Ellen Wiebe is a physician who helps seriously ill patients end their lives in Canada, where assisted suicide is legal. Is death a human right? SOURCES: Ellen Wiebe, clinical professor of medicine at the University of British Columbia. RESOURCES: "The Last Decision by the World’s Leading Thinker on Decisions," by Jason Zweig (The Wall Street Journal, 2025). "Most Americans Favor Legal Euthanasia," by Rachael Yi (Gallup, 2024). Canadian Association of MAID Assessors and Providers. "Medical Assistance in Dying: Overview," (Government of Canada). EXTRAS: "Can Robots Get a Grip?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2025). "Remembering Daniel Kahneman," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024). "Does Death Have to Be a Death Sentence?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021). Thinking, Fast and Slow, by Daniel Kahneman (2011).

He has been a lawyer, an instructor at the F.B.I. Academy, the owner of a frozen-yogurt chain, and a winner of the TV show Survivor. Today, Kwon works at Google, but things haven’t always come easily for him. Steve Levitt talks to Kwon about his debilitating childhood anxieties, his compulsion to choose the hardest path in life, and how Kwon used game theory to stage a victory on Survivor. SOURCES: Yul Kwon, vice president of product management at Google. RESOURCES: Teacher Application for ASU Prep Tempe. EXTRAS: "Are Our Tools Becoming Part of Us?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024). "Yul Kwon: 'Hey, Do You Have Any Bright Ideas?' (Part 2)," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021). "Robert Axelrod on Why Being Nice, Forgiving, and Provokable are the Best Strategies for Life," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).

Ken Goldberg is at the forefront of robotics — which means he tries to teach machines to do things humans find trivial. SOURCES: Ken Goldberg, professor of industrial engineering and operations research at U.C. Berkeley. RESOURCES: "The Bitter Lesson," by Rich Sutton (UT Austin, 2019). R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots): A Fantastic Melodrama in Three Acts and an Epilogue, by Karel Capek (2019). "The Robot in the Cloud: A Conversation With Ken Goldberg," by Quentin Hardy (New York Times, 2014). Mind Children: The Future of Robot and Human Intelligence, by Hans Moravec (1990). "Stochastic Plans for Robotic Manipulation," by Ken Goldberg (Carnegie Mellon University, 1990). "The Two Cultures And The Scientific Revolution," by C. P. Snow (Cambridge University Press, 1959). Dex-Net Ancient Wisdom for a Future Ecology: Trees, Time, and Technology. Ambi Robotics. "The Telegarden." EXTRAS: "Feeling Sound and Hearing Color," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024). "Are Our Tools Becoming Part of Us?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024). “My God, This Is a Transformative Power,” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023). "Drawing from Life (and Death)" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023). "Aicha Evans Wants You to Take Your Eyes Off the Road," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).

Suzanne O'Sullivan is a neurologist who sees many patients with psychosomatic disorders. Their symptoms may be psychological in origin, but their pain is real and physical — and the way we practice medicine, she argues, is making those and other health problems worse. SOURCES: Suzanne O'Sullivan, neurologist and author of The Age of Diagnosis How Our Obsession with Medical Labels Is Making Us Sicker. RESOURCES: The Age of Diagnosis: How Our Obsession with Medical Labels Is Making Us Sicker, by Suzanne O'Sullivan (2025). "Associations of Depression, Anxiety, Worry, Perceived Stress, and Loneliness Prior to Infection With Risk of Post-COVID-19 Conditions," by Siwen Wang, Luwei Quan, Jorge Chavarro, Natalie Slopen, Laura Kubzansky, Karestan Koenen, Jae Hee Kang, Marc G. Weisskopf, Westyn Branch-Elliman, and Andrea Roberts (JAMA Psychiatry, 2022). "How beliefs about coronavirus disease (COVID) influence COVID-like symptoms? – A longitudinal study." by Liron Rozenkrantz, Tobias Kube, Michael H Bernstein, and John D.E. Gabrieli (Health Psychology, 2022). "Risk factors for worsening of somatic symptom burden in a prospective cohort during the COVID-19 pandemic," by Petra Engelmann, Bernd Löwe, Thomas Theo Brehm, Angelika Weigel, Felix Ullrich, Marylyn Addo, Julian Schulze Zur Wiesch, Ansgar Lohse, and Anne Toussaint (Frontier Psychology, 2022). The Sleeping Beauties: And Other Stories of Mystery Illness, by Suzanne O'Sullivan (2021). Brainstorm: Detective Stories from the World of Neurology, by Suzanne O'Sullivan (2018). "The Trauma of Facing Deportation," by Rachel Aviv (The New Yorker, 2017). It's All in Your Head: True Stories of Imaginary Illness, by Suzanne O'Sullivan (2015). The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma, by Bessel van der Kolk (2014). "Explaining the Rise in Youth Suicide," by David Cutler, Edward Glaeser, and Karen Norberg (National Bureau of Economic Research, 2001). EXTRAS: Counted Out, documentary (2024). "Bringing Data to Life," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023). "Adding Ten Healthy Years to Your Life," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023). "America’s Math Curriculum Doesn’t Add Up," by Freakonomics Radio (2019). Race to Nowhere, documentary (2010). Data Science for Everyone.

