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Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford podcast

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Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford

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  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 other 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 other Friday.

 

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#133

Pushkin Hosts Celebrate World Happiness Day

The Happiness Lab’s Dr. Laurie Santos brings together other Pushkin hosts to mark the International Day of Happiness. Revisionist History’s Malcolm Gladwell talks about the benefits of the misery of running in a Canadian winter. Dr. Maya Shankar from A Slight Change of Plans talks about quieting her mental chatter. And Cautionary Tales host Tim Harford surprises everyone with the happiness lessons to be learned from a colonoscopy. Hear more of The Happiness Lab [HERE] (https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/the-happiness-lab-with-dr-laurie-santos) . See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

20 Mar 2024

48 MINS

48:05

20 Mar 2024

#132

Darwin's Grandpa and the Art of Sex Appeal

Take the Cautionary Tales listener survey here: [https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HCHGGZ3] (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HCHGGZ3) Charles Darwin was stumped by peacocks. According to his theory of evolution, some creatures were better equipped to survive in their particular environment than others. It explained a lot - but it didn't explain the peacock's brightly coloured tail feathers, which were extravagant and cumbersome. Surely such plumage made it harder for peacocks to survive? It so happens that the life of Darwin's own grandfather offered clues to the puzzle of the peacock's tail - if only he'd known to look there... For a full list of sources, see the show notes at  [timharford.com] (http://timharford.com/) . See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

08 Nov 2024

40 MINS

40:59

08 Nov 2024

#131

The Edinburgh Body Snatchers: Murder at Halloween

Take the Cautionary Tales listener survey here: [https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HCHGGZ3] (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HCHGGZ3) In 1827, Edinburgh, Scotland was a world centre for anatomical study, but there was a shortage of cadavers for medical students to dissect. Two men, William Burke and William Hare, spotted a grim business opportunity. They began sourcing bodies - by any means possible... In this episode of Cautionary Tales - recorded live at the Podcast Show in London - true crime meets economics. Tim Harford's hair-raising story explores a question: what makes some markets acceptable, and others repugnant? For a full list of sources, see the show notes at  [timharford.com] (http://timharford.com/) See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

25 Oct 2024

41 MINS

41:47

25 Oct 2024

#130

Cautionary Tales Presents: Death Fraud and Other Risky Business

Tim Harford joined Nate Silver and Maria Konnikova on their podcast Risky Business to discuss two of history’s most compelling swindlers: Sam Israel III and John Law. We hope you enjoy this episode of [Risky Business] (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/risky-business-with-nate-silver-and-maria-konnikova/id1743213122) . It's available wherever you listen to podcasts. See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

14 Oct 2024

48 MINS

48:19

14 Oct 2024

#129

The Poet Who Toppled The British Empire

India, 1930. Sarojini Naidu is marching towards a British-controlled saltwork; behind her is a long column of protestors all dressed in white. The great campaigner for India's Independence, Gandhi, is now in jail. In his place, he's chosen Naidu to lead this movement against the hard and fearsome British Empire. Naidu and her marchers want change, and they want to achieve it peacefully. India's fate, they believe, depends on a non-violent path to resistance. Today, there will be violence. But it won't come from them. This is the final episode in a four-part series about how to succeed without being a jerk. This episode is based on David Bodanis' forthcoming book How To Change The World, which is scheduled to be published in late 2025. See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

11 Oct 2024

43 MINS

43:53

11 Oct 2024

#128

Reason, Wrath and Rebellion on the High Seas

Early morning, April 1789. Captain Bligh is abruptly dragged from his cabin. Wrists bound, bayonet pressed to his chest, he and a few loyal sailors are forced into a tiny launch and set adrift on the vast Pacific Ocean. This far from land, no-one is likely to survive for long. History remembers Captain Bligh as a cruel, petty tyrant. The reality is more complicated. Bligh championed rational thought and showed his men great kindness on that famous voyage on the Bounty - yet it ended in mutiny. So what went wrong?  This is the third episode in a four-part series about fairness. It's based on David Bodanis' excellent book The Art of Fairness: The Power of Decency In A World Turned Mean. For a full list of sources, see the show notes at  [timharford.com] (http://timharford.com/) . See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

