Freakonomics Radio

Steve Levitt Quits His Podcast, Joins Ours

January 21, 2026

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  • Steve Levitt is ending his podcast, *People I (Mostly) Admire*, after five years, but will begin hosting occasional episodes of *Freakonomics Radio* as a silver lining for listeners. 
  • Levitt found hosting *People I (Mostly) Admire* to be a valuable pivot from knowledge creation to knowledge consumption, providing necessary deadlines and intellectual discipline he lacked as an academic. 
  • Levitt's passion has shifted toward educational reform, specifically implementing mastery learning through his new Levitt Lab schools, believing engagement is the linchpin to solving current educational crises, especially in the age of AI. 

Segments

Podcast Transition Announcement
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(00:01:01)
  • Key Takeaway: Steve Levitt’s People I (Mostly) Admire is ending, but its entire archive will be republished, and Levitt will occasionally host Freakonomics Radio.
  • Summary: Stephen Dubner announces that Steve Levitt is concluding his show, People I (Mostly) Admire. The good news is that the entire archive of Levitt’s show will be republished for listeners to follow. Furthermore, Levitt will start hosting occasional episodes of Freakonomics Radio.
Levitt’s Wish List Guest
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(00:03:01)
  • Key Takeaway: Steve Levitt deeply admires Joel Osteen’s ability to deliver a powerful gospel of empowerment, even to an atheist listener who substitutes ‘universe’ for religious figures.
  • Summary: Levitt reveals that Joel Osteen is high on his unfulfilled guest wish list due to the remarkable nature of his speaking style. Levitt experienced Osteen’s preaching in person and found the community gathering magical, even though he does not believe in God. He wanted to ask Osteen about his gospel of empowerment, which contrasts with typical religious associations.
Spiritual Awakening in India
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(00:06:17)
  • Key Takeaway: Levitt experienced a profound spiritual awakening in India by adopting a Buddhist principle of non-striving, realizing peace when indifferent to outcomes.
  • Summary: Levitt recounts a grudging trip to India with his wife where he was initially miserable due to the lack of desired activities. He achieved peace by realizing that if he was indifferent to the destination, the journey (like a crowded, stinky bus) was equally good, embodying the Buddhist idea that striving causes upset.
Arc of People I Mostly Admire
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(00:08:08)
  • Key Takeaway: Hosting People I Mostly Admire forced Levitt to pivot from academic knowledge creation to consuming ideas, significantly increasing his reading habits and providing valuable deadlines.
  • Summary: Levitt admits he was tricked into starting the show after successful guest hosting spots on Freakonomics Radio, including one on math education. The podcast forced him to read widely—something he rarely did before—and provided the tension of deadlines, which he lacked as an academic.
Motivation for Educational Reform
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(00:12:34)
  • Key Takeaway: Levitt is stepping away from podcasting to focus on the Levitt Lab schools because changing education offers a more uniquely rewarding and impactful endeavor than his previous work.
  • Summary: Levitt is driven by the desire to make a dent in how education is taught, finding the work at the Levitt Lab uniquely rewarding. His passion ignited after learning about mastery learning from Sal Khan, which frees up classroom time for more meaningful student engagement. He feels transforming education would be his most significant contribution.
Critique of Traditional Schooling
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(00:16:03)
  • Key Takeaway: Levitt pitches his new school by telling students that the traditional system sells them lies, leading talented students to become unengaged ‘box checkers’ focused only on grades.
  • Summary: Levitt tells prospective students that the incentive structure of traditional schooling—hard work equals good grades equals great career—is a set of lies that beats the life out of talented individuals. He observes that top students at exclusive universities often only care about getting A’s rather than learning. His school counters this by celebrating a wider array of accomplishments beyond just being valedictorian.
AI’s Dual Role in Education
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(00:21:09)
  • Key Takeaway: AI acts as a powerful tool for engaged learners seeking knowledge quickly but serves as an equally effective tool for unengaged students to avoid learning entirely.
  • Summary: Levitt believes AI is both awesome for those who want to learn deeply and critically, and disastrous for those who are unengaged, allowing them to bypass learning facts. He notes that unengaged students can now skirt through life letting AI do everything, reinforcing the critical need for student engagement to prevent educational disaster.
Favorite PIMA Guests and Interviews
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(00:31:08)
  • Key Takeaway: Levitt’s most memorable People I Mostly Admire interviews involved deep human connection, such as with his daughters, an end-of-life doctor, and an artist who felt like a soulmate.
  • Summary: Levitt names his daughters, Dr. BJ Miller (end-of-life care), and artist Wendy McNaughton as memorable guests because they facilitated genuine human connection, which he rarely finds outside podcasting. The interview with Yuval Noah Harari was successful because Levitt challenged his omission of characters in Sapiens, leading to an open conversation.
Contrast: Harari vs. Diamond
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(00:37:54)
  • Key Takeaway: Yuval Noah Harari provided novel, smart answers during his interview, contrasting sharply with Jared Diamond, who tended to recite pre-written material from his books.
  • Summary: Levitt contrasts his interviews with Yuval Noah Harari, who offered novel insights, against Jared Diamond, who seemed to only repeat content from his published works. While a bad interview haunts Levitt, he finds the process of a failed interview almost as interesting as a successful one.
Dawkins Interview and Live Event Flop
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(00:39:20)
  • Key Takeaway: Levitt successfully surprised Richard Dawkins into an open conversation by focusing on science, but later failed by focusing on science again during a live event where the audience demanded social commentary on atheism.
  • Summary: Richard Dawkins initially did not know Levitt, but was surprised enough by the interview’s focus on science that he invited Levitt to moderate a live event. Levitt missed the mark at the live event by focusing on science instead of Dawkins’ social ideas about atheism, which was what the paying audience wanted, leading to a flat session.
Schwarzenegger Interview Difficulty
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(00:41:31)
  • Key Takeaway: The Arnold Schwarzenegger interview was frustrating because he refused headphones to protect his hair, forcing him to stick to a script until Levitt prompted him with a story about being egged.
  • Summary: Arnold Schwarzenegger would not wear headphones for the recording to avoid messing up his hair before a TV appearance, preventing him from hearing Levitt’s questions clearly. Levitt finally broke through the script by bringing up the story of Schwarzenegger being hit with eggs during his gubernatorial run, eliciting a fantastic, unscripted response.
Future of Levitt on Freakonomics
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(00:45:02)
  • Key Takeaway: Levitt is excited to contribute to Freakonomics Radio because its format allows him to pursue policy ideas, which he felt he could not effectively address through the People I Mostly Admire interview format.
  • Summary: Levitt views the move to Freakonomics Radio as getting the band back together with Dubner, offering a chance to tackle policy issues he couldn’t address in his person-focused podcast. He is eager to apply his improved interviewing skills to journalism-style segments focusing on important topics like AI in education and pharmaceutical incentives.