People I (Mostly) Admire

Updated: 04 Jan 2025 • 171 episodes
freakonomics.com

Freakonomics co-author Steve Levitt tracks down other high achievers for surprising, revealing conversations about their lives and obsessions. Join Levitt as he goes through the most interesting midlife crisis you’ve ever heard — and learn how a renegade sheriff is transforming Chicago's jail, how a biologist is finding the secrets of evolution in the Arctic tundra, and how a trivia champion memorized 160,000 flashcards. 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.

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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 P

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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.  RESOU

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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

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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 (Timeles

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Steve Levitt & Neil deGrasse Tyson 23 Nov 2024 • EN

145. Neil deGrasse Tyson Is Still Starstruck

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 Civi

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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.  

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