In their books, Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner use the tools of economics to explore real-world behavior. As boring as that may sound, what they really do is tell stories — about cheating schoolteachers, self-dealing real-estate agents, and crack-selling mama's boys. Those Freakonomics stories — and plenty of new ones — are now coming to the radio, with Dubner as host. Just like the books, Freakonomics Radio explores “the hidden side of everything.” It will tell you things you always thought you knew but didn't, and things you never thought you wanted to know, but do. Information is available at http://www.freakonomics.com/radio/
Show and Yell
Is booing an act of verbal vandalism -- or the last true expression of democracy? In this episode, we hear how Philadelphia sports fans earned their reputation as the loudest boo-birds, and to what extent culture -- high or low -- plays a role. Guests include former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, who admits to booing Santa Claus; and sportswriter/opera buff Robert Lipsyte, who was surprised that more people didn't boo Pavarotti when he "parked and barked" his way through a performance. Also, we'll look at "conspicuous conservation" –- when people go out of their way to engage in "green" activities. It turns out that driving a Prius may do a little bit of good for the planet –- but being seen driving a Prius may do a lot of good (for you, at least). Also: why some people install solar panels on the shady side of the street.