Stephen Dubner

That reminds me of something you wrote in your new book about trying to balance the life of a scholar and the life of a parent here. You wrote, I've missed important Little League games and disappointed both of my sons. The list goes on and on. How do you think about the causes and consequences of a failure like that versus an institutional or organizational failure?

Although statistically improbable anyway.

Although statistically improbable anyway.

Although statistically improbable anyway.

For the degree to which you do feel bad, do you think it's more because you are a mother in America versus a father? No question about it.

For the degree to which you do feel bad, do you think it's more because you are a mother in America versus a father? No question about it.

For the degree to which you do feel bad, do you think it's more because you are a mother in America versus a father? No question about it.

When we asked listeners to submit their failure stories, one thing that jolted us was that probably 90% of the responses were from men. Ultimately, we went back with another call-out for stories from women because we just had so few. But it really made me wonder about how failure is perceived and perhaps discussed differently for men and women.

When we asked listeners to submit their failure stories, one thing that jolted us was that probably 90% of the responses were from men. Ultimately, we went back with another call-out for stories from women because we just had so few. But it really made me wonder about how failure is perceived and perhaps discussed differently for men and women.

When we asked listeners to submit their failure stories, one thing that jolted us was that probably 90% of the responses were from men. Ultimately, we went back with another call-out for stories from women because we just had so few. But it really made me wonder about how failure is perceived and perhaps discussed differently for men and women.

After the break, a more serious classroom failure. One of those chain of events tragedies. He had the gun in his backpack. I'm Stephen Dubner. This is Freakonomics Radio. We'll be right back.

After the break, a more serious classroom failure. One of those chain of events tragedies. He had the gun in his backpack. I'm Stephen Dubner. This is Freakonomics Radio. We'll be right back.

After the break, a more serious classroom failure. One of those chain of events tragedies. He had the gun in his backpack. I'm Stephen Dubner. This is Freakonomics Radio. We'll be right back.

Earlier, we talked with the economist John Van Rienen about failure in the context of innovation, the idea that a certain amount of failure just goes with the territory and that a tolerance for failure may be a precondition for success. But there are some cases in which any failure is unacceptable. If you remember our series on airline travel, you know how safe it is to fly these days.

Earlier, we talked with the economist John Van Rienen about failure in the context of innovation, the idea that a certain amount of failure just goes with the territory and that a tolerance for failure may be a precondition for success. But there are some cases in which any failure is unacceptable. If you remember our series on airline travel, you know how safe it is to fly these days.

Earlier, we talked with the economist John Van Rienen about failure in the context of innovation, the idea that a certain amount of failure just goes with the territory and that a tolerance for failure may be a precondition for success. But there are some cases in which any failure is unacceptable. If you remember our series on airline travel, you know how safe it is to fly these days.

That's because the industry and its regulators decided to collaborate in order to reduce commercial airline crashes to zero. And so today, as the CEO of Delta Airlines told us, it's safer than riding a bike, safer than driving a car, safer than crossing the street. There are other places where you might think there would be zero tolerance for failure.

That's because the industry and its regulators decided to collaborate in order to reduce commercial airline crashes to zero. And so today, as the CEO of Delta Airlines told us, it's safer than riding a bike, safer than driving a car, safer than crossing the street. There are other places where you might think there would be zero tolerance for failure.

That's because the industry and its regulators decided to collaborate in order to reduce commercial airline crashes to zero. And so today, as the CEO of Delta Airlines told us, it's safer than riding a bike, safer than driving a car, safer than crossing the street. There are other places where you might think there would be zero tolerance for failure.

Riedman is an assistant professor at Idaho State University, and he's getting a Ph.D. in artificial intelligence. But he is not one of those Ph.D. candidates who went straight from college. He grew up in Maryland, just outside of Washington, D.C., and went to nearby Georgetown to study literature.