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Cautionary Tales with Tim HarfordEpisodes

  1. You Have Reached Your Destination

    If your world relies on fortune tellers, GPS or algorithms...you may end up in a bad spot

  2. WW2: How Britain Ignored the Mother of All Secrets

    The story of one of the most extraordinary intelligence leaks in history.

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

    Would you trust a drug dealing nanny with a tambourine?

  4. Whistleblower on the 28th Floor

    Why are we suspicious of "tattletales" and what can we do to make whistleblowing easier?

  5. When the Robots Take Over... - Cautionary Questions

    Does winning the lottery make you unhappy? Is Bitcoin bad for the economy?

  6. When Stalin Killed the Weekend (with The Happiness Lab)

    The story of Stalin's curious, calendar-reshaping experiment.

  7. True Lies and Genuine Fakes

    In 1998, an art gallery gets a call claiming prized paintings are fakes, or are they?

  8. The Truth About Hansel and Gretel

    Are we too quick to dismiss the truth behind tall stories?

  9. The Treasure Hunt that Broke America (Part 2)

    Forrest Fenn’s legendary treasure hunt ignites a nationwide obsession...

  10. The Treasure Hunt that Broke America (Part 1)

    Forrest Fenn defies convention, rising from outsider to millionaire and sparking a hunt.

  11. The Thrill and the Drop: A First Date Rollercoaster

    When should we trust our own heads, instead of the machine?

  12. The Shark That Ate Hollywood: Jaws at 50

    It looked like Jaws was destined for failure...

  13. The Rogue Dressed as a Captain

    Humans aren't as obedient as we’re made out to be…but we still fall easily for fraudsters

  14. The Revenge of the Whales

    How much is what we think we understand about the natural world shaped by human guilt?

  15. The Poet Who Toppled The British Empire

    This is the final episode in a four-part series about how to succeed without being a jerk

  16. The Old Man and the Wrecking Crew

    Captain Tom inspired a nation — but where did the money really go?

  17. The Nursery Rhyme That Ruined a Rock Band

    Tim Harford examines one of the most controversial copyright battles in music history.

  18. The Night of the Mugger

    Winston Trew, arrested for mugging in 1972, became a win for police and press alike

  19. The Nice Guy, the Bully and the Kiss

    Leo Durocher would stop at nothing to win.

  20. The Nazis, the Bomb, and the Woman that Science Forgot

    Lise Meitner has a critical decision to make.

  21. The Man who Solved Kindness

    George Price is on a mission to prove that human kindness is real.

  22. The Man Who Played With Hurricanes

    Why did we stop trying to control the weather? And might geoengineering help?

  23. The Inventor Who Almost Ended the World

    Thomas Midgley’s inventions harmed millions, but could they have been foreseen?

  24. The Human Guinea Pigs of Camp Lazear

    Is it time to start thinking differently about experimenting on humans?

  25. The Halloween Poisoner

    The poisoned Pixy Stix of Pasadena, TX.

  26. The Great Frenchman's Folly (Panama Disaster 1)

    Ferdinand De Lesseps, is convinced that he is the man to build the Panama Canal...

  27. The Fraudster's Guide to Magic Money

    How do pyramid and ponzi schemes snowball out of control?

  28. The Fan Who Infected a Movie Star

    Tragedy can be averted if we appeal to the better parts of human nature.

  29. The Edinburgh Body Snatchers: Murder at Halloween

    What makes some markets acceptable, and others repugnant?

  30. The Dunning Kruger Hijack (and Other Criminally Stupid Acts)

    The height of stupidity is being too stupid to know you are stupid...

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