EconTalk

Luca Dellanna on Compulsion, Self-deception, and the Brain

21 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Why do people eat too much even when they don't want to? Why are there so many bad managers? And why might anti-vaxxers be useful? Luca Dellanna, auth...

Michael Eisenberg on the Start-Up Nation, Storytelling, and the Power of Technology

14 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Michael Eisenberg, venture capitalist and the author of The Tree of Life and Prosperity talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the secret of the...

John Taylor on Inflation, the Fed, and the Taylor Rule

07 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What's so bad about rising inflation? Why should we aim for a rate of 2 percent? Why is it a problem if interest rates are too low--and what do we mea...

Moshe Koppel on Norms, Tradition, and Resilient Societies

31 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Traditions and norms can seem at best out-of-touch and at worst offensive to many a modern mind. But Israeli computer scientist and Talmud scholar Mos...

Penny Lane on Loving and Loathing Kenny G

24 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Love it or hate it, but you've definitely heard it: the so-called "smooth jazz" of saxophonist Kenny G. Filmmaker Penny Lane talks about her documenta...

Tyler Cowen and Russ Roberts on Nation, Immigration, and Israel

17 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Can Israeli society survive the loss of universal military service? Will the deregulation of Israel's kosher supervision spell the end of its Jewish c...

Gregory Zuckerman on the Crazy Race to Create the COVID Vaccine

10 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In the race for a COVID vaccine, how did a couple of companies who had never produced a successful vaccine make it to the finish line so quickly? Greg...

Lorne Buchman on Creativity, Leadership, and Art

03 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When we see Michaelangelo's David or the design of the Apple Store, we assume a genius with a predetermined vision was the key to the outcome. Yet as...

Megan McArdle on Belonging, Home, and National Identity

27 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

After being stranded with a bunch of Brits for eight hours at a German airport in 2016, journalist Megan McArdle felt that Brexit was going to happen....

Michael Munger on Constitutions

20 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

More than we need rules, argues Michael Munger, we need rules about the rules. So does the United States need a new Constitution? Listen as the Duke U...

Frank Rose on Internet Narratives

13 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Once it was The Shadow radio show; now it's the podcast Serial. Is every old storytelling medium new again? Frank Rose, author of The Sea We Swim In, ...

Michael Faye and Paul Niehaus on GiveDirectly

06 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Economic theory teaches that people make choices that provide them with the greatest benefit. So why not extend this idea to the realm of charity? Eco...

Nina Kraus on Hearing, Noise, and Of Sound Mind

29 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We undervalue our sense of hearing and we under-appreciate the impact sweet sounds and disturbing noises have on our well-being. Neuroscientist Nina...

Eric Jacobus on the Art and Science of Violence

22 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Stuntman and action designer Eric Jacobus joins EconTalk host Russ Roberts for a no-holds-barred discussion of the biological basis for violence and h...

Emily Oster on the Family Firm

15 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Author and economist Emily Oster of Brown University talks about her book, The Family Firm, with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Oster argues that running...

Sandra Faber on the Future of the Earth

08 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Of all the scenarios that keep astrophysicist Sandra Faber up at night, it's not the Earth's increasing volcanism, the loss of photosynthesis, or even...

Jennifer Frey on Education, Philosophy, and the University

01 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Philosopher Jennifer Frey of the University of South Carolina talks about the state of the university in American education. Frey urges a stronger foc...

Paul Bloom on Happiness, Suffering, and the Sweet Spot

25 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Author and psychologist Paul Bloom of the University of Toronto talks about his book, The Sweet Spot, with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Bloom argues th...

Rowan Jacobsen on Truffle Hound

18 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Journalist and author Rowan Jacobsen talks about his book Truffle Hound with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. This conversation has nothing to do with choc...

Sam Quinones on Meth, Fentanyl, and the Least of Us

11 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Author and journalist Sam Quinones talks about his book, The Least of Us, with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Quinones focuses on the devastation caused...

Arnold Kling on Reforming Government and Expertise

04 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Economist and author Arnold Kling talks about improving government regulation with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Kling suggests ways to improve the admi...

Noreena Hertz on the Lonely Century

27 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Author and economist Noreena Hertz of University College London talks about her book, The Lonely Century, with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Hertz bla...

David Henderson on the Essential UCLA School of Economics

20 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Economist and author David Henderson talks about his book (co-authored with Steve Globerman) The Essential UCLA School of Economics with EconTalk hos...

