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PODCAST

Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford

Pushkin Industries

We tell our children unsettling fairy tales to teach them valuable lessons, but these Cautionary Tales are for the education of the grown ups – and they are all true. Tim Harford (Financial Times, BBC, author of “The Data Detective”) brings you stories of awful human error, tragic catastrophes, and hilarious fiascos. They"ll delight you, scare you, but also make you wiser. New episodes every Friday.

history

All Episodes

39:08

The Great Frenchman's Folly (Panama Disaster 1)

Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford ·

2025/05/16

Ferdinand De Lesseps, "the Great Frenchman", is convinced that he is the man to build the Panama Canal. No, he isn't an engineer and, no, he's never actually been to Panama before. But he managed to dig the Suez Canal, and everyone said that would be impossible too. How hard can it be? For a full list of sources, see the show notes at timharford.com. Get ad-free episodes, plus an exclusive monthly bonus episode, to Cautionary Tales by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm

en-US

37:53

Lab Leak: Could Smallpox Come Back?

Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford ·

2025/05/09

In 1978 the world is on the brink of declaring victory over smallpox. No cases have been seen for months, and it looks like the end for a deadly, painful disease. When a photographer in Birmingham begins to feel ill, doctors are mystified: it looks like smallpox, but how could she have caught it? As they try to contain the outbreak, questions about blame and lab safety erupt in a media frenzy, questions that remain today. For a full list of sources, see the show notes at timharford.com. Get ad-free

en-US

39:04

"Dangerously Near to Absolute Perfection"

Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford ·

2025/05/02

In 1900, two friends in the flourishing Arts and Crafts Movement in London share a vision: to print the ultimate edition of the Bible. Together they create The Doves Press, and its unique font, Doves. But in their quest to make something beautiful, the friends spiral towards an act of incredible ugliness. For a full list of sources, see the show notes at timharford.com. Get ad-free episodes, plus an exclusive monthly bonus episode, to Cautionary Tales by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or

en-US

35:59

Buried by the Wall Street Crash (Classic)

Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford ·

2025/04/25

Cautionary Tales returns with a new episode on May 2nd. Both of the world’s greatest economists, Irving Fisher and John Maynard Keynes, thought they could see into the future and make a killing on the stock market - and then both were wiped out by the Wall Street Crash. One died a pauper, the other millionaire. What does it take to bounce back from ruin? Oh... and UFOs.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

66:13

Presenting: You Must Remember This - Alfred Hitchcock

Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford ·

2025/04/18

Here's a special episode from our friends at You Must Remember This. Hitchcock’s most iconic decade— a decade of Technicolor grandeur and peril inflicted on famous blondes—came to an end in 1964 with Marnie, a critical and box office flop which wounded Hitchcock’s ego and left him unsure how to move forward in a changing world. His four final films—Torn Curtain, Topaz, Frenzy, Family Plot—are the result of his efforts to mix up his formula for an era in which he

en-US

39:39

“I love being the person who doesn’t know anything” -...

Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford ·

2025/04/11

20 years ago, a book called Freakonomics became an instant bestseller and worldwide sensation. Tim Harford got his hands on the first copy that Steve Levitt ever signed... and promptly sold it on eBay. In this Cautionary Conversation, the pair are reunited to discuss the Freakonomics phenomenon, why Levitt left the hostile world of academia, and how simple changes could revolutionise everything from education to organ donation. *Cautionary Tales has been nominated for a Webby Award* To vote for us,

en-US

38:40

The Old Man and the Wrecking Crew

Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford ·

2025/04/04

When Britain entered its first Covid-19 lockdown in March 2020, many found comfort in evoking the British wartime spirit. A timely hero emerged - Captain Tom Moore, a WWII veteran who walked up and down his garden to raise money for frontline nurses. But when the fundraising switched to a new charity, did anyone think to check where was the money was going? *Cautionary Tales has been nominated for a Webby Award* If you can spare a moment to give us a vote, head to:

en-US

40:54

Houdini: The Phone Call from the Coffin (Part 3)

Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford ·

2025/03/28

Fearing for his life, Harry Houdini leaves secret codes with his loved ones, promising to use them in any post-mortem messaging. In 1926, Houdini's death shocks the world, but the news that follows is even more astounding. A report of the impossible: contact has been made. For a full list of sources, see the show notes at timharford.com. Get ad-free episodes, plus an exclusive monthly bonus episode, to Cautionary Tales by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Pushkin+ subscribers

en-US

41:49

Houdini's Detective and her 1500 Dead Husbands (Part 2)

Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford ·

2025/03/21

Harry Houdini finds an ally in his fight against spiritualism, a brilliant detective called Rose Mackenberg, who'll do whatever it takes to expose a fake. Together, the two head to Washington to try and get lawmakers to criminalise mediums. The hearing that follows will be violent, sensational and leave Houdini fearing for his life. This is the second of a three-part series. For a full list of sources, see the show notes at timharford.com. Get ad-free episodes, plus an exclusive monthly bonus

en-US

43:00

Houdini: A Message from the Spirits (Part 1)

Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford ·

2025/03/14

Harry Houdini is remembered today for his legendary escapes and illusions, but he also had a lifelong obsession with the paranormal. After dabbling in fake seances himself, Houdini made it his mission to uncover frauds and expose mediums. This would put him on a collision course with his spiritualist friend, Arthur Conan Doyle, and leave him fearing for his life. This is the first of a three-part series. For a full list of sources, see the show notes at timharford.com. Get ad-free episodes, plus an

en-US

40:19

How Trump is Getting the Game Theory Wrong from Risky...

Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford ·

2025/03/10

Today we’re sharing an episode from another Pushkin Industries show that we think you’ll enjoy: How Trump is Getting the Game Theory Wrong from Risky Business. This week, Nate and Maria discuss Trump’s tariffs and analyze his strategy from a game theory perspective. They get into the difference between zero-sum and cooperative games, speculate on how Trump would act in the dictator game, and discuss the rationality of revenge. Then, they talk about the reboot of the infamous Fyre

en-US

41:04

Would You Trust a Gangster Nanny? - Cautionary...

Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford ·

2025/03/07

Do we trust our fitness trackers too much? How do fraudsters gain our faith? Why do people trust podcasters? And would you trust a drug dealing nanny with a tambourine? Tim Harford is joined by trust expert Rachel Botsman to answer your questions. Rachel lectures in trust at Oxford University and her new audiobook How To Trust and Be Trusted is available via Pushkin.fm and wherever audiobooks are sold.We love hearing from you, so please keep your questions coming: tales@pushkin.fm.See

en-US

39:25

Lights, Camera, Tax Break

Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford ·

2025/02/28

When Ernest Borgnine gets his big break in Hollywood, he can hardly believe his luck. But soon he discovers his supposed star vehicle, Marty, is not the dream gig he thought it was. In this episode of Cautionary Tales, recorded live at the Bristol Festival of Economics, Tim Harford examines what happens when the murky world of tax avoidance collides with the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. For a full list of sources, see the show notes at timharford.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy

en-US

38:17

The Nursery Rhyme That Ruined a Rock Band

Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford ·

2025/02/21

"Down Under" was huge. This jokeyode to legendary Australian wanderlust helped Men at Work win a Grammy and was a key part of the band's creative legacy. By 2007, it had been earning Men At Work a steady stream of royalties for nearly 30 years. That was when a quiz show pointed out the song's subtle connection with an Australian nursery rhyme... Tim Harford examines one of the most controversial copyright battles in music history. Where does inspiration end and infringement begin? For a full list of

en-US

20:58

The Widow Who Disrupted Champagne (with Ben Walter)

Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford ·

2025/02/19

Tim Harford is joined by Ben Walter, CEO of Chase for Business and the host of "The Unshakeables" podcast, to explore the story of the trailblazing Widow Clicquot. Her namesake brand Veuve Clicquot revolutionized the champagne industry in the 19th century. Tim and Ben look at how she defied expectations and built one of the most iconic businesses in history. This episode is sponsored by Chase for Business. For a full list of sources, see the show notes at timharford.com.See omnystudio.com/listener

en-US

39:05

The Thrill and the Drop: A First Date Rollercoaster

Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford ·

2025/02/14

Leah Washington and her new boyfriend Joe Pugh are on their first day out together. They're at Alton Towers theme park, where they've chosen to ride the "Smiler" rollercoaster: a terrifying tangle of track that loops and swoops through a world-record 14 inversions. Leah and Joe are seated right at the front of the train and, as they reach the highest point of the ride, they steelthemselves for the drop. But then, quite suddenly, the ridestops. Down on the ground, the computersystem that controls the

en-US

38:25

Dr. Brinkley's Miracle Cure For Impotence (with...

Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford ·

2025/02/07

Cautionary Conversation: In the 1920s, a conman convinced America that goat testicles were the secret to male virility. Tim Harford and Dr Kate Lister (Betwixt the Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society) dive into the bizarre and grisly tale of "Doctor" John Brinkley. This snake oil salesman mobilised the power of radio marketing to build an empire on goat gland transplants and other quack "cures". And Brinkleymight have got away with it, were it not for his nemesis: the tenacious Dr

en-US

42:19

The Night of the Mugger

Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford ·

2025/01/31

Winston Trew has just been arrested for mugging. It's 1972 and the crime has recently made its way to Britain from the United States. Dangerous thugs, replicating their American counterparts, have made the city of London their hunting ground - so Winston's eventual conviction is a win for thepolice, and for the press. The problem is, 22-year-old Winston is completely innocent. Do you have a question for Tim Harford and Rachel Botsman about trust? Please send it in totales@pushkin.fm. For a full list

en-US

46:14

Missing on "Dead Mountain": A Cold War Cold Case

Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford ·

2025/01/24

In the bleak Russian winter of 1959, nine experienced hikers led by Igor Dyatlov set out on an expedition. None of them made it back alive. When their campsite was finally discovered, it told a chilling story: their tent was slashed open, bodies scattered across the snow. The hikers' injuries were as baffling as they were gruesome. One had had his head stoved in. Bits of bone had been driven into his brain. Others weremissingtheir eyes and their tongues. Had the hikers angered the localMansi

en-US

34:46

Frozen in a Burning 747 (Tenerife Air Disaster 2)

Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford ·

2025/01/17

Two airplanes have just collided on the runway at Tenerife Airport. While no one on the Amsterdam-bound KLM plane survives the resulting fireball, 71 Pan-Am passengers and crew make it off their plane. But could it have been more? Why did so many Pan-Am passengers die, even though they weren’t injured by the initial collision and their plane was still on the ground? For a full list of sources see the show notes at timharford.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

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