Freakonomics Radio · 2025-10-17 · 74 min · 13,726 words

A Question-Asker Becomes a Question-Answerer

Listen to the original audio · Transcribed with NVIDIA Parakeet · Timestamps stay in sync with the live audio

Hey there, it's Stephen Dubner. If you divided the world into two groups of people, one that likes to ask questions and one that would rather answer them, I would definitely be in the first group, the question askers. It's what I do for a living, but it's also one of my very favorite things to do. But once in a while I do find myself on the answering end of things, and that can be fun too.

It certainly was when I recently sat down with Debbie Millman, a designer, educator, and writer who is host of the podcast Design Matters. And that's the episode we are about to play for you. As you'll hear, we are coming up on a couple of big anniversaries around here, 20 years since Steve Levitt and I published Freeconomics in 15 years since I launched Freeconomics Radio. You'll also hear a bit about a new project.

I'm starting a TV talk show with the working title Better in Person. You'll hear more about that in the months to come. In the meantime, if you want to catch me in person, I will be in Washington, DC on Sunday, November 2nd to celebrate 20 years of Freeconomics. in conversation with Jeff Bennett at Sixth and I, and I will be in New York City on Thursday, November 13th in conversation with Bud Mishkin at the 92nd Street Y. For tickets for the New York and DC events, go to freeconomics.com slash live shows.

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