Freakonomics Radio

683. In the New Space Race, Who Makes the Rules?

Governments started the space age. Now, billionaires and private firms are reinventing it. Guest host Steve Levitt explores what the past can teach us about a high-stakes future. (Part two of a two-part series [https://freakonomics.com/should-a-i-move-to-space/].)   * SOURCES: * Blaise Agüera y Arcas [https://research.google/people/106776/?&type=google], vice president and fellow at Google, C.T.O. of technology and society. * Rosanna Hoffman [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosanna-m-hoffmann/], head of space law, policy, and sustainability at the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs. * Alex Macdonald [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-macdonald-8b47742b/], former first chief economist at NASA, senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. * Will Marshall [https://investors.planet.com/governance/board-of-directors/person-details/default.aspx?ItemId=f7006907-5951-46a9-abf9-ee5a2bc7ccd9], co-founder and C.E.O. of Planet Labs.   * RESOURCES: * "The mission to create a searchable database of Earth's surface [https://www.ted.com/talks/will_marshall_the_mission_to_create_a_searchable_database_of_earth_s_surface]," by Will Marshall (TED, 2018). * The Long Space Age [https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300219326/the-long-space-age/], by Alex Macdonald (2017). * Planet Labs A.I.  [https://ai.planet.com/signin]   * EXTRAS: * "Should A.I. Move to Space? [https://freakonomics.com/should-a-i-move-to-space/]," series by Freakonomics Radio (2026). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How Gary Gulman Turned Depression Into Comedy Gold | Better in Person

Gary and Stephen talk about creativity, recovery, getting fired, and holding grudges. They also get outside and play basketball, which is a big part of how Gary stays well.   If you'd like to see the video version of Better in Person, watch it on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLI41BDm88y6Q] or Apple Podcasts [https://apple.co/4fh5p1o]. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

682. Should A.I. Move to Space?

At first it sounds ridiculous. But it might be inevitable. Guest host Steve Levitt talks to a team that hopes to push A.I. infrastructure off the planet. Part one of a two-part series [https://freakonomics.com/should-a-i-move-to-space/].)   * SOURCES: * Blaise Agüera y Arcas [https://research.google/people/106776/?&type=google], vice president and fellow at Google, C.T.O. of technology and society. * Travis Beals [https://www.linkedin.com/in/travisbeals/], senior director of product management at Google, Project Suncatcher lead. * Will Marshall [https://investors.planet.com/governance/board-of-directors/person-details/default.aspx?ItemId=f7006907-5951-46a9-abf9-ee5a2bc7ccd9], co-founder and C.E.O. of Planet Labs.   * RESOURCES: * What Is Intelligence? [https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262049955/what-is-intelligence/], by Blaise Agüera y Arcas (2025). * "Towards a future space-based, highly scalable AI infrastructure system design [https://services.google.com/fh/files/misc/suncatcher_paper.pdf]," by Blaise Agüera y Arcas, Travis Beals, Maria Biggs, Jessica V. Bloom, Thomas Fischbacher, Konstantin Gromov, Urs Köster, Rishiraj Pravahan, and James Manyika (Google, 2025). * Reason [https://addsdonna.com/old-website/ADDS_DONNA/Science_Fiction_files/2_Asimov_Reason.pdf], by Isaac Asimov (1941).   * EXTRAS:  * "Are Our Tools Becoming Part of Us? [https://freakonomics.com/podcast/are-our-tools-becoming-part-of-us/]," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Why Cooking is Caregiving, with Chef Hillary Sterling | Better in Person

Hillary Sterling was a Brooklyn kid raised on cream cheese sandwiches and canned potatoes. So how did she become one of New York City's best chefs? The Ci Siamo executive chef explains on the second episode of Better in Person.   If you'd like to see the video version of Better in Person, watch it on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLI41BDm88y6Q] or Apple Podcasts [https://apple.co/4fh5p1o]. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Are You Really Allergic to Penicillin? (Update)

Like tens of millions of people, Stephen Dubner thought he had a penicillin allergy. Like the vast majority, he didn’t. This misdiagnosis costs billions of dollars and causes serious health problems, so why hasn’t it been fixed? We find out in this update of a 2025 episode.   * SOURCES: * Kimberly Blumenthal [https://www.mayo.edu/research/faculty/blumenthal-kimberly-g-m-d-m-sc/bio-20591688], allergist-immunologist and researcher at the Mayo Clinic. * Theresa MacPhail [https://theresamacphail.com/], associate professor of science and technology studies at Stevens Institute of Technology. * Thomas Platts-Mills [https://uvahealth.com/findadoctor/Thomas-Platts-Mills-1649395674], professor of medicine at the University of Virginia. * Elena Resnick [https://profiles.mountsinai.org/elena-s-resnick], allergist and immunologist at Mount Sinai Hospital.   * RESOURCES: * Allergic: Our Irritated Bodies in a Changing World [https://amzn.to/4h9Atj2], by Theresa MacPhail (2023). * "Evaluation and Management of Penicillin Allergy: A Review [https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2720732]," by Erica S. Shenoy, Eric Macy, and Theresa Rowe (JAMA, 2019). * "The Allergy Epidemics: 1870–2010 [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4617537/]," by Thomas Platts-Mills (The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2016). * "Randomized Trial of Peanut Consumption in Infants at Risk for Peanut Allergy [https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1414850]," by George Du Toit, Graham Roberts, et al. (The New England Journal of Medicine, 2015).   * EXTRAS: * "The Freakonomics Radio Guide to Getting Better [https://freakonomics.com/the-freakonomics-radio-guide-to-getting-better/]," series by Freakonomics Radio (2026). * "Doctors Know They Prescribe Too Many Antibiotics. Why Don’t They Stop? [https://freakonomics.com/podcast/doctors-know-they-prescribe-too-many-antibiotics-why-dont-they-stop/]" by Freakonomics, M.D. (2022). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.