Rick Doblin, advocate for MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD, discusses the potential benefits and challenges of using psychedelics for therapy. He explores the success rates of clinical trials using therapy and MDMA, the structure of MDMA-assisted therapy, and the concept of neuroplasticity. Doblin also reflects on his journey in the field of psychedelics and the impact of vulture decline on human health.

Psychologist Thomas Curran discusses the negative impact of perfectionism on education, the economy, and mental health. Different types of perfectionism and their effects are explored. The podcast also delves into the connection between perfectionism and decision-making, as well as the disagreements and societal implications surrounding economics and economic growth. Listener responses to previous episodes and survey results are addressed.

Avi Loeb, Harvard astronomer, discusses the possibility of encountering extraterrestrial technology, including autonomous probes and interstellar objects like Oumuamua. They explore the resistance to this hypothesis within the scientific community and society, and the recent congressional hearings on unidentified anomalous phenomena and UFOs.

Reginald Dwayne Betts, a former prisoner turned Yale Law graduate and poet, discusses the importance of rehabilitation and mentors in the prison system. The podcast explores the efforts of Freedom Reads in building libraries in prisons and the transformative power of literature. It delves into the impact of support organizations in prisons, the societal lack of forgiveness, and personal experiences in different prisons. The speaker reflects on hope, ambition, and overcoming challenges, and the hosts discuss imposter syndrome and tease a future episode on alien life.

Obi Felten used to launch projects for X, Google’s innovation lab, but she’s now tackling mental health. She explains why Steve’s dream job was soul-destroying for her, and how peer support could transform the therapeutic industry.

Artist Wendy MacNaughton knows the difficulty of sitting in silence and the power of having fun. She explains to Steve the lessons she’s gleaned from drawing hospice residents, working in Rwanda, and reporting from Guantanamo Bay.

Sal Khan returns to discuss his innovative online high school’s first year — and Steve grills a member of the school’s class of 2026 about what it’s really like.

The creator of "The Wire", "The Deuce", and other shows is leading the Writers Guild on the picket lines. He and Steve break down the economics of TV writing, how A.I. could change television, and why he’s taking a stand even though he’s at the top of the game.

In the newest show from the Freakonomics Radio Network, host Zachary Crockett explores the hidden side of the things around us. This week: How do dinosaur bones emerge from the Upper Cretaceous period to end up in natural-history museums and private collections? 

Robert Solow is 98 years old and a giant among economists. He tells Steve about cracking German codes in World War II, why it’s so hard to reduce inequality, and how his field lost its way.