Freakonomics, M.D.
Activity Overview
Episode publication activity over the past year
Episodes
The Economics of Everyday Things: Animal Urine
21 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the newest show from the Freakonomics Radio Network, host Zachary Crockett explores the hidden side of the things around us. This week: One creatur...
Tom Brady, A.D.H.D., and a Really Bad Headache (Bonus)
11 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A sneak peek at Bapu's new book, Random Acts of Medicine, available now from Doubleday, and an announcement about the show. Hosted by Simplecast, an A...
78. Do Kids Cause Divorce?
31 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Couples get divorced for all kinds of reasons. Is having kids one of them? Bapu talks about research that investigates what happens to parents who une...
77. They Make Minimum Wage. They Could Save Your Life.
24 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Doctors and nurses get most of the attention — but a new study suggests we can improve health care by raising wages for a group of workers who are o...
76. Is a Spoonful of Sunlight the Best Medicine?
17 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In hospitals, a softer pillow or a nicer room might be more than just amenities — they could improve outcomes for patients. Hosted by Simplecast, an...
75. What Is Sugar Really Doing to You?
10 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Americans eat a lot of sugar — and it’s hard to determine how it affects our health. Bapu explains how a new study uses data from the 1950s to hel...
74. How Does Playing Football Affect Your Health?
03 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s not a new question, but it’s a tricky one to study. Bapu explains why, and talks about how an N.F.L. labor dispute helped him get some answ...
73. Who Pays for Multimillion-Dollar Miracle Cures?
17 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The most expensive drugs in the world are treatments for genetic diseases. And more of these cures are on the horizon. How will anyone be able to affo...
72. What’s Stopping Us From Curing Rare Diseases?
10 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Breakthroughs in biotech that seem like science fiction are becoming reality. Why aren’t more patients benefiting from them? Hosted by Simplecast, a...
71. What Do COVID-19 and Cancer Have in Common?
03 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
mRNA vaccines helped bring the pandemic under control. Could they also train the immune system to fight cancer? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz compa...
70. Why Are There Still So Few Female Surgeons?
27 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Success and failure are hard to measure in medicine. Bapu looks at how surgeons are judged after a bad outcome — and whether men and women are treat...
69. Home Sweet … Hospital?
20 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We take it for granted that, when people are acutely ill, they should be in the hospital. Is there a better way? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz comp...
68. The E.R. Doctor’s Dilemma
13 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Figuring out which patients to hospitalize and which to safely send home can be tricky. Is there a way to make this decision easier for doctors — an...
What Can We Do About the Hardest Patients? (Ep. 51 Replay)
06 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A small number of patients with multiple chronic conditions use a lot of resources. Dr. Jeffrey Brenner found a way to identify and treat them. Could ...
67. Why Did This 60-Year-Old Man Collapse at the Supermarket?
30 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Bapu tries to stump master clinician Dr. Gurpreet Dhaliwal with a medical mystery. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for...
66. Does Health Insurance Make You Healthier?
23 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It’s a surprisingly hard question to answer. Bapu talks with a health economist about a natural experiment that led to some unexpected findings. H...
65. How Do Pandemics Change Health Care?
16 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
At the start of the 20th century, there weren’t many hospitals in the U.S. That changed in 1918, thanks to the Great Influenza pandemic. Its effects...
64. Is Facebook Bad for Your Mental Health?
09 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Half the world's population uses social media — and a new study suggests that it causes anxiety and depression. Can anything be done, or is it too l...
63. What Medicine Gets Wrong About Race
02 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Some diagnostic tests give distorted results for Black patients. How are doctors trying to change that? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See ...
Why Don’t We Have a Cure for Alzheimer’s? (Ep. 49 Update)
25 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Promising drugs keep failing in trials. Allegations of fraud have cast a shadow over the field. An expert explains why Alzheimer’s treatments have b...
62. Dr. Ashish Jha Anticipated a Pandemic. He Didn’t Think It Would Look Like This.
18 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Bapu talks to White House Covid Czar Dr. Ashish Jha about becoming a household name, studying pandemics, and the frustrations of politics. Also, when ...
