journal, 2020)."Math Rebels Invade Estonia With Computerized Education," by Klint Finley (Wired, 2013)."Do Left-Handed People Really Die Young?" by Hannah Barnes (BBC News, 2013)."Teaching Kids Real Math With Computers," by Conrad Wolfram (TED Talk, 2010).EXTRAS:"Bringing Data to Life," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023)."Steven Strogatz Thinks You Don’t Know What Math Is," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023)."Mathematician Sarah Hart on Why Numbers are Music to Our Ears," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021)."America’s Math Curriculum Doesn’t Add Up," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).

Ellen Langer is a psychologist at Harvard who studies the mind-body connection. She’s published some of the most remarkable scientific findings Steve has ever encountered. Can we really improve our physical health by changing our mind? SOURCE:Ellen Langer, professor of psychology at Harvard University. RESOURCES:Brave New Words: How AI Will Revolutionize Education (and Why That's a Good Thing), by Sal Khan (2024)."F.D.A.’s Review of MDMA Cites Health Risks and Study Flaws," by Andrew Jacobs and Christina Jewett (The New York Times, 2024).The Mindful Body: Thinking Our Way to Chronic Health, by Ellen Langer (2023)."Physical Healing as a Function of Perceived Time," by Peter Aungle and Ellen Langer (Nature: Scientific Reports, 2023)."Aging as a Mindset: A Study Protocol to Rejuvenate Older Adults With a Counterclockwise Psychological Intervention," by Francesco Pagnini, Cesare Cavalera, Ellen Langer, et al. (BMJ Open, 2019).Counterclockwise: Mindful Health and the Power of Possibility, by Ellen Langer (2009)."Mind-Set Matters: Exercise and the Placebo Effect," by Alia Crum and Ellen Langer (2007)."The Effects of Choice and Enhanced Personal Responsibility for the Aged: A Field Experiment in an Institutional Setting," by Ellen Langer and Judith Rodin (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1976). EXTRAS:"The Future of Therapy Is Psychedelic," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023)."Extra: An Update on the Khan World School," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023)."Is This the Future of High School?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022)."What It Takes to Know Everything," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022)."Sal Khan: 'If It Works for 15 Cousins, It Could Work for a Billion People,'" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021)."Greg Norman & Mark Broadie: Why Golf Beats an Orgasm and Why Data Beats Everything," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021)."Caverly Morgan: 'I Am Not This Voice. I Am Not This Narrative,'" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2020)."Does 'As If' Thinking Really Work?" by No Stupid Questions (2020)."Havana Wild Weekend," S28.E7 of The Simpsons (2016). 

Author and YouTuber John Green thought his breakout bestseller wouldn’t be a commercial success, wrote 40,000 words for one sentence, and brought Steve to tears. SOURCE:John Green, best-selling author and YouTube creator. RESOURCES:"The Deadliest Infectious Disease Isn’t a Science Problem. It’s a Money Problem," by John Green (The Washington Post, 2024).“Tuition Inflation Isn’t as Bad as You Think,” by Felix Salmon (Axios, 2022).“Fast Facts: Expenditures,” by the National Center for Education Statistics (2022).“Trends in College Pricing and Student Aid 2021,” by the College Board (2021).“#37 John,” by Heavyweight (2021).The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet, by John Green (2021).“Scratch ‘n’ Sniff Stickers and the Indianapolis 500,” by The Anthropocene Reviewed Podcast (2019).“How Joan of Arc Conquered Mark Twain,” by Ted Gioia (America: The Jesuit Review, 2018).Turtles All the Way Down, by John Green (2017).The Fault in Our Stars, film (2014).The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green (2012).Looking for Alaska, by John Green (2005).All the King’s Men, by Robert Penn Warren and Noel Polk (1946).Harvey, film (1950).vlogbrothers, YouTube channel by John and Hank Green.Crash Course, YouTube channel by John and Hank Green. EXTRAS:“Peter Singer Isn’t a Saint, But He’s Better Than Steve Levitt,” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022).“Freakonomics Radio Goes Back To School,” series by Freakonomics Radio (2022).

Suleika Jaouad was diagnosed with cancer at 22. She made her illness the subject of a New York Times column and a memoir, Between Two Kingdoms. She and Steve talk about what it means to live with a potentially fatal illness, how to talk to people who've gone through a tragedy, and ways to encourage medical donations. SOURCE:Suleika Jaouad, author. RESOURCES:"The Art of Survival," by Jennifer Senior (The Atlantic, 2024).American Symphony, film by Matthew Heineman (2023).Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted, by Suleika Jaouad (2021)."Max Ritvo, Poet Who Chronicled His Cancer Fight, Dies at 25," by John Schwartz (The New York Times, 2016).“Life, Interrupted,” column by Suleika Jaouad (The New York Times, 2012-2015).The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green (2012).Bright-sided: How Positive Thinking Is Undermining America, by Barbara Ehrenreich (2009).The Isolation Journals, newsletter by Suleika Jaouad. EXTRAS:"John Green’s Reluctant Rocket Ship Ride," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022)."Does Death Have to Be a Death Sentence?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022).

Caroline Paul is a thrill-seeker and writer who is on a quest to encourage women to get outside and embrace adventure as they age. She and Steve talk about fighting fires, walking on airplane wings, and finding awe in birdwatching. SOURCE:Caroline Paul, author and former firefighter. RESOURCES:Tough Broad: From Boogie Boarding to Wing Walking ― How Outdoor Adventure Improves Our Lives as We Age, by Caroline Paul (2024)."FAA Halts Sequim Wing-Walking Flights, Revokes Owner’s Pilot License," by Dominic Gates (The Seattle Times, 2024)."How a Bit of Awe Can Improve Your Health," by Hope Reese (The New York Times, 2023).The Gutsy Girl: Escapades for Your Life of Epic Adventure, by Caroline Paul (2016)."Why Do We Teach Girls That It’s Cute to Be Scared?" by Caroline Paul (The New York Times, 2016)."What if Age Is Nothing but a Mind-Set?" by Bruce Grierson (The New York Times Magazine, 2014).Lost Cat: A True Story of Love, Desperation, and GPS Technology, by Caroline Paul (2013)."The Cognitive Benefits of Interacting With Nature," by Marc G. Berman, John Jonides, and Stephen Kaplan (Psychological Science, 2008)."Longevity Increased by Positive Self-Perceptions of Aging," by Becca R. Levy, Martin D. Slade, Suzanne R. Kunkel, and Stanislav V. Kasl (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2002).Fighting Fire, by Caroline Paul (1998). EXTRAS:"Is Fear Running Your Life?" by No Stupid Questions (2024)."Arnold Schwarzenegger Has Some Advice for You," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024)."Should You Spend More Time in Nature?" by No Stupid Questions (2023)."Steven Pinker: 'I Manage My Controversy Portfolio Carefully,'" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2020).

Steve shows a different side of himself in very personal interviews with his two oldest daughters. Amanda talks about growing up with social anxiety and her decision not to go to college, while Lily speaks candidly about her battle with anorexia and the conversation she had with Steve that led her to seek treatment.  SOURCES:Lily Levitt, daughter of Steve Levitt.Amanda Levitt, daughter of Steve Levitt. RESOURCES:Can I Ask You a Question? by Amanda Levitt (2020)."Does “Early Education” Come Way Too Late?" Freakonomics Radio (2018).  EXTRAS:NEDA Crisis Support.

