In an episode from 2012, we looked at what Sleep No More and the Stanford Prison Experiment can tell us about who we really are.

• SOURCES:
  • Felix Barrett, artistic director of Punchdrunk.
  • Steven Levitt, professor of economics at the University of Chicago.
  • Philip Zimbardo, professor emeritus at Stanford University.

• RESOURCES:
  • “Philip Zimbardo, the psychologist behind the ‘Stanford Prison Experiment,’ dies at 91,” by Melissa De Witte (Stanford Report, 2024).
  • “Debunking the Stanford Prison Experiment,” by Thibault Le Texier (American Psychologist, 2019).
  • “The Lifespan of a Lie,” by Ben Blum (GEN, 2018).
  • Punchdrunk.

• EXTRAS:
  • “How Is Live Theater Still Alive?” by Freakonomics Radio (2025).

A hit like Hamilton can come from nowhere while a sure bet can lose $20 million in a flash. We speak with some of the biggest producers in the game — Sonia Friedman, Jeffrey Seller, Hal Luftig — and learn that there is only one guarantee: the theater owners always win. (Part two of a three-part series.)

• SOURCES:
  • Debby Buchholz, managing director of La Jolla Playhouse.
  • Sonia Friedman, Broadway producer.
  • Rocco Landesman, Broadway producer, former owner of Jujamcyn Theaters, former chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts.
  • Hal Luftig, Broadway producer.
  • Luis Miranda Jr., political strategist, founding president of the Hispanic Federation, the Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance, Viva Broadway, and The Public Theater.
  • Michael Rushton, professor of arts administration at Indiana University.
  • Jeffrey Seller, Broadway producer.
  • Richard Winkler, Broadway producer.
  • Stacy Wolf, professor of theater at Princeton University.

• RESOURCES:
  • Theater Kid: A Broadway Memoir, by Jeffrey Seller (2025).
  • Relentless: My Story of the Latino Spirit That Is Transforming America, by Luis Miranda Jr. (2024).
  • Beyond Broadway: The Pleasure and Promise of Musical Theatre Across America, by Stacy Wolf (2019).
  • "‘Hamilton’ Inc.: The Path to a Billion-Dollar Broadway Show," by Michael Paulson and David Gelles (New York Times, 2016).
  • "On the Performing Arts: The Anatomy of Their Economic Problems," by W.J. Baumol and W.G. Bowen (The American Economic Review, 1965).

• EXTRAS:
  • “How to Make the Coolest Show on Broadway,” by Freakonomics Radio (2024).
  • “You Can Make a Killing, but Not a Living,” by Freakonomics Radio (2024).

It has become fiendishly expensive to produce, and has more competition than ever. And yet the believers still believe. Why? And does the world really want a new musical about ... Abraham Lincoln?! (Part one of a three-part series.)

• SOURCES:
  • Christopher Ashley, artistic director of La Jolla Playhouse.
  • Quentin Darrington, actor.
  • Joe DiPietro, playwright and lyricist.
  • Crystal Monee Hall, composer, singer, actor.
  • Rocco Landesman, Broadway producer, former owner of Jujamcyn Theaters, former chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts.
  • Alan Shorr, Broadway producer.
  • Daniel Watts, writer, choreographer, actor.
  • Richard Winkler, Broadway producer.

• RESOURCES:
  • 3 Summers of Lincoln (2025)
  • “Live Performance Theaters in the US - Market Research Report (2014-2029),” by Grace Wood (IBISWorld, 2024).
  • Leadership: In Turbulent Times, by Doris Kearns Goodwin (2018).
  • Big River (1984)

• EXTRAS:
  • “How to Make the Coolest Show on Broadway,” by Freakonomics Radio (2024).
  • “You Can Make a Killing, but Not a Living,” by Freakonomics Radio (2024).

Why do so many promising solutions in education, medicine, and criminal justice fail to scale up into great policy? And can a new breed of “implementation scientists” crack the code?

• SOURCES:
  • Patti Chamberlain, senior research scientist at the Oregon Social Learning Center.
  • John List, professor of economics at the University of Chicago.
  • Lauren Supplee, former deputy chief operating officer at Child Trends.
  • Dana L. Suskind, professor of surgery at the University of Chicago.

• RESOURCES:
  • “How Can Experiments Play a Greater Role in Public Policy? 12 Proposals from an Economic Model of Scaling,” by Omar Al-Ubaydli, John List, Claire Mackevicius, Min Sok Lee, and Dana Suskind.
  • “The Science of Using Science: Towards an Understanding of the Threats to Scaling Experiments,” by Omar Al-Ubaydli, John List, and Dana Suskind (The Field Experiments Website, 2019).
  • “Inconsistent Device Use in Pediatric Cochlear Implant Users: Prevalence and Risk Factors,” by K.B.Wiseman and A.D. Warner-Czyz (U.S. National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, 2018).

• EXTRAS:
  • "Why Do Most Ideas Fail to Scale?" by Freakonomics Radio (2022).
  • "The Price of Doing Business with John List," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022).
  • Child Trends.
  • Oregon Social Learning Center.
  • T.M.W. Center for Early Learning and Public Health.
  • The Field Experiments Website.