61. Should You Bother Getting a Colonoscopy?
11 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Colonoscopy is strongly recommended for Americans over 45. But a new study suggests its benefits have been overstated. Should we change how we screen ...
60. The Doctor Is Out. The Physician Assistant Is In.
04 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Chances are, at some point you’ll be treated by a nurse practitioner or a physician assistant instead of a doctor. Will your care suffer? Hosted b...
59. The Most Valuable Resource in Medicine
28 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Time is precious. How can doctors and patients make the best use of it — especially when there isn’t much left? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz...
58. How Important Is Breastfeeding, Really?
21 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Can a clever new study shed light on one of parenting’s most elusive and contentious questions? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm....
57. Doctors Know They Prescribe Too Many Antibiotics. Why Don’t They Stop?
14 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Antibiotics save lives. But what happens when we use them too much? Bapu looks at how changing physician behavior could help prevent a major public he...
56. Could Prison Be Good for Your Health?
07 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Incarceration has been linked to infectious diseases, mental illness, cancer, and violence. But new research suggests it can extend some people’s li...
55. This Vaccine Lottery Seemed Like a Great Idea. Why Didn’t it Work?
30 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Behavioral economists say “regret lotteries” are powerful motivational tools. When Philadelphia tried one in 2021, the results were disappointing....
54. Will You Ever Go Back to Your Doctor’s Office?
23 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When COVID hit, telemedicine use in the U.S. exploded. But how are we using it now? Bapu Jena explores the consequences of this evolving technology. H...
53. Why Do Doctors Have to Play Defense?
16 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
After the Supreme Court’s abortion decision, doctors in some states are concerned that delivering treatment could put them in legal jeopardy. Bapu J...
52. Who Gets a Heart Disease Test?
09 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Medical tests can save lives. So how do doctors decide who gets tested, and when? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for in...
Why Fridays May Be Dangerous for Your Health (Ep. 9 Replay)
02 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When researchers analyzed which day of the week most F.D.A. drug-safety alerts are released — and what it means for public health — they were stun...
51. What Can We Do About the Hardest Patients?
26 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A small number of patients with multiple, chronic conditions use a lot of resources. Dr. Jeffrey Brenner found a way to identify and treat them. Could...
50. What Happens When a Hospital Closes?
19 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When a hospital closes in a rural area, it’s a big deal. But are all patients affected equally? We look at new research on the unexpected outcomes o...
49. Why Don’t We Have a Cure for Alzheimer’s?
12 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Promising drugs keep failing in trials. Allegations of fraud have cast a shadow over the field. An expert explains why Alzheimer’s treatments have b...
48. The Hidden Consequences of School Shootings
05 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Beyond the immediate casualties, school shootings have costs — for survivors, and for the rest of us. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See ...
47. Should We Trust Hospital Rankings?
29 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Hospitals compete for prime spots on the U.S. News rankings — but could those lists be doing more harm than good? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz...
How Does Retirement Affect Your Brain? (Ep. 17 Replay)
22 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Our cognitive health can change as we get older. So, does leaving the workforce make problems like memory loss and difficulty focusing worse? We inves...
46. Could Long Covid Help Treat Other Chronic Illnesses?
15 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Chronic fatigue syndrome looks remarkably similar to Long Covid, but has been ignored by the medical community. Could patients finally get some answer...
45. Why Is July a Bad Month to Visit the Hospital?
08 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Learning requires practice — and if you visit a teaching hospital in July, there’s a good chance your doctor hasn’t had much of it. So, will you...
44. Office Hours with Bapu
01 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Can you diagnose cancer too early? Do in-flight medical emergencies vary by location? We asked you to send Bapu your questions, and this week he tries...
43. The Comedian-Ophthalmologist Will See You Now
24 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Will Flanary, a.k.a Dr. Glaucomflecken, has always been a comedy fan. During the pandemic, he found an audience. But should doctors be funny with ...
42. Your Doctor Has to Go Home. Now What?
17 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When a doctor’s shift ends, or a physician retires, are patients left in the lurch? Bapu Jena looks at the challenge of managing medical transitions...
41. Is Rainy Day Joint Pain All in Your Head?
10 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You’ve heard that the weather can make your joints hurt. Maybe you’ve even felt it yourself. But, is it true? Bapu Jena looks at why we think we k...
