35. Dental Insurance
05 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why is it separate from medical insurance? And is it really insurance at all? Zachary Crockett goes ...
34. Store-Brand Products
29 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Those low-priced staples on grocery-store shelves — where do they come from? Zachary Crockett find...
33. Sex Scenes
22 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Behind these steamy sequences, there are body doubles, pubic wigs, legal documents, and dedicated ch...
32. Used Golf Balls
15 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
American golfers lose 300 million balls a year — and all those bad swings are someone else’s bus...
31. Superhot Chili Peppers
08 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The market for gustatory pain is surprisingly competitive. Zachary Crockett feels the burn. SOURCES...
30. Card Counting
01 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Casinos think they can stop skilled gamblers from eking out a tiny edge at blackjack. Is that a losi...
10. Michelin Stars (Replay)
25 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Only the finest restaurants have a chance to bask in their glow. Sometimes, it’s a bit too bright....
29. Greeting Cards
18 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The tradition of sending cards to loved ones was in decline — until it was rescued by a new genera...
28. Horseshoe Crab Blood
11 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How does the blood of a 450-million-year-old arthropod help prevent lethal infections in humans? And...
27. Romance Novels
04 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How did love stories about vampires, cowboys, and wealthy dukes become the highest-grossing fiction ...
3. My Sharona (Replay)
27 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Can a hit single from four decades ago still pay the bills? Zachary Crockett f-f-f-finds out. RESOU...
26. Graffiti
20 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Is graffiti public art, or public nuisance? It depends who you ask. Zachary Crockett tags in where...
25. Private Jets
13 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Executives shell out millions of dollars for the privilege of flying private — but that convenienc...
24. Pistachios
06 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How did a little green nut become a billion-dollar product, lauded by celebrities in Super Bowl ads?...
23. Cadavers - Part 2
30 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the final part of our series, Zachary Crockett talks to a man with a storied — and controversia...
22. Cadavers - Part 1
23 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the first of two episodes, Zachary Crockett digs into the strange and discomfiting history of cad...
21. Car Washes
16 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Why are these sudsy roadside stops one of the fastest growing industries in America? Zachary Crocket...
20. Tattoo Parlors
09 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
More people than ever before are getting tattoos — but social media has flipped the trade’s busi...
19. Pizza Boxes
02 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There’s more than meets the eye to the box that stores the pie. Zachary Crockett cracks the lid. ...
4. Used Hotel Soaps (Replay)
25 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hotel guests adore those cute little soaps, but is it just a one-night stand? Zachary Crockett disco...
18. Mobile Home Parks
18 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
They’ve long been associated with crime and blight. Now, the investors are moving in. Zachary Croc...
17. Truffles
11 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It takes fungi-sniffing dogs, back-room deals, and a guy named “The Kingpin” for the world’s m...
16. Prop Money
04 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Who makes the stacks of fake cash used in movies — and how do they stay clear of counterfeit law? ...
15. Home Staging
28 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How do you turn an empty house into a buyer’s dream home? Zachary Crockett pulls back the curtain....
Girl Scout Cookies (Ep. 2 Replay)
21 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How does America's cutest sales force get billions of Thin Mints, Samoas, and Tagalongs into our han...
14. “Happy Birthday to You”
14 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The most popular song of the 20th century — and a key part of a ubiquitous American ritual — was...
13. Carnival Games
07 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Does anyone ever win the giant teddy bear? Zachary Crockett steps right up. Hosted by Simplecast, an...
12. Women’s Sports Bars
31 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Most sports bars rarely screen women's games. Zachary Crockett taps into the strategy of one woman w...
11. Cashmere
24 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Once a luxury good, the soft fiber is now everywhere — which has led to a goat boom in Mongolia. Z...
10. Michelin Stars
17 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Only the finest restaurants have a chance to bask in their glow. Sometimes, it’s a bit too bright....
9. Bowling Alleys
10 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Once America’s favorite recreational activity, bowling has been in the gutter for decades. But som...
8. Delaware License Plates
03 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Vanity plates might be 2KUL4U, but in the Blue Hen State, low-digit plates command high-digit prices...
7. Animal Urine
26 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
One creature’s trash is another’s cash. Zachary Crockett flushes out the numbers with a man who ...
6. T. rex Skeletons
19 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How do they emerge from the Upper Cretaceous period to end up in natural-history museums and private...
5. Sports Mascots
12 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We’re not sure what that creature cavorting on the sidelines is — but it doesn’t come cheap. Z...
4. Used Hotel Soaps
13 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hotel guests adore those cute little soaps, but is it just a one-night stand? Zachary Crockett disco...
3. My Sharona
06 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Can a hit single from four decades ago still pay the bills? Zachary Crockett f-f-f-finds out. Hosted...
2. Girl Scout Cookies
30 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How does America's cutest sales force get billions of Thin Mints, Samoas, and Tagalongs into our han...
1. Gas Stations
23 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In our first episode, host Zachary Crockett sidles up to the pump to ask: Who owns your local gas ...
Coming Soon: The Economics of Everyday Things
19 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A new show is coming to the Freakonomics Radio Network. Stay tuned for The Economics of Everyday Thi...