Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford

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. Read more

History

Episodes

The Thief, the Jewels, and the Dublin Castle Conspiracy

Today (06/19/2026) 00:41:28The Dunning Canoe-ger Effect

06/12/2026 00:39:22 Presenting...This is History: A Dynasty to Die For

06/11/2026 00:33:23How Civilizations Die - with Paul Cooper

06/05/2026 00:41:10Can You Make a Sherman Tank Float?

05/29/2026 00:39:32 Show all episodes

Our take on Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford podcast

As we walk through life, we make many mistakes, some of which significantly impact our well-being. Many of these mistakes are avoidable only if we got cautioned earlier. Tim Harford takes his time every Friday to tell us true stories about mistakes we should learn from. These stories might delight you; they will undoubtedly entertain you, and most will scare you; however, they teach you something. Tom is also the author of "The Data Detective," a book on the rules to make sense of statistics.