27 Sep 2024

41 MINS

41:14

27 Sep 2024

#127

Steel and Kindness: Clash of the Skyscrapers

Paul Starrett has just won a major building contract. If everything goes according to plan, this will be the tallest building in the world. But will everything go according to plan? This prestigious new project will have Starrett's biggest workforce yet. Everyone will need to pull together, but labour relations in the United States have been rough. There have been tens of thousands of strikes in recent years, many ending in shootings and arbitrary mass arrests. Something else is bothering Starrett too: enormous steel-framed buildings normally take three or four years to complete. The deadline on this one? Just thirteen months. This is the second episode in a four-part series about how to succeed without being a jerk. It's based on David Bodanis' excellent book The Art of Fairness: The Power of Decency in a World Turned Mean. For a full list of sources, see the show notes at  [timharford.com] (http://timharford.com/) . See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

13 Sep 2024

39 MINS

39:49

13 Sep 2024

#126

The Nice Guy, the Bully and the Kiss

Leo Durocher would stop at nothing to win. The baseball player-turned-manager was a skilled tactician and famously tough. But he also cheated, intimidated umpires and was violent; he was even known to beat up fans. Durocher was famous for coining the phrase "nice guys finish last" - but is that really true? Tim Harford and David Bodanis examine lessons from the life of a ruthless, pugnacious baseball star. This is the first episode of a four-part series about how to succeed without being a jerk. It's based on David's book The Art of Fairness: The Power of Decency in a World Turned Mean. For a full list of sources, see the show notes at  [timharford.com] (http://timharford.com/) . See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

13 Sep 2024

39 MINS

39:13

13 Sep 2024

#125

Tim's Tolkien Obsession & Amazon Prime's The Rings of Power

Tim Harford's life has been building up to this moment. In this Cautionary Conversation, he discusses the works of his favorite author J.R.R. Tolkien and the social science at play in Amazon Prime's series The Rings of Power. What do elves and whistleblowers have in common? How can evil hide in plain sight? And where do orcs come from? Season 2 of The Rings of Power is available to watch on Prime Video from August 29th. See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

30 Aug 2024

45 MINS

45:07

30 Aug 2024

#124

The Human Guinea Pigs of Camp Lazear

Young doctor Jesse Lazear has deadly Yellow Fever. He thrashes around and convulses in his sick bed, and his vomit is black. He is just 34 when he dies. Curiously, mosquito expert Lazear was researching the disease when he became ill. Some historians think his infection wasn't an accident, and that he was secretly experimenting on himself... Today, human challenge trials - where volunteers are intentionally given a disease under the watchful eye of medical support - are rare. The authorities are wary of the risks involved. But such trials can also mean that vaccines are developed faster and thousands of lives are saved. Is it time to start thinking differently about experimenting on humans? For a full list of sources, see the show notes at  [timharford.com] (http://timharford.com/) . See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

16 Aug 2024

40 MINS

40:17

16 Aug 2024

#123

Embracing the Escape Fire (with Adam Grant)

Cautionary Conversation: Steve Jobs hated his phone so much that he smashed it against a wall. He also referred to mobile carriers as "orifices". Yet he went on to invent the world's most popular smartphone. Why did he change his mind? Tim Harford and organizational psychologist Adam Grant (Think Again, Hidden Potential) discuss the consequences of letting our ideas become part of our identity; when it's essential to adapt; and whether frogs really do stay sitting in slowly boiling water. See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

02 Aug 2024

36 MINS

36:52

02 Aug 2024

#122

Cautionary Tales Presents Vultures from Lost Hills: Dark Canyon

The disappearance and death of Mitrice Richardson remains Malibu, CA’s most baffling unsolved case. It’s been nearly 14 years since her remains were discovered in a remote canyon, and still, no one has been held accountable for her demise. To this day, her death remains an unsolved mystery. The truth lies in the remote Malibu community where Mitrice was last seen. And now, finally, people are starting to talk. Enjoy this episode from [Lost Hills: Dark Canyon] (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lost-hills-dark-canyon/id1549249596) . Available wherever you listen to podcasts. See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

25 Jul 2024

37 MINS

37:15

25 Jul 2024

#121

Flying Too High: AI and Air France Flight 447

Panic has erupted in the cockpit of Air France Flight 447. The pilots are convinced they’ve lost control of the plane. It’s lurching violently. Then, it begins plummeting from the sky at breakneck speed, careening towards catastrophe. The pilots are sure they’re done-for. Only, they haven’t lost control of the aircraft at all: one simple manoeuvre could avoid disaster… In the age of artificial intelligence, we often compare humans and computers, asking ourselves which is “better”. But is this even the right question? The case of Air France Flight 447 suggests it isn't - and that the consequences of asking the wrong question are disastrous. For a full list of sources, see the show notes at [timharford.com] (http://timharford.com/) . See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

19 Jul 2024

40 MINS

40:40

19 Jul 2024