There is no sludgier place in America than Washington, D.C. But there are signs of a change. We’ll hear about this progress — and ask where Elon Musk and DOGE fit in. (Part two of a two-part series.)

• SOURCES:
  • Benjamin Handel, professor of economics at UC Berkeley.
  • Neale Mahoney, professor of economics at Stanford University.
  • Jennifer Pahlka, founder of Code for America.
  • Richard Thaler, professor of economics at The University of Chicago.

• RESOURCES:
  • "How Big Is the Subscription Cancellation Problem?" by Giacomo Fraccaroli, Neale Mahoney, and Zahra Thabet (Briefing Book, 2024).
  • Recoding America: Why Government Is Failing in the Digital Age and How We Can Do Better, by Jennifer Pahlka (2023).
  • Nudge: The Final Edition, by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein (2021).
  • "HealthCare.gov: Case Study of CMS Management of the Federal Marketplace," by Daniel Levinson (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2016).

• EXTRAS:
  • "Sludge, Part 1: The World Is Drowning in It," by Freakonomics Radio (2025).

Insurance forms that make no sense. Subscriptions that can’t be cancelled. A never-ending blizzard of automated notifications. Where does all this sludge come from — and how much is it costing us? (Part one of a two-part series.)

• SOURCES:
  • Benjamin Handel, professor of economics at UC Berkeley.
  • Neale Mahoney, professor of economics at Stanford University.
  • Richard Thaler, professor of economics at The University of Chicago.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Selling Subscriptions," by Liran Einav, Ben Klopack, and Neale Mahoney (Stanford University, 2023).
  • "The ‘Enshittification’ of TikTok," by Cory Doctorow (WIRED, 2023).
  • "Dominated Options in Health Insurance Plans," by Chenyuan Liu and Justin Sydnor (American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 2022).
  • Nudge (The Final Edition), by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein (2021).
  • "Frictions or Mental Gaps: What’s Behind the Information We (Don’t) Use and When Do We Care?" by Benjamin Handel and Joshua Schwartzstein (Journal of Economic Perspectives, 2018).
  • "Adverse Selection and Switching Costs in Health Insurance Markets: When Nudging Hurts," by Benjamin Handel (National Bureau of Economic Research, 2011).

• EXTRAS:
  • "People Aren’t Dumb. The World Is Hard. (Update)" by Freakonomics Radio (2024).
  • "All You Need is Nudge," by Freakonomics Radio (2021).
  • "How to Fix the Hot Mess of U.S. Healthcare," by Freakonomics Radio (2021).
  • "Should We Really Behave Like Economists Say We Do?" by Freakonomics Radio (2015).

The quirky little grocery chain with California roots and German ownership has a lot to teach all of us about choice architecture, efficiency, frugality, collaboration, and team spirit.

• SOURCES:
  • Kirk DesErmia, facilities manager in Seward, Alaska.
  • Mark Gardiner, journalist and author.
  • Sheena Iyengar, professor of business at Columbia Business School.
  • Michael Roberto, professor of management at Bryant University.

• RESOURCES:
  • “Trader Joe’s,” David Ager and Michael Roberto (Harvard Business School Case, 2014).
  • “What Brands Are Actually Behind Trader Joe’s Snacks?,” Vince Dixon (Eater, 2017).
  • Build a Brand Like Trader Joe’s by Mark Gardiner (2012).
  • “When Choice is Demotivating: Can One Desire Too Much of a Good Thing?,” Sheena Iyengar and Mark Lepper (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2000).
  • Unlocking Creativity, by Michael Roberto (2019).

• EXTRAS:
  • “How Can This Possibly Be True?,” by Freakonomics Radio (2016).
  • “How to Save $1 Billion Without Even Trying,” by Freakonomics Radio (2016).

Nearly everything that politicians say about taxes is at least half a lie. They are also dishonest when it comes to the national debt. Stephen Dubner finds one of the few people in Washington who is willing to tell the truth — and it’s even worse than you think.

• SOURCES:
  • Jessica Riedl, senior fellow in budget, tax, and economic policy at the Manhattan Institute.

• RESOURCES:
  • "The House Wants to Pass Trump’s Agenda in One Big Bill. Here’s What’s in It." by Margot Sanger-Katz and Alicia Parlapiano (New York Times, 2025).
  • "Correcting the Top 10 Tax Myths," by Jessica Riedl (Manhattan Institute, 2024).
  • "Spending, Taxes, and Deficits: A Book of Charts," by Jessica Riedl (Manhattan Institute, 2024).
  • "Why Did Americans Stop Caring About the National Debt?" by Jessica Riedl (Reason, 2024).
  • "A Comprehensive Federal Budget Plan to Avert a Debt Crisis," by Jessica Riedl (Manhattan Institute, 2024).
  • "When Does Federal Debt Reach Unsustainable Levels?" by Jagadeesh Gokhale, Kent Smetters, and Mariko Paulson (The Wharton School of Business, 2023).
  • "The Limits of Taxing the Rich," by Jessica Riedl (Manhattan Institute, 2023).

• EXTRAS:
  • "Farewell to a Generational Talent," by Freakonomics Radio (2024).