40. How Will We Handle the Heat?
03 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The world is warmer than ever, and getting hotter. Bapu Jena looks at how heat affects our bodies and our behavior — and how we might adapt to risin...
A Shave, a Haircut, and a Blood Pressure Test (Ep. 6 Update)
27 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
For Black men, the barbershop is a neighborhood hub. It could also be a place for them to get medical care. Plus: What happens to patients when affirm...
38. Pfizer’s CEO on the Big Gamble That Brought Us the COVID Vaccine
20 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Bapu Jena talks with Albert Bourla about his unusual path to the top, developing a life-saving vaccine in record time, and the second-hardest decision...
37. Can Fear Be Good Medicine?
13 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Fear is a popular tool in public health campaigns. But is it an effective one? Bapu Jena discusses new research on whether we can — and should — s...
36. Bad News — It’s Your Surgeon’s Birthday
06 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Distractions are everywhere — including in the operating room. So, what happens if a surgeon loses focus? A tap dancer, a health researcher, and a s...
35. Are More Expensive Hospitals Better?
29 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
For lots of things, price is an indicator of quality. But what about in health care? Bapu Jena gets some clues from Steve Levitt’s wine tasting expe...
34. Should We Have to Pay for Our Sins?
22 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Taxes on alcohol and tobacco promise to make people healthier and raise public funds. But can they backfire? Bapu Jena looks at the complicated econom...
33. What Do a Full Moon, the Super Bowl, and Tax Day Have in Common?
15 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tax deadlines can stress us out. But do they also influence our conscious — and subconscious — behavior? Bapu Jena looks at why, with our health, ...
From Against the Rules with Michael Lewis: Six Levels Down
12 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We’re sharing a special preview of the new season of Against the Rules from Pushkin Industries. In this clip, bestselling author Michael Lewis explo...
32. What is a Good Death — and Why Do So Few of Us Get One?
08 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to end-of-life medical care, getting it right can be hard — even for doctors. Bapu Jena discusses surprising research on how we can ...
31. Should You Trust Angelina Jolie or Your Doctor?
01 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Celebrities influence the clothes we wear and the books we read. Do they also affect our health decisions? Bapu Jena looks at what happens when people...
30. How Do We Know if Alcohol Is Bad for Us?
25 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Getting solid answers in medicine can be hard — especially when the normal tools are off-limits. Dr. Bapu Jena discusses a research method that’s ...
29. How to Save a Stranger’s Heart
18 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Cardiac arrest is one of the leading causes of death globally. What if it doesn’t have to be that way? Bapu Jena walks us through some solutions tha...
28. Is Daylight Saving Time Hazardous to Your Health?
11 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Changing the clocks has been linked to car accidents and heart attacks. This week, Bapu Jena sheds some light on the damage we might be doing by sprin...
27. What Can Bin Laden Teach Us About Medicine?
04 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When trust in doctors or the healthcare system is lost, it’s really hard to get back. Bapu Jena explores the ripple effects of a C.I.A. operation to...
26. When is a ‘High-Risk’ Pregnancy a Good Thing?
25 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Giving birth in the United States can be dangerous for both moms and their kids. Sometimes, that's because of too little medical care — and someti...
25. Would You Rather See a Computer or a Doctor?
18 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Well, which is better at predicting your risk of having a heart attack? Bapu Jena explores the promise — and perils — of artificial intelligence i...
24. How Can You Choose the Best Doctor?
11 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We often select doctors based on their reputations or on misconceptions about what really matters. But research shows that doctors’ experience and w...
23. Is the Placebo Effect for Real?
04 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In Latin, the word “placebo” means “I shall please.” In the medical world, placebos mean something … well, a little different. Bapu Jena w...
22. What If TV Isn't Bad for Us?
28 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We now have more access to TV, movies, and streaming entertainment than anytime in history. So what do we actually know about what all that screen tim...
21. Should We Pay People to Be Healthier?
21 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Each year, millions of people get sick or die from diseases caused by their own unhealthy behavior. Getting people to change their bad habits – to q...
