Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford

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Can You Make a Sherman Tank Float? May 29, 2026

Show notes

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. Sherman tanks will come in very handy - and the Allies have come up with a novel solution for getting them to the beach. These tanks will swim. Everyone from Winston Churchill down thought swimming tanks were a great idea… but were they?

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Inventor who Almost Ended the World (Classic) May 22, 2026

Show notes

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 with leaded gasoline or wreck the ozone layer with CFCs - but while these dire consequences were unintended... could they have been anticipated?

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Angels, Gold and Lust: John Dee and the Philosopher's Stone (Part 2) May 15, 2026

Show notes

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 philosopher's stone. But the angels grow increasingly demanding, and soon Dee must confront a terrible ultimatum.

Centuries later, a strange incident in a French town suggests that angels may still be with us.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Queen's Astrologer: The Price of Prophecy (Part 1) May 08, 2026

Show notes

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 power. Dee navigates the politics of the court by making bold prophecies, which win him royal favour. But even correct predictions may come with a price - and laying claim to the future is a dangerous game.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Beware Tech Tycoons with Piranha Tanks - with Katie Prescott May 01, 2026

Show notes

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 scenes, Lynch was a bully who couldn't bear criticism and was prone to creative accounting. When computer giant Hewlett Packard bought his company, Autonomy, it triggered one of the biggest fraud scandals in Silicon Valley history. Tim talks to Katie Prescott, Technology Business Editor at The Times and author of the book The Curious Case of Mike Lynch, about the lessons we can take from a story no one could have predicted.

For a list of sources see timharford.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Finding Grace in a Burger Bun: An Incrediburgible Quest Apr 24, 2026

Show notes

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 Kroc's ruthless ambition it will birth one of the world's best-known brands. This is the story of two very different approaches to making hamburgers - and two very different approaches to making money.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Run, Switzer, Run: The Women who Broke the Marathon Taboo (Classic) Apr 17, 2026

Show notes

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, Tim's fundraising page is at tinyurl.com/HarfordMarathon - any support is very much appreciated.

Until the 1960s, it was deemed too "dangerous" for women athletes to run distances longer than 200m - and a marathon would kill them, or leave them unable to have children. Rubbish, of course. But when Kathrine Switzer signed up for the 1967 Boston Marathon, it wasn't the distance that bothered her - it was the enraged race director trying to assault her.

Thanks to pioneers like Kathrine, women have made huge strides in long distance running - and are now challenging the times of men in the very races they were banned from for so very long.

See the show notes at timharford.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Lovestruck Explorer's Deadly Guessing Game Apr 10, 2026

Show notes

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 everyone around him, and demonstrates an uncanny ability to make terrible choices - from the equipment he brings to the route he takes. But even as the mission unravels, one final, simple decision could still save him.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Refugee Who Led a Software Revolution - with Ben Walter Apr 07, 2026

Show notes

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. After escaping Nazi Germany as a child, she later encountered workplace discrimination and endured deep personal tragedy. But she persevered to build a business decades ahead of its time, creating opportunities for hundreds of women.

Tim Harford is joined by Ben Walter, CEO of Chase for Business and host of The Unshakeables podcast, to explore the life, legacy and lessons of an overlooked titan of tech.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Mad Mystic and the Last Battle on English Soil - with Ian Breckon Apr 03, 2026

Show notes

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 Messiah, and promises a better future. Despite his unconventional appearance and strange claims, his message resonates with the people of Kent, many of whom are willing to follow him into bloody battle. For this Cautionary Conversation, Ian Breckon - author of Mad Tom's Rising: The Revolutionary Mystic Sir William Courtenay and the Last Battle Fought on English Soil - joins Tim to discuss a forgotten folk hero and the dangerous power of belief in desperate times.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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