Reginald Dwayne Betts spent more than eight years in prison. Today he's a Yale Law graduate, a MacArthur Fellow, and a poet. His nonprofit works to build libraries in prisons so that more incarcerated people can find hope. SOURCES: Reginald Dwayne Betts, founder and director of Freedom Reads, award-winning poet, and lawyer. RESOURCES: Doggerel: Poems, by Reginald Dwayne Betts (2025). “The Poet Writing on Prison Underwear,” by Adam Iscoe (The New Yorker, 2023). The Voltage Effect, by John List (2022). “If We Truly Believe in Redemption and Second Chances, Parole Should Be Celebrated,” by Reginald Dwayne Betts (The Washington Post, 2021). Insurrections, by Rion Scott (2016). The Secret History of Wonder Woman, by Jill Lepore (2014). Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values, by Robert M. Pirsig (1974). The Black Poets, by Dudley Randall (1971). “For Freckle-Faced Gerald,” by Etheridge Knight (Poems from Prison, 1968). Felon: An America Washi Tale, by Reginald Dwayne Betts. Freedom Reads. EXTRAS: “Can a Moonshot Approach to Mental Health Work?” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023). “Can Data Keep People Out of Prison?” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023). “The Price of Doing Business with John List,” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022). “Why Do Most Ideas Fail to Scale?” by Freakonomics Radio (2022).

Chemist Jack Szostak wants to understand how the first life forms came into being on Earth. He and Steve discuss the danger of "mirror bacteria," the origin of biology in poisonous chemicals, and the possibility that life might exist on other planets too. SOURCES: Jack Szostak, Nobel laureate and professor of chemistry at The University of Chicago. RESOURCES: Is Earth Exceptional?: The Quest for Cosmic Life, by Mario Livio and Jack Szostak (2024) "Q&A: How ‘Mirror Bacteria’ Could Take a Devastating Toll on Humanity," by Isabella Backman (Yale School of Medicine, 2024). "The virtual circular genome model for primordial RNA replication," by Jack Szostak, Lijun Zhou, and Dian Ding (RNA, 2021). "Protocells and RNA Self-Replication," by Gerald Joyce and Jack Szostak (Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology, 2018). "The Narrow Road to the Deep Past: In Search of the Chemistry of the Origin of Life," by Jack Szostak (Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2017). "Jack Szostak on 'Life in the Lab' (And Autocatalytic Sets)" by Suzan Mazur (Huffington Post, 2014). "Jack W. Szostak Interview" (The Nobel Prize, 2009). "The Miller-Urey Experiment" (National Center for Science Education). "From Old Vials, New Hints on Origin of Life," by Kenny Chang (New York Times, 2008). EXTRAS: What Is It Like to Be an Addict?: Understanding Substance Abuse, by Owen Flanagan (2025) "UPDATE: What It’s Like to Be Steve Levitt’s Daughters," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024). "We Can Play God Now," by Freakonomics Radio (2022).

