Insights from recent episode analysis
Audience Interest
- society and culture topics
- human behavior insights
Podcast Focus
- hidden side of various subjects
- analysis of common questions
Publishing Consistency
- 16 years of active episodes
- weekly or more frequency
Platform Reach
- available on multiple platforms
- SiriusXM Podcasts+ subscription
Insights are generated by CastFox AI using publicly available data, episode content, and proprietary models.
Most discussed topics
Brands & references
Total monthly reach
Estimated from 42 chart positions in 42 markets.
By chart position
- 🇨🇦CA · Documentary#21M to 3M
- 🇺🇸US · Documentary#31M to 3M
- 🇦🇺AU · Documentary#9300K to 1M
- 🇬🇧GB · Documentary#14300K to 1M
- 🇮🇳IN · Documentary#1300K to 800K
- Per-Episode Audience
Est. listeners per new episode within ~30 days
1.8M to 5.3M🎙 Daily cadence·901 episodes·Last published today - Monthly Reach
Unique listeners across all episodes (30 days)
5.9M to 18M🇨🇦17%🇺🇸17%🇦🇺6%+39 more - Active Followers
Loyal subscribers who consistently listen
2.4M to 7.1M
Market Insights
Platform Distribution
Reach across major podcast platforms, updated hourly
Total Followers
—
Total Plays
—
Total Reviews
—
* Data sourced directly from platform APIs and aggregated hourly across all major podcast directories.
On the show
From 13 epsHosts
Recent guests
Recent episodes
677. Can Backgammon Save Us from Ourselves?
Jun 12, 2026
Unknown duration
This Is Your Brain on Pollution (Update)
Jun 10, 2026
Unknown duration
676. Has America Lost the Plot?
Jun 5, 2026
Unknown duration
The Vanishing Mr. Feynman (Update)
May 29, 2026
Unknown duration
The Brilliant Mr. Feynman (Update)
May 27, 2026
Unknown duration
Social Links & Contact
Official channels & resources
Official Website
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| Date | Episode | Topics | Guests | Brands | Places | Keywords | Sponsor | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6/12/26 | 677. Can Backgammon Save Us from Ourselves? | It brings strangers together. It teaches probability, strategy, and emotional control. It has even helped N.F.L. teams win the Super Bowl. Stephen Dubner explores why this ancient game is having a renaissance. (Part two of a series, “We Are All Gamers Now.”) | — | ||||||
| 6/10/26 | This Is Your Brain on Pollution (Update) | As the Trump administration rolls back environmental regulations, we revisit a 2022 episode that explored the hidden cost of an invisible threat: air pollution. | — | ||||||
| 6/5/26 | 676. Has America Lost the Plot? | Another war in the Middle East. A retreat from the international order. A presidency built on self-dealing and arbitrary power. It’s enough to make you think the U.S. is in a steep decline — but Fareed Zakaria thinks otherwise. | — | ||||||
| 5/29/26 |  The Vanishing Mr. Feynman (Update) | In his final years, Richard Feynman's curiosity took him to some surprising places. We hear from his companions on the trips he took — and one he wasn’t able to. (Part three of a three-part series originally published in 2024.) | — | ||||||
| 5/27/26 |  The Brilliant Mr. Feynman (Update) | What happens when an existentially depressed and recently widowed young physicist from Queens gets a fresh start in California? We follow Richard Feynman out west, to explore his long and extremely fruitful second act. (Part two of a three-part series originally published in 2024.) | — | ||||||
| 5/22/26 |  The Curious Mr. Feynman (Update) | From the Manhattan Project to the Challenger investigation, the physicist Richard Feynman loved to shoot down what he called “lousy ideas.” Today, the world is awash in lousy ideas — so maybe it’s time to get some more Feynman in our lives? (Part one of a three-part series originally published in 2024.) | — | ||||||
| 5/15/26 | 675. Has the New York Times Become a Games Company? | Not exactly. But their runaway success with games like Wordle says something bigger about the way we live now. (Part one of a series, “We Are All Gamers Now.”) | — | ||||||