Glen Weyl on Antitrust, Capitalism, and Radical Reform

13 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Author and Microsoft executive Glen Weyl talks about radical reforms of capitalism with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Weyl is worried about the concentr...

Johann Hari on Lost Connections

06 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Author and journalist Johann Hari talks about his book, Lost Connections: Why You Are Depressed and How to Find Hope, with EconTalk host Russ Rober...

Bret Devereaux on Ancient Greece and Rome

30 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Historian Bret Devereaux of the University of North Carolina talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about our understanding of the ancient Greeks and R...

Michael Heller and James Salzman on Mine!

23 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Law professors Michael Heller and James Salzman talk about their book, Mine! with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Heller and Salzman argue that ownership ...

Nicholas Wapshott on Samuelson and Friedman

16 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Journalist and author Nicholas Wapshott talks about his book Samuelson Friedman with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Milton Friedman and Paul Samuelson we...

Michael Munger on Free Markets

09 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Author and economist Michael Munger of Duke University talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the virtues--and the flaws--of free markets. Munger...

Jonathan Rauch on the Constitution of Knowledge

02 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

James Heckman on Inequality and Economic Mobility

26 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Economist and Nobel Laureate James Heckman of the University of Chicago talks about inequality and economic mobility with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. ...

Michael Easter on the Comfort Crisis

19 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Journalist and author Michael Easter talks about his book The Comfort Crisis with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Easter thinks modern life is too easy,...

Don Boudreaux on the Pandemic

12 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Economist Don Boudreaux of George Mason University talks about the pandemic with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Boudreaux argues that a perfect storm of...

Claudia Hauer on War, Education, and Strategic Humanism

05 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Claudia Hauer of St. John's College and the Air Force Academy talks about her book Strategic Humanism with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Topics discuss...

Sebastian Junger on Freedom

28 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Journalist and author Sebastian Junger talks about his book, Freedom, with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. The book and conversation are based on a 400-mi...

Anja Shortland on Lost Art

21 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Economist and author Anja Shortland of King's College London talks about her new book, Lost Art, with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. When a famous painti...

Donald Shoup on the Economics of Parking

14 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Author and economist Donald Shoup of UCLA talks about destructive parking policies with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Shoup argues that most parking pol...

Ian Leslie on Conflicted

07 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Author Ian Leslie talks about his book Conflicted with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Leslie argues that, far from being a negative thing, conflict is o...

Bruce Meyer on Poverty

31 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Economist Bruce Meyer of the University of Chicago talks about poverty with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. In recent years, a number of scholars have cl...

Jason Riley on Race in America

24 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Journalist and author Jason Riley talks about race with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Riley argues that the challenges facing Black America go beyond ra...

Julia Galef on the Scout Mindset

17 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Podcaster and author Julia Galef talks about her book The Scout Mindset with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Galef urges us to be more rational--to be ...

Agnes Callard on Anger

10 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Philosopher Agnes Callard of the University of Chicago talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about anger. Is anger something we should vilify and stri...

Katy Milkman on How to Change

03 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Behavioral scientist Katy Milkman of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania talks about her book How to Change with EconTalk host Russ R...

Roya Hakakian on A Beginner's Guide to America

26 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Author and poet Roya Hakakian talks about her latest book, A Beginner's Guide to America: For the Immigrant and the Curious with EconTalk host Russ R...

Mark Rank on Poverty and Poorly Understood

19 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sociologist and author Mark Rank talks about his book, Poorly Understood, with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Rank looks at a wide variety of aspects o...

Emiliana Simon-Thomas on Happiness

12 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Psychologist Emiliana Simon-Thomas of the University of California, Berkeley talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the science of happiness--wha...

Tyler Cowen on the Pandemic, Revisited

05 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Blogger, author, podcaster, economist Tyler Cowen of George Mason University discusses the lessons learned from the pandemic with EconTalk host Russ ...

Max Kenner on Crime, Education, and the Bard Prison Initiative

29 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Max Kenner, founder and executive director of the Bard Prison Initiative--which offers college degrees to prisoners--talks with EconTalk host Russ Rob...

Megan McArdle on Catastrophes and the Pandemic

22 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Whether it's a pandemic or a Texas-sized ice storm that leaves millions of people without power, we'd like to avoid a repetition. Megan McArdle of the...

Sherry Turkle on Family, Artificial Intelligence, and the Empathy Diaries

15 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Psychologist and author Sherry Turkle of MIT talks about her book, The Empathy Diaries, with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. The Empathy Diaries is a memo...