The economist Joseph Stiglitz has devoted his life to exposing the limits of markets. He tells Steve about winning an argument with fellow Nobel laureate Milton Friedman, why small governments don’t lead to more freedom, and why he’s not afraid to be an advocate. SOURCE:Joseph Stiglitz, professor at Columbia University and chief economist at the Roosevelt Institute. RESOURCES:The Road to Freedom: Economics and the Good Society, by Joseph Stiglitz (2024)."Equilibrium in Competitive Insurance Markets: An Essay on the Economics of Imperfect Information," by Michael Rothschild and Joseph Stiglitz (The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2010)."Hirsh: The Missing Link on Obama's Economic Team," by Michael Hirsh (Newsweek, 2008).Globalization and Its Discontents, by Joseph Stiglitz (2002).Two Lucky People: Memoirs, by Milton Friedman and Rose Friedman (1998)."On Value Maximization and Alternative Objectives of the Firm," by Sanford Grossman and Joseph Stiglitz (The Journal of Finance, 1977). EXTRAS:"Remembering Daniel Kahneman," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024)."Ninety-Eight Years of Economic Wisdom," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023).

Monica Bertagnolli went from a childhood on a cattle ranch to a career as a surgeon to a top post in the Biden administration. As director of the National Institutes of Health, she’s working to improve the way we find new treatments — despite regulatory constraints and tight budgets. SOURCE:Monica Bertagnolli, director of the National Institutes of Health. RESOURCES:"Steven Levitt and John Donohue Defend a Finding Made Famous by 'Freakonomics'," by Steven Levitt and John Donohue (The Economist, 2024)."Why 'Freakonomics' Failed to Transform Economics," (The Economist, 2024)."Steven D. Levitt (Freakonomics Co-Author and U Chicago Econ Prof) on His Career and Decision to Retire From Academic Economics," by Jon Hartley (The Capitalism and Freedom in the Twenty-First Century Podcast, 2024)."Why Autoimmune Disease Is More Common in Women: X Chromosome Holds Clues," by Elie Dolgin (Nature, 2024)."Casgevy and Lyfgenia: Two Gene Therapies Approved for Sickle Cell Disease," by Carrie MacMillan (Yale Medicine News, 2023)."Fact Sheet: President Biden Reignites Cancer Moonshot to End Cancer as We Know It," (2022)."Mini-Antibodies Discovered in Sharks and Camels Could Lead to Drugs for Cancer and Other Diseases," by Mitch Leslie (Science, 2018). EXTRAS:"Who Pays for Multimillion-Dollar Miracle Cures?" by Freakonomics, M.D. (2023)."What’s Stopping Us From Curing Rare Diseases?" by Freakonomics, M.D. (2023)."Abortion and Crime, Revisited (Update)," by Freakonomics Radio (2022)."John Donohue: 'I’m Frequently Called a Treasonous Enemy of the Constitution,'" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).

Nobel laureate, bestselling author, and groundbreaking psychologist Daniel Kahneman died in March. In 2021 he talked with Steve Levitt — his friend and former business partner — about his book Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment (cowritten with Olivier Sibony and Cass Sunstein) and much more. SOURCES:Daniel Kahneman, professor emeritus of psychology and public affairs at Princeton University. RESOURCES:Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment, by Olivier Sibony, Daniel Kahneman, and Cass R. Sunstein (2021).Thinking, Fast and Slow, by Daniel Kahneman (2011). EXTRAS:"What’s the Secret to Making a Great Prediction?" by No Stupid Questions (2021)."The Men Who Started a Thinking Revolution," by Freakonomics Radio (2017)."How to Be Less Terrible at Predicting the Future," by Freakonomics Radio (2016).

Google researcher Blaise Agüera y Arcas spends his work days developing artificial intelligence models and his free time conducting surveys for fun. He tells Steve how he designed an algorithm for the U.S. Navy at 14, how he discovered the truth about printing-press pioneer Johannes Gutenberg, and when A.I. first blew his mind. SOURCE:Blaise Agüera y Arcas, fellow at Google Research. RESOURCES:Who Are We Now?, by Blaise Agüera y Arcas (2023)."Artificial General Intelligence Is Already Here," by Blaise Agüera y Arcas and Peter Norvig (Noema Magazine, 2023)."Transformer: A Novel Neural Network Architecture for Language Understanding," by Jakob Uszkoreit (Google Research Blog, 2017)."Communication-Efficient Learning of Deep Networks from Decentralized Data," by H. Brendan McMahan, Eider Moore, Daniel Ramage, Seth Hampson, and Blaise Agüera y Arcas (arXiv, 2016)."How PhotoSynth Can Connect the World's Images," by Blaise Agüera y Arcas (TED Talk, 2007)."Has History Been Too Generous to Gutenberg?" by Dinitia Smith (The New York Times, 2001). EXTRAS:"'My God, This Is a Transformative Power,'" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023)."How to Think About A.I.," series by Freakonomics Radio (2023)."Satya Nadella’s Intelligence Is Not Artificial," by Freakonomics Radio (2023)."Yul Kwon (Part 2): 'Hey, Do You Have Any Bright Ideas?'" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021)."Yul Kwon: 'Don’t Try to Change Yourself All at Once,'" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).

After Haiti’s devastating earthquake, Rajiv Shah headed the largest humanitarian effort in U.S. history. As chief economist of the Gates Foundation he tried to immunize almost a billion children. He tells Steve why it’s important to take big gambles, follow the data, and own up to your mistakes.SOURCE:Rajiv Shah, president of the Rockefeller Foundation. RESOURCES:Big Bets: How Large-Scale Change Really Happens, by Rajiv Shah (2023)."The Root of Haiti’s Misery: Reparations to Enslavers," by Catherine Porter, Constant Méheut, Matt Apuzzo, and Selam Gebrekidan (The New York Times, 2022)."Testing Is Our Way Out," by Paul Romer and Rajiv Shah (The Wall Street Journal, 2020)."How to Get Millions of People to Take Coronavirus Tests and Stay Home if They're Positive," by Steven Levitt, Paul Romer, and Jeff Severts (USA Today, 2020)."Haiti In Ruins: A Look Back At The 2010 Earthquake," by The Picture Show (2020)."Vaccine for a Global Childhood Illness Passes Last Big Hurdle," (The New York Times, 1997). EXTRAS:"Dambisa Moyo Says Foreign Aid Can’t Solve Problems, but Maybe Corporations Can," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021)."Moncef Slaoui: 'It’s Unfortunate That It Takes a Crisis for This to Happen,'" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2020).

The Power of Habit author Charles Duhigg wrote his new book in an attempt to learn how to communicate better. Steve shares how the book helped him understand his own conversational weaknesses. SOURCES:Charles Duhigg, journalist and author. RESOURCES:Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection, by Charles Duhigg (2024)."2023 Word of the Year Is 'Enshittification,'" by the American Dialect Association (2024)."When Someone You Love Is Upset, Ask This One Question," by Jancee Dunn (The New York Times, 2023).Smarter Faster Better: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business, by Charles Duhigg (2016)."The 36 Questions That Lead to Love," by Daniel Jones (The New York Times, 2015).The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business, by Charles Duhigg (2012)."The Experimental Generation of Interpersonal Closeness: A Procedure and Some Preliminary Findings," by Arthur Aron, Edward Melinat, Elaine N. Aron, Robert Darrin Vallone, and Renee J. Bator (Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 1997). EXTRAS:"How Can You Get Closer to the People You Care About?" by No Stupid Questions (2023)."How Do You Connect With Someone You Just Met?" by No Stupid Questions (2023)."Can I Ask You a Ridiculously Personal Question?" by Freakonomics Radio (2021)."Amanda & Lily Levitt Share What It’s Like to be Steve’s Daughters," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021)."Marina Nitze: 'If You Googled ‘Business Efficiency Consultant,’ I Was the Only Result,'" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021)."How to Be More Productive," by Freakonomics Radio (2016).Frozen, film (2013).