Owen Flanagan's newest book details his 20-year dependence on alcohol and pills — and outlines his research on what addiction can tell us about the nature of consciousness. SOURCES: Owen Flanagan, philosopher, neurobiologist, and professor emeritus at Duke University. RESOURCES: What Is It Like to Be an Addict?: Understanding Substance Abuse, by Owen Flanagan (2025). Consciousness Reconsidered, by Owen Flanagan (1993). Against Happiness, by Owen Flanagan, Joseph E. LeDoux, Bobby Bingle, Daniel M. Haybron, Batja Mesquita, Michele Moody-Adams, Songyao Ren, Anna Sun, and Yolonda Y. Wilson. (2023). The Bodhisattva's Brain: Buddhism Naturalized, by Owen Flanagan (2013). The Really Hard Problem: Meaning in a Material World, by Owen Flanagan (2009). Big Book, by Alcoholics Anonymous. "Impact of the DSM-IV to DSM-5 Changes on the National Survey on Drug Use and Health," by Cristie Glasheen, Kathryn Batts, Rhonda Karg, Jonaki Bose, Sarra Hedden, and Kathryn Piscopo (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2016). EXTRAS: "Professor Carl Hart Argues All Drugs Should Be Legal — Can He Convince Steve?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021). Drug Use for Grown-Ups: Chasing Liberty in the Land of Fear, by Carl Hart (2021).

The primatologist discusses the thrill of observing chimpanzees in the wild, the value of challenging orthodoxy, and why dying is her next great adventure. SOURCES: Dr. Jane Goodall, GBE, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and U.N. Messenger of Peace. RESOURCES: The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times, by Jane Goodall, Douglas Abrams, and Gail Hudson (2021). Jane, by Brett Morgen (2017). “Remembering My Mentor: Robert Hinde,” by Jane Goodall (2017). The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness, by Sy Montgomery (2015). Dr. Spock On Parenting: Sensible, Reassuring Advice for Today’s Parent, by by Benjamin Spock, M.D. (2001). The Mentality of Apes, by Wolfgang Kohler (1976). “Miss Goodall and the Wild Chimpanzees,” (1965). EXTRAS: Roots and Shoots. Jane Goodall Hopecast. The Jane Goodall Institute. Grameen Foundation. “A Cross Between Sherlock Holmes and Indiana Jones,” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022). “‘No One Can Resist a Jolly, Happy Pig,'” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022).

Hank Green is an internet phenomenon and a master communicator, with a plan to reform higher education. He and Steve talk about the video blog that launched Hank’s career, the economics of the internet, and how a cancer diagnosis prompted him to become a stand-up comedian. SOURCES: Hank Green, founder of Complexly and science communicator RESOURCES: Complexly CrashCourse YouTube Channel SciShow YouTube Channel Vlogbrothers YouTube Channel The Show with Ze Frank Study Hall "An Absolutely Remarkable Thing," by Hank Green (2018) "A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor," by Hank Green (2020) "So, I've got cancer," by Vlogbrothers (2023) "My Cancer Press Tier List," by Vlogbrothers (2023) "Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted" by Suleika Jaouad (2021) "The Impact of Legalized Abortion on Crime," by John Donohue III and Steve Levitt (The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2001) "Hoodwinked?" by Stephen Dubner and Steve Levitt (New York Times, 2006) "An Ancient Roman Shipwreck May Explain the Universe," by SciShow (2024) EXTRAS: "John Green’s Reluctant Rocket Ship Ride," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022) "Suleika Jaouad’s Survival Mechanisms," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024)

Jonathan Levin is an academic economist who now runs one of the most influential universities in the world. He tells Steve how he saved Comcast a billion dollars, why he turned down Steve’s unusual pitch to come to the University of Chicago, and why being a nice guy makes him a better college president. SOURCE: Jonathan Levin, president of Stanford University. RESOURCES: "Income Segregation and Intergenerational Mobility Across Colleges in the United States," by Raj Chetty, John N Friedman, Emmanuel Saez, Nicholas Turner, and Danny Yagan (The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2020). "Jonathan Levin: The Most Recent John Bates Clark Medal Winner," by Steve Levitt (Freakonomics Blog, 2011). "Winning Play in Spectrum Auctions," by Jeremy Bulow, Jonathan Levin, and Paul Milgrom (NBER Working Paper, 2009). "Information and Competition in U.S. Forest Service Timber Auctions," by Susan Athey and Jonathan Levin (Journal of Political Economy, 2001). EXTRAS: Vintage Pokémon card pack Instagram video, by Tyler Thrasher (2025). "Higher Education Is Broken. Can It Be Fixed?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023). "How Much Are the Right Friends Worth?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022).