Leon Kass on Human Flourishing, Living Well, and Aristotle

08 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Leon Kass, long-time teacher of classic works at the University of Chicago and now Dean of Faculty at Shalem College in Jerusalem, talks about human f...

Michael Munger on Desires, Morality, and Self-Interest

01 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Economist and author Michael Munger of Duke University talks about human wants and desires with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Human beings have desires ...

John Cochrane on the Pandemic

22 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Would the impact of the pandemic have been different if government and policymakers had been more open to more market-based responses and less committ...

Dana Gioia on Learning, Poetry, and Studying with Miss Bishop

15 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Poet and author Dana Gioia talks about his book Studying with Miss Bishop with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. They talk about the craft of being a poet,...

Lamorna Ash on Dark, Salt, Clear

08 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Lamorna Ash talks about her book Dark, Salt, Clear with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Ash leaves London and moves to the small fishing village of Newlyn...

Michael McCullough on the Kindness of Strangers

01 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Author and psychologist Michael McCullough of the University of California, San Diego talks about his book The Kindness of Strangers with EconTalk h...

Scott Newstok on How to Think Like Shakespeare

25 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Author Scott Newstok of Rhodes College talks about his book, How to Think Like Shakespeare, with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Newstok draws on Shakespe...

Gary Shiffman on the Economics of Violence

18 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Economist and author Gary Shiffman of Georgetown University talks about his book, The Economics of Violence, with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Shiffman...

Don Boudreaux on Buchanan

11 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Economist and author Don Boudreaux of George Mason University discusses the life and work of the economist James Buchanan with EconTalk host Russ Rob...

Matthew Crawford on Why We Drive

04 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Author Matthew Crawford talks about his book Why We Drive with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. The conversation is about driving but also much more: how h...

Michael Blastland on the Hidden Half

28 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Author Michael Blastland talks about his book The Hidden Half with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Blastland argues that the deeper you delve into science...

Jay Bhattacharya on the Pandemic

21 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Economist and physician Jay Bhattacharya of Stanford University talks about the pandemic with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Bhattacharya, along with Sun...

Katherine Levine Einstein on Neighborhood Defenders

14 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Why is affordable housing in such short supply? Author and political scientist Katherine Levine Einstein of Boston University talks about her book Nei...

Branko Milanovic on the Big Questions of Economics

07 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Author and economist Branko Milanovic of CUNY talks about the big questions in economics with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Milanovic argues that the No...

Emily Oster on the Pandemic

30 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Economist and author Emily Oster of Brown University talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the challenge of reopening schools in a pandemic. Ost...

Daniel Haybron on Happiness

23 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Philosopher and author Daniel Haybron of St. Louis University talks about his book, Happiness, with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Happiness turns out to...

Virginia Postrel on Textiles and the Fabric of Civilization

16 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Author and journalist Virginia Postrel talks about her book The Fabric of Civilization and How Textiles Made the World with EconTalk host Russ Roberts...

Steven Levitt on Freakonomics and the State of Economics

09 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Author and economist Steven Levitt is the William B. Ogden Distinguished Service Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago and host of the p...

Rob Wiblin and Russ Roberts on Charity, Science, and Utilitarianism

02 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Rob Wiblin, host of the 80,000 Hours podcast, interviews EconTalk host Russ Roberts about charity, the reliability of data to inform decision-making, ...

Fredrik deBoer on the Cult of Smart

26 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Author and journalist Fredrik deBoer discusses his book The Cult of Smart with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. DeBoer argues that there is little that can...

Dwayne Betts on Reading, Prison, and the Million Book Project

19 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Author, lawyer, and poet Dwayne Betts talks about his time in prison and the power of reading with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Betts is the founder of...

Anne Applebaum on the Twilight of Democracy

12 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Journalist and author Anne Applebaum talks about her book, Twilight of Democracy, with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Applebaum discusses the rise of pop...

Zena Hitz on Lost in Thought

05 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Philosopher and author Zena Hitz of St. John's College talks about her book, Lost in Thought, with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Hitz defends learning f...

Agnes Callard on Aspiration

28 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Where do our deepest personal values come from? Can we choose those values? Philosopher and author Agnes Callard of the University of Chicago talks ab...

Lisa Cook on Racism, Patents, and Black Entrepreneurship

21 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How much has racism held back the U.S. economy? What would the country look like today if Black entrepreneurs and inventors had been welcomed and enco...

