Tim Harford
FollowThe latest interviews, podcast appearances, and blog posts from Tim Harford, updated daily.
When Muhammad Ali Met Henry’s Hammer | Cautionary Tales Podcast
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.
Random is as random does
In the genius’s playground that was Bell Labs in the 1950s, Claude Shannon, the father of information theory, built an outguessing machine.
How Constraints Make Us Better with David Epstein | Cautionary Tales Podcast
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…
How a Broken Arm Improved my French - with David Epstein
Last week, Cautionary Tales described the rise and fall of General Magic, the startup with too much money and too few constraints.
Why the story of the Vegetable Lamb was believed
Of all the wonders witnessed by Sir John Mandeville, a 14th-century English knight, none was more astonishing than the “wondirfulle” fruit of a tree he encountered on his travels in India.
Talent, Time and Money: The Curse of General Magic | Cautionary Tales Podcast
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.
Talent, Time and Money: The Curse of General Magic
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.
Cautionary Tales – Win a Kidney! The Great Donorshow Outrage
In the noughties, reality TV is in an arms race. Shows compete for viewers by one-upping each other with increasingly shocking and controversial formats.
Nudge or tax? At last, some data
It all seems very long ago, but there was a time when David Cameron was most famous for his enthusiasm for behavioural public policy, better known as “nudges”.
Evel Knievel Faces the Abyss | Cautionary Tales Podcast
Evel Knievel, the world-famous daredevil, is planning his greatest ever stunt. In 1974, he wants to leap over Snake River Canyon in Idaho.