Sarah Hart investigates the mathematical structures underlying musical compositions and literature. Using examples from Monteverdi to Lewis Carroll, Sarah explains to Steve how math affects how we hear music and understand stories. SOURCE: Sarah Hart, professor emerita of mathematics at the University of London. RESOURCES: Once Upon a Prime: The Wondrous Connections Between Mathematics and Literature, by Sarah Hart (2023). "Ahab's Arithmetic: The Mathematics of Moby-Dick," by Sarah B. Hart (Journal of Humanistic Mathematics, 2021). "Online Lecture: The Mathematics of Musical Composition," by Sarah Hart (Gresham College, 2020). Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, film (2018). The Luminaries: A Novel, by Eleanor Catton (2013). Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure, edited by Rachel Fershleiser and Larry Smith (2008). Les Revenentes, by Georges Perec (1972). A Void, by Georges Perec (1969). Cent Mille Milliards de Poèmes, by Raymond Queneau (1961). Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There, by Lewis Carroll (1871). Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll (1865). OuLiPo. EXTRAS: "The Joy of Math With Sarah Hart," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023). "Mathematician Sarah Hart on Why Numbers are Music to Our Ears," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).

Sarah Stein Greenberg runs Stanford’s d.school, which teaches design as a mode of problem solving. She and Steve talk about what makes her field different from other academic disciplines, how to approach hard problems, and why brainstorms are so annoying. SOURCE: Sarah Stein Greenberg, executive director of the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford University. RESOURCES: Creative Acts for Curious People: How to Think, Create, and Lead in Unconventional Ways, by Sarah Stein Greenberg (2021). Noora Health. Civilla. Substantial. Rare. Sarah Stein Greenberg wildlife photography. EXTRAS: "Feeling Sound and Hearing Color," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024). "Why Are Boys and Men in Trouble?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024). "What’s Impacting American Workers?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024). "Richard Dawkins on God, Genes, and Murderous Baby Cuckoos," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024). "The World’s Most Controversial Ornithologist," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024). "How PETA Made Radical Ideas Mainstream," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024). "Pay Attention! (Your Body Will Thank You)," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024). "How to Have Great Conversations," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024). "Suleika Jaouad’s Survival Mechanisms," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024). "Daron Acemoglu on Economics, Politics, and Power," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024). "Nobel Laureate Claudia Goldin on 'Greedy Work' and the Wage Gap," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023). "A Rockstar Chemist and Her Cancer-Attacking 'Lawn Mower,'" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022). "Daniel Kahneman on Why Our Judgment is Flawed — and What to Do About It," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021). "Why Is Richard Thaler Such a ****ing Optimist?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).

In her book, Rumbles, medical historian Elsa Richardson explores the history of the human gut. She talks with Steve about dubious medical practices, gruesome tales of survival, and the things that medieval doctors may have gotten right. SOURCE: Elsa Richardson, medical historian at the University of Strathclyde. RESOURCES: Rumbles: A Curious History of the Gut: The Secret Story of the Body's Most Fascinating Organ, by Elsa Richardson (2024). Michael Levitt retirement speech (2024). "Was There Really a Hawthorne Effect at the Hawthorne Plant? An Analysis of the Original Illumination Experiments," by Steven D. Levitt and John A. List (NBER Working Paper, 2009). "Floating Stools — Flatus versus Fat," by Michael D. Levitt and William C. Duane (The New England Journal of Medicine, 1972). "Factors Influencing Pulmonary Methane Excretion in Man," by John H. Bond, Rolf R. Engel, and Michael D. Levitt (Journal of Experimental Medicine, 1971). The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals, by Charles Darwin (1872). The Levitt Lab Founding School Leader, job listing. The Levitt Lab, information page. EXTRAS: "An Update on the Khan World School," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023). “Is This the Future of High School?” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022). “Sal Khan: ‘If It Works for 15 Cousins, It Could Work for a Billion People,'” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021). "The Power of Poop," by Freakonomics Radio (2011).