Robert Chitester on Milton Friedman and Free to Choose

14 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Once upon a time, a man had an idea for a documentary on free-market ideas. Then that man was introduced to Milton Friedman. The result of their colla...

Margaret Heffernan on Uncharted

07 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How do we prepare for a future that is unpredictable? That's the question at the heart of Margaret Heffernan's new book, Uncharted: How to Navigate t...

Matt Ridley on How Innovation Works

31 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What's the difference between invention and innovation? Could it be that innovation--the process of making a breakthrough invention available, afforda...

Franklin Zimring on When Police Kill

24 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Franklin Zimring's 2017 book, When Police Kill, starts with an alarming statistic: Roughly 1,000 Americans die each year at the hands of police. Zimri...

Michael Munger on the Future of Higher Education

17 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this c750th (!) episode, Duke University's Michael Munger talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about whether the pandemic might create an opportun...

Ben Cohen on the Hot Hand

10 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Journalist and author Ben Cohen talks about his book, The Hot Hand, with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. At times in sports and elsewhere in life, a perso...

John Kay and Mervyn King on Radical Uncertainty

03 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

John Kay and Mervyn King talk about their book, Radical Uncertainty, with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. This is a wide-ranging discussion based on the b...

Nassim Nicholas Taleb on the Pandemic

27 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Nassim Nicholas Taleb talks about the pandemic with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Topics discussed include how to handle the rest of this pandemic and t...

Glenn Loury on Race, Inequality, and America

20 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Economist and author Glenn Loury of Brown University talks about race in America with EconTalk host Russ Roberts.

Josh Williams on Online Gaming, Blockchain, and Forte

13 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Josh Williams, co-founder and CEO of the blockchain gaming company Forte, talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the state of online gaming and t...

Robert Lerman on Apprenticeships

06 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Economist Robert Lerman of the Urban Institute talks about apprenticeships with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Lerman argues that apprenticeships--a comb...

Vivian Lee on The Long Fix

29 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Physician and author Vivian Lee talks about her book The Long Fix with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Lee argues that we can transform health care in the...

Agnes Callard on Philosophy, Progress, and Wisdom

22 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Philosopher and author Agnes Callard talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the state of philosophy, the power of philosophy, and the search for ...

Diane Ravitch on Slaying Goliath

15 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Author and historian Diane Ravitch of New York University talks about her book, Slaying Goliath, with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Ravitch argues that ...

Rebecca Henderson on Reimagining Capitalism

08 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Author and economist Rebecca Henderson of the Harvard Business School talks about her book Reimagining Capitalism in a World on Fire with EconTalk hos...

Sarah Carr on Charter Schools, Educational Reform, and Hope Against Hope

01 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Journalist and author Sarah Carr talks about her book Hope Against Hope with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Carr looked at three schools in New Orleans i...

Martin Gurri on the Revolt of the Public

25 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Author Martin Gurri, Visiting Fellow at George Mason University's Mercatus Center, talks about his book The Revolt of the Public with EconTalk host Ru...

Robert Pondiscio on How the Other Half Learns

18 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Author and teacher Robert Pondiscio of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute talks about his book How the Other Half Learns with EconTalk host Russ Roberts....

Paul Romer on the COVID-19 Pandemic

15 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this bonus episode of EconTalk, economist and Nobel Laureate Paul Romer discusses the coronavirus pandemic with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Romer a...

Branko Milanovic on Capitalism, Alone

11 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Economist and author Branko Milanovic of the Graduate Center, CUNY, talks about his book, Capitalism, Alone, with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. They dis...

L.A. Paul on Vampires, Life Choices, and Transformation

04 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Philosopher and author L.A. Paul talks about her book Transformative Experience with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Paul explores the uncertainties that ...

Alan Lightman on Stardust, Meaning, Religion, and Science

27 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Physicist and author Alan Lightman talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the origins of the universe, meaning, transcendence, and the relationsh...

Vinay Prasad on Cancer Drugs, Medical Ethics, and Malignant

20 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Oncologist, author, and podcaster Vinay Prasad talks about his book Malignant with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Prasad lays out the conflicts of intere...

Ed Leamer on Manufacturing, Effort, and Inequality

13 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Economist Ed Leamer of UCLA talks about manufacturing, effort, and inequality with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. The conversation draws on recent empiri...

Arnold Kling on the Three Languages of Politics, Revisited

06 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Economist and author Arnold Kling talks about the revised edition of his book The Three Languages of Politics in front of a live audience at the Cato ...