Cat Bohannon’s new book puts female anatomy at the center of human evolution. She tells Steve why it takes us so long to give birth, what breast milk is really for, and why the human reproductive system is a flaming pile of garbage. SOURCE:Cat Bohannon, researcher and author. RESOURCES:Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution, by Cat Bohannon (2023).“Genomic Inference of a Severe Human Bottleneck During the Early to Middle Pleistocene Transition,” by Wangjie Hu, Ziqian Hao, Pengyuan Du, Fabio Di Vincenzo, Giorgio Manzi, Jialong Cui, Yun-Xin Fu, Yi-Hsuan, and Haipeng Li (Science, 2023).“The Greatest Invention in the History of Humanity,” by Cat Bohannon (The Atlantic, 2023).“A Newborn Infant Chimpanzee Snatched and Cannibalized Immediately After Birth: Implications for ‘Maternity Leave’ in Wild Chimpanzee,” by Hitonaru Nishie and Michio Nakamura (American Journal of Biological Anthropology, 2018).“War in the Womb,” by Suzanne Sadedin (Aeon, 2014).“Timing of Childbirth Evolved to Match Women’s Energy Limits,” by Erin Wayman (Smithsonian Magazine, 2012).“Bonobo Sex and Society,” by Frans B. M. de Waal (Scientific American, 2006). EXTRAS:“Ninety-Eight Years of Economic Wisdom,” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023).“We Can Play God Now,” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022).“Yuval Noah Harari Thinks Life Is Meaningless and Amazing,” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022).“Jared Diamond on the Downfall of Civilizations — and His Optimism for Ours,” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).

Economist Daron Acemoglu likes to tackle big questions. He tells Steve how colonialism still affects us today, who benefits from new technology, and why democracy wasn’t always a sure thing. SOURCE:Daron Acemoglu, professor of economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. RESOURCES:Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity, by Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson (2023)."Economists Pin More Blame on Tech for Rising Inequality," by Steve Lohr (The New York Times, 2022)."America’s Slow-Motion Wage Crisis: Four Decades of Slow and Unequal Growth," by John Schmitt, Elise Gould, and Josh Bivens (Economic Policy Institute, 2018)."Why Mental Health Advocates Use the Words 'Died by Suicide,'" by Nicole Spector (NBC News, 2018)."A Machine That Made Stockings Helped Kick Off the Industrial Revolution," by Sarah Laskow (Atlas Obscura, 2017)."The Long-Term Jobs Killer Is Not China. It’s Automation," by Claire Cain Miller (The New York Times, 2016).Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty, by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson (2012)."The Colonial Origins of Comparative Development: An Empirical Investigation," by Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson, and James A. Robinson (American Economic Review, 2001)."Learning about Others' Actions and the Investment Accelerator," by Daron Acemoglu (The Economic Journal, 1993)."A Friedman Doctrine — The Social Responsibility of Business Is to Increase Its Profits," by Milton Friedman (The New York Times, 1970). EXTRAS:"'My God, This Is a Transformative Power,'" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023)."New Technologies Always Scare Us. Is A.I. Any Different?" by Freakonomics Radio (2023)."Max Tegmark on Why Superhuman Artificial Intelligence Won’t be Our Slave," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021)."How to Prevent Another Great Depression," by Freakonomics Radio (2020)."Is Income Inequality Inevitable?" by Freakonomics Radio (2017).

Journalist Walt Hickey uses data to understand how culture works. He and Steve talk about why China hasn’t produced any hit movies yet and how he got his own avatar in the Madden NFL video game.  SOURCE:Walter Hickey, author, journalist, and data expert. RESOURCES:You Are What You Watch: How Movies and TV Affect Everything, by Walter Hickey (2023)."France Gave Teenagers $350 for Culture. They’re Buying Comic Books," by Aurelien Breeden (The New York Times, 2021)."How I Escaped a Chinese Internment Camp," by Fahmida Azim, Anthony Del Col, and Josh Adams (Business Insider, 2021)."Why You Should Stop Binge-Watching," by Alan Jern (Psychology Today, 2021)."China Wants Soft Power. But Censorship Is Stifling Its Film Industry," by Eduardo Baptista (CNN, 2019)."The Economic Impact of On-Screen Tourism: The Case of The Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit," by ShiNa Li, Hengyun Li, Haiyan Song, Christine Lundberg, and Shujie Shen (Tourism Management, 2017)."A Lazy, Out-Of-Shape Amateur Won Two More Super Bowls Than Tony Romo," by Walter Hickey and Jody Avirgan (FiveThirtyEight, 2015)."How Madden Helped a Schlub Like Me Make It Into the NFL," by Walter Hickey (FiveThirtyEight, 2015)."'Kung Fu Panda' Prompts Soul-Searching in China," by Simon Rabinovitch (Reuters, 2008).Numlock News, by Walter Hickey. EXTRAS:"Nate Silver Says We’re Bad at Making Predictions," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023)."Adding Ten Healthy Years to Your Life," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023)."David Epstein Knows Something About Almost Everything," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021)."Professor Carl Hart Argues All Drugs Should Be Legal — Can He Convince Steve?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021)."Sendhil Mullainathan Thinks Messing Around Is the Best Use of Your Time," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021)."Sue Bird: 'You Have to Pay the Superstars,'" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).

Arnold Schwarzenegger has been a bodybuilder, an actor, a governor, and, now, an author. He tells Steve how he’s managed to succeed in so many fields — and what to do when people throw eggs at you. SOURCE:Arnold Schwarzenegger, professional bodybuilder, actor, and former governor of California. RESOURCES:Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life, by Arnold Schwarzenegger (2023)."Arnold Schwarzenegger: Environmentalists Are Behind the Times. And Need to Catch Up Fast," by Arnold Schwarzenegger (USA Today, 2023).Arnold, Netflix documentary (2023)."Gubernatorial Recall Election Debate," (C-SPAN, 2003)."Cinema: Best of '84: Cinema," (TIME, 1985). EXTRAS:"This Is Your Brain on Pollution (Update)," by Freakonomics Radio (2022).Twins, film by Ivan Reitman (1988).The Terminator, film by James Cameron (1984).

Physicist Helen Czerski loves to explain how the world works. She talks with Steve about studying bubbles, setting off explosives, and how ocean waves have changed the course of history. SOURCE:Helen Czerski, physicist and oceanographer at University College London. RESOURCES:The Blue Machine: How the Ocean Works, by Helen Czerski (2023)."Ocean Bubbles Under High Wind Conditions – Part 1: Bubble Distribution and Development," by Helen Czerski, Ian M. Brooks, Steve Gunn, Robin Pascal, Adrian Matei, and Byron Blomquist (Ocean Science, 2022)."When It Comes to Sucking Up Carbon Emissions, ‘The Ocean Has Been Forgiving.’ That Might Not Last," by Bella Isaacs-Thomas (PBS NewsHour, 2022)."Ocean's Hidden Heat Measured With Earthquake Sounds," by Paul Voosen (Science, 2020)."Why Is the Ocean so Important for Climate Change?" by Kathryn Tso (MIT Climate Portal, 2020)."Issues Brief: Ocean Deoxygenation," by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (2019)."Behold the Bubbly Ocean," by Helen Czerski (Physics World, 2017).Storm in a Teacup: The Physics of Everyday Life, by Helen Czerski (2016)."Research Highlight: Scripps and the Science Behind the D-Day Landings," by James Vazquez and Mario C. Aguilera (Scripps Institution of Oceanography, 2014)."A Mechanism Stimulating Sound Production From Air Bubbles Released From a Nozzle," by Grant B. Deane and Helen Czerski (Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 2008)."β-δ Phase Transition During Dropweight Impact on Cyclotetramethylene-Tetranitroamine," by Helen Czerski, M. W. Greenaway, William G. Proud, and John E. Field (Journal of Applied Physics, 2004).  EXTRAS:"Reading Dostoevsky Behind Bars," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023)."Can Data Keep People Out of Prison?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023)."Joshua Jay: 'Humans Are So, So Easy to Fool,'" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).

