Tell Me Something I Don't Know

Stephen J. Dubner and Stitcher

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 guests, and by the end we’ve all gotten a bit smarter. Each episode has a new topic, a new co-host, and new guests. There’s also a real-time human fact-checker to keep everyone honest. Think of the most crackling dinner-party conversation you’ve ever heard. Produced in association with Stitcher.

  • 1 minute 31 seconds
    New Episodes Coming Soon!

    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.

    17 October 2018, 3:00 am
  • 53 minutes 32 seconds
    An Astronaut, a Catalan, and Two Linguists Walk Into a Bar…

    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.

    18 November 2017, 4:00 pm
  • 48 minutes 43 seconds
    Extra 7: Corrosive Energy Drinks and Peruvian Cat Stew

    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.

    17 November 2017, 5:17 am
  • 39 minutes 1 second
    Farming Without Sun or Soil and Eating Manna From Heaven

    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.

    11 November 2017, 4:00 pm
  • 47 minutes 46 seconds
    Mind Games

    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.

    4 November 2017, 5:00 pm
  • 56 minutes
    Jon Batiste, Gail Simmons, and Strange Smells

    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.

    28 October 2017, 5:00 pm
  • 57 minutes 5 seconds
    All About Bugs (of the Animal and Computer Varieties)

    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.

    21 October 2017, 5:00 pm
  • 42 minutes 30 seconds
    School Start Times, Brand Names, and Too Much Ground Beef

    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.

    14 October 2017, 5:00 pm
  • 47 minutes 30 seconds
    How to Count to Infinity

    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.

    7 October 2017, 5:00 pm
  • 56 minutes 51 seconds
    The Perfect Potato Chip, the Origin of Seltzer, and Why We Eat “Beef” and Not “Cow”

    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.

    30 September 2017, 5:00 pm
  • 47 minutes 13 seconds
    You Say “eye-RACK,” I Say “ear-ROCK”

    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.

    23 September 2017, 5:00 pm
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