Listen "591. Signs of Progress, One Year at a Time"
Episode Synopsis
Every December, a British man named Tom Whitwell publishes a list of 52 things he’s learned that year. These fascinating facts reveal the spectrum of human behavior, from fraud and hypocrisy to Whitwell’s steadfast belief in progress. Should we also believe? SOURCES:Tom Whitwell, managing consultant at Magnetic. RESOURCES:"Supercentenarian and Remarkable Age Records Exhibit Patterns Indicative of Clerical Errors and Pension Fraud," by Saul Justin Newman (Working Paper, 2024)."52 things I learned in 2023," by Tom Whitwell (Magnetic Notes, 2023)."Job Satisfaction 2023," by The Conference Board (2023)."What Fax Machines and Floppy Disks Reveal About Britain’s Productivity Problem," (The Economist, 2017).Fighting Traffic: The Dawn of the Motor Age in the American City, by Peter D. Norton (2008)."Beyond Propaganda," by John Kenney (The New York Times, 2006). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
More episodes of the podcast Freakonomics Radio
652. Inside the Horse-Industrial Complex
07/11/2025
651. The Ultimate Dance Partner
31/10/2025
Are Two C.E.O.s Better Than One? (Update)
29/10/2025
650. The Doctor Won’t See You Now
24/10/2025
A Question-Asker Becomes a Question-Answerer
17/10/2025
648. The Merger You Never Knew You Wanted
03/10/2025
ZARZA We are Zarza, the prestigious firm behind major projects in information technology.