The filmmaker doesn’t want to be known only for his movies. He tells Steve why he considers himself a writer first, how it feels to be recognized for his role in The Mandalorian, and why he once worked as a rodeo clown. SOURCE:Werner Herzog, filmmaker, author, and actor. RESOURCES:Every Man for Himself and God Against All, by Werner Herzog (2023).The Mandalorian, TV show (2019-2023).The Twilight World, by Werner Herzog (2021).Family Romance, LLC, film by Werner Herzog (2019).Fitzcarraldo, film by Werner Herzog (1982).Of Walking in Ice, by Werner Herzog (1978).Aguirre, the Wrath of God, film by Werner Herzog (1972).Rogue Film School. EXTRAS:"David Simon Is On Strike. Here’s Why," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023)."Will A.I. Make Us Smarter?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023).Freakonomics: The Movie (2010).

Economist Michael D. Smith says universities are scrambling to protect a status quo that deserves to die. He tells Steve why the current system is unsustainable, and what’s at stake if nothing changes. RESOURCES:The Abundant University: Remaking Higher Education for a Digital World, by Michael D. Smith (2023)."Diversifying Society’s Leaders? The Determinants and Causal Effects of Admission to Highly Selective Private Colleges," by Raj Chetty, David J. Deming, and John N. Friedman (NBER Working Paper, 2023)."Are Universities Going the Way of CDs and Cable TV?" by Michael D. Smith (The Atlantic, 2020)."For Sale: SAT-Takers’ Names. Colleges Buy Student Data and Boost Exclusivity," by Douglas Belkin (The Wall Street Journal, 2019)."High School GPAs and ACT Scores as Predictors of College Completion: Examining Assumptions About Consistency Across High Schools," by Elaine M. Allensworth and Kallie Clark (Educational Researcher, 2020)."Mobility Report Cards: The Role of Colleges in Intergenerational Mobility," by Raj Chetty, John N. Friedman, Emmanuel Saez, Nicholas Turner, and Danny Yagan (NBER Working Paper, 2017)."How U.S. News College Rankings Promote Economic Inequality on Campus," by Benjamin Wermund (Politico, 2017).Streaming, Sharing, Stealing: Big Data and the Future of Entertainment, by Michael D. Smith (2016)."Higher Education's Work Preparation Paradox," by Brandon Busteed (Gallup, 2014)."Let’s Level the Playing Field for SAT Prep," by Sal Khan (Khan Academy, 2014)."Race, Poverty and SAT Scores: Modeling the Influences of Family Income on Black and White High School Students' SAT Performance," by Ezekiel J. Dixon-Roman, Howard Everson, and John J Mcardle (Teachers College Record, 2013).EXTRAS:"The Professor Who Said 'No' to Tenure," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022)."Freakonomics Radio Goes Back to School," series by Freakonomics Radio (2022)."Is This the Future of High School?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022)."America’s Math Curriculum Doesn’t Add Up," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).“Sal Khan: ‘If It Works for 15 Cousins, It Could Work for a Billion People.’” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).SOURCES:Michael D. Smith, professor of information technology and marketing at Carnegie Mellon University.

Computer scientist Fei-Fei Li had a wild idea: download one billion images from the internet and teach a computer to recognize them. She ended up advancing the state of artificial intelligence — and she hopes that will turn out to be a good thing for humanity.  RESOURCES:The Worlds I See: Curiosity, Exploration, and Discovery at the Dawn of A.I., by Fei-Fei Li (2023)."Fei-Fei Li's Quest to Make AI Better for Humanity," by Jessi Hempel (Wired, 2018)."ImageNet Large Scale Visual Recognition Challenge," by Olga Russakovsky, Li Fei-Fei, et al. (International Journal of Computer Vision, 2015).EXTRAS:“How to Think About A.I." series by Freakonomics Radio (2023).“Will A.I. Make Us Smarter?” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023).“Satya Nadella’s Intelligence Is Not Artificial,” by Freakonomics Radio (2023).“Max Tegmark on Why Superhuman Artificial Intelligence Won’t be Our Slave,” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).SOURCES:Fei-Fei Li, professor of computer science and co-director of the Human-Centered A.I. Institute at Stanford University.

Data scientist Nate Silver gained attention for his election predictions. But even the best prognosticators get it wrong sometimes. He talks to Steve about making good decisions with data, why he’d rather write a newsletter than an academic paper, and how online poker led him to the world of politics.  RESOURCES"Not Everyone Who Disagrees With You Is a Closet Right-Winger," by Nate Silver (Silver Bulletin, 2023)."The 2 Key Facts About U.S. Covid Policy That Everyone Should Know," by Nate Silver (Silver Bulletin, 2023)."Excess Death Rates for Republican and Democratic Registered Voters in Florida and Ohio During the Covid-19 Pandemic," by Jacob Wallace, Paul Goldsmith-Pinkham, Jason L. Schwartz (JAMA Internal Medicine, 2023)."Why Weather Forecasting Keeps Getting Better," by Hannah Fry (The New Yorker, 2019)."Why FiveThirtyEight Gave Trump A Better Chance Than Almost Anyone Else," by Nate Silver (FiveThirtyEight, 2016).The Signal and the Noise: Why So Many Predictions Fail — but Some Don't, by Nate Silver (2012).EXTRAS"Steven Strogatz Thinks You Don’t Know What Math Is," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023)."A Rockstar Chemist and Her Cancer-Attacking 'Lawn Mower,'" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022)."What’s the Secret to Making a Great Prediction?" by No Stupid Questions (2021)."How to Be Less Terrible at Predicting the Future," by Freakonomics Radio (2016)."Nate Silver Says: 'Everyone Is Kind of Weird,'" by Freakonomics Radio (2015)."The Folly of Prediction," by Freakonomics Radio (2011).SOURCES:Nate Silver, founder of FiveThirtyEight and author of the Silver Bulletin.

Abraham Verghese is a physician and a best-selling author — in that order, he says. He explains the difference between curing and healing, and tells Steve why doctors should spend more time with patients and less with electronic health records. RESOURCES:The Covenant of Water, by Abraham Verghese (2023)."Abraham Verghese’s Sweeping New Fable of Family and Medicine,” by Andrew Solomon (The New York Times, 2023).“Watch Oprah’s Emotional Conversation with Abraham Verghese, Author of the 101st Oprah’s Book Club Pick” (Oprah Daily, 2023)."How Indian Teachers Have Shaped Ethiopia's Education System," by Mariam Jafri (The Quint, 2023).“How Tech Can Turn Doctors Into Clerical Workers,” by Abraham Verghese (The New York Times Magazine, 2018).Cutting for Stone, by Abraham Verghese (2009)."Culture Shock — Patient as Icon, Icon as Patient," by Abraham Verghese (The New England Journal of Medicine, 2008).“The Cowpath to America,” by Abraham Verghese (The New Yorker, 1997).My Own Country: A Doctor's Story, by Abraham Verghese (1994)."Urbs in Rure: Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection in Rural Tennessee," by Abraham Verghese, Steven L. Berk, and Felix Sarubbi (The Journal of Infectious Diseases, 1989).EXTRAS:"Are You Suffering From Burnout?" by No Stupid Questions (2023)."Would You Rather See a Computer or a Doctor?" by Freakonomics, M.D. (2022).“How Do You Cure a Compassion Crisis?” by Freakonomics Radio (2020).The Citadel, by A. J. Cronin (1937).Uncle Tom's Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe (1852).SOURCES:Abraham Verghese, professor of medicine at Stanford University and best-selling novelist.

Claudia Goldin is the newest winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics. Steve spoke to her in 2021 about how inflexible jobs and family responsibilities make it harder for women to earn wages equal to their male counterparts.  SOURCES:Claudia Goldin, professor of economics at Harvard University.

