Freakonomics Radio

Only a tiny number of “supertaskers” are capable of doing two things at once. The rest of us are just making ourselves miserable, and less productive. How can we put the — hang on a second, I've just got to get this. Come see Stephen Dubner live!  “A Questionable Evening: A strategic interrogation from two people who ask questions for a living,” featuring Stephen Dubner and PJ Vogt from Search Engine. Thursday, Sept. 26th, at the Bell House in Brooklyn, NY.  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-questionable-evening-evening-with-stephen-dubner-and-pj-vogt-tickets-1002544747327   * SOURCES: * Olivia Grace [https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliviadgrace/], senior product manager at Slack. * Gloria Mark [https://gloriamark.com/], professor of computer science at the University of California, Irvine. * David Strayer [https://psych.utah.edu/people/faculty/strayer-david.php], professor of cognition and neural science at the University of Utah.   * RESOURCES: * "Immersion in Nature Enhances Neural Indices of Executive Attention [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-52205-1]," by Amy S. McDonnell and David L. Strayer (Nature: Scientific Reports, 2024). * "Contribution to the Study on the ‘Right to Disconnect’ From Work. Are France and Spain Examples for Other Countries and E.U. Law? [https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20319525221105102]" by Loïc Lerouge and Francisco Trujillo Pons (European Labour Law Journal, 2022). * "Task Errors by Emergency Physicians Are Associated With Interruptions, Multitasking, Fatigue and Working Memory Capacity: A Prospective, Direct Observation Study [https://qualitysafety.bmj.com/content/27/8/655]," by Johanna I. Westbrook, Magdalena Z. Raban, Scott R. Walter, and Heather Douglas (BMJ Quality & Safety, 2018). * "Supertaskers: Profiles in Extraordinary Multitasking Ability [https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.3758/PBR.17.4.479]," by Jason M. Watson and David L. Strayer (Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 2010). * "The Effects of Video Game Playing on Attention, Memory, and Executive Control [https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0001691808001200?via%3Dihub]," by Walter R. Boot, Arthur F. Kramer, Daniel J. Simons, Monica Fabiani, and Gabriele Gratton (Acta Psychologica, 2008). * "'Constant, Constant, Multi-Tasking Craziness': Managing Multiple Working Spheres [https://ics.uci.edu/~gmark/CHI2004.pdf]," by Victor M. González and Gloria Mark (Proceedings of the 2004 Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI, 2004).   * EXTRAS: * "Why Is the U.S. So Good at Killing Pedestrians? [https://freakonomics.com/podcast/why-is-the-u-s-so-good-at-killing-pedestrians/]" by Freakonomics Radio (2023). * "Why Did You Marry That Person? [https://freakonomics.com/podcast/why-did-you-marry-that-person/]" by Freakonomics Radio (2022). * "How Much Should We Be Able to Customize Our World? [https://freakonomics.com/podcast/how-much-should-we-be-able-to-customize-our-world/]" by No Stupid Questions (2021).

Educators and economists tell us all the reasons college enrollment has been dropping, especially for men, and how to stop the bleeding. (Part 3 of our series from 2022, “Freakonomics Radio Goes Back to School [https://freakonomics.com/freakonomics-radio-goes-back-to-school/].”)   * SOURCES: * Zachary Bleemer [https://zacharybleemer.com/], assistant professor of economics at Princeton University and faculty research fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research. * D'Wayne Edwards [https://pensolelewiscollege.com/founder/], founder and President of Pensole Lewis College. * Catharine Hill [https://www.yale.edu/board-trustees/current-trustees/catharine-bond-hill], former president of Vassar College; trustee at Yale University; and managing director at Ithaka S+R. * Pano Kanelos [https://www.uaustin.org/people/pano-kanelos], founding president of the University of Austin. * Amalia Miller [https://amaliarmiller.faculty.virginia.edu/], professor of economics at the University of Virginia. * Donald Ruff [https://www.linkedin.com/in/donald-ruff-87941548/], president and C.E.O. of the Eagle Academy Foundation. * Morton Schapiro [https://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/faculty/directory/schapiro_morton.aspx], professor of economics and former president of Northwestern University. * Ruth Simmons [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Simmons], former president of Smith College, Brown University, and Prairie View A&M University. * Miguel Urquiola [https://blogs.cuit.columbia.edu/msu2101/], professor of economics at Columbia University.   * RESOURCES: * "What Gay Men’s Stunning Success Might Teach Us About the Academic Gender Gap [https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/02/24/gay-men-academic-success-gender-gap-lessons/]," by Joel Mittleman (The Washington Post, 2022). * "We Can't Wait for Universities to Fix Themselves. So We're Starting a New One [https://bariweiss.substack.com/p/we-cant-wait-for-universities-to?s=r]," by Pano Kanelos (Common Sense, 2021). * "Academic Freedom in Crisis: Punishment, Political Discrimination, and Self-Censorship [https://cspicenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/AcademicFreedom.pdf]," by Eric Kaufmann (Center for the Study of Partisanship and Ideology, 2021). * “A Generation of American Men Give Up on College: ‘I Just Feel Lost’ [https://www.wsj.com/articles/college-university-fall-higher-education-men-women-enrollment-admissions-back-to-school-11630948233],” by Douglas Belkin (The Wall Street Journal, 2021). * "Community Colleges and Upward Mobility [https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w29254/w29254.pdf]," by Jack Mountjoy (NBER Working Paper, 2021). * "Elite Schools and Opting In: Effects of College Selectivity on Career and Family Outcomes [https://www.nber.org/papers/w25315]," by Suqin Ge, Elliott Isaac, and Amalia Miller (NBER Working Paper, 2019). * "Leaving Boys Behind: Gender Disparities in High Academic Achievement [https://www.nber.org/papers/w19331]," by Nicole M. Fortin, Philip Oreopoulos, and Shelley Phipps (NBER Working Paper, 2013).   * EXTRAS: * "Freakonomics Radio Goes Back to School [https://freakonomics.com/freakonomics-radio-goes-back-to-school/]," series by Freakonomics Radio (2024). * “'If We’re All in It for Ourselves, Who Are We?' [https://freakonomics.com/podcast/if-were-all-in-it-for-ourselves-who-are-we/]” by Freakonomics Radio (2024).

