Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford
Pushkin Industries
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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 other Friday.
Episode results
Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford
4 days ago
Airships, AI and Alan Cumming: Tim Answers Your Questions
Why does economics get a bad rap? How did a small Hungarian airline wreak havoc in the 2000s?
What cautionary tales can we glean from Tim’s own life? And what’s his favourite role-playing game?
You sent in your questions and now - with the help of podcasting maestro Jacob Goldstein (What’s Your Problem?) - Tim is answering them.
Do you have a question for Tim? Please email any queries you might have, however big or small, to tales@pushkin.fm.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford
May 12, 2023
The Man Who Bet His House on a Pop Song - A Eurovision Tale
You can gamble on horses or on the turn of a card - but Daniel Gould made a living betting on the outcome of the annual Eurovision Song Contest. Daniel made a profit because he studied the voting history of the competition, as well as the cultural and geo-political factors that predict which songs will triumph and which will score "nil point".
In 2018, Daniel was so sure of his system of reducing the risk that he took out a loan on his home and bet it on Israel's song to win... only to see the entry from Cyrus suddenly rocketing up the leader board. Was Daniel about to lose everything?
For a full list of sources used in this episode visit Tim Harford.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford
Apr 28, 2023
The Dark Money Behind Mother's Day
Anna Marie Jarvis wanted a national holiday to honor the dedication and sacrifice of America's mothers. She wasn't the first person to propose a Mother's Day - but her campaign caught the imagination of the people and the ears of the politicians.
Congress officially recognised Jarvis's Mother's Day in 1914 - but the indefatigable campaigner had allied herself with businessmen with vested interests in such an annual event. Mother's Day soon span out of its creator's control and caused an embittered Jarvis no end of heartache.
For a full list of sources used in this episode visit Tim Harford.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Stuff They Don't Want You To Know
Jun 22, 2022
Cautionary Tales, with Tim Harford
What can history teach us about the present? How can the average person use critical thinking to avoid being taken in by slick infographics and ardent pundits? In today’s interview, Ben, Matt and Noel sit down with legendary economist, author and podcaster Tim Harford to learn more about the importance of critical thinking, economics, and empathy.
They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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HISTORY This Week
Jan 16, 2023
From Cautionary Tales: Martin Luther King Jr, the Jewelry Genius, and the Art of Public Speaking
Here’s a special episode of Cautionary Tales, a podcast from our friends at Pushkin Industries. On Cautionary Tales, bestselling author Tim Harford shares stories of human error, natural disasters, and tragic catastrophes from history that contain important lessons for today. In today’s episode, we’ll learn about civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr and jewelry store owner Gerald Ratner. The two offer starkly contrasting stories on when you should stick to the script and when you should take a risk. Hear more from Cautionary Tales at https://podcasts.pushkin.fm/CTHTW.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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