For 37 years, Rick Doblin has been pushing the F.D.A. to approve treating post-traumatic stress disorder with MDMA, better known as Ecstasy. He tells Steve why he persisted for so long, why he doesn’t like calling drug use “recreational,” and what he learned from his pet wolf.  RESOURCES:"MDMA-Assisted Therapy for Moderate to Severe PTSD: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Phase 3 Trial," by Jennifer M. Mitchell, Marcela Ot’alora G., Bessel van der Kolk, Scott Shannon, Michael Bogenschutz, Rick Doblin, et al. (Nature Medicine, 2023)."MDMA Therapy Inches Closer to Approval," by Rachel Nuwer (The New York Times, 2023)."Psychedelics Reopen the Social Reward Learning Critical Period," by Romain Nardou, Edward Sawyer, Young Jun Song, Gül Dölen, et al. (Nature, 2023)."The Social Costs of Keystone Species Collapse: Evidence from the Decline of Vultures in India," by Eyal Frank and Anant Sudarshan (SSRN, 2023)."Global Health, Climate Change and Migration: The Need for Recognition of 'Climate Refugees,'" by Saverio Bellizzi, Christian Popescu, Catello M. Panu Napodano, Maura Fiamma, and Luca Cegolon (Journal of Global Health, 2023)."Comparison of Prolonged Exposure vs Cognitive Processing Therapy for Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among U.S. Veterans," by Paula P. Schnurr, Kathleen M. Chard, Josef I. Ruzek, et al. (JAMA Network Open, 2022)."MDMA-Assisted Therapy for Severe PTSD: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Phase 3 Study," Jennifer M. Mitchell, Michael Bogenschutz, Alia Lilienstein, Charlotte Harrison, Rick Doblin, et al. (Nature Medicine, 2021)."Inner City Blues: Children Raised in Inner-Cities Face Comparable PTSD Causing Conditions and Consequences as Military Veterans and Deserve Our Attention," by Eric Citizen (SSRN, 2019)."Intergenerational Transmission of Trauma Effects: Putative Role of Epigenetic Mechanisms," by Rachel Yehuda and Amy Lehrner (World Psychiatry, 2018)."Durability of Improvement in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms and Absence of Harmful Effects or Drug Dependency After 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine-Assisted Psychotherapy: A Prospective Long-Term Follow-Up Study," by Michael C. Mithoefer, Mark T. Wagner, Rick Doblin, et al. (Journal of Psychopharmacology, 2013)."RETRACTED: Severe Dopaminergic Neurotoxicity in Primates After a Common Recreational Dose Regimen of MDMA ('Ecstasy')," by George A. Ricaurte, Jie Yuan, George Hatzidimitriou, Branden J. Cord, and Una D. McCann (Science, 2002).EXTRAS:"Why Aren’t All Drugs Legal? (Replay)," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022)."Can the Big Bad Wolf Save Your Life?" by Freakonomics Radio (2022)."How Are Psychedelics and Other Party Drugs Changing Psychiatry?" by Freakonomics Radio (2020).SOURCES:Rick Doblin, founder and president of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS).

Psychologist Thomas Curran argues that perfectionism isn’t about high standards — it’s about never being enough. He explains how the drive to be perfect is harming education, the economy, and our mental health.

Avi Loeb is a Harvard astronomer who argues that we’ve already encountered extraterrestrial technology. His approach to the search for interstellar objects is scientific, but how plausible is his argument?

Reginald Dwayne Betts spent more than eight years in prison. Today he's a Yale Law graduate, a MacArthur Fellow, and a poet. His nonprofit works to build libraries in prisons so that more incarcerated people can find hope.

Obi Felten used to launch projects for X, Google’s innovation lab, but she’s now tackling mental health. She explains why Steve’s dream job was soul-destroying for her, and how peer support could transform the therapeutic industry.

Artist Wendy MacNaughton knows the difficulty of sitting in silence and the power of having fun. She explains to Steve the lessons she’s gleaned from drawing hospice residents, working in Rwanda, and reporting from Guantanamo Bay.

Sal Khan returns to discuss his innovative online high school’s first year — and Steve grills a member of the school’s class of 2026 about what it’s really like.

The creator of "The Wire", "The Deuce", and other shows is leading the Writers Guild on the picket lines. He and Steve break down the economics of TV writing, how A.I. could change television, and why he’s taking a stand even though he’s at the top of the game.

In the newest show from the Freakonomics Radio Network, host Zachary Crockett explores the hidden side of the things around us. This week: How do dinosaur bones emerge from the Upper Cretaceous period to end up in natural-history museums and private collections? 

Robert Solow is 98 years old and a giant among economists. He tells Steve about cracking German codes in World War II, why it’s so hard to reduce inequality, and how his field lost its way. 

Talithia Williams thinks you should rigorously track your body's data. She and Steve Levitt trade birth stories and bemoan the state of STEM education.

Kevin Kelly believes A.I. will create more problems for humanity — and help us solve them. He talks to Steve about embracing complexity, staying enthusiastic, and taking the 10,000-year view. 

Clementine Jacoby went from performing in a circus to founding a nonprofit that works to shrink the prison population. 

Steve is on a mission to reform math education, and Sarah Hart is ready to join the cause. In her return visit to the show, Sarah explains how patterns are everywhere, constraints make us more creative, and literature is surprisingly mathematical.

From recording some of the first rap hits to revitalizing Johnny Cash's career, the legendary producer has had an extraordinary creative life. In this episode he talks about his new book and his art-making process — and helps Steve get in touch with his own artistic side. 

Physician Peter Attia returns to the show to talk about the science of longevity — which focuses not only on extending life but on maintaining good health into old age. He explains the possibilities and limits of current medicine and gives Steve his best advice on how to defeat the aging process.

Steve and producer Morgan Levey look back at the first 100 episodes of the podcast, including surprising answers, spectacular explanations, and listeners who heard the show and changed their lives.

Tom Dart is transforming Cook County’s jail, reforming evictions, and, with Steve Levitt, trying a new approach to electronic monitoring.

Since his last visit to People I (Mostly) Admire, the formerly top-ranked golfer has become the sport's most controversial figure. Why has he partnered with the Saudi government — and can his new golf league unseat a monopoly? 

Neil Shubin hunts for fossils in the Arctic and experiments with D.N.A. in the lab, hoping to find out how fish evolved to walk on land. He explains why unlocking these answers could help humans today.   

Ecologist Suzanne Simard studies the relationships between trees in a forest: they talk to each other, punish each other, and depend on each other. What can we learn from them?

The mathematician and author sees mathematical patterns everywhere — from DNA to fireflies to social connections.

When Freakonomics co-authors Steve Levitt and Stephen Dubner first met, one of them hated the other. Two decades later, Levitt grills Dubner about asking questions, growing the pie, and what he learned from Bruce Springsteen. 

From baseball card conventions to Walmart, John List has always used field experiments to say revolutionary things about economics. He explains the value of an apology, why scaling shouldn’t be an afterthought, and why he moved to the private sector to stay at the forefront of science. 

Former professional poker player Annie Duke has a new book on Steve’s favorite subject: quitting. They talk about why quitting is so hard, how to do it sooner, and why we feel shame when we do something that’s good for us. 

Author and YouTuber John Green thought his breakout bestseller wouldn’t be a commercial success, wrote 40,000 words for one sentence, and brought Steve to tears.

The ethologist and conservationist discusses the thrill of observing chimpanzees in the wild, the value of challenging orthodoxy, and why dying is her next great adventure.

The philosopher known for his rigorous ethics explains why Steve is leading a morally inconsistent life. 

Stanford professor Carolyn Bertozzi’s imaginative ideas for treating disease have led to ten start-ups. She talks with Steve about the next generation of immune therapy she’s created, and why she might rather be a musician.

Heeding the warnings of public health officer Charity Dean about Covid-19 could have saved lives. Charity explains why she loves infectious diseases and why she moved to the private sector. 

