Freakonomics Radio

How bounties can backfire. We look at bounties on snakes in Delhi, rats in Hanoi, and feral pigs in Fort Benning, Georgia. In each case, bounty seekers came up with creative ways to maximize their payoff - and pest populations grew.

Host Stephen Dubner investigates the latest research on names. Steve Levitt reveals what a name says about a person's economic status and race. And a University of Chicago political scientist explains why a baby named Cody is likely to have conservative parents, while Leif was probably born into a liberal family.

We explore our surprising propensity for spite. Host Stephen Dubner talks to economist Benedikt Herrmann about "money-burning" lab experiments, in which people often choose to surrender some of their own cash in order to take money away from other participants. Plus, athlete Bo Jackson's very costly decision to spurn one particular football team.

Women have made significant economic gains over the past 30 years and yet they are less happy now. We'll examine this paradox. Plus, a Harvard psychologist says the world is a more peaceful place than it's ever been.

We'll examine why we tip, which factors affect the amount, and whether tipping should be eliminated altogether.

Since the beginning of civilization, human waste has been considered worthless at best and quite often dangerous. What if it turns out we were wrong? In this episode of Freakonomics Radio, host Stephen Dubner explores the power of poop, focusing on an experimental procedure called a fecal transplant (some call it a “transpoosion”), which may offer promising results not only for intestinal problems but also obesity and neurological disorders.

Is a college diploma really worth the paper it’s printed on? In this episode of Freakonomics Radio, host Stephen Dubner breaks down the costs and benefits of going to college, especially during an economy that’s leaving a lot of people un- and underemployed.

In this hour-long episode of Freakonomics Radio, host Stephen Dubner talks about our massive but balky food network with economist Tyler Cowen

As entertainment, playing the lottery is pretty cheap. As an investment, however, it offers a dreadful return. But there's a little-known financial tool that might help people save more money while still giving them the thrill of the lottery.

Twitter is a tool that has created a funny kind of friendship -- one that's less social than most people think.

Hitchhiking has practically disappeared in America, but transportation scholar Alan Pisarski talks about how hitchhiking can inform future transportation policy.

It turns out that driving a Prius may do a little bit of good for the planet -- but being seen driving a Prius may do a lot of good (for you, at least).

When you take a sip of Cabernet, what are you tasting -- the grape? the tannins? the oak barrel? Or is it the price? Believe it or not, the most dominant flavor may be the dollars.