{"generated_at": "2026-07-21T22:53:33.389570Z", "slug": "freakonomics", "source_id": "src_freakonomics", "name": "Freakonomics Radio", "episode_count": 3, "avg_signal": 72.3, "median_signal": 74.0, "top_signal": 76.0, "latest_episode_at": "2014-08-28T04:00:00Z", "earliest_episode_at": "2013-11-14T14:00:00Z", "category_mode": "ai", "cover_image_url": "https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/2be484/2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e/2d0a9f2e-6aa1-42a4-8992-adee69e851eb/3000x3000/image.jpg?aid=rss_feed", "rank_score": 0.0, "episodes": [{"episode_id": "ep_freakonomics_ce38b67bab1e", "episode_title": "Who Runs the Internet? (Rebroadcast)", "podcast_name": "Freakonomics Radio", "podcast_slug": "freakonomics", "source_id": "src_freakonomics", "category": "ai", "publish_date": "2014-08-28T04:00:00Z", "overall_score": 74.0, "score_breakdown": {"clarity": 82.0, "originality": 80.0, "actionability": 55.0, "technical_depth": 78.0, "information_density": 74.0}, "podcast_cover_url": "https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/2be484/2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e/2d0a9f2e-6aa1-42a4-8992-adee69e851eb/3000x3000/image.jpg?aid=rss_feed", "source_link": "https://freakonomics.com", "audio_url": "https://mgln.ai/e/2/pdst.fm/e/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/stitcher.simplecastaudio.com/2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e/episodes/2d0a9f2e-6aa1-42a4-8992-adee69e851eb/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e&awEpisodeId=2d0a9f2e-6aa1-42a4-8992-adee69e851eb&feed=Y8lFbOT4", "listen_url": "https://freakonomics.com", "verdict": "worth_your_time", "why_listen": "It offers a counterintuitive framework for how unstructured online systems self-regulate through emergent social roles and incentives.", "summary": "The episode explores whether virtual violence in video games may reduce real-world violence by occupying at-risk youth, and examines the governance of online spaces through Wikipedia's self-organizing editor roles and the challenges of moderating large-scale attention economies. It frames internet governance as an emergent social system balancing open participation with necessary controls."}, {"episode_id": "ep_freakonomics_c9e628bcd000", "episode_title": "160. Why Everybody Who Doesn\u2019t Hate Bitcoin Loves It", "podcast_name": "Freakonomics Radio", "podcast_slug": "freakonomics", "source_id": "src_freakonomics", "category": "ai", "publish_date": "2014-03-27T04:00:00Z", "overall_score": 76.0, "score_breakdown": {"clarity": 88.0, "originality": 68.0, "actionability": 55.0, "technical_depth": 82.0, "recency_relevance": 65.0, "information_density": 76.0}, "podcast_cover_url": "https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/2be484/2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e/f0b783b0-ff8b-4d73-8751-91bfde51ff4c/3000x3000/image.jpg?aid=rss_feed", "source_link": "https://freakonomics.com", "audio_url": "https://mgln.ai/e/2/pdst.fm/e/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/stitcher.simplecastaudio.com/2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e/episodes/f0b783b0-ff8b-4d73-8751-91bfde51ff4c/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e&awEpisodeId=f0b783b0-ff8b-4d73-8751-91bfde51ff4c&feed=Y8lFbOT4", "listen_url": "https://freakonomics.com", "verdict": "worth_your_time", "why_listen": "It clearly explains how Bitcoin enables trustless digital value transfer\u2014a foundational concept for understanding decentralized systems\u2014using accessible analogies and expert insights.", "summary": "The episode explains Bitcoin as a solution to the Byzantine generals problem in computer science, enabling trustless digital transactions via blockchain. It highlights Bitcoin's potential to disrupt remittances, banking, and digital contracts by removing intermediaries. Critics cite energy waste, criminal use, and volatility, while proponents compare skepticism to historical resistance to paper currency."}, {"episode_id": "ep_freakonomics_283bcd269e45", "episode_title": "144. Who Runs the Internet?", "podcast_name": "Freakonomics Radio", "podcast_slug": "freakonomics", "source_id": "src_freakonomics", "category": "ai", "publish_date": "2013-11-14T14:00:00Z", "overall_score": 67.0, "score_breakdown": {"clarity": 80.0, "originality": 70.0, "actionability": 50.0, "technical_depth": 75.0, "recency_relevance": 60.0, "information_density": 70.0}, "podcast_cover_url": "https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/2be484/2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e/f87539b2-f78b-493f-b805-816454478d5e/3000x3000/image.jpg?aid=rss_feed", "source_link": "https://freakonomics.com", "audio_url": "https://mgln.ai/e/2/pdst.fm/e/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/stitcher.simplecastaudio.com/2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e/episodes/f87539b2-f78b-493f-b805-816454478d5e/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e&awEpisodeId=f87539b2-f78b-493f-b805-816454478d5e&feed=Y8lFbOT4", "listen_url": "https://freakonomics.com", "verdict": "worth_your_time", "why_listen": "It offers a nuanced, evidence-informed perspective on how unstructured online systems self-regulate, grounded in real-world examples like Wikipedia\u2019s editorial dynamics.", "summary": "The episode examines whether virtual violence in video games and online behavior might reduce real-world violence by acting as a substitute, citing economist Steve Levitt's theory that engaging in virtual mayhem keeps at-risk youth occupied and off the streets. It explores Clay Shirky's analysis of Internet governance, focusing on how large-scale online interactions create challenges for attention and moderation, using Wikipedia as a case study of self-policing through emergent social norms and expert participation. The discussion centers on the tension between open access and the need for regulation in digital spaces, particularly around biographies of living persons and politically sensitive topics."}], "category_breakdown": [{"category": "ai", "count": 3}]}