643. Why Do Candles Still Exist?
Episode
47 min
Read time
2 min
Topics
Fundraising & VC, Product & Tech Trends
AI-Generated Summary
What It Covers
Freakonomics explores why the $10 billion global candle industry thrives despite electricity, examining planned obsolescence, nostalgic technologies, and consumer attachment to antiquated products.
Notable Moment
Anthropologist Gokce Gunal reveals that whale oil consumption actually peaked in the 1960s, decades after fossil fuels emerged, contradicting common energy transition narratives.
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