The documentary filmmaker, known for The Civil War, Jazz, and Baseball, turns his attention to the Holocaust, and asks what we can learn from the evils of the past.

Harvard economist Raj Chetty uses tax data to study inequality, kid success, and social mobility. He explains why you should be careful when choosing your grade school teachers — and your friends. 

Philosopher Will MacAskill thinks about how to do as much good as possible. But that's really hard, especially when you're worried about humans who won't be born for many generations.

Victoria Groce is one of the best trivia contestants on earth. She explains the structure of a good question, why she knits during competitions, and how to memorize 160,000 flashcards. 

The author of Sapiens has a knack for finding the profound in the obvious. He tells Steve why money is fiction, traffic can be mind-blowing, and politicians have a right to say stupid things in private.  

When she's not rescuing chickens from coyotes, Susan Athey uses economics to address real-world challenges — from online ad auctions to carbon capture technology.

Khan Academy founder Sal Khan returns to share his vision for a new way to learn — and the conversation inspires Steve to make a big announcement.

Astronomer Jill Tarter spent her career searching for extraterrestrial intelligence. She explains what civilizations from other planets could teach us about our own future.

Game theorist Barry Nalebuff explains how he used basic economics to build Honest Tea into a multimillion-dollar business, and shares his innovative approach to negotiation. 

David Keith has spent his career studying ways to reflect sunlight away from the earth. It could reduce the risks of climate change — but it won’t save us.  

Billionaire John Arnold is figuring out how to do as much good as he can with his wealth. It takes hard work, risk tolerance, and a lot of spending.

Many of us hate to think about future crises. Game designer Jane McGonigal wants to make it fun. 

Jane McGonigal designed a game to help herself recover from a traumatic brain injury — and she thinks playing games can help us all lead our best lives.

Seth Stephens-Davidowitz combs through mountains of information to find advice for everyday life. 

Soil scientist Asmeret Asefaw Berhe could soon hold one of the most important jobs in science. She explains why the ground beneath our feet is one of our greatest resources — and, possibly, one of our deadliest threats.

How psychologist Dan Gilbert went from high school dropout to Harvard professor, found the secret of joy, and inspired Steve Levitt's divorce.

Linguist and social commentator John McWhorter explains how good intentions may be hurting Black America — and where the word “motherf*cker” comes from.

Beatrice Fihn wants to rid the world of nuclear weapons. As Russian aggression raises the prospect of global conflict, can she put disarmament on the world's agenda?

Nobel Prize winner Joshua Angrist explains how the draft lottery, the Talmud, and West Point let economists ask — and answer — tough questions.

Palliative physician B.J. Miller asks: Is there a better way to think about dying? And can death be beautiful? 

Naturalist Sy Montgomery explains how she learned to be social from a pig, discovered octopuses have souls, and came to love a killer that will never love her back. 

Gene-editing pioneer Jennifer Doudna worries that humanity might not be ready for the technology she helped develop. 

Columbia astrophysicist David Helfand is an academic who does things his own way — from turning down job security to helping found a radically unconventional university. 

Stanford professor Carolyn Bertozzi’s imaginative ideas for treating disease have led to ten start-ups. She talks with Steve about the next generation of immune therapy she’s created, and why she might rather be a musician.

Climbing the corporate ladder to become head of Nike’s Jordan brand, he kept his teenage murder conviction a secret from employers. Larry talks about living in fear, accepting forgiveness, and why it was easier to be bookish behind bars.

Steve loved Michael Lewis’s latest, The Premonition, but has one critique: Why aren’t there even more villains? Also, why the author of best-sellers Moneyball and The Big Short can barely read a page of his first book without cringing.

A leading expert on the Reformation era, Brad, a University of Notre Dame professor, tells Steve about how the “blood gets sucked out of history,” and why historians and economists don’t quite see eye to eye.

The former chairman of the Obama administration’s Council of Economic Advisors tells Steve how improv comedy was a better training ground for teaching than a Ph.D. from M.I.T., and why he’s glad he was wrong about the automotive-industry bailout.

By mid-century, 10 million people a year are projected to die from untreatable infections. Can Cassandra, an ethnobotanist at Emory University convince Steve that herbs and ancient healing are key to our medical future? 

The Columbia neuroscientist and psychology professor Carl Hart believes that recreational drug use, even heroin, methamphetamines, and cocaine, is an inalienable right. Can he convince Steve?

Amaryllis Fox is a former C.I.A. operative and host of the Netflix show The Business of Drugs. She explains why intelligence work requires empathy, and she soothes Steve’s fears about weapons of mass destruction.

Steve usually asks his guests for advice, whether they’re magicians or Nobel laureates. After nearly 60 episodes, is any of it worth following — or should we just ask listeners instead?

The Nobel laureate and pioneering behavioral economist spars with Steve over what makes a nudge a nudge, and admits that even economists have plenty of blind spots.

The legendary venture capitalist believes the same intuition that led him to bet early on Google can help us reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. But Steve wonders why his plan doesn’t include a carbon tax. 

Harvard economist Claudia Goldin and Steve talk about how inflexible jobs and family responsibilities make it harder for women to earn wages equal to their male counterparts. But could Covid actually level the playing field?

He’s the award-winning author of hugely popular books like Guns, Germs, and Steel; Collapse; and Upheaval. But Jared actually started his varied career as an expert on gallbladders and birds. The physiologist turned geographer talks with Steve about his brushes with death, why the Norse Greenlanders wouldn’t eat fish, and why he has never been invited to a cannibal ceremony.

He’s tried to shake up the status quo — as a Democratic presidential candidate, a New York City mayoral candidate, and now the founder of the Forward party. Will his third try be the charm? Andrew talks with Steve about what it’s like to lose an election and why a third political party might be the best chance for avoiding a new civil war. 

Everyone agrees that massive deforestation is an environmental disaster. But most of the standard solutions — scolding the Brazilians, invoking universal morality — ignore the one solution that might actually work. Originally released on Freakonomics Radio, Steve gives an update on what’s happened in the two years since this episode first ran. 

He’s an M.I.T. cosmologist, physicist, and machine-learning expert, and once upon a time, almost an economist. Max and Steve continue their conversation about the existential threats facing humanity, and what Max is doing to mitigate our risk. The co-founder of the Future of Life Institute thinks that artificial intelligence can be the greatest thing to ever happen to humanity — if we don’t screw it up.

How likely is it that this conversation is happening in more than one universe? Should we worry more about Covid or about nuclear war? Is economics a form of “intellectual prostitution?” Steve discusses these questions, and more, with Max, an M.I.T cosmologist, physicist, and machine-learning expert — who was once almost an economist. He also tells Steve why we should be optimistic about the future of humanity (assuming we move Earth to a larger orbit before the sun evaporates our oceans).

He’s a pioneer of using randomized control experiments in economics — studying the long-term benefits of a $1 health intervention in Africa. Steve asks Edward, a Berkeley professor, about Africa’s long-term economic prospects, and how a parking-ticket-scandal in New York City led to a major finding on corruption around the world.

Playing notes on her piano, she demonstrates for Steve why whole numbers sound pleasing, why octaves are mathematically imperfect, and how math underlies musical composition. Sarah, a professor at the University of London and Gresham College, also talks with Steve about the gender gap in mathematics and why being interested in everything can be a problem. 

His childhood dream of playing in the N.B.A. led him to a career as a referee. Marc is one of the league’s top performers after over 20 seasons, but he still reviews every single one of his calls. He talks with Steve about being scrutinized by players, fans, and management; how much work — and data — go into being fair; and why he talks about race with his colleagues and his kids.

It was only in his late twenties that America’s favorite brainiac began to seriously embrace his love of trivia. Jeopardy!’s newest host also holds the show’s “Greatest of All Time” title. Steve digs into how Ken trained for the show, what it means to have a "geographic memory," and why we lie to our children.