Stephen Dubner appears as a guest on Fail Better, a new podcast hosted by David Duchovny. The two of them trade stories about failure, and ponder the lessons that success could never teach.   * SOURCES: * David Duchovny [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000141/], actor, director, writer, and musician.   * RESOURCES: * "Martin Seligman and the Rise of Positive Psychology [https://www.neh.gov/article/martin-seligman-and-rise-positive-psychology]," by Peter Gibbon (Humanities, 2020). * "Rick Reilly: ‘Donald Trump Will Cheat You on the Golf Course and Then Buy You Lunch [https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/dec/10/rick-reilly-donald-trump-golf-commander-in-cheat-book-interview],'" by Donald McRae (The Guardian, 2019). * "How The X-Files Invented Modern Television [https://www.vox.com/culture/2018/10/23/17989508/x-files-25th-anniversary-monsters-of-the-week-excerpt-todd-vanderwerff]," by Emily St. James (Vox, 2018). * "Happiness & the Gorilla [https://www.profgalloway.com/happiness-the-gorilla/]," by Scott Galloway (No Mercy/No Malice, 2018).   * EXTRAS: * Fail Better with David Duchovny [https://lemonadamedia.com/show/fail-better-with-david-duchovny/], podcast by Lemonada Media (2024). * "How to Succeed at Failing [https://freakonomics.com/podcast-tag/how-to-succeed-at-failing/]," series by Freakonomics Radio (2023). * "Annie Duke Thinks You Should Quit [https://freakonomics.com/podcast/annie-duke-thinks-you-should-quit/]," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022). * "The Upside of Quitting [https://freakonomics.com/podcast/the-upside-of-quitting-3/]," by Freakonomics Radio (2011).

