A single company, EssilorLuxottica, owns so much of the eyewear industry that it’s hard to escape their gravitational pull — or their “obscene” markups. Should regulators do something? Can Warby Parker steal market share? And how did Ray-Bans become a luxury brand? (Part one of a two-part series.) https://freak.ws/4bNTcxd
Freakonomics
Online Audio and Video Media
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The Hidden Side of Everything.
About us
It began when New York journalist and author Stephen J. Dubner went to Chicago to write about award-winning economist Steven D. Levitt for The New York Times Magazine. Dubner had been reluctant to take the assignment (he was in the middle of writing a book about the psychology of money). Levitt was reluctant to be shadowed by a journalist (but his mother loved the Times Magazine, so he gave in). The article came out, and led to an unexpected partnership. Levitt and Dubner wrote Freakonomics, a book about cheating teachers, bizarre baby names, self-dealing Realtors, and crack-selling mama’s boys. They figured it would sell about 80 copies. Instead, it took up long-term residency on the Times best-seller list, and went on to sell more than 4 million copies in 35 languages. Then they wrote SuperFreakonomics. It also became a worldwide best-seller. A lot of other stuff happened, too. A blog. A documentary film. Jon Stewart and Beauty and the Geek! Lectures. A pair of pants. A radio show. Not bad for a partnership born of such profound reluctance.
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http://www.freakonomics.com
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Updates
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Do you need a hug? Do humans need touch to survive? Do any of us get enough touch throughout our lives? And why doesn’t Angela want to hug anyone for eight seconds? https://freak.ws/3Lq1Mry
Do You Need a Hug? - Freakonomics
https://freakonomics.com
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Why does treating a venomous snake bite cost as much as a house? Zachary Crockett slithers over to North Carolina to find out. https://freak.ws/3LtePrS
Snake Venom - Freakonomics
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You wouldn’t think you could win a Nobel Prize for showing that humans tend to make irrational decisions. But that’s what Richard Thaler has done. In an interview from 2018, the founder of behavioral economics describes his unlikely route to success; his reputation for being lazy; and his efforts to fix the world — one nudge at a time. https://freak.ws/3W5hHQN
People Aren’t Dumb. The World Is Hard. (Update) - Freakonomics
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Daniel Kahneman left his mark on academia (and the real world) in countless ways. A group of his friends and colleagues recently gathered in Chicago to reflect on this legacy — and we were there, with microphones. https://freak.ws/4cUZMTQ
Farewell to a Generational Talent - Freakonomics
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Thomas Hildebrandt is trying to bring the northern white rhinoceros back from the brink of extinction. The wildlife veterinarian tells Steve about the far-out techniques he employs, why we might see woolly mammoths in the future, and why he was frustrated the day the Berlin Wall came down. https://freak.ws/3LeB4lh
How to Grow a White Rhino - Freakonomics
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How effective are ultimatums? How final is a final offer, really? Does anonymity turn nice people into jerks? And should you tell your crush that you dreamed about marrying them? https://freak.ws/3zvnCHf
How Effective Are Ultimatums? (Replay) - Freakonomics
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Online companies promised to bring transparency to the mattress-buying experience. Did that work out? Zachary Crockett takes a look under the sheets. https://freak.ws/45Skod7
Direct-to-Consumer Mattresses - Freakonomics
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American politics is trapped in a duopoly, with two all-powerful parties colluding to stifle competition. We revisit a 2018 episode to explain how the political industry works, and talk to a reformer (and former presidential candidate) who is pushing for change. https://freak.ws/4cJjQID
Why Don't We Have Better Candidates for President? - Freakonomics
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Your brand’s spokesperson just got arrested — now what? It’s hard to know whether the benefits of hiring a celebrity are worth the risk. We dig into one gruesome story of an endorsement gone wrong, and find a surprising result. https://freak.ws/4eHv561
Your Brand’s Spokesperson Just Got Arrested — Now What? - Freakonomics