This new Jeopardy! host is best known for playing neurobiologist Amy Farrah Fowler on The Big Bang Theory, but she has a rich life outside of her acting career too, as a teacher, mother — and a real-life neuroscientist. Steve learns more about this one-time academic and Hollywood non-conformist, who is both very similar to him and also quite his opposite.

The prisoner’s dilemma is a classic game-theory problem. Robert, a political scientist at the University of Michigan, has spent his career studying it — and the ways humans can cooperate, or betray each other, for their own benefit. He and Steve talk about the best way to play it and how it shows up in real world situations, from war zones to Steve’s own life.

Steve shows a different side of himself in very personal interviews with his two oldest daughters. Amanda talks about growing up with social anxiety and her decision to not go to college, while Lily speaks candidly about her battle with anorexia and the conversation she had with Steve that led her to finally seek treatment.

When we try to improve things, our first thought is often: What can we add to make this better? But Leidy, a professor of engineering, says we tend to overlook the fact that a better solution might be to take something away. He and Steve talk about examples from Leidy’s book Subtract: The Untapped Science of Less, and from their own lives.

An expert on urban economics and co-author of the new book Survival of the City, Ed says cities have faced far worse than Covid. Steve talks with the Harvard professor about why the slums of Mumbai function so well, high-quality housing in China sits empty, and declining cities hang on for so long.

Former U.S. Secretary of Education, 3x3 basketball champion, and leader of an anti-gun violence organization are all on Arne’s resume. He’s also Steve’s neighbor. The two talk about teachers caught cheating in Chicago public schools and Steve shares a story he’s never told Arne, about a defining moment in the educator’s life.

A special episode: Steve reports on a passion of his. Most high-school math classes are still preparing students for the Sputnik era. Steve wants to get rid of the “geometry sandwich” and instead have kids learn what they really need in the modern era: data fluency. Originally broadcast on Freakonomics Radio, this episode includes an update from Steve about a project he launched to revamp the education system.

He’s a Harvard physician and economist who just started a third job: host of the new podcast Freakonomics, M.D. He’s also Steve’s former student. The two discuss why medicine should embrace econ-style research, the ethics of human-challenge trials, and Bapu’s role in one of Steve’s, ahem, less-than-successful experiments.

He argues that personal finance is so simple all you need to know can fit on an index card. How will he deal with Steve’s suggestion that Harold’s nine rules for managing money are overly complicated? Harold and Steve also talk about gun violence — a topic Harold researches as a public-policy professor at the University of Chicago — and they propose some radical ideas for reducing it.

She’s the C.E.O. of Zoox, an autonomous vehicle company. Steve asks Aicha about the big promises the A.V. industry hasn’t yet delivered — and the radical bet Zoox is making on a driverless future. Plus, Steve wants to know how she’s maintained her spark.

Steve continues his conversation with his good friend, MacArthur “Genius Grant” recipient, and fellow University of Chicago economist. Sendhil breaks down the hypothesis of his book Scarcity, explains why machines aren’t competition for human intelligence, and tells Steve why it’s important to appreciate other people’s good ideas before developing your own.

He’s a professor of computation and behavioral science at the University of Chicago, MacArthur “Genius Grant” recipient, and author. Steve and Sendhil laugh their way through a conversation about the importance of play, the benefits of change, and why we remember so little about the books we’ve read — and how Sendhil’s new app solves this problem.

In this interview, first heard on Freakonomics Radio last year, Steve talks with the former top adviser to presidents Clinton and Obama, about his record — and his reputation. And Rahm explains that while he believes in the power of the federal government, as former mayor of Chicago, he says that cities are where problems really get solved.

He’s been an Arctic scientist, a sports journalist, and is now a best-selling author of science books. His latest, Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, makes the argument that early specialization does not give you a head start in life. David and Steve talk about why frustration is a good sign, and why the 10,000-hour rule is definitely not a rule.

She used to run a behavioral unit in the Obama administration, and now has a similar role at Google. Maya and Steve talk about the power (and limits) of behavioral economics and also how people respond to change — the topic of her new podcast A Slight Change of Plans.

He’s the C.E.O. of the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), which, under his charge, exposed the most celebrated American cyclist as a cheater. And Steve’s been studying cheaters for the last 25 years, so he’s also excited to talk to Travis about the incentives to cheat and the advances in testing technology — and offers his services as an anti-doping data detective for the sport of horse racing.

She’s the author of the bestselling book Grit, and a University of Pennsylvania professor of psychology — a field Steve says he knows nothing about. But once Angela gives Steve a quick tutorial on “goal conflict,” he is suddenly a fan. They also talk parenting, self-esteem, and how easy it is to learn econometrics if you feel like it.

He’s an economist who studies even weirder things than Steve. They discuss whether economics is the best of the social sciences, and why it’s a good idea to get a tattoo of a demand curve on your bicep.

The African-born economist has written four bestselling books, including Dead Aid, which Bill Gates described as “promoting evil.” In her new book about corporate boards, Dambisa uses her experience with global corporations to explore how they can better meet society’s demands. And she explains to Steve why, even as a Harvard and Oxford-educated economist, her goal in life might sound “a little bit like a Miss America pageant.”

Levitt rarely interviews advocates, but the founder of the Good Food Institute is different. Once an outspoken — and sometimes outlandish — animal-rights activist, Bruce has come to believe that market-driven innovation and scientific advancement are the best ways to reduce global meat consumption. Steve and Bruce talk about the negative externalities of factory-farmed meat, and why Bruce gave up antics like streaking at Buckingham Palace.

As a neuroscientist and psychology professor at Columbia University who studies the immediate and long-term effects of illicit substances, Carl Hart believes that all drugs — including heroin, methamphetamines, and cocaine — should be legalized. Steve talks to Carl about his new book, Drug Use for Grown-Ups, and Carl tells Steve why decriminalizing drugs is as American as apple pie.

Nobel laureate, best-selling author, and groundbreaking psychologist Daniel Kahneman is also a friend and former business partner of Steve’s. In discussing Danny’s new book Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment, the two spar over inconsistencies in criminal sentencing and Danny tells Steve that “Your attitude is unusual” — no surprise there.

He’s one of the world’s leading competitors, having won four U.S. memory tournaments and holding the record for most names memorized in 15 minutes (235!). But Nelson Dellis claims he was born with an average memory and that anyone can learn his tricks. Steve gives Nelson’s techniques a shot, without much hope — and is surprised by the result.

He’s a cognitive neuroscientist and philosopher who has written five best-selling books. Sam Harris also hosts the Making Sense podcast and helps people discover meditation through his Waking Up app. Sam explains to Steve how to become spiritual as a skeptic and commit to never lying again.

He graduated high school at 14, and by 23 had several graduate degrees and was a research assistant with Stephen Hawking. He became the first chief technology officer at Microsoft (without having ever studied computer science) and then started a company focused on big questions — like how to provide the world with clean energy and how to optimize pizza-baking. Find out what makes Nathan Myhrvold’s fertile mind tick, and which of his many ideas Steve Levitt likes the most.

She spent nearly a decade as an undercover C.I.A. operative working to prevent terrorism. More recently, she hosted The Business of Drugs on Netflix. Amaryllis Fox — now Kennedy — explains why intelligence work requires empathy, and she soothes Steve’s fears about weapons of mass destruction.

Steve Levitt is obsessed with golf — and he’s pretty good at it too. As a thinly-veiled ploy to improve his own game, Steve talks to two titans of the sport: Greg “The Shark” Norman, who was the world’s top-ranked golfer for more than six years; and Mark Broadie, a Columbia professor whose data analysis changed how pros play the game.

