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Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford

Pushkin Industries

236 episodes

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.

Episodes page 1 of 5

  1. Introducing... Unexplained: Lying in Wait

    · 35 min

    This episode comes to you from Unexplained, the podcast that explores mysterious and haunting true stories. In 2009, during the war in Afghanistan, eight marines are tasked with occupying an isolated outpost known as…

  2. The Pedlar and the Witch | Halloween Season

    · 39 min · S7 E43

    In 1612, a young woman encounters a pedlar in the British countryside. A seemingly trivial quarrel spirals into chaos when the pedlar is struck down by an unknown force, leading to one of Britain's most notorious witch…

  3. A Tale of Blood and Ashes: The Exeter Vampires | Halloween Season

    · 38 min · S7 E42

    In 1800s America, something terrifying is feeding on the quiet town of Exeter. As members of George Brown's family succumb one by one, the town considers drastic measures to protect the living from the dead. For a…

  4. When Aliens Landed in Wiltshire | Halloween Season

    · 38 min · S7 E41

    In 1980s Southern England, intricate crop circles are appearing overnight, and people are desperate for an explanation. Could humans really create something so complex without anyone spotting them? The truth is out…

  5. The Mummy's Curse (Halloween Classic)

    · 38 min · S7 E40

    This October, Cautionary Tales is going all out for Halloween. We've got four brand new spooky episodes coming your way throughout the month, plus a fifth over on the Cautionary Club on Patreon. If you have your own…

  6. When Muhammad Ali Met Henry’s Hammer

    · 41 min · S7 E39

    Before he became Muhammad Ali, Cassius Clay was known as the "Louisville Loud-mouth", as famous for his sharp taunts and poetic put-downs as he was for his skills in the ring. In 1963, Clay arrived in England to take…

  7. How a Broken Arm Improved my French - with David Epstein

    · 43 min · S7 E38

    Last week, Cautionary Tales described the rise and fall of General Magic, the startup with too much money and too few constraints. Was General Magic really doomed from the start, and what does its fate tell us about…

  8. Talent, Time and Money: The Curse of General Magic

    · 39 min · S7 E37

    It's 1990. A new company called General Magic is going to build its vision of the future: the smart phone. They have talent, almost unlimited cash, and a 15 year head start on the iPhone. What could go wrong? This…

  9. Evel Knievel Faces the Abyss

    · 40 min · S7 E36

    Evel Knievel, the world-famous daredevil, is planning his greatest ever stunt. In 1974, he wants to leap over Snake River Canyon in Idaho. The chasm is almost a third of a mile wide, much bigger than any jump he's done…

  10. Dumm und Dümmer: Hitler Invades Florida

    · 39 min · S7 E35 · Explicit

    In 1942, eight men are sent from Nazi Germany to infiltrate America. Their mission: to sabotage critical infrastructure. Their problem: they're idiots. Operation Pastorius soon devolves into one of the most baffling…

  11. The DeLorean Saga: Fraud, Drugs and Marty McFly's Car - with Business History

    · 49 min · S7 E34 · Explicit

    This is a special crossover episode with Business History. John DeLorean was a visionary who wanted to create a futuristic new sports car - a stainless steel marvel with distinctive gull-wing doors. The British…

  12. Proceed with Caution - Pascal's Guide to Podcasts

    · 26 min · S7 E33 · Explicit

    How does a story on Cautionary Tales come to life? In this episode of our subscriber-exclusive series, Proceed with Caution, sound designer Pascal Wyse shows Tim how the audio magic happens. He explains how he picks…

  13. The Weight of Fame: A Hollywood Tragedy

    · 42 min · S7 E32

    Talented and beautiful, Molly O'Day is a rising star in 1920s Hollywood. But when Molly's teenage body starts to change and she can no longer fit into the dress she wore when she was 16, the studio wants nothing to do…

  14. Arsenic and Lace: The Trial of the Yorkshire Witch - with Maddy Pelling

    · 44 min · S7 E31

    Mary Bateman lived in Yorkshire in the late 18th Century, an age that prized rational thought. Many people still longed to believe in the old ways and Bateman used this to her advantage, selling spells and enchantments…

  15. The Doors of Death: The Herald of Free Enterprise

    · 38 min · S7 E30

    The Herald of Free Enterprise is a new class of ferry that allows cars to drive directly into the ship. The doors must be closed before every departure, or the ship sails with a gaping hole at one end. One black night…

  16. "What a Bloody Mess we're in" - Britain's [REDACTED] Accident

    · 41 min · S7 E29

    Windscale is supposed to be Britain's big leap into the nuclear age, bringing science fiction to life in 1950s Northern England. But in the race to catch up with America's nuclear program, scientists are tinkering with…

  17. Attack of the Night People

    · 41 min · S7 E28

    If you tuned in to late-night WOR radio in 1950s New York, you'd enter the secret world of Jean Shepherd. Shepherd's nonconformist style, off-beat humor and love of pranks gathered a small but loyal following. These…

