For an academic researcher who first trained as a philosopher, then as a psychologist, Robyn Dawes was a practical fellow. He would tell a story from his time working in a psychiatric ward in the late 1950s. “There was a client who had this delusion, and the delusion...
https://omny.fm/shows/cautionary-tales-with-tim-harford/the-thief-the-jewels-and-the-dublin-castle-conspiracy In the early 1900s, Sir Arthur Vickers keeps the magnificent Irish Crown Jewels safe under lock and key at Dublin Castle. When the jewels disappear, the King...
We heard a lot about “greedflation” in the post-pandemic years, when prices were increasing at a rate of 8 or 9 per cent a year. We hear a lot less about the subject now, when inflation rates are almost normal. In fact, a Google Trends search for “greedflation” shows...
https://omny.fm/shows/cautionary-tales-with-tim-harford/the-dunning-canoe-ger-effect When John Darwin walks into a shop in London, it causes an instant stir. After all, John Darwin has been dead for five years. He claims to have amnesia, but everyone - from the police...
What is the value of high-quality, trustworthy official statistics? Given the number of things that statistical agencies measