Tell Me Something I Don't Know

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Journalism wrapped in a game-show package. Host Stephen J. Dubner (of “Freakonomics Radio”) and a celebrity co-host invite guests on stage in front of a live audience to tell us something we don’t know. The co-hosts — a mix of leaders in science, academia, sports, media, and comedy — grill the guest…

Stephen J. Dubner and Stitcher


    • Oct 16, 2018 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 48m AVG DURATION
    • 83 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Tell Me Something I Don't Know

    New Episodes Coming Soon!

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 16, 2018 1:31


    We are about to tape new episodes of Tell Me Something I Don’t Know. You’ll be able to hear them later this year in the Freakonomics Radio podcast feed. Details in this short announcement.

    An Astronaut, a Catalan, and Two Linguists Walk Into a Bar…

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 19, 2017 54:03


    Why New York has skinny skyscrapers, how to weaponize water, and what astronauts talk about in space. John McWhorter is co-host; Bari Weiss is live fact-checker.

    An Astronaut, a Catalan, and Two Linguists Walk Into a Bar…

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 18, 2017 53:33


    Why New York has skinny skyscrapers, how to weaponize water, and what astronauts talk about in space. John McWhorter is co-host; Bari Weiss is live fact-checker.

    Extra 7: Corrosive Energy Drinks and Peruvian Cat Stew

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 16, 2017 48:44


    In this special call-in episode: why some Peruvians eat cats; why operas need repetiteurs; and why we should get rid of prisons. Michael Smerconish (CNN) is co-host; AJ Jacobs (It’s All Relative) checks the facts.

    Farming Without Sun or Soil and Eating Manna From Heaven

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 12, 2017 39:33


    This week, we work on our survival skills: in the desert, on the tundra, and growing food in abandoned warehouses. Actress Sas Goldberg is co-host; A.J. Jacobs (author of It’s All Relative) is live fact-checker.

    Farming Without Sun or Soil and Eating Manna From Heaven

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 11, 2017 39:02


    This week, we work on our survival skills: in the desert, on the tundra, and growing food in abandoned warehouses. Actress Sas Goldberg is co-host; A.J. Jacobs (author of It's All Relative) is live fact-checker.

    Mind Games

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 5, 2017 48:17


    How to make people like you, why you should lick rocks, and what an awkward person is really thinking. Angela Duckworth (Grit author) is co-host; Mike Maughan (Qualtrics) is live fact-checker.

    Mind Games

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 4, 2017 47:46


    How to make people like you, why you should lick rocks, and what an awkward person is really thinking. Angela Duckworth (Grit author) is co-host; Mike Maughan (Qualtrics) is live fact-checker.

    Jon Batiste, Gail Simmons, and Strange Smells

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 29, 2017 56:31


    Things we learn this week: dogs aren't so great at sniffing, men aren't so lazy, and New York doesn't smell so bad (anymore). Gail Simmons (Top Chef) is co-host; Jon Batiste plays his melodica for us; the live fact-checker is Mike Maughan.

    Jon Batiste, Gail Simmons, and Strange Smells

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 28, 2017 56:00


    Things we learn this week: dogs aren't so great at sniffing, men aren't so lazy, and New York doesn't smell so bad (anymore). Gail Simmons (Top Chef) is co-host; Jon Batiste plays his melodica for us; the live fact-checker is Mike Maughan.

    All About Bugs (of the Animal and Computer Varieties)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 22, 2017 57:37


    Musical crickets, crop-saving wasps — and why you should pre-bug your software. John McWhorter is co-host; the live fact-checker is Bari Weiss.

    All About Bugs (of the Animal and Computer Varieties)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 21, 2017 57:06


    Musical crickets, crop-saving wasps — and why you should pre-bug your software. John McWhorter is co-host; the live fact-checker is Bari Weiss.

    School Start Times, Brand Names, and Too Much Ground Beef

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 15, 2017 43:01


    Alex Wagner (CBS This Morning Saturday, The Atlantic) is our special guest co-host, with AJ Jacobs (author of It's All Relative) as real-time fact-checker. We filled this episode with insights about the true value of ground beef, sleeping in, company names, and more.

