Podcasts · Society & Culture

People I (Mostly) Admire

218 episodes · 7 with AI analysis

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. To get every show in the Freakonomics Radio Network without ads and a monthly bonus episode of Freakonomics Radio, start a free trial for SiriusXM Podcasts+ on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.

AI Intelligence · across all analyzed episodes

People · top 20

Companies · top 20

Topics · top 10

Pregnancy and Miscarriage Risk AssessmentBreastfeeding Benefits and MythologyCOVID-19 School Reopening PolicyRemote Learning Outcomes and Mental HealthGenetic Testing and Huntington's DiseaseHuman Capital Investment Under Mortality RiskHealth Fads and Self-Fulfilling PropheciesObservational vs. Randomized Study DesignDecision-Making Frameworks Under UncertaintyHepatitis B and Gender Ratio Imbalance

Analyzed Episodes

Apr 11, 2026

17. Emily Oster: “I Am a Woman Who Is Prominently Discussing Vaginas.”

Pregnancy and Miscarriage Risk AssessmentBreastfeeding Benefits and MythologyCOVID-19 School Reopening Policy

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Apr 4, 2026

16. Joshua Jay: “Humans Are So, So Easy to Fool.”

Magic performance and storytelling techniquesPsychology of audience perception and suspension of disbeliefAcademic research methodology applied to magic

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Feb 28, 2026

10. Suzanne Gluck: “I'm a Person Who Can Convince Other People to Do Things”

Literary agent negotiation strategiesBook publishing industry dynamicsBestseller prediction and market analysis

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Jan 31, 2026

5. Susan Wojcicki: “Hey, Let’s Go Buy YouTube!”

Google's advertising system and Vickrey second-price auction mechanicsYouTube acquisition decision-making and competitive strategyContent moderation at scale: hate speech, misinformation, and terrorism

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Feb 7, 2026

6. Nathan Myhrvold: “I Am Interested in Lots of Things, and That's Actually a Bad Strategy”

Advanced Nuclear Reactor Design (TerraPower, Natrium)Climate Change Mitigation TechnologyHurricane Suppression Systems (Salter Sink)

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Feb 14, 2026

7. Caverly Morgan: "I Am Not This Voice. I Am Not This Narrative."

Mindfulness in Public SchoolsSocial-Emotional Learning (SEL)Inner Critic and Self-Talk Management

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Feb 21, 2026

8. Peter Attia: “I Definitely Lost a Lot of IQ Points That Day”

Longevity optimization and healthspan extensionFasting protocols and starvation ketosisNutritional ketosis and carbohydrate restriction

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