How psychologist Dan Gilbert went from high school dropout to Harvard professor, found the secret of joy, and inspired Steve Levitt's divorce. SOURCE: Daniel Gilbert, professor of psychology at Harvard University. RESOURCES: "What the Data Says (and Doesn’t Say) About Crime in the United States," by John Gramlich (Pew Research Center, 2020). Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress, by Stephen Pinker (2018). "Mistakenly Seeking Solitude," by Nicholas Epley and Juliana Schroeder (Journal of Experimental Psychology, 2014). "Just Think: The Challenges of the Disengaged Mind," by Timothy D. Wilson, David A. Reinhard, Erin C. Westgate, Daniel T. Gilbert, Nicole Ellerbeck, Cheryl Hahn, Casey L. Brown, and Adi Shaked (Science, 2013). "The End of History Illusion," by Jordi Quoidbach, Daniel T. Gilbert, and Timothy D. Wilson (Science, 2013). Happy Money: The Science of Smarter Spending, by Elizabeth Dunn (2013). "If Money Doesn't Make You Happy Then You Probably Aren't Spending It Right," by Elizabeth W. Dunn, Daniel T. Gilbert, and Timothy D. Wilson (Journal of Consumer Psychology, 2011). This Emotional Life, by Daniel Gilbert (2010). Stumbling on Happiness, by Dan Gilbert (2006). "Affective Forecasting," by Timothy D. Wilson and Daniel T. Gilbert (Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 2003). EXTRAS: "Drawing from Life (and Death)," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023). "Who Gives the Worst Advice?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021). "Sendhil Mullainathan Thinks Messing Around Is the Best Use of Your Time," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021). "Am I Boring You?" by Freakonomics Radio (2015).

Moon Duchin is a math professor at Cornell University whose theoretical work has practical applications for voting and democracy. Why is striving for fair elections so difficult? SOURCE: Moon Duchin, professor of mathematics at Cornell University. RESOURCES: "Gerrymandering: The Origin Story," by Neely Tucker (Timeless: Stories from the Library of Congress, 2024). "Redistricting for Proportionality," by Gabe Schoenbach and Moon Duchin (The Forum, 2023). "The Atlas Of Redistricting," by Aaron Bycoffe, Ella Koeze, David Wasserman, and Julia Wolfe (FiveThirtyEight, 2018). "In a Comically Drawn Pennsylvania District, the Voters Are Not Amused," by Trip Gabriel (The New York Times, 2018). EXTRAS: "Why Are Boys and Men in Trouble?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024). "Is This the Future of High School?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022).

The director of the Hayden Planetarium is one of the best science communicators of our time. He and Steve talk about his role in reclassifying Pluto, bad teachers, and why economics isn’t a science. SOURCE: Neil deGrasse Tyson, director of the Hayden Planetarium. RESOURCES: Starry Messenger: Cosmic Perspectives on Civilization, by Neil deGrasse Tyson (2022). “The Universe and Beyond, with Stephen Hawking,” by Neil deGrasse Tyson (StarTalk, 2018). The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America's Favorite Planet, by Neil deGrasse Tyson (2009). "Pluto's Not a Planet? Only in New York," by Kenneth Chang (The New York Times, 2001). The Sky Is Not the Limit: Adventures of an Urban Astrophysicist, by Neil deGrasse Tyson (2000). Merlin's Tour of the Universe, by Neil deGrasse Tyson (1989). EXTRAS: "Richard Dawkins on God, Genes, and Murderous Baby Cuckoos," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024).