America’s top colleges are facing record demand. So why don’t they increase supply? (Part 2 of our series from 2022, “Freakonomics Radio Goes Back to School [https://freakonomics.com/freakonomics-radio-goes-back-to-school/].”)   * SOURCES: * Peter Blair [https://cepr.harvard.edu/people/peter-blair], professor of education at Harvard University and faculty research fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research. * Zachary Bleemer [https://zacharybleemer.com/], assistant professor of economics at Princeton University and faculty research fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research. * Amalia Miller [https://amaliarmiller.faculty.virginia.edu/], professor of economics at the University of Virginia. * Morton Schapiro [https://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/faculty/directory/schapiro_morton.aspx], professor of economics and former president of Northwestern University. * Miguel Urquiola [https://blogs.cuit.columbia.edu/msu2101/], professor of economics at Columbia University.   * RESOURCES: * “Elite Schools and Opting In: Effects of College Selectivity on Career and Family Outcomes [https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/717931],” by Suqin Ge, Elliott Isaac, and Amalia Miller (Journal of Labor Economics, 2022). * “Why Don’t Elite Colleges Expand Supply? [https://www.nber.org/papers/w29309]” by Peter Q. Blair & Kent Smetters (NBER Working Paper, 2021). * “Lori Loughlin Pleads Guilty via Zoom in College Admissions Case [https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/22/us/lori-loughlin-pleads-guilty.html],” by Kate Taylor (The New York Times, 2020). * Markets, Minds, and Money: Why America Leads the World in University Research [https://amzn.to/3MAPNFV], by Miguel Urquiola (2020). * “To Cheat and Lie in L.A.: How the College-Admissions Scandal Ensnared the Richest Families in Southern California [https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2019/07/to-cheat-and-lie-in-la-college-admissions-scandal],” by Evgenia Peretz (Vanity Fair, 2019). * The Case Against Education: Why the Education System Is a Waste of Time and Money [https://amzn.to/3vOoql1], by Bryan Caplan (2018). * “The World Might Be Better Off Without College for Everyone [https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/01/whats-college-good-for/546590/],” by Bryan Caplan (The Atlantic, 2018). * “Are Tenure Track Professors Better Teachers? [https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w19406/w19406.pdf]” by David N. Figlio, Morton O. Schapiro, and Kevin B. Soter (NBER Working Paper, 2013). * “Estimating the Payoff to Attending a More Selective College: An Application of Selection on Observables and Unobservables [https://www.nber.org/papers/w7322],” by Stacy Berg Dale and Alan Krueger (NBER Working Paper, 1999). * "Report on the University’s Role in Political and Social Action [https://provost.uchicago.edu/sites/default/files/documents/reports/KalvenRprt_0.pdf]," by the Kalven Committee (1967).   * EXTRAS: * "What Exactly Is College For? (Update) [https://freakonomics.com/podcast/what-exactly-is-college-for-update/]," by Freakonomics Radio (2024).

We think of them as intellectual enclaves and the surest route to a better life. But U.S. colleges also operate like firms, trying to differentiate their products to win market share and prestige points. In the first episode of a special series originally published in 2022, we ask what our chaotic system gets right — and wrong. (Part 1 of “Freakonomics Radio Goes Back to School [https://freakonomics.com/freakonomics-radio-goes-back-to-school/].”)   * SOURCES: * Peter Blair [https://cepr.harvard.edu/people/peter-blair], faculty research Fellow of the National Bureau of Economic Research and professor of education at Harvard University. * Catharine Hill [https://www.yale.edu/board-trustees/current-trustees/catharine-bond-hill], former president of Vassar College; trustee at Yale University; and managing director at Ithaka S+R. * Morton Schapiro [https://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/faculty/directory/schapiro_morton.aspx], professor of economics and former president of Northwestern University. * Ruth Simmons [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Simmons], former president of Smith College, Brown University, and Prairie View A&M University. * Miguel Urquiola [https://blogs.cuit.columbia.edu/msu2101/], professor of economics at Columbia University.   * RESOURCES: * "Progressivity of Pricing at U.S. Public Universities [https://www.nber.org/papers/w29829]," by Emily E. Cook and Sarah Turner (NBER Working Paper, 2022). * "Community Colleges and Upward Mobility [https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w29254/w29254.pdf]," by Jack Mountjoy (NBER Working Paper, 2021). * "How HBCUs Can Accelerate Black Economic Mobility [https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/education/our-insights/how-hbcus-can-accelerate-black-economic-mobility#download/%2F~%2Fmedia%2Fmckinsey%2Findustries%2Fpublic%20and%20social%20sector%2Four%20insights%2Fhow%20hbcus%20can%20accelerate%20black%20economic%20mobility%2Fhow-hbcus-accelerate-black-economic-mobility-vf.pdf%3FshouldIndex%3Dfalse]," (McKinsey & Company, 2021). * Markets, Minds, and Money: Why America Leads the World in University Research [https://amzn.to/3L3vall], by Miguel Urquiola (2021). * "Mobility Report Cards: The Role of Colleges in Intergenerational Mobility [https://www.nber.org/papers/w23618]," by Raj Chetty, John N. Friedman, Emmanuel Saez, Nicholas Turner, and Danny Yagan (NBER Working Paper, 2017).   * EXTRAS: * "'If We’re All in It for Ourselves, Who Are We?' [https://freakonomics.com/podcast/if-were-all-in-it-for-ourselves-who-are-we/]" by Freakonomics Radio (2024). * "'A Low Moment in Higher Education [https://freakonomics.com/podcast/a-low-moment-in-higher-education/],'" by Freakonomics Radio (2024). * "The $1.5 Trillion Question: How to Fix Student-Loan Debt? [https://freakonomics.com/podcast/the-1-5-trillion-question-how-to-fix-student-loan-debt-ep-377/]" by Freakonomics Radio (2019). * "Why Larry Summers Is the Economist Everyone Hates to Love [https://freakonomics.com/podcast/why-larry-summers-is-the-economist-everyone-hates-to-love/]," by Freakonomics Radio (2017).