How to Fix the Hot Mess of U.S. Healthcare (Ep. 456)
March 31, 2021 @ 11:00pm Listen now:
Medicine has evolved from a calling into an industry, adept at dispensing procedures and pills (and gigantic bills), but less good at actual health. Most reformers call for big, bold action. What happens if, instead, you think small?
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Stephen DUBNER: So I think the general perception is that the American healthcare system is just messed up. Is the American healthcare system as messed up as most people seem to think it is?
Zack COOPER: Oh, I think absolutely the U.S. health system is as messed up as people think it is, probably more so.
Are You Ready for a Fresh Start? (Ep. 455) - Freakonomics freakonomics.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from freakonomics.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Should Traffic Lights Be Abolished? (Ep. 454)
March 10, 2021 @ 11:00pm Listen now:
Americans are so accustomed to the standard intersection that we rarely consider how dangerous it can be as well as costly, time-wasting, and polluting. Is it time to embrace the lowly, lovely roundabout?
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Kevin BERESFORD: Yes, I’m a member of the Dull Men’s Club.
Stephen DUBNER Let me make sure I’m understanding you correctly. It’s called the Dull Men’s Club, yes? “Dull” as in boring?
BERESFORD Yeah. Dull is the new black. It’s sexy being dull. Women like dull men. They know we’re not going to run off with Lady Gaga or something.
A Rescue Plan for Black America (Ep. 453)
March 3, 2021 @ 11:00pm Listen now:
New York Times columnist Charles Blow argues that white supremacy in America will never fully recede, and that it’s time for Black people to do something radical about it. In
The Devil You Know: A Black Power Manifesto, he urges a “reverse migration” to the South to consolidate political power and create a region where it’s safe to be Black. (This is an episode of the Freakonomics Radio Book Club.)
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Stephen DUBNER: So, Charles, you have said that you didn’t want to write a “race book.”
Jeff Immelt Knows He Let You Down (Ep. 452)
February 17, 2021 @ 11:00pm Listen now:
Not so long ago, G.E. was the most valuable company in the world, a conglomerate that included everything from light bulbs and jet engines to financial services and
The Apprentice. Now it’s selling off body parts to survive. What does the C.E.O. who presided over the decline have to say for himself?
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Stephen DUBNER: So there is a silly question that a lot of authors get asked, which is: Why did you write this book? Silly, because it’s usually obvious. But in your case, I don’t think it’s such a silly question because: a) you don’t need the money; let’s be honest. And b) you don’t have a tale of triumph to tell. So why did you write the book?