Khan Academy grew out of Sal Khan’s online math tutorials for his extended family. It’s now a platform used by more than 115 million people in 190 countries. So what does Khan want to do next? How about reinventing in-school learning, too? Find out why Steve nearly moved to Silicon Valley to be part of Khan's latest venture.

He’s the chief creative officer of Pixar, and the Academy Award-winning director of Soul, Inside Out, Up, and Monsters, Inc. Pete Docter and Steve talk about Pixar’s scrappy beginnings, why it costs $200 million to make an animated film, and the movie moment that changed Steve’s life.

He’s a law professor with a Ph.D. in economics and a tendency for getting into fervid academic debates. Over 20 years ago, he and Steve began studying the impact of legalized abortion on crime. John and Steve talk about guns, the death penalty, the heat they took from their joint research, and why it’s frustratingly difficult to prove truth in the social sciences.

At 27— and without a college degree — she was named chief technology officer of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Today, Marina Nitze is trying to reform the foster care system. She tells Steve how she hacked the V.A.’s bureaucracy, opens up about her struggle with Type 1 diabetes, and explains how she was building websites for soap opera stars when she was just 12 years old.

He’s one of the world’s leading neuroscientists, with a focus on the physiological effects of stress. (For years, he spent his summers in Kenya, alone except for the baboons he was observing.) Steve asks Robert why we value human life over animals, why he’s lost faith in the criminal-justice system, and how to look casual when you’re about to blow-dart a very large and potentially unhappy primate.

In addition to publishing best-selling books about pregnancy and child-rearing, Emily Oster is a respected economist at Brown University. Over the course of the pandemic, she’s become the primary collector of data about Covid-19 in schools. Steve and Emily discuss how she became an advocate for school reopening, how economists think differently from the average person, and whether pregnant women really need to avoid coffee.

He’s a world-renowned magician who’s been performing since he was seven years old. But Joshua Jay is also an author, toy maker, and consultant for film and television. Steve Levitt talks to him about how magicians construct tricks, how Joshua’s academic studies of magic have influenced Levitt’s life, and whether Jesus might have been a magician.

He’s a former World Bank economist who became a prolific journalist and the author of one of Steve Levitt’s favorite books, The Undercover Economist. Tim Harford lives in England, where he’s made it his mission to help the public understand statistics. In their conversation, Steve gives Tim some feedback on his new book, The Data Detective, contemplates if it’s possible to tell great stories with data, and Tim explains how making mistakes can be fun.

He’s so fascinating that Steve Levitt brought him back for a second conversation. Yul Kwon currently works at Google, but he’s been a lawyer, political organizer, government regulator, organ donation activist, and Survivor winner. Steve asks Yul why he’s so altruistic, how Google and Apple are helping track COVID-19, and whether the best way to pick a president might be a reality show.

He has been a lawyer, an instructor at the F.B.I. Academy, the owner of a frozen-yogurt chain, and a winner of the TV show Survivor. Today, Kwon works at Google, where he helped build tools to track the spread of COVID-19. But things haven’t always come easily for him. Steve Levitt talks to Kwon about his debilitating childhood anxieties, his compulsion to choose the hardest path in life, and how Kwon used his obsession with game theory to stage a come-from-behind victory on Survivor.

She is one of the best basketball players ever. She’s won multiple championships, including four Olympic gold medals and four W.N.B.A. titles — the most recent in 2020, just before turning 40. She also helped negotiate a landmark contract for the league’s players. Sue Bird tells Steve Levitt the untold truth about clutch players, her thoughts about the pay gap between male and female athletes, and what it means to be part of the first gay couple in ESPN’s The Body Issue.

For many economists — Steve Levitt included — there is perhaps no greater inspiration than Paul Romer, the now-Nobel laureate who at a young age redefined the discipline and has maintained a passion for introducing new ideas to staid debates. Levitt finds out what makes Romer a serial “quitter,” why you can’t manufacture big ideas, and what happened when Romer tried to start a charter city.

She might not be a household name, but Suzanne Gluck is one of the most powerful people in the book industry. Her slush pile is a key entry point to the biggest publishers in the U.S., and the authors she represents have sold more than 100 million books worldwide. Steve Levitt talks with Gluck — his own agent — about negotiating a deal, advising prospective authors, and convincing him to co-write Freakonomics.

Born in Morocco and raised mostly by a single mother, Moncef Slaoui is now one of the world’s most influential scientists. As the head of Operation Warp Speed — the U.S. government’s Covid-19 vaccine program — Slaoui has overseen the development and distribution of a new vaccine at a pace once deemed impossible. Steve Levitt finds out how the latest generation of vaccines improve on their predecessors, why “educated intuition” is important in innovation, and what we can do to be better prepared for future pandemics.

He’s been an engineer, a surgeon, a management consultant, and even a boxer. Now he’s a physician focused on the science of longevity. Peter Attia talks with Steve Levitt about the problem with immortality, what’s missing from our Covid response, and why nicotine is underrated.

She showed up late and confused to her first silent retreat, but Caverly Morgan eventually trained for eight years in silence at a Zen monastery. Now her mindfulness-education program Peace in Schools is part of the high-school curriculum in Portland, Ore. Steve Levitt finds out what daily life is like in a silent monastery, why teens find it easier than adults to learn meditation, and what happy children can teach their parents.

He graduated high school at 14, and by 23 had several graduate degrees and was a research assistant with Stephen Hawking. He became the first chief technology officer at Microsoft (without having ever studied computer science) and then started a company focused on big questions — like how to provide the world with clean energy and how to optimize pizza-baking. Find out what makes Nathan Myhrvold’s fertile mind tick, and which of his many ideas Steve Levitt likes the most.

She was the sixteenth employee at Google — a company once based in her garage — and now she's the C.E.O. of its best-known subsidiary, YouTube. But despite being one of the most powerful people in the tech industry, few outside of Silicon Valley know the name Susan Wojcicki. Levitt talks with her about the early days of Google, how her background in economics shapes the company's products, and why YouTube's success has created a range of unforeseen and serious issues.

Steve Levitt has so far occupied the interviewer chair on this show, but in a special live event — recorded over Zoom and presented by WNYC and the Greene Space — the microphone is turned toward him. His Freakonomics friend and co-author Stephen Dubner checks in on the wisdom Levitt has extracted from his interviews, finds out why Levitt is happiest when angering everyone across the political spectrum, and asks Levitt why he ends every interview with the same question.

It was only in his late twenties that America’s favorite brainiac began to seriously embrace his love of trivia. Now he holds the “Greatest of All Time” title on Jeopardy! Steve Levitt digs into how he trained for the show, what it means to have a "geographic memory," and why we lie to our children.

The dean of Yale’s School of Management grew up in a small village in Guyana. During his unlikely journey, he has researched video-gaming habits, communicable disease, and why so many African-Americans haven’t had the kind of success he’s had. Steve Levitt talks to Charles about his parents’ encouragement, his love of Sports Illustrated, and how he talks to his American-born kids about the complicated history of Blackness in America.

She’s best known for playing neurobiologist Amy Farrah Fowler on The Big Bang Theory, but the award-winning actress has a rich life outside of her acting career, as a teacher, mother — and a real-life neuroscientist. Steve Levitt tries to learn more about this one-time academic and Hollywood non-conformist, who is both very similar to him and also quite his opposite.

By cataloging the steady march of human progress, the Harvard psychologist and linguist has become a very public intellectual. But the self-declared “polite Canadian” has managed to enrage people on opposite ends of the political spectrum. Steve Levitt tries to understand why.

Steve Levitt has spent decades as an academic economist, “studying strange phenomena and human behavior in weird circumstances.” Now he’s turning his curiosity to something new: interviewing some of the most interesting, unorthodox people around — from actresses to athletes, authors to inventors. Here is a preview of Levitt’s new podcast, which premieres August 21st. New episodes every two weeks. “People I (Mostly) Admire” is a production of the Freakonomics Radio Network.