    School Start Times, Brand Names, and Too Much Ground Beef

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2017 42:30


    Alex Wagner (CBS This Morning Saturday, The Atlantic) is our special guest co-host, with AJ Jacobs (author of It's All Relative) as real-time fact-checker. We filled this episode with insights about the true value of ground beef, sleeping in, company names, and more.

    How to Count to Infinity

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 8, 2017 48:02


    Mary Roach (author of Stiff, Spook, Bonk, Gulp, and Grunt) is our special guest co-host, with AJ Jacobs (author of It's All Relative) as real-time fact-checker. If the promise of tractor beams doesn't pull you in, our guests also explore robotic fish, counting to infinity, and more.

    How to Count to Infinity

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2017 47:31


    Mary Roach (author of Stiff, Spook, Bonk, Gulp, and Grunt) is our special guest co-host, with AJ Jacobs (author of It's All Relative) as real-time fact-checker. If the promise of tractor beams doesn't pull you in, our guests also explore robotic fish, counting to infinity, and more.

    The Perfect Potato Chip, the Origin of Seltzer, and Why We Eat “Beef” and Not “Cow”

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 1, 2017 57:24


    Alex Guarnaschelli (Iron Chef America and Chopped) is our special guest co-host, with Sean Rameswaram (Radiolab Presents: More Perfect) as real-time fact-checker. TMSIDK explores the origins of food words, children's menus, and seltzer.

    The Perfect Potato Chip, the Origin of Seltzer, and Why We Eat “Beef” and Not “Cow”

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 30, 2017 56:52


    Alex Guarnaschelli (Iron Chef America and Chopped) is our special guest co-host, with Sean Rameswaram (Radiolab Presents: More Perfect) as real-time fact-checker. TMSIDK explores the origins of food words, children's menus, and seltzer.

    You Say “eye-RACK,” I Say “ear-ROCK”

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 24, 2017 47:44


    Hari Kondabolu (comedian and host of Politically Re-Active) is our special guest co-host, with Sean Rameswaram (Radiolab Presents: More Perfect) as real-time fact-checker. TMSIDK reaches into our "grab bag" for fascinating facts on the downside of keeping secrets, the origin of fantasy sports, what pronunciations say about our politics, and more.

    You Say “eye-RACK,” I Say “ear-ROCK”

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 23, 2017 47:14


    Hari Kondabolu (comedian and host of Politically Re-Active) is our special guest co-host, with Sean Rameswaram (Radiolab Presents: More Perfect) as real-time fact-checker. TMSIDK reaches into our "grab bag" for fascinating facts on the downside of keeping secrets, the origin of fantasy sports, what pronunciations say about our politics, and more.

    Womb to Tomb

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 17, 2017 52:10


    Alexandra Petri (Washington Post columnist) is our special guest co-host, with AJ Jacobs (author of It's All Relative) as real-time fact-checker. TMSIDK covers everything from birth to earth, including pregnancy tests, parenting, monogamy, aging better, and, finally, embalming.

    Season 4 Preview

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 10, 2017 3:06


    Alex Guarnaschelli, Alexandra Petri, Hari Kondabolu, Mary Roach, and Jemele Hill are some of the brilliant co-hosts joining us during Season 4. Here's a sneak peek of what you'll learn in 10 new episodes beginning September 17th.

    Womb to Tomb

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 9, 2017 51:39


    Alexandra Petri (Washington Post columnist) is our special guest co-host, with AJ Jacobs (author of It's All Relative) as real-time fact-checker. TMSIDK covers everything from birth to earth, including pregnancy tests, parenting, monogamy, aging better, and, finally, embalming.

    Extra 6: A Better Way to End Basketball Games

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 5, 2017 16:24


    Basketball fans know how boring a game's ending can be — intentional fouls can stretch 90 seconds into 10 minutes. What if we could fix it by blowing up the last 4 minutes?

    Extra 5: The Actress Who Never Takes a Sick Day

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2017 18:51


    Off-Broadway actress, producer, and Guinness Record-holder Catherine Russell has played the same off-Broadway role for three decades. What’s more impressive than the play itself? She’s never called in sick.

    Extra 4: The Most Renewable Energy of All

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2017 20:39


    Some of our most important inventions safely remove human waste. But what if we could use that waste to generate electricity?

