Tell Me Something I Don't Know

New Episodes Coming Soon! Oct 17, 2018

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… Nov 18, 2017

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 Nov 17, 2017

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 Nov 11, 2017

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 Nov 04, 2017

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 Oct 28, 2017

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) Oct 21, 2017

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 Oct 14, 2017

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 Oct 07, 2017

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” Sep 30, 2017

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” Sep 23, 2017

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.

Season 4 Preview Sep 11, 2017

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 Sep 09, 2017

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 Sep 06, 2017

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 Sep 05, 2017

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 Sep 04, 2017

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 Aug 30, 2017

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 Aug 29, 2017

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 Aug 28, 2017

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 Aug 05, 2017

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 Jul 29, 2017

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 Jul 22, 2017

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 Jul 15, 2017

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 Jul 08, 2017

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 Jul 01, 2017

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 Jun 24, 2017

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 Jun 17, 2017

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 Jun 10, 2017

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 Jun 05, 2017

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 May 29, 2017

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 Apr 22, 2017

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.

Wannabes Apr 15, 2017

Tim Harford, Carla Hayden and Rahmein Mostafavi are panelists. The "Undercover Economist," the Librarian of Congress and the comedian join TMSIDK in Washington, D.C. — the city that wants to be a state — to learn about wannabes, from international spies to new human organs. Femi Oke is fact-checker.

Oh, My God Apr 08, 2017

John Fugelsang, Tami Sagher and Aman Ali are panelists. Who better to help us talk through religion than these three comedians? We look into unholy fruit, religion in banking, and the politics of reincarnation. A.J. Jacobs is fact-checker.

Money Money Money Apr 01, 2017

Brian Koppelman, Cheryl Dorsey, and Hari Kondabolu are panelists. The TV/movie producer, the social entrepreneur, and the comedian/podcast host follow the money, from the Brooklyn Bridge to Ethiopia. A.J. Jacobs is fact-checker.

Stupid Stuff Mar 25, 2017

James Altucher, Miki Agrawal and Aasif Mandvi are panelists. The investor/author, the controversial entrepreneur and the comedian dive deep into things that don’t work as well as they should; ideas that should have been killed off long ago; and inventions great and not-so-great. Sean Rameswaram is fact-checker.

Under the Hood Mar 18, 2017

Seth Godin, Faith Salie, and Nicholas Negroponte are the panelists. The marketing guru, comedian, and MIT Media Lab founder pull back the curtain on dreams, religious rules, and ovulation — among other great mysteries. Bouree Lam of "The Atlantic" is fact-checker.

Collections Mar 11, 2017

Tim Ferriss, Eugene Mirman, and Anne Pasternak are panelists. The self-help guru, comedian, and Brooklyn Museum director talk about brainwaves, sugar, stars, and — thanks to fact-checker AJ Jacobs — barf bags.

Wordz Mar 04, 2017

Joanna Coles, Adriana Trigiani, and Maeve Higgins. The Hearst Magazines executive, novelist, and comedian delve into the written — or spoken, or programmed, or texted — word.

Athletes' Feats Feb 25, 2017

Katie Nolan, DeMaurice Smith and Tami Sagher are panelists. The Fox Sports 1 host, NFL Players Association head, and comedian keep their eyes on the ball as contestants throw fascinating facts their way — about the strategy, scoring, business and history of competitive athletics.

Perfection Feb 18, 2017

Lizz Winstead, Mike Pesca and Melanie Whelan are panelists. The "Daily Show" creator, host of "The Gist" podcast, and CEO of Soul Cycle ponder the pursuit of perfection — in cityscapes and on farms, in how we keep time and how we remember. Our fact-checker is A.J. Jacobs. host of the "Twice Removed" podcast.

Season 2 Preview Feb 13, 2017

We're back! Here's a preview of our second season which begins February 19th. Over the next 10 weeks you'll hear all sorts of fascinating things you didn't know, as our contestants try to wow captains of industry, heads of institutions and other professional smart people, plus great comedians like Aasif Mandvi, Lizz Winstead, John Fugelsang, Faith Salie, Aman Ali, Tami Sagher, Eugene Mirman, Hari Kondabolu, and Maeve Higgins.

Fool Me Once Dec 10, 2016

Hannibal Buress, Annie Duke and Fr. James Martin, S.J. are panelists. A comedian, a poker player and a priest walk into a bar… and have to deal with missing hands, missing bodies and missing scientific evidence. Fact-checker: Sean Rameswaram, podcast producer for WNYC Studios.

Passion Plays Dec 03, 2016

Austan Goolsbee, Angela Duckworth and Keisha Zollar are panelists. The U. of Chicago economist, "Grit" author, and comedian dig deep into things we're passionate about — good and bad — from sports to sounds to experimenting on students. Fact-checker: Negin Farsad, host of the podcast “Fake the Nation.”

Things That Come Out of Your Mouth Nov 26, 2016

Dr. Oz, John McWhorter and Frank Delaney are panelists. The surgeon/TV host, linguist and novelist ponder marine regurgitation, texting and ugly bananas. Sean Rameswaram of WNYC Studois is fact-checker.

Things That Go In Your Mouth Nov 19, 2016

Zeke Emanuel, Sam Kass and Gretchen Rubin are panelists. The bioethicist, former White House chef and “The Happiness Project” author ponder fascinating facts on our theme, “Things That Go In Your Mouth,” from the cheapest meal ever served in the White House to a surprisingly versatile musical instrument. Fact-checking by WNYC Studios producer Sean Rameswaram.

It's Alive Nov 12, 2016

Chris Gethard, Simon Winchester and danah boyd are panelists. The comedian, "Professor and the Madman" author, and social-media scholar hear tales from the natural world — about marine animals that will either live forever or kill you (or both), as well as the wonders of poop soup. Tales from the natural world, including marine animals that will either live forever or kill you (or both), as well as the wonders of poop soup. Fact-checking by FiveThirtyEight’s Jody Avirgan.

Strange Danger Nov 05, 2016

Debora Spar, Anthony Marx and Andy Zaltzman are panelists. The Barnard College president, New York Public Library president, and host of The Bugle podcast confront lots of things you didn't know are dangerous — including Election Day, a lack of sleep and truck drivers. Fact checking by FiveThirtyEight’s Jody Avirgan.

Introducing “Tell Me Something I Don’t Know” Nov 01, 2016

Stephen J. Dubner of “Freakonomics Radio” has always had a mission: to tell you the things you thought you knew but didn’t; and things you never thought you wanted to know, but do. Now he has a new way of doing just that: “Tell Me Something I Don’t Know,” a live game show that’s a whole new form of factual journalism. The first episode drops on Monday, Nov. 7, so subscribe now! To be a contestant or buy tickets to our tapings in New York City, visit www.tmsidk.com.

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