Freakonomics

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 @StevenDLevitt’s new high school. link.podtrac.com/lqow8pah

The economics of elevators: Americans take more than 20 billion elevator rides every year — and keeping them safe is an expensive proposition. @zzcrockett makes small talk. link.podtrac.com/4zdhi68y

Kate Marvel (@DrKateMarvel) spends her days playing with climate models. As a physicist she gets tired of being asked to weigh in on economics, geopolitics, and despair — but she defends the right of scientists to have strong feelings about the planet. link.podtrac.com/n0a478ad

The economics of podcasts: What goes into creating an episode of The Economics of Everyday Things? And how do shows like this one make money? link.podtrac.com/rtq1gvqj

For years, the playwright David Adjmi was considered “polarizing and difficult.” But creating “Stereophonic” seems to have healed him. Stephen Dubner gets the story — and sorts out what Adjmi has in common with Richard Wagner. link.podtrac.com/otwsa70u

The economics of emoji: We send 10 billion of them every day. Where do they come from? link.podtrac.com/rxrzi5x8

The Gulf States and China are spending billions to build stadiums and buy up sports teams — but what are they really buying? And can an entrepreneur from Cincinnati make his own billions by bringing baseball to Dubai? link.podtrac.com/ehmqmtqh

Before she decided to become a poker pro, Maria Konnikova didn’t know how many cards are in a deck. But she did have a Ph.D. in psychology, a brilliant coach, and a burning desire to know whether life is driven more by skill or chance. She found some answers in poker — and she’s…

Twenty years ago, before the “Freakonomics” book tour, Bill McGowan (@BillMcGowan22) taught Steve Levitt to speak in public. In his new book he tries to teach everyone else. link.podtrac.com/yykfrri3

The economics of police sketches: When security cameras and facial recognition tools fail, law enforcement investigators fall back on a witness’s memory and an artist’s hand. link.podtrac.com/u2fhbo4x

Cory Booker on the politics of fear, the politics of hope, and how to split the difference. link.podtrac.com/olhqq5q1

The economics of fireworks stands: How does an industry built on roadside pop-ups make billions of dollars in two weeks of the year? @zzcrockett gets pyrotechnical. link.podtrac.com/9vchcqhn

A conversation with “Golden Years” author James Chappel. To get subscriber-only episodes, sign up for SiriusXM Podcasts+ on Apple Podcasts here: freak.ws/3yAvQh0, or on other apps here: siriusxm.supportingcast.fm.

Former professional poker player @AnnieDuke wrote a book about @StevenDLevitt’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. link.podtrac.com/a12tek2e

The economics of car washes: Why are these sudsy roadside stops one of the fastest growing industries in America? @zzcrockett takes a look under the hood. link.podtrac.com/dmpqc6um

In the U.S., there will soon be more people over 65 than there are under 18 — and it’s not just lifespan that’s improving, it’s “healthspan” too. Unfortunately, the American approach to aging is stuck in the 20th century. In less than an hour, we try to unstick it.…

What do medieval nuns and Bo Jackson have in common? In this episode from 2013, we look at whether spite pays — and if it even exists. link.podtrac.com/p1drtg4d

The simplicity of life back in the Middle Ages is appealing today, as long as you don’t mind Church hegemony, the occasional plague, trial by gossip — and the lack of ibuprofen. link.podtrac.com/0l6vwx1t

Will be interviewing Sen. Cory Booker soon for Freakonomics Radio, what are some questions you’d like answered?

The economics of school buses: Districts across the country are facing shortages of school bus drivers. Can technology help? @zzcrockett takes a seat in the back. link.podtrac.com/4tsitmid