20. Do Our Politics Need a Doctor?
14 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Bill Frist was a transplant surgeon before serving in the Senate, where he drove controversial legislation on embryonic stem cells and end-of-life car...
19. Do Your Doctor’s Political Views Affect Your Care?
07 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Since doctors are human, they bring their own beliefs and preferences into the examination room. But they’ve also taken an oath to act in the best i...
18. When Is a Natural Disaster Good for Your Health?
31 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A clever study tracking the survivors of Hurricane Katrina came to a bold conclusion: when it comes to your health, place is destiny. So how can the b...
17. How Does Retirement Affect Your Brain?
24 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Aging carries a risk of losing our memory, focus, and ability to take care of ourselves and others. Does leaving the workforce worsen that risk? We in...
16. An Exit Interview with N.I.H. Director Dr. Francis Collins
17 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The National Institutes of Health is the backbone of health research in the U.S., and Collins has been in charge for more than a decade. Now that he’...
15. The Most “Unique, Excellent, and Promising” Episode
10 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Studies by men published in scientific journals are more likely to include glowing, hyperbolic terms. Bapu talks about this “groundbreaking” resea...
14. Is Uber Good (or Bad) for Your Health?
03 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When you need a ride to the hospital, who should you call? Bapu talks with economist David Slusky about how ridesharing services are increasingly repl...
13. When Bapu Met Levitt
26 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Once upon a time, Bapu Jena was a graduate student at the University of Chicago. His most interesting teacher? The economist Steve Levitt. This week o...
12. Where Do All the Bad Ideas Go?
19 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ideas are currency. This couldn't be more true in academia, where it's the job of researchers to think of questions and, hopefully, find answers. Bapu...
11. Why Do So Many Donated Kidneys End Up in the Trash?
12 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Every year, thousands of people in the U.S. die while they’re waiting for a new kidney, yet thousands of available organs get thrown away. Bapu talk...
10. The Mystery of the Man with Confusion and Back Pain
29 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Hear diagnostician Gurpreet Dhaliwal try to solve the case of a patient who came to the emergency room with an unusual combination of symptoms. Plus, ...
9. Why Fridays May Be Dangerous for Your Health
01 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When researchers analyzed which day of the week most drug-safety alerts are released — and what it means for public health — they were stunned. So...
8. A Playbook for Beating the Next Pandemic
24 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We dig into why Covid-19 caught us so unprepared and how we can make sure we’re ready for a future public-health crisis with former FDA director Sco...
7. What Happens to Patients When Thousands of Cardiologists Leave Town?
17 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Bapu Jena presents some hot-off-the-presses research exploring the relationship between how many patients a doctor sees, and how well those...
6. Are Barbershops the Cutting Edge of Healthcare Delivery?
10 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Bapu Jena talks with a barber and a pharmacist whose study brought healthcare to Black men in Los Angeles who were getting haircuts. They discuss its ...
5. How to Solve a Medical Mystery
03 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A woman comes to the emergency room with back pain. She’ll leave with an unexpected diagnosis. How does her doctor figure out what’s wrong? Listen...
4. What Do Grocery Store Prices and Heart Surgery Have in Common?
27 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Humans are hardwired to focus on the left digit in numbers. It’s why products are priced at $3.99 instead of $4.00. But does this left-digit bias al...
3. Why Are Kids With Summer Birthdays More Likely to Get the Flu?
20 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
After struggling to schedule a flu shot for his own toddler, host Bapu Jena went down a research rabbit hole. He discovered that the time of year kids...
2. Do As Docs Say, Not As They Do
13 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Does having more health information actually change behavior? To test this question, host Bapu Jena explores whether doctors make healthier choices th...
1. Covid and the “Birthday Effect”
06 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Host Bapu Jena is an economist and medical doctor whose latest research measures the link between birthdays and Covid. He explains his team’s findin...
Introducing “Freakonomics, M.D.”
21 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How can a marathon be dangerous even if you don’t run the race? Does your doctor follow medical advice any better than you do? Just how dangerous wa...
Marathons Can Be Deadly — But Not For the Reasons You May Think
10 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this pilot episode of a new “Freakonomics of Medicine” podcast, when host Dr. Bapu Jena misses his wife’s 5K run, he sets out to study how ro...