Freakonomics Radio

A language invented in the 19th century, and meant to be universal, it never really caught on. So why does a group of Esperantists from around the world gather once a year to celebrate their bond?

We explore votes for English, Indonesian, and … Esperanto! The search for a common language goes back millennia, but so much still gets lost in translation. Will technology finally solve that?

Exploring the impacts of linguistic diversity, the influence of language on ideas and emotions, the challenges of communication barriers, and the language conflict in Sri Lanka. Also discusses the future of communication in a globalized world.

John Urschel was the only player in the N.F.L. simultaneously getting a math Ph.D. at M.I.T. But after a new study came out linking football to brain damage, he abruptly retired. Here's the inside story — and a look at how we make decisions in the face of risk versus uncertainty.

By some estimates, medical error is the third-leading cause of death in the U.S. How can that be? And what's to be done? Our third and final episode in this series offers some encouraging answers.

Teresa Woodruff, a leading expert in oncofertility and the Watkins Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern University, dives into the complexities of drug trials. She discusses how ineffective drugs often reach the market due to clinical trials being conducted on 'dream patients.' The conversation highlights the historical exclusion of women in research, the repercussions of thalidomide on drug regulations, and the pressing need for transparency and ethical practices in oncology trials. Woodruff emphasizes learning from past failures to improve women's health outcomes.

We tend to think of medicine as a science, but for most of human history it has been scientific-ish at best. In the first episode of a three-part series, we look at the grotesque mistakes produced by centuries of trial-and-error, and ask whether the new era of evidence-based medicine is the solution.

Standing in line represents a particularly sloppy — and frustrating — way for supply and demand to meet. Why haven't we found a better way to get what we want? Is it possible that we secretly enjoy waiting in line? And might it even be (gulp) good for us?

The bad news: roughly 70 percent of Americans are financially illiterate. The good news: all the important stuff can fit on one index card. Here's how to become your own financial superhero.

It's hard enough to save for a house, tuition, or retirement. So why are we willing to pay big fees for subpar investment returns? Enter the low-cost index fund. The revolution will not be monetized.