Of the academic books that have become household names, “Freakonomics” must be at the top of the list. The 2005 book by University of Chicago scholar Steven Levitt and journalist Stephen Dubner created not only a whole new way of thinking about discovering answers to complex problems, but launched a media empire—from book sequel to a movie to a hit podcast.
On this special episode, we sat down with Levitt during the inaugural UCPN Podcast Festival, to talk about the legacy of Freakonomics. Almost 20 years later, he told our audience how he views himself as a “data scientist” and not just an economist, what he’s learned about using a coin flip to make hard decisions in life, and why he thinks he may have found the “holy grail” of solving crime.
How To Manifest Your Future Using Neuroscience, with James Doty
Why We Die—And How We Can Live Longer, with Nobel Laureate Venki Ramakrishnan
What Dogs Are Teaching Us About Aging, with Daniel Promislow
Where Has Alzheimer’s Research Gone Wrong? with Karl Herrup
Why Breeding Millions of Mosquitoes Could Help Save Lives
Why Shaming Other Countries Often Backfires, with Rochelle Terman
Can Trump Legally Be President?, with William Baude
What Our Hand Gestures Reveal About Our Thoughts, with Susan Goldin-Meadow
Psychedelics Without Hallucinations: A New Mental Health Treatment? with David E. Olson
The Science Of Happiness
Do We Really Have Free Will? With Robert Sapolsky
A Radical Solution To Address Climate Change, with David Keith
How PFAS “Forever Chemicals” Are Harming Our Health, with Linda Birnbaum
Are We Worse People Than We Used To Be? With Adam Mastroianni
Will Political Violence Destroy Our Democracy?, With Robert Pape
Defending Campus Free Speech In A Polarized Age, with Paul Alivisatos and Tom Ginsburg
Why The Secret To Health Lies In The Mind-body Connection, with Ellen Langer
Phonics Vs. Whole Word: The Science Of Reading, With Adrian Johns
How AI Is Transforming Scientific Research, With Rebecca Willett
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