    Extra 3: The Rise and Fall (and Rise?) of Rosé Wine

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 29, 2017 12:38


    From medieval times through the French Revolution, rosé ruled the wine world — and now it’s staging a comeback. Actress (and rosé fan) Miriam Shor joins as a co-host.

    Extra 2: Meet the Senator Who Wants to Start an Evidence-Based Revolution

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2017 21:42


    Senator Todd Young of Indiana wants to make government-funded social programs more effective with Social Impact Partnerships, which pair private funding with proven projects.

    Extra 1: How the Mafia Got Its Start

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 27, 2017 15:16


    In 1803, Sicily and Malta won contracts to provide lemon juice to the entire British Royal Navy. Half a century later, the mafia was born.

    Urinetown

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 6, 2017 55:35


    James Altucher (host of The James Altucher Show) is our special guest co-host, with Mike Maughan (head of global insights at Qualtrics) as real-time fact-checker. TMSIDK is on the weird side of the tracks in Philadelphia with everything you've ever wanted to know about graffiti, cockroaches, tattoos, pee, and more.

    Urinetown

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 5, 2017 55:04


    James Altucher (host of The James Altucher Show) is our special guest co-host, with Mike Maughan (head of global insights at Qualtrics) as real-time fact-checker. TMSIDK is on the weird side of the tracks in Philadelphia with everything you've ever wanted to know about graffiti, cockroaches, tattoos, pee, and more.

    Creature Comforts

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 30, 2017 53:39


    Krista Tippett (host of On Being) is our special guest co-host, with Maggie Ryan Sandford (science writer, researcher and producer) as real-time fact-checker. Relax with a TMSIDK episode filled with facts on quiet rooms, pillows, comfort food, and ...Spam?

    Creature Comforts

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 29, 2017 53:08


    Krista Tippett (host of On Being) is our special guest co-host, with Maggie Ryan Sandford (science writer, researcher and producer) as real-time fact-checker. Relax with a TMSIDK episode filled with facts on quiet rooms, pillows, comfort food, and ...Spam?

    Behavior Change: Ultra Egghead Edition

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 23, 2017 55:13


    Angela Duckworth (psychologist and author of Grit) is our special guest co-host, with Mike Maughan (head of global insights at Qualtrics) as real-time fact-checker. TMSIDK is in Philadelphia with a cornucopia of the world's most-renowned behavior-change experts presenting original research.

    Behavior Change: Ultra Egghead Edition

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 22, 2017 54:42


    Angela Duckworth (psychologist and author of Grit) is our special guest co-host, with Mike Maughan (head of global insights at Qualtrics) as real-time fact-checker. TMSIDK is in Philadelphia with a cornucopia of the world's most-renowned behavior-change experts presenting original research.

    Three Sheets to the Wind

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 16, 2017 48:59


    John Moe (The Hilarious World of Depression) is our special guest co-host, with Maggie Ryan Sandford (science writer, researcher and producer) as our real-time fact-checker. TMSIDK is in Minneapolis for a show exploring the environment, morning drinking, skyways, hidden figures and more.

    Three Sheets to the Wind

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2017 48:28


    John Moe (The Hilarious World of Depression) is our special guest co-host, with Maggie Ryan Sandford (science writer, researcher, and producer) as our real-time fact-checker. TMSIDK is in Minneapolis for a show exploring the environment, morning drinking, skyways, hidden figures, and more.

    Medicine

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 9, 2017 55:29


    Bapu Jena, Christine Hurley and Evan Allen are panelists. The physician-professor-economist, the comedian and the New England Revolution head athletic trainer join us in Boston for a show on Medicine. Side effects include extra kidneys, Lyme disease, hairlessness, cardiac arrest and magical mucus. WBUR's Carey Goldberg is fact-checker.

    Medicine

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 8, 2017 54:58


    Bapu Jena, Christine Hurley and Evan Allen are panelists. The physician-professor-economist, the comedian and the New England Revolution head athletic trainer join us in Boston for a show on Medicine. Side effects include extra kidneys, Lyme disease, hairlessness, cardiac arrest and magical mucus. WBUR's Carey Goldberg is fact-checker.

