Freakonomics, M.D.

The Economics of Everyday Things: Animal Urine

In the newest show from the Freakonomics Radio Network, host Zachary Crockett explores the hidden side of the things around us. This week: One creature’s trash is another

Tom Brady, A.D.H.D., and a Really Bad Headache (Bonus)

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 AdsWizz company. Se

78. Do Kids Cause Divorce?

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 unexpectedly have twins

77. They Make Minimum Wage. They Could Save Your Life.

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 often overlooked. Hos

76. Is a Spoonful of Sunlight the Best Medicine?

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 AdsWizz company. Se

75. What Is Sugar Really Doing to You?

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 help solve the mystery. H

74. How Does Playing Football Affect Your Health?

 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 answers.  Hosted by Simplec

73. Who Pays for Multimillion-Dollar Miracle Cures?

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 afford them? Hosted by

72. What’s Stopping Us From Curing Rare Diseases?

Breakthroughs in biotech that seem like science fiction are becoming reality. Why aren’t more patients benefiting from them? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. S

71. What Do COVID-19 and Cancer Have in Common?

mRNA vaccines helped bring the pandemic under control. Could they also train the immune system to fight cancer? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswiz

70. Why Are There Still So Few Female Surgeons?

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 treated the same. Hosted

69. Home Sweet … Hospital?

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 company. See pcm.adswi

68. The E.R. Doctor’s Dilemma

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 — and get better outcomes,

What Can We Do About the Hardest Patients? (Ep. 51 Replay)

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 it reduce health-car

67. Why Did This 60-Year-Old Man Collapse at the Supermarket?

Bapu tries to stump master clinician Dr. Gurpreet Dhaliwal with a medical mystery.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about

66. Does Health Insurance Make You Healthier?

It’s a surprisingly hard question to answer. Bapu talks with a health economist about a natural experiment that led to some unexpected findings.  Hosted by Simplecast,

65. How Do Pandemics Change Health Care?

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 on health care are st

64. Is Facebook Bad for Your Mental Health?

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 late? Hosted by Simpl

63. What Medicine Gets Wrong About Race

Some diagnostic tests give distorted results for Black patients. How are doctors trying to change that? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com fo

Why Don’t We Have a Cure for Alzheimer’s? (Ep. 49 Update)

Promising drugs keep failing in trials. Allegations of fraud have cast a shadow over the field. An expert explains why Alzheimer’s treatments have been so hard to find —