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Freakonomics Radio

Freakonomics Radio

Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

Freakonomics co-author Stephen J. Dubner uncovers the hidden side of everything. Why is it safer to fly in an airplane than drive a car? How do we decide whom to marry? Why is the media so full of bad news? Also: things you never knew you wanted to know about wolves, bananas, pollution, search engines, and the quirks of human behavior. To get every show in our network without ads and a monthly bonus episode of Freakonomics Radio, sign up for SiriusXM Podcasts+ on Apple Podcasts at http://apple.co/SiriusXM.

1547 - 621. Is Professional Licensing a Racket?
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  • 1547 - 621. Is Professional Licensing a Racket?

    Licensing began with medicine and law; now it extends to 20 percent of the U.S. workforce, including hair stylists and auctioneers. In a new book, the legal scholar Rebecca Allensworth calls licensing boards “a thicket of self-dealing and ineptitude” and says they keep bad workers in their jobs and good ones out — while failing to protect the public.

    Fri, 7 Feb 2025 - 55min
  • 1546 - When Is a Superstar Just Another Employee? (Update)

    In 2023, the N.F.L. players’ union conducted a workplace survey that revealed clogged showers, rats in the locker room — and some insights for those of us who don’t play football. Today we’re updating that episode, with extra commentary from Omnipresent Football Guy (and former Philadelphia Eagle) Jason Kelce.

    Wed, 5 Feb 2025 - 1h 08min
  • 1545 - 620. Why Don’t Running Backs Get Paid Anymore?

    They used to be the N.F.L.’s biggest stars, with paychecks to match. Now their salaries are near the bottom, and their careers are shorter than ever. We speak with an analytics guru, an agent, some former running backs (including LeSean McCoy), and the economist Roland Fryer (a former Pop Warner running back himself) to understand why.

    Fri, 31 Jan 2025 - 1h 01min
  • 1544 - 619. How to Poison the A.I. Machine

    When the computer scientist Ben Zhao learned that artists were having their work stolen by A.I. models, he invented a tool to thwart the machines. He also knows how to foil an eavesdropping Alexa and how to guard your online footprint. The big news, he says, is that the A.I. bubble is bursting.

    Fri, 24 Jan 2025 - 52min
  • 1543 - Is San Francisco a Failed State? (And Other Questions You Shouldn’t Ask the Mayor)

    Stephen Dubner, live on stage, mixes it up with outbound mayor London Breed, and asks economists whether A.I. can be “human-centered” and if Tang is a gateway drug.

    Wed, 22 Jan 2025 - 59min
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