Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford
Pushkin Industries
SummaryWe like to think that history is a series of inevitable events, but Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford suggests that our biggest blunders are often the result of very specific, avoidable human errors. In this gripping podcast, Harford masterfully blends historical storytelling with social science to reveal the hidden mechanics behind disaster. Whether he is dissecting the structural negligence that led to the Boston Molasses Disaster, the tragic engineering hubris of amphibious tanks in WWII, or the systemic failures that triggered the collapse of ancient civilizations, he turns the past into a series of urgent lessons for the modern day. The show is far more than a history lesson; it is a deep dive into the psychology of decision-making. You will encounter tales of elaborate frauds, corporate cover-ups, and the unanticipated consequences of technological innovation. Harford consistently asks why we get things so wrong, exploring how power dynamics, social pressures, and the simple desire for a quick fix often cloud our judgment. What makes the show stand out is Harford’s ability to weave complex data and historical research into a narrative that feels both intimate and expansive. He challenges us to look beyond the headlines and reconsider our relationship with technology, progress, and institutional authority. If you are curious about the fragility of human systems and the strange, often avoidable ways things fall apart, this podcast provides an essential, thought-provoking framework for understanding the world.
Updated Jul 3, 2026
Episodes
LIVE: We Are Not Machines - with Sarah O'Connor
Automation is fundamentally changing how we work, often prioritizing machine-paced productivity over human dignity.
Treacle Tears: The Boston Molasses Disaster
Driven by corporate greed and a rushed construction timeline, a massive molasses tank bursts, killing twenty-one.
The Thief, the Jewels, and the Dublin Castle Conspiracy
When the Irish crown jewels vanished from Dublin Castle in 1907, powerful secrets kept the culprits above the law.
The Dunning Canoe-ger Effect
A couple's attempt to fake a death for insurance money collapses when a viral photo exposes their secret life.
Presenting...This is History: A Dynasty to Die For
As Britain’s bloody Plantagenet dynasty begins to fracture, a young warrior king risks everything for his own heart.
How Civilizations Die - with Paul Cooper
Overextending military forces to chase imperial power repeatedly triggered economic collapse and ruin in Roman Britain.
Can You Make a Sherman Tank Float?
Ingenious engineering can be a fatal distraction when designers solve the wrong problem, as D-Day tankers discovered.
The Inventor who Almost Ended the World (Classic)
Thomas Midgley Jr. was a prolific inventor whose breakthroughs in leaded gasoline and CFCs caused global catastrophe.
From Drilled: The Carbon Gold Rush
An Iowa ethanol mogul exports a carbon capture scheme to Brazil, rebranding industrial agriculture as climate policy.
Presenting... American Criminal: The Great McDonald's Monopoly Heist
Sphygmograph Be Damned: The Science of Love
The Angels, The Stones and The Dead
Powered by Orgasm: The Rise and Fall of a Sex Cult - with Ellen Huet
The WOW Machine Stops (Pt 2)
Shoes, Booze and the Pursuit of Happiness (Pt 1)
Liar, Bigamist, Brute: How Isaac Singer Liberated Women
Fritterin' Away Genius (Classic)
Photographing Fairies (Classic)
"They fall behind and are slowly crushed" - Board Games and Economics with Richard Garfield
Flixborough: The Factory that was Wiped off the Map
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