The Economics of Everyday Things

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The Economics of Everyday Things

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Who decides which snacks are in your office’s vending machine? How much is a suburban elm tree worth, and to whom? How did Girl Scout Cookies become a billion-dollar business? In bite-sized episodes, journalist Zachary Crockett looks at quotidian things and finds amazing stories. 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.

  1. 4 DAYS AGO

    99. Emoji

    We send 10 billion of them every day. Where do they come from? Zachary Crockett hearts this topic.   SOURCES:Jennifer 8. Lee, co-founder of Emojination.  RESOURCES:"Apple Removes The Gun Emoji, Replaces It With A Squirt Gun," by Carl Franzen (Popular Science, 2021)."Ford’s secret fight for a pickup truck emoji," by Mark Dent (The Hustle, 2019)."The WIRED Guide to Emoji," by Arielle Pardes (WIRED, 2018)."How the iPhone won over Japan and gave the world emoji," by Sam Byford (The Verge, 2017)."About Emoji," (Unicode Consortium).
    18 min

  2. 7 JUL

    98. Police Sketches

    When security cameras and facial recognition tools fail, law enforcement investigators fall back on a witness's memory and an artist's hand. Zachary Crockett's nose was a little bigger than that.   SOURCES:Lois Gibson, forensic artist.David Sarni, adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.  RESOURCES:"Fighting Crime With Pencil and Paper," by J. David Goodman (New York Times, 2013)"Something Sketchy About Identifying Suspects," by Stephen Owsinski (National Police Association)."Forensic Art Certification Scope and Role," (International Association for Identification)."Forensice Art Composites," (Samantha Steinberg).
    18 min

  3. 2 JUL · BONUS

    EXTRA: Fireworks Stands

    How does an industry built on roadside pop-ups make billions of dollars in two weeks of the year? Zachary Crockett gets pyrotechnical.   SOURCES:Alex Zoldan, vice president of Phantom Fireworks.  RESOURCES:Phantom Fireworks 2025 Wholesale Price List."The Explosive Growth Of The Fireworks Market," by Greg Rosalsky, Darian Woods, and Julian Ritchey (NPR, 2023)."Directory of State Laws for Consumer Fireworks," (American Pyrotechnics Association).
    17 min

  4. 30 JUN

    Car Washes (Replay)

    Why are these sudsy roadside stops one of the fastest growing industries in America? Zachary Crockett takes a look under the hood.   RESOURCES:"Private Equity Wants to Wash Your Car," by Miriam Gottfried (The Wall Street Journal, 2022)."California Labor Commissioner Recovers $282,000 for Car Wash Wage Citations," State of California Department of Industrial Relations News Release (2022)."Sgt. Clean’s Future Shines Bright Thanks to Subscription Model, Strong Reputation," by Vince Guerrieri (Crain's Cleveland Business, 2018)."One California Drought Winner? The Local Car Wash," by Lauren Sommer (Marketplace, 2015).Sonny's CarWash College.
    16 min

  5. 23 JUN

    97. Elevators

    Americans take more than 20 billion elevator rides every year — and keeping them safe is an expensive proposition. Zachary Crockett makes small talk.   SOURCES:Frank Christensen, president of the International Union of Elevators Constructors.Shannon Moore, service mechanic for the International Union of Elevator Constructors Local 8.Brian O'Connell, senior vice president of the Eastern U.S. at Otis Elevators.Stephen Smith, executive director of the Center for Building in North America.  RESOURCES:"Elevators," by Stephen Smith (Center for Building in North America, 2024)."Elevator and Escalator Fact Sheet," (National Elevator Industry, 2020)."The Evolution of Elevators: Physical-Human Interface, Digital Interaction, and Megatall Buildings," by Stephen Nichols (Frontiers of Engineering, 2017).Lifted: A Cultural History of the Elevator, by Andreas Bernard (2014).  EXTRAS:"Up and Then Down," by Nick Paumgarten (The New Yorker, 2008)."World's Tallest Towers."
    18 min

  6. 16 JUN

    96. School Buses

    Districts across the country are facing shortages of school bus drivers. Can technology help? Zachary Crockett takes a seat in the back.   SOURCES:Keith Corso, co-founder and CEO of BusRight.Marc Medina, transportation supervisor for the Farmingdale School District in Long Island.Jada Melendez, school bus driver in Burlington County, New Jersey.  RESOURCES:"How St. Louis parents are dealing with school bus driver shortages," by Gabrielle Hays (PBS, 2024)."The school bus driver shortage remains severe," by Sebastian Martinez Hickey and David Cooper (Economic Policy Institute, 2023)."‘End of the Line’: School Bus Industry in Crisis Because of the Coronavirus," by Pranshu Verma (New York Times, 2020).
    20 min

  7. 9 JUN

    95. Airplane Food

    Everyone loves to complain about it — but preparing a meal that tastes good at 35,000 feet is harder than you might think. Zachary Crockett will have the fish.   SOURCES:Molly Brandt, innovation chef for North America at Gategroup.Chris Kinsella, chief commercial officer for North America at Gategroup.Guillaume de Syon, professor of history at Albright College.  RESOURCES:"No Thanks, Grandma, I’m Saving Room for Airplane Food," by Christine Chung (New York Times, 2023)."The Golden Age of airplane food is over. The future: Snacks and sustainability." by Natalie Comptom (The Washington Post, 2019)."Why does food taste different on planes?" by Katia Moskvitch (BBC, 2015)."And to Penny-Pinching Wizardry," by Claudia Deutsch (New York Times, 2001)."The Pioneering Years: Commercial Aviation 1920–1930," by Rich Freeman (U.S. Centennial of Flight).
    20 min

  8. 2 JUN

    94. Fireworks Shows

    Every year, America celebrates its independence with millions of dollars worth of explosives imported from China. Zachary Crockett lights a fuse and backs away quickly.   SOURCES:JJ Brau, fireworks coordinator for J&M Displays.Mark Johnson, vice president of J&M Displays.  RESOURCES:"The explosive history of fireworks, from ancient China to Revolutionary America," by Joe Hernandez (NPR, 2024)."July 4 fireworks fiasco solved – technically," by Jonathan Horn (The San Diego Union-Tribune, 2016)."The Fireworks King," by Damian Paletta and Emily Rauhala (The Washington Post, 2018)."Exploding The Mystery Of Blue Fireworks," by Short Wave (2013)."How Do Fireworks Make Shapes?" by Natalie Wolchover (Live Science, 2011).  EXTRAS:"Agreement Between The City of Rapid City and J&M Displays, Inc. for Annual Fireworks Displays" (2023).
    21 min
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Who decides which snacks are in your office’s vending machine? How much is a suburban elm tree worth, and to whom? How did Girl Scout Cookies become a billion-dollar business? In bite-sized episodes, journalist Zachary Crockett looks at quotidian things and finds amazing stories. 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.

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