  18. LIVE: We Are Not Machines - with Sarah O'Connor

    · 42 min · S7 E27 · Explicit

    When the Luddites smashed factory frames in a bid to defend their craft and livelihoods, the machines came out on top. Today, AI and automation threaten to wipe out skilled jobs and flood us with inferior products at a…

  19. Treacle Tears: The Boston Molasses Disaster

    · 41 min · S7 E26

    The children of North End, Boston, play in the shadow of an enormous steel tank of molasses. The thick, sticky sugar syrup is being used to make munitions for the First World War. When a worker notices dark molasses…

  20. The Thief, the Jewels, and the Dublin Castle Conspiracy

    · 42 min · S7 E25

    In the early 1900s, Sir Arthur Vickers keeps the magnificent Irish Crown Jewels safe under lock and key at Dublin Castle. When the jewels disappear, the King rages, the police investigate, and even Sir Arthur Conan…

  21. The Dunning Canoe-ger Effect

    · 40 min · S7 E24 · Explicit

    When John Darwin walks into a shop in London, it causes an instant stir. After all, John Darwin has been dead for five years. He claims to have amnesia, but everyone - from the police and the media to his insurance…

  22. How Civilizations Die - with Paul Cooper

    · 42 min · S7 E23

    As Governor of Britannia, Magnus Maximus has a huge army at his disposal, which is just what he needs to secure the Roman imperial throne. But perhaps the impressive general should have looked into the past before…

  23. Can You Make a Sherman Tank Float?

    · 40 min · S7 E22

    It’s D-Day and the Allies are about to invade Nazi-occupied France. For the landings to succeed, American soldiers on Omaha Beach will have to break through some formidable coastal defences - Hitler’s Atlantic Wall.…

  24. The Inventor who Almost Ended the World (Classic)

    · 37 min · S7 E21

    Thomas Midgley's inventions caused his own death, hastened the deaths of millions of people around the world, and very nearly extinguished all life on land. Midgley and his employers didn't set out to poison the air…

  25. Angels, Gold and Lust: John Dee and the Philosopher's Stone (Part 2)

    · 47 min · S7 E20

    Part Two: When Tudor polymath John Dee meets a man who claims he can speak with angels, his path to understanding the universe suddenly becomes clear. At their instruction, the pair begin searching for the fabled…

  26. The Queen's Astrologer: The Price of Prophecy (Part 1)

    · 43 min · S7 E19

    In Tudor England, the line between mathematics and the mystic arts is vanishingly thin. Straddling both worlds is John Dee, a brilliant scholar and astrologer whose intellect grants him access to the highest circles of…

  27. Beware Tech Tycoons with Piranha Tanks - with Katie Prescott

    · 41 min · S7 E18

    Mike Lynch was often lauded as Britain's answer to Bill Gates. Born into a working-class family, Lynch's incredible intellect and passion for computers led him to become a billionaire tech entrepreneur. But behind the…

  28. Finding Grace in a Burger Bun: An Incrediburgible Quest

    · 41 min · S7 E17

    Dick and Mac are content with their lives: they enjoy making burgers by day and stargazing by night. Ray Kroc is a workaholic chasing success at any cost. When the brothers' relaxed approach to business collides with…

  29. Run, Switzer, Run: The Women who Broke the Marathon Taboo (Classic)

    · 37 min · S7 E16

    Tim is running the London Marathon on the 26th of April. To give him a week off to finish training, we're playing this running-themed classic from the archives. If you would like to donate to Teenage Cancer Trust,…

  30. The Lovestruck Explorer's Deadly Guessing Game

    · 39 min · S7 E15

    In 1860, police officer Robert O'Hara Burke plans an expedition to map the mysterious blank in the centre of Australia. Joining him is scientist William Wills, and a ragtag team of hires. Burke falls out with virtually…

  31. The Refugee Who Led a Software Revolution - with Ben Walter

    · 28 min · Bonus

    Millionaire-making tech start-ups are most often associated with Silicon Valley. But this software revolution begins on a woman’s kitchen table in rural Britain in the 1960s. Steve Shirley faced extraordinary odds.…

  32. The Mad Mystic and the Last Battle on English Soil - with Ian Breckon

    · 44 min · S7 E14

    As the Victorian era dawns, modernisation erodes the old ways of life and poverty rises. In the unrest, an unlikely hero emerges, capturing the imagination of the countryside's working class. He claims to be the new…

  33. The Sightseeing Flight and the Invisible Mountain

    · 40 min · S7 E13

    In November 1979, Flight 901 departs New Zealand on a sightseeing journey over Antarctica, heading directly towards a volcano. When the plane vanishes, investigators are left with a mystery: how could a seasoned pilot…

