Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The world’s great museums are full of art and artifacts that were plundered during an era when plunder was the norm. Now there’s a push to return these works to their rightful owners. Sounds simple, right? It's not. (Part 2 of an updated series (freakonomics.com/podcast-tag/stealing-art-is-easy-giving-it-back-is-hard/) originally published in 2023.)
You can find the transcript and show notes for this episode on our website here: freakonomics.com/podcast/is-a-museum-just-a-trophy-case-update
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ABOUT FREAKONOMICS RADIO:
Discover the hidden side of everything with host Stephen J. Dubner, co-author of the Freakonomics books. Each week, Dubner speaks with Nobel laureates and provocateurs, intellectuals and entrepreneurs, and various other underachievers to uncover things you always thought you knew (but didn’t) and things you never thought you wanted to know (but do) — from the economics of sleep to the future of education, from markets for marriage to the surprising utility of wolves.
ABOUT THE FREAKONOMICS RADIO NETWORK:
Freakonomics began as a book, which led to a blog, a documentary film, more books, a pair of pants, and in 2010, a podcast called Freakonomics Radio. Hosted by Stephen J. Dubner, it’s one of the most popular podcasts in the world, with a reputation for storytelling that is both rigorous and entertaining. Its archive of more than 500 episodes is available, for free, on any podcast app, and the show airs weekly on NPR stations. Freakonomics Radio is now the flagship show of the Freakonomics Radio Network, which includes the podcasts No Stupid Questions, People I (Mostly) Admire, and The Economics of Everyday Things.
FREAKONOMICS RADIO NETWORK PODCASTS:
Freakonomics Radio: freakonomics.com/series/freakonomics-radio
No Stupid Questions: freakonomics.com/series/nsq
People I (Mostly) Admire: freakonomics.com/series/people-i-mostly-admire
The Economics of Everyday Things: freakonomics.com/series/everyday-things
Special series: freakonomics.com/topics
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The world’s great museums are full of art and artifacts that were plundered during an era when plunder was the norm. Now there’s a push to return these works to their rightful owners. Sounds simple, right? It's not. (Part 2 of an updated series (freakonomics.com/podcast-tag/stealing-art-is-easy-giving-it-back-is-hard/) originally published in 2023.)
You can find the transcript and show notes for this episode on our website here: freakonomics.com/podcast/is-a-museum-just-a-trophy-case-update
FOLLOW FREAKONOMICS RADIO:
YouTube: freak.ws/3yIl6dl
Apple Podcasts: freak.ws/3yAvQh0
Spotify: freak.ws/3TsdCmV
ABOUT FREAKONOMICS RADIO:
Discover the hidden side of everything with host Stephen J. Dubner, co-author of the Freakonomics books. Each week, Dubner speaks with Nobel laureates and provocateurs, intellectuals and entrepreneurs, and various other underachievers to uncover things you always thought you knew (but didn’t) and things you never thought you wanted to know (but do) — from the economics of sleep to the future of education, from markets for marriage to the surprising utility of wolves.
ABOUT THE FREAKONOMICS RADIO NETWORK:
Freakonomics began as a book, which led to a blog, a documentary film, more books, a pair of pants, and in 2010, a podcast called Freakonomics Radio. Hosted by Stephen J. Dubner, it’s one of the most popular podcasts in the world, with a reputation for storytelling that is both rigorous and entertaining. Its archive of more than 500 episodes is available, for free, on any podcast app, and the show airs weekly on NPR stations. Freakonomics Radio is now the flagship show of the Freakonomics Radio Network, which includes the podcasts No Stupid Questions, People I (Mostly) Admire, and The Economics of Everyday Things.
FREAKONOMICS RADIO NETWORK PODCASTS:
Freakonomics Radio: freakonomics.com/series/freakonomics-radio
No Stupid Questions: freakonomics.com/series/nsq
People I (Mostly) Admire: freakonomics.com/series/people-i-mostly-admire
The Economics of Everyday Things: freakonomics.com/series/everyday-things
Special series: freakonomics.com/topics
CONNECT WITH US:
radio@freakonomics.com
twitter.com/freakonomics
instagram.com/freakonomics
facebook.com/freakonomics
tiktok.com/@freakonomicsradio
linkedin.com/company/freakonomics-media
Subscribe to our newsletter: stephendubner.substack.com/subscribe
