Freakonomics Radio

662. If You’re Not Cheating, You’re Not Trying

In sports, the rules are meant to be sacrosanct. But when it comes to performance-enhancing drugs, the slope is super-slippery. (Part one of a two-part series [https://freakonomics.com/if-youre-not-cheating-youre-not-trying/].)   * SOURCES: * April Henning [https://www.hw.ac.uk/profiles/uk/school/ebs/faculty/april-henning], associate professor of international sport management at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland. * Aron D'Souza [https://arondsouza.com/index.html], founder of the Enhanced Games. * Floyd Landis [https://floydsofleadville.com/], former professional cyclist, founder of Floyd's of Leadville. * Louisa Thomas [https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/louisa-thomas], staff writer at The New Yorker.   * RESOURCES: * Doping: A Sporting History [https://amzn.to/4a2uHik], by April Henning and Paul Dimeo (2022). * "The Man Who Brought Down Lance Armstrong [https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/05/lance-armstrong-floyd-landis/556868/]," by Matt Hart (The Atlantic, 2018). * Cycle of Lies: The Fall of Lance Armstrong [https://amzn.to/4a0Vlbw], by Juliet Macur (2014). * Positively False: The Real Story of How I Won the Tour de France [https://amzn.to/3ZnTRSq], by Floyd Landis (2007). * Alice's Adventures in Wonderland [https://amzn.to/4tiGTmJ], by Lewis Carroll (1865).   * EXTRAS: * "Has Lance Armstrong Finally Come Clean? [https://freakonomics.com/podcast/has-lance-armstrong-finally-come-clean/]" by Freakonomics Radio (2018). 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 Don’t Running Backs Get Paid Anymore? (Update)

They used to be the N.F.L.’s biggest stars, with paychecks to match. Now their salaries are near the bottom, and their careers are shorter than ever. In this updated episode from 2025, we speak with an analytics guru, an agent, an economist, and some former running backs to understand why.   * SOURCES: * Brian Burke, [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-burke-05326354/] sports data scientist at ESPN. * Roland Fryer, [https://fryer.scholars.harvard.edu/] professor of economics at Harvard University. * LeSean McCoy, [https://www.leseanmccoy25.com/] former running back in the N.F.L., co-host for Fox's daily studio show, "The Facility." * Robert Smith, [https://www.foxsports.com/presspass/bios/on-air/robert-smith/] former running back for the Minnesota Vikings, N.F.L. analyst. * Robert Turbin, [https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/14894/robert-turbin] former running back, N.F.L. analyst for CBS Sports HQ, college football announcer. * Jeffery Whitney, [https://www.tsegllc.com/our-team?pgid=ln3hr9f8-69e396f0-25a0-4658-aa4d-91904af25d77] founder and president at The Sports & Entertainment Group.   * RESOURCES: * "The Economics of Running Backs, [https://www.wsj.com/opinion/the-economics-of-running-backs-football-nfl-salary-43a0fd63]" by Roland Fryer (Wall Street Journal, 2024). * Confessions of a Hero-Worshiper, [https://amzn.to/4hzu80l] by Stephen Dubner (2007). * The Rest of the Iceberg: An Insider’s View on the World of Sports and Celebrity, [https://amzn.to/4ayPN6J] by Robert Smith (2004).   * EXTRAS: * "Roland Fryer Refuses to Lie to Black America, [https://freakonomics.com/podcast/roland-fryer-refuses-to-lie-to-black-america/]" by Freakonomics Radio (2022). * "Why Does the Most Monotonous Job in the World Pay $1 Million? [https://freakonomics.com/podcast/why-does-the-most-monotonous-job-in-the-world-pay-1-million/]" by Freakonomics Radio (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.

661. Can A.I. Save Your Life?

For 50 years, the healthcare industry has been trying (and failing) to harness the power of artificial intelligence. It may finally be ready for prime time. What will this mean for human doctors — and the rest of us? (Part four of “The Freakonomics Radio Guide to Getting Better [https://freakonomics.com/the-freakonomics-radio-guide-to-getting-better/].”)   * SOURCES: * Bob Wachter [https://medicine.ucsf.edu/people/robert-wachter], professor, chair of the department of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. * Pierre Elias [https://www.columbiacardiology.org/profile/pierre-elias-md], cardiologist, assistant professor of biomedical informatics at Columbia University, medical director for artificial intelligence at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.   * RESOURCES: * A Giant Leap: How AI Is Transforming Healthcare and What That Means for Our Future [https://amzn.to/4blPCOu], by Bob Wachter (2026). * "Epic Systems (MyChart) [https://www.acquired.fm/episodes/epic-systems-mychart]," by Acquired (2025). * "Detecting structural heart disease from electrocardiograms using AI [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09227-0]," by Pierre Elias and Timothy Poterucha (Nature, 2025). * "What Are the Risks of Sharing Medical Records With ChatGPT? [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/03/well/medical-records-chatbots.html]" by Maggie Astor (New York Times, 2025). * "Will Generative Artificial Intelligence Deliver on Its Promise in Health Care? [https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2812615]" by Bob Wachter and Erik Brynjolfsson (JAMA, 2023). * The Digital Doctor: Hope, Hype, and Harm at the Dawn of Medicine’s Computer Age [https://amzn.to/4rH4DPZ], by Bob Wachter (2015).   * EXTRAS: * "The Doctor Won’t See You Now [https://freakonomics.com/podcast/the-doctor-wont-see-you-now/]," by Freakonomics Radio (2025). * "How to Stop Worrying and Love the Robot Apocalypse (Update) [https://freakonomics.com/podcast/how-to-stop-worrying-and-love-the-robot-apocalypse-update/]," by Freakonomics Radio (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.