  34. "And it went click" - Dawn of the Working Dead

    · 41 min · S7 E11

    Robert Propst is more than an inventor: he is a visionary, an innovator dreaming up how to make the perfect office workstation. When he reveals his bold design for a creative, flexible 'cockpit of tomorrow', he comes…

  35. Explosives or Sugar? The Deadly Art of Distraction in Putin’s Russia - with Helena Merriman

    · 42 min · S7 E10

    In 1999, a series of bombs explode in Russian apartments, killing hundreds and spreading panic. No one knows who is behind it. But when one device is spotted before it detonates, troubling questions emerge. Was it…

  36. Flight of the Fantasist: The Race Around the World - Part 2

    · 41 min · S7 E9

    Donald Crowhurst is a brilliant inventor with a failing business. When he hears about the Golden Globe Race offering publicity and cash to the fastest to sail around the world, it feels like the perfect solution.…

  37. The Philosopher and the Handyman: The Race Around the World - Part 1

    · 39 min · S7 E8

    Who will be the first to sail non-stop around the world? In 1968, The Sunday Times announces a trophy and a cash prize for the winner, and the Golden Globe Race is on. Leading the charge are Robin Knox-Johnston, an…

  38. Presenting... American Criminal: The Great McDonald's Monopoly Heist

    · 41 min · Bonus

    This episode comes to you from American Criminal, the true-crime history podcast that takes you inside the minds of some of America's most notorious outlaws, exploring the dark side of the American dream. In this…

  39. Sphygmograph Be Damned: The Science of Love

    · 42 min · S7 E7

    Chris McKinlay is a good-looking, smart student at UCLA, but he can't seem to get a girlfriend. He's a computing expert, so why not use his technology prowess to supercharge his search for a soulmate? He starts…

  40. The Angels, The Stones and The Dead

    · 39 min · S7 E6 · Explicit

    In the final days of the Sixties, The Rolling Stones join forces with other rock legends to plan a free concert at Altamont Speedway that will rival Woodstock. The "bad boys of rock" don't have the warmest relationship…

  41. Powered by Orgasm: The Rise and Fall of a Sex Cult - with Ellen Huet

    · 41 min · S7 E5 · Explicit

    Run by the charismatic Nicole Deadone, OneTaste billed itself as a sexual wellness startup celebrating the power of female orgasm. But behind the celebrity endorsements and promises of healing, lay a darker reality.…

  42. The WOW Machine Stops (Pt 2)

    · 40 min · S7 E4

    Tony Hsieh, the billionaire CEO of Zappos, is passionate about community. He pours his time, energy and fortune into building a network of like-minded people - first in Las Vegas, then Park City, Utah. But Tony's quest…

  43. Shoes, Booze and the Pursuit of Happiness (Pt 1)

    · 39 min · S7 E3

    They say the company Zappos is harder to get into than Harvard. Zappos may sell shoes, but its mission is to deliver WOW through a fun-focused company culture, making it one of the most coveted places to work in…

  44. Liar, Bigamist, Brute: How Isaac Singer Liberated Women

    · 38 min · S7 E2

    The sewing machine was once thought to be an impossible invention. It was such a complicated contraption that it would take more than one inventor, with more than one good idea, to make it work. Each of these…

  45. Fritterin' Away Genius (Classic)

    · 37 min · S7 E1

    Claude Shannon was brilliant. He was the Einstein of computer science... only he loved "fritterin' away" his time building machines to play chess, solve Rubik's cubes and beat the house at roulette. If Shannon had…

  46. Photographing Fairies (Classic)

    · 38 min · S6 E51

    Sherlock Holmes is known for approaching all mysteries with cool logic - and yet when his creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle saw photographs taken by two young girls purporting to show real life fairies at play... he…

  47. "They fall behind and are slowly crushed" - Board Games and Economics with Richard Garfield

    · 48 min · S6 E50

    Playing board games and spending too much money are time-honored Christmas traditions, so to mark the festive season, Tim is joined by the creator of Magic: The Gathering - Richard Garfield - for a special Q&A about…

  48. Flixborough: The Factory that was Wiped off the Map

    · 39 min · S6 E49

    A megaplant near the small village of Flixborough, England, is busy churning out a key ingredient of nylon 6, a material used in everything from stockings to toothbrushes to electronics. When a reactor vessel fails,…

  49. The Disappearance of Grace Oakeshott

    · 38 min · S6 E48

    At the start of the 20th century, Britain was slowly becoming a freer place for women. Young Grace Oakeshott seized every opportunity to learn and improve the world around her - though she found those opportunities…

  50. Your Chance to Attend a Cautionary Tales Table Read

    · 1:41 · Bonus

    Ever wished you could be a fly on the wall while Cautionary Tales is being made? Now you can. We just launched the Cautionary Club - our new Patreon community for Cautionary Tales fans who want to go deeper. If you…

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