| 5/8/26 | 674. How Does a Composer Feel After the World Premiere?✨ | composer emotionsworld premiere+3 | David Lang | New York Philharmonic | — | composerworld premiere+5 | — | 45m 23s | |
| 5/6/26 | Was Adam Smith Really a Right-Winger? (Update)✨ | economicspolitics+3 | — | Freakonomics RadioStitcher | — | Adam Smitheconomics+5 | — | 1h 08m 15s | |
| 5/1/26 | 673. What Is Money?✨ | moneyeconomics+4 | David Lang | New York PhilharmonicThe Wealth of Nations | — | moneyDavid Lang+5 | — | 54m 11s | |
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| 4/24/26 | 672. What Makes Judy Faulkner Run?✨ | healthcareentrepreneurship+3 | — | Epic Systems | Verona, Wisc. | Judy FaulknerEpic Systems+3 | — | 1h 00m 52s | |
| 4/22/26 | Why Does Everyone Hate Rats? (Update)✨ | ratsscapegoat+4 | — | Freakonomics Radio | New York City | ratsNew York City+5 | — | 40m 34s | |
| 4/17/26 | 671. Why Has There Been So Little Progress on Alzheimer’s Disease?✨ | Alzheimer's Diseasemedical research+3 | — | Alzheimer’s Disease | — | Alzheimer'smedical research+3 | — | 1h 01m 18s | |
| 4/10/26 | 670. Beeconomics 101✨ | beekeepinghoney fraud+3 | Steve Levitt | — | — | beekeepinghoney+5 | — | 55m 51s | |
| 4/8/26 | Ten Myths About the U.S. Tax System (Update)✨ | U.S. tax systempolitics+4 | — | Washington | — | taxesnational debt+5 | — | 1h 04m 26s | |
| 4/3/26 | 669. Why Is 95 Percent of the World’s Bourbon Made in Kentucky?✨ | bourbontradition+3 | — | — | Kentucky | bourbonKentucky+4 | — | 46m 20s | |
| 3/27/26 | 668. Do Taylor Swift and Bad Bunny Have Blood on Their Hands?✨ | musicdistraction+3 | — | StitcherFreakonomics Radio | — | Taylor SwiftBad Bunny+5 | — | 53m 58s | |
| 3/25/26 |  In a Driverless World, Who Loses and Who Wins?✨ | self-driving carsunions+3 | PJ Vogt | — | Boston | driverless carsBoston+3 | — | 1h 05m 47s | |
| 3/20/26 |  Are Human Drivers Finally Obsolete?✨ | driverless carstechnology+4 | — | driverless carsGoogle+2 | — | driverless carsGoogle+4 | — | 1h 11m 28s | |
| 3/13/26 | 667. Here’s Why You Are Constantly Fighting Off Scammers✨ | scammersdigital tools+3 | — | Freakonomics RadioStitcher | — | scammersdigital tools+3 | — | 47m 01s | |
| 3/6/26 | 666. This Is How Progress Happens | Economists don’t usually talk about “culture.” But Joel Mokyr argues that it’s the engine of innovation — and the Nobel Prize committee agreed. Stephen Dubner sits down for a thousand-year conversation (including advice!) with the new Nobel laureate. | — | ||||||
| 3/4/26 | The Most Powerful People You’ve Never Heard Of (Update) | Just beneath the surface of the global economy, there is a hidden layer of dealmakers for whom war, chaos, and sanctions can be a great business opportunity. In this updated episode from 2025, journalists Javier Blas and Jack Farchy help us shine a light on the shadowy realm of commodity traders. | — | ||||||
| 2/27/26 | 665. Werner Herzog Isn’t Afraid ... | ... of bad reviews, meager financing, or artificial intelligence. But he is worried that the world is full of sloppy thinkers who mistake facts for the truth. | — | ||||||
| 2/20/26 | 664. Are Thousands of Medical Cures Hiding in Plain Sight? | Existing drugs can sometimes be repurposed to treat rare diseases. But making that match can be hard — and the financial incentives are weak. Guest host Steve Levitt tries to solve the puzzle. | — | ||||||
| 2/18/26 | All You Need Is Nudge (Update) | When Richard Thaler first published Nudge, the world was just starting to believe in his brand of behavioral economics. In this 2021 episode, we ask: How has nudge theory held up in the face of a global financial meltdown, a pandemic, and other existential crises? | — | ||||||
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Chart Positions
50 placements across 42 markets.
Chart Positions
50 placements across 42 markets.