
societyApr 23, 202537:13pending
Is It a Theater Piece or a Psychological Experiment? (Update)
About this episode
In an episode from 2012, we looked at what Sleep No More and the Stanford Prison Experiment can tell us about who we really are.
- SOURCES:
- Felix Barrett, artistic director of Punchdrunk.
- Steven Levitt, professor of economics at the University of Chicago.
- Philip Zimbardo, professor emeritus at Stanford University.
- RESOURCES:
- “Philip Zimbardo, the psychologist behind the ‘Stanford Prison Experiment,’ dies at 91,” by Melissa De Witte (Stanford Report, 2024).
- “Debunking the Stanford Prison Experiment,” by Thibault Le Texier (American Psychologist, 2019).
- “The Lifespan of a Lie,” by Ben Blum (GEN, 2018).
- Punchdrunk.
- EXTRAS:
- “How Is Live Theater Still Alive?” by Freakonomics Radio (2025).
- "Why Is There So Much Fraud in Academia?" by Freakonomics Radio (2024).
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Get every episode summarized
Each time Freakonomics Radio publishes, we email you a written briefing from the transcript — the topics, who appeared, and any specific claims, with the ad reads skipped.
Email me new episodesFree for 3 shows. No card needed.
Hosts & guests
No transcript yet
This episode has not been transcribed. Request it and it moves to the front of the queue.
More episodes
More from Freakonomics Radio

686. Why Is It So Hard to Find an NFL Quarterback?
Freakonomics Radio
Sep 11, 202658:20completed

Amazon Was Supposed to Kill the Bookstore. James Daunt Had Other Plans | Better...
Freakonomics Radio
Sep 9, 202632:09completed

685. How to Survive the A.I. Shock
Freakonomics Radio
Sep 4, 202657:37completed

How to Run an Institution in an Anti-Institution Era | Better in Person
Freakonomics Radio
Sep 2, 202637:35completed
