The Shawn Ryan Show
Shawn Ryan
Society & Culture
People I (Mostly) Admire
by Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher
Today: #183 in Society & Culture on our combined chart.
Chart positions today
If you like People I (Mostly) Admire, try…
The Ezra Klein Show
New York Times Opinion
This American Life
This American Life
Stuff You Should Know
iHeartPodcasts
Modern Wisdom
Chris Williamson
Behind the Bastards
Cool Zone Media and iHeartPodcasts
Ranking history
History builds daily. We started tracking this show on the Society & Culture chart recently, so the trend line appears after a second day of data.
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| Date | Apple Podcasts |
|---|---|
| Oct 3 | #173 |
About the show
Freakonomics co-author Steve Levitt tracks down other high achievers for surprising, revealing conversations about their lives and obsessions. Join Levitt as he goes through the most interesting midlife crisis you’ve ever heard — and learn how a renegade sheriff is transforming Chicago's jail, how a biologist is finding the secrets of evolution in the Arctic tundra, and how a trivia champion memorized 160,000 flashcards.
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Latest episodes
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42. America’s Math Curriculum Doesn’t Add Up
October 3, 2026 · 42 minA special episode: Steve reports on a passion of his. Most high-school math classes are still preparing students for the Sputnik era. Steve wants to get rid of the “geometry sandwich” and instead have kids learn what they really need in…
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41. Dr. Bapu Jena on Why Freakonomics Is the Best Medicine
September 26, 2026 · 40 minHe’s a Harvard physician and economist who just started a third job: host of the new podcast Freakonomics, M.D. He’s also Steve’s former student. The two discuss why medicine should embrace econ-style research, the ethics of…
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How a Great Architect Thinks, with Bjarke Ingels | Better in Person
September 23, 2026 · 43 minIs the oxymoron really “the secret sauce to everything”? That’s the case Ingels makes in this debut episode of our new video show Better in Person, filmed in Stephen Dubner’s living room. If you'd like to see the video version of Better…
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40. Harold Pollack on Why Managing Your Money is as Easy as Taking Out the Garbage
September 19, 2026 · 46 minHe argues that personal finance is so simple all you need to know can fit on an index card. How will he deal with Steve’s suggestion that Harold’s nine rules for managing money are overly complicated? Harold and Steve also talk about gun…
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39. Aicha Evans Wants You to Take Your Eyes Off the Road
September 12, 2026 · 49 minShe’s the C.E.O. of Zoox, an autonomous vehicle company. Steve asks Aicha about the big promises the A.V. industry hasn’t yet delivered — and the radical bet Zoox is making on a driverless future. Plus, Steve wants to know how she’s…
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38. Sendhil Mullainathan Explains How to Generate an Idea a Minute (Part 2)
September 5, 2026 · 37 minSteve continues his conversation with his good friend, MacArthur “Genius Grant” recipient, and fellow University of Chicago economist. Sendhil breaks down the hypothesis of his book Scarcity, explains why machines aren’t competition for…
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37. Sendhil Mullainathan Thinks Messing Around Is the Best Use of Your Time
August 29, 2026 · 51 minHe’s a professor of computation and behavioral science at the University of Chicago, MacArthur “Genius Grant” recipient, and author. Steve and Sendhil laugh their way through a conversation about the importance of play, the benefits of…
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36. How Rahm Emanuel Would Run the World
August 22, 2026 · 42 minIn this interview, Steve talks with the former top adviser to presidents Clinton and Obama, about his record — and his reputation. And Rahm explains that while he believes in the power of the federal government, as former mayor of Chicago…