    Getting There

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 2, 2017 59:31


    Che "Rhymefest" Smith, Ginger Evans and Mary Catherine Curran are panelists. The rapper/political organizer, the commissioner of Chicago's Department of Aviation and the comedian join us in the City of Big Shoulders for a show on transitions — from here to there, from low to high and from fish to humans. Jesse Dukes is fact-checker.

    Getting There

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 1, 2017 59:00


    Che "Rhymefest" Smith, Ginger Evans and Mary Catherine Curran are panelists. The rapper/political organizer, the commissioner of Chicago's Department of Aviation and the comedian join us in the City of Big Shoulders for a show on transitions — from here to there, from low to high and from fish to humans. Jesse Dukes is fact-checker.

    Family Matters

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 25, 2017 52:57


    Amy Chua, Liza Donnelly and Gary Gulman are panelists. The "Tiger Mom," the New Yorker cartoonist and the comedian join our dysfunctional family for this show on parenting, cousins, genealogy and medical divorce. AJ Jacobs is fact-checker.

    Family Matters

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 24, 2017 52:23


    Amy Chua, Liza Donnelly and Gary Gulman are panelists. The "Tiger Mom," the "New Yorker" cartoonist and the comedian join our dysfunctional family for this show on parenting, cousins, genealogy and medical divorce. AJ Jacobs is fact-checker.

    Cities

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 18, 2017 60:02


    Eugene Mirman, Ed Glaeser and Amy Glasmeier are panelists. The comedian, the Harvard economist and the MIT professor join us in one of America's oldest urban centers for a show about cities, including ruins, sewage and ghost towns. Mike Maughan is our fact-checker.

    Cities

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 17, 2017 59:31


    Join us in one of America's oldest urban centers for a show about cities, including ruins, sewage and ghost towns. Our panelists are: Ed Glaeser, Harvard economist and author of Triumph of the City, who doesn't know when to quit. Amy Glasmeier, professor of economic geography and regional planning at MIT and creator of the Living Wage Calculator, who loves to run as a write-in candidate. Eugene Mirman, comedian and the voice of Gene on Bob's Burgers, who is kind of a big deal in Boston. Our real-time fact-checker is Mike Maughan, head of global insights at Qualtrics.

    Politickling

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 11, 2017 56:03


    Major Garrett, Alexandra Petri and Robby Mook are panelists in Washington, D.C. The CBS Chief White House Correspondent, the Washington Post humor columnist, and Hillary Clinton's campaign manager step out of the swamp for some more light-hearted politics: from foreign cars to the last state in the union. Femi Oke is fact-checker.

    Politickling

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2017 54:13


    Major Garrett, Alexandra Petri and Robby Mook are panelists in Washington, D.C. The CBS Chief White House Correspondent, the Washington Post humor columnist, and Hillary Clinton's campaign manager step out of the swamp for some more light-hearted politics: from foreign cars to the last state in the union. Femi Oke is fact-checker.

    Rivalry

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 4, 2017 58:09


    Steve Levitt, Scott Turow and Bridget Gainer are panelists. For the "Freakonomics" co-author, the attorney and novelist, and the Cook County commissioner it's "game on!" as they tackle competition of all kinds: athletic, sexual, geopolitical, and the little-known battle between butter and margarine that landed in the Supreme Court. WBEZ's Tricia Bobeda, co-host of the "Nerdette" podcast, is fact-checker.

    Season 3 Preview

    Play Episode Listen Later May 28, 2017 3:37


    Steve Levitt, Eugene Mirman, Alexandra Petri, Che “Rhymefest” Smith and Major Garrett are among this season's stars. Here's a taste of what you'll hear in our new season. We've got 10 new episodes — one a week — beginning June 4th.

    Music

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 23, 2017 64:38


    Danny Goldberg, Faith Salie and David Hajdu are panelists. The record executive, the comedian/journalist and the music critic face the music, including industrial instruments, female composers and the all-important bridge. Our real-time fact-checker is Dan Zanes, accompanied by his live band.

    Music

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2017 63:46


    Danny Goldberg, Faith Salie and David Hajdu are panelists. The record executive, the comedian/journalist and the music critic face the music, including industrial instruments, female composers and the all-important bridge. Our real-time fact-checker is Dan Zanes, accompanied by his live band.

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