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Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford

Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford

By: Pushkin Industries
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About this listen

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.

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Social Sciences World
Episodes
  • A Deadly Day at the Races: What Radical Protest Can and Cannot Do
    Sep 19 2025

    After years of campaigning for votes for women, the Suffragettes emerge at the turn of the 20th Century. Their motto, 'Deeds Not Words', heralds the start of more radical actions, including fire bombing, civil disobedience and hunger strikes. Emily Davison is a passionate rebel, but she pushes at the limits of what her allies find acceptable. History remembers Emily for her final act, but have we got everything about the story right?

    WARNING: This episode discusses death by suicide. If you are suffering emotional distress or having suicidal thoughts, support is available - for example, from the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the US, or the Samaritans in the UK on 116 123

    Read more about Tim's work at http://timharford.com/

    Become a Cautionary Club member on Patreon for bonus Cautionary Tales episodes, behind-the-scenes chats, newsletters, and more. To join Pushkin+ visit pushkin.fm⁠ or the show page on Apple.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    41 mins
  • True Lies and Genuine Fakes
    Sep 12 2025

    In 1998, an art gallery gets a mysterious phone call. The caller claims they have been fooled by a master forger and that many of their prized paintings are fakes. Or are they?

    This is the story of the life and lies of the notorious Eric Hebborn. What did he do, and what does that teach us about how we can root out deepfakes without undermining our trust in reality?

    For a full list of sources, see the show notes at timharford.com

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    41 mins
  • Stalling for Survival - A Lonely Fight Against a Deadly Medicine
    Sep 5 2025

    In 1960, FDA scientist Frances Oldham Kelsey is tasked with approving an application for a mild sedative to be sold in America. The drug is popular across Europe and is touted to be free of side effects, so this should be a routine job. But something doesn't sit right with Frances and she starts digging for evidence to support her suspicions. As the pharmaceutical company pushes for speedy approval, Frances discovers the drug's devastating impact. Katie Hafner, host of The Lost Women of Science podcast, joins Tim to explain why America should remember the woman who kept Thalidomide off the market.

    To join the brand new Cautionary Club and get access to exclusive episodes and ad-free listening, head to patreon.com/cautionaryclub

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    39 mins
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I really enjoy how the tales are told and the lessons that we are presented in that story format. It's a fantastic podcast that I binged every episode and wish there was more to hear.

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