Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford podcast

Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford

History  Society & Culture  

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.

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.

  All your progess will be saved when you sign in and also synced across all your devices for free.

 

#154

Buried by the Wall Street Crash (Classic)

Cautionary Tales returns with a new episode on May 2nd. Both of the world’s greatest... more

25 Apr 2025

35 MINS

35:59

25 Apr 2025


#153

Presenting: You Must Remember This - Alfred Hitchcock

Here's a special episode from our friends at You Must Remember This. Hitchcock’s mos... more

18 Apr 2025

1 HR 06 MINS

1:06:13

18 Apr 2025


#152

“I love being the person who doesn’t know anything” - Why Steven Levitt has swapped academia for pod...

20 years ago, a book called Freakonomics became an instant bestseller and worldwide sensat... more

11 Apr 2025

39 MINS

39:39

11 Apr 2025


#151

The Old Man and the Wrecking Crew

When Britain entered its first Covid-19 lockdown in March 2020, many found comfort in evok... more

04 Apr 2025

38 MINS

38:00

04 Apr 2025


#150

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

Fearing for his life, Harry Houdini leaves secret codes with his loved ones, promising to ... more

28 Mar 2025

40 MINS

40:54

28 Mar 2025


#149

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

Harry Houdini finds an ally in his fight against spiritualism, a brilliant detective calle... more

21 Mar 2025

41 MINS

41:49

21 Mar 2025


#148

Houdini: A Message from the Spirits (Part 1)

Harry Houdini is remembered today for his legendary escapes and illusions, but he also had... more

14 Mar 2025

43 MINS

43:00

14 Mar 2025


#147

Would You Trust a Gangster Nanny? - Cautionary Questions with Rachel Botsman

Do we trust our fitness trackers too much? How do fraudsters gain our faith? Why do people... more

07 Mar 2025

41 MINS

41:04

07 Mar 2025


#146

Lights, Camera, Tax Break

When Ernest Borgnine gets his big break in Hollywood, he can hardly believe his luck. But ... more

28 Feb 2025

39 MINS

39:25

28 Feb 2025


#145

The Nursery Rhyme That Ruined a Rock Band

"Down Under" was huge. This jokeyode to legendary Australian wanderlust helped Men at Work... more

21 Feb 2025

38 MINS

38:17

21 Feb 2025


#144

The Widow Who Disrupted Champagne (with Ben Walter)

Tim Harford is joined by Ben Walter, CEO of Chase for Business and the host of "The Unshak... more

19 Feb 2025

20 MINS

20:58

19 Feb 2025


#143

The Thrill and the Drop: A First Date Rollercoaster

Leah Washington and her new boyfriend Joe Pugh are on their first day out together. They'r... more

14 Feb 2025

39 MINS

39:05

14 Feb 2025


#142

Dr. Brinkley's Miracle Cure For Impotence (with Betwixt The Sheets)

Cautionary Conversation: In the 1920s, a conman convinced America that goat testicles were... more

07 Feb 2025

38 MINS

38:25

07 Feb 2025


#141

The Night of the Mugger

Winston Trew has just been arrested for mugging. It's 1972 and the crime has recently made... more

31 Jan 2025

42 MINS

42:19

31 Jan 2025