Freakonomics Radio

Explore the origins and controversies surrounding the Nobel Prize in Economics, including the intricate nomination and selection process for candidates. Delve into the impact of lobbying on candidate selection and consumer behavior in pharmaceutical brand preferences.

Viviana Zelizer, a sociology professor at Princeton, delves into the heated debate about whether children should financially repay their parents for raising them. The discussion features a light-hearted look at a former NFL player's mother seeking $1 million as repayment. It also highlights the emotional complexities of familial obligations and the evolving expectations surrounding financial support across different cultures. Anecdotes reveal how these themes intertwine with personal experiences, shaping our understanding of gratitude and responsibility in family dynamics.

Anne-Marie Slaughter was best known for her adamant views on Syria when she accidentally became a poster girl for modern feminism. As it turns out, she can be pretty adamant in that realm as well.

Suspenders may work better, but the dork factor is too high. How did an organ-squeezing belly tourniquet become part of our everyday wardrobe -- and what other suboptimal solutions do we routinely put up with?

From domestic abusers to former child soldiers, there is increasing evidence that behavioral therapy can turn them around.

Conventional programs tend to be expensive, onerous, and ineffective. Could something as simple (and cheap) as cognitive behavioral therapy do the trick?

How a pain-in-the-neck girl from rural Virginia came to run the most powerful university in the world.

We spend billions on end-of-life healthcare that doesn't do much good. So what if a patient could forego the standard treatment and get a cash rebate instead?

Step 1: Hire a Harvard psych professor as the pitchman. Step 2: Have him help write the script ...

What do NASCAR drivers, Glenn Beck and the hit men of the NFL have in common?