660. The Wellness Industry Is Gigantic — and Mostly Wrong

Zeke Emanuel (a physician, medical ethicist, and policy wonk) has some different ideas for how to lead a healthy and meaningful life. It starts with ice cream. (Part three of “The Freakonomics Radio Guide to Getting Better [https://freakonomics.com/the-freakonomics-radio-guide-to-getting-better/].”)   * SOURCES: * Zeke Emanuel [https://www.ezekielemanuel.com/], oncologist, bioethicist, professor at the University of Pennsylvania.   * RESOURCES: * Eat Your Ice Cream: Six Simple Rules for a Long and Healthy Life [https://amzn.to/4jQSKUw], by Zeke Emanuel (2026). * "Nutrition Science’s Most Preposterous Result [https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2023/05/ice-cream-bad-for-you-health-study/673487/]," by David Merritt Johns (The Atlantic, 2023).   * EXTRAS: * "Is Ozempic as Magical as It Sounds? [https://freakonomics.com/podcast/is-ozempic-as-magical-as-it-sounds/]" by Freakonomics Radio (2024). * "The Suddenly Diplomatic Rahm Emanuel [https://freakonomics.com/podcast/the-suddenly-diplomatic-rahm-emanuel/]," by Freakonomics Radio (2023). * "Ari Emanuel Is Never Indifferent [https://freakonomics.com/podcast/ari-emanuel-is-never-indifferent/]," by Freakonomics Radio (2023). * "What’s the “Best” Exercise? [https://freakonomics.com/podcast/whats-the-best-exercise/]" by Freakonomics Radio (2014). 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.

Steve Levitt Quits His Podcast, Joins Ours

After five years, Levitt is ending People I (Mostly) Admire, and will start hosting the occasional Freakonomics Radio episode. We couldn’t be happier.   * SOURCES: * Steve Levitt [https://freakonomics.com/author/steven-levitt/], co-author of Freakonomics and host of People I (Mostly) Admire.   * RESOURCES: * "How to Help Kids Succeed [https://freakonomics.com/podcast/how-to-help-kids-succeed/]," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2025). * "Feeling Sound and Hearing Color [https://freakonomics.com/podcast/feeling-sound-and-hearing-color/]," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024). * "Richard Dawkins on God, Genes, and Murderous Baby Cuckoos [https://freakonomics.com/podcast/richard-dawkins-on-god-genes-and-murderous-baby-cuckoos/]," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024). * "Arnold Schwarzenegger Has Some Advice for You [https://freakonomics.com/podcast/arnold-schwarzenegger-has-some-advice-for-you/]," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024). * "Drawing from Life (and Death) [https://freakonomics.com/podcast/drawing-from-life-and-death/]," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023). * "Yuval Noah Harari Thinks Life is Meaningless and Amazing [https://freakonomics.com/podcast/yuval-noah-harari-thinks-life-is-meaningless-and-amazing-2/]," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022). * "Is This the Future of High School? [https://freakonomics.com/podcast/is-this-the-future-of-high-school/]," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022). * "Does Death Have to Be a Death Sentence? [https://freakonomics.com/podcast/does-death-have-to-be-a-death-sentence/]," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022). * "Sal Khan: 'If It Works for 15 Cousins, It Could Work for a Billion People [https://freakonomics.com/podcast/sal-khan-if-it-works-for-15-cousins-it-could-work-for-a-billion-people/].'" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021). * "Jared Diamond on the Downfall of Civilizations — and His Optimism for Ours [https://freakonomics.com/podcast/jared-diamond-on-the-downfall-of-civilizations-and-his-optimism-for-ours/]," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021). * "Amanda & Lily Levitt Share What It’s Like to be Steve’s Daughters [https://freakonomics.com/podcast/amanda-lily-levitt-share-what-its-like-to-be-steves-daughters/]," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021). * "How Rahm Emanuel Would Run the World [https://freakonomics.com/podcast/how-rahm-emanuel-would-run-the-world-ep-415/]," by Freakonomics Radio (2020). * The Levitt Lab [https://www.thelevittlab.com/]. 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.