He’s the chief creative officer of Pixar, and the Academy Award-winning director of Soul, Inside Out, Up, and Monsters, Inc. Pete Docter and Steve talk about Pixar’s scrappy beginnings, why wrong turns are essential, and the movie moment that changed Steve’s life. SOURCE: Pete Docter, chief creative officer of Pixar. RESOURCES: "‘Inside Out 2’ Becomes the Highest-Grossing Animated Film of All Time Globally," (The Walt Disney Company, 2024). Soul, film (2020). The Red Turtle, film (2016). Inside Out, film (2015). Up, film (2009). Monsters, Inc., film (2001). Toy Story, film (1995). Paper Moon, film (1973). EXTRA: "Walt Hickey Wants to Track Your Eyeballs," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024).

David Eagleman is a Stanford neuroscientist, C.E.O., television host, and founder of the Possibilianism movement. He and Steve talk about how wrists can substitute for ears, why we dream, and what Fisher-Price magnets have to do with neuroscience. SOURCE: David Eagleman, professor of cognitive neuroscience at Stanford University and C.E.O. of Neosensory. RESOURCES: Livewired: The Inside Story of the Ever-Changing Brain, by David Eagleman (2020). "Why Do We Dream? A New Theory on How It Protects Our Brains," by David Eagleman and Don Vaughn (TIME, 2020). "Prevalence of Learned Grapheme-Color Pairings in a Large Online Sample of Synesthetes," by Nathan Witthoft, Jonathan Winawer, and David Eagleman (PLoS One, 2015). Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives, by David Eagleman (2009). The vOICe app. Neosensory. EXTRAS: "What’s Impacting American Workers?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024). "This Is Your Brain on Podcasts," by Freakonomics Radio (2016).

Boys and men are trending downward in education, employment, and mental health. Richard Reeves, author of the book Of Boys and Men, has some solutions that don’t come at the expense of women and girls. Steve pushes him to go further. SOURCE: Richard Reeves, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, president of the American Institute for Boys and Men, and author. RESOURCES: Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do About It, by Richard Reeves (2022). "The Crisis of Men and Boys," by David Brooks (The New York Times, 2022). Dream Hoarders: How the American Upper Middle Class Is Leaving Everyone Else in the Dust, Why That Is a Problem, and What to Do About It, by Richard Reeves (2017). "An Empirical Analysis of the Gender Gap in Mathematics," by Roland Fryer and Steven Levitt (American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 2010). John Stuart Mill: Victorian Firebrand, by Richard Reeves (2007) EXTRA: "What Is the Future of College — and Does It Have Room for Men? (Update)," by Freakonomics Radio (2024).

Daron Acemoglu was just awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in economics. Earlier this year, he and Steve talked about his groundbreaking research on what makes countries succeed or fail. SOURCES: Daron Acemoglu, professor of economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. RESOURCES: The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2024. Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity, by Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson (2023). "Economists Pin More Blame on Tech for Rising Inequality," by Steve Lohr (The New York Times, 2022). "America’s Slow-Motion Wage Crisis: Four Decades of Slow and Unequal Growth," by John Schmitt, Elise Gould, and Josh Bivens (Economic Policy Institute, 2018). "A Machine That Made Stockings Helped Kick Off the Industrial Revolution," by Sarah Laskow (Atlas Obscura, 2017). "The Long-Term Jobs Killer Is Not China. It’s Automation," by Claire Cain Miller (The New York Times, 2016). Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty, by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson (2012). "The Colonial Origins of Comparative Development: An Empirical Investigation," by Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson, and James A. Robinson (American Economic Review, 2001). "Learning about Others' Actions and the Investment Accelerator," by Daron Acemoglu (The Economic Journal, 1993). "A Friedman Doctrine — The Social Responsibility of Business Is to Increase Its Profits," by Milton Friedman (The New York Times, 1970). EXTRAS: "What’s Impacting American Workers?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024). "'My God, This Is a Transformative Power,'" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023). "New Technologies Always Scare Us. Is A.I. Any Different?" by Freakonomics Radio (2023). "How to Prevent Another Great Depression," by Freakonomics Radio (2020). "Is Income Inequality Inevitable?" by Freakonomics Radio (2017).