Freakonomics' Stephen J. Dubner Hosts "Funny and Illuminating Brain Game Show" at Joe's Pub This Weekend

Stephen J. Dubner is best known for his best-selling Freakonomics books and the hugely popular Freakonomics Radio show, but from this Thursday through Saturday at Joe's Pub, he shows a different side of himself taping six episodes of his new podcast Tell Me Something I Don't Know. In this week's issues, Time Out NY calls it a "funny and illuminating brain game show" and New York Magazine says you'll "leave with answers to questions you didn't even know you had."

Special guest co-hosts and fact checkers will join Dubner at Joe's Pub, including Alex Wagner, Gail Simmons, Angela Duckworth, John McWhorter, Sas Goldberg, A.J. Jacobs, and Bari Weiss (see full lineup below). Guests from the audience will come on stage and try to wow Dubner and his co-host with a fascinating fact, historical wrinkle, new line of research - anything, really, as long as it's interesting, useful, and true. Several of this week's tapings have special themes including The Senses, Mind Games, and Bugs.

Let me know if you'd like more information on this week's live shows. Catch up on recent episodes of Tell Me Something I Don't Know here (including the brand-new food-themed episode): http://tmsidk.com

Joe's Pub Co-Host & Fact-Checker Lineup:

Thur, October 5 @ 6:30
Co-host: Alex Wagner, CBS News correspondent and contributing editor at The Atlantic
Fact-checker: A.J. Jacobs, Esquire

Thur, October 5 @ 9:30
Co-host: Sas Goldberg, actress and producer
Fact-checker: A.J. Jacobs, Esquire

Fri, October 6 @ 6:30
Co-host: Gail Simmons, Top Chef judge and director of special projects at Food & Wine
Fact-checker: Mike Maughan, Qualtrics

Fri ,October 6 @ 9:30
Co-host: Angela Duckworth, Penn psychologist and author of Grit
Fact-checker: Mike Maughan, Qualtrics

Fri, October 7 @ 6:30
Co-host: John McWhorter, Columbia linguist and author
Fact-checker: Bari Weiss, The New York Times

Fri, October 7 @ 9:30
Co-host: John McWhorter, Columbia linguist and author
Fact-checker: Bari Weiss, The New York Times

Tickets for all Joe's Pub shows:
https://www.publictheater.org/Tickets/Calendar/PlayDetailsCollection/Joes-Pub/2017/T/TMSIDK-1/?SiteTheme=JoesPub

About Tell Me Something I Don't Know:

Tell Me Something I Don't Know is live journalism wrapped in a game-show package and hosted by Stephen J. Dubner, co-author of the Freakonomics books and host of Freakonomics Radio. Dubner has always had a mission: to tell you things you thought you knew but didn't; and things you never thought you wanted to know, but do. Now, he has a new way of doing just that. TMSIDK is still journalism, still factual -- but disguised in the most intelligent, entertaining, unexpected, and occasionally ridiculous conversation you're likely to hear.

Guest presenters come on stage before a live audience and try to wow Dubner and his co-host(s) with a fascinating fact, historical wrinkle, new line of research -- anything, really, as long as it's interesting, useful, and true (or at least true-ish). Each episode has a new theme and a new group of presenters. There's also a real-time human fact-checker to filter out the bull. Think of the most crackling dinner-party conversation you've ever heard.

About Stephen J. Dubner:

Stephen J. Dubner is an award-winning author, journalist, and TV and radio personality. In addition to Freakonomics, SuperFreakonomics, Think Like a Freak, and When to Rob a Bank, his books include Turbulent Souls (Choosing My Religion), Confessions of a Hero-Worshiper, and the children's book The Boy With Two Belly Buttons. His journalism has been published in The New York Times, The New Yorker, and Time, and has been anthologized in The Best American Sports Writing, The Best American Crime Writing, and elsewhere. He has taught English at Columbia University (while receiving an M.F.A. there), played in a rock band (which started at Appalachian State University, where he was an undergrad, and was later signed to Arista Records), and, as a writer, was first published at the age of 11, in Highlights for Children. Dubner is also the host of the Freakonomics Radio podcast, which gets 8 million downloads a month. He lives in New York with his wife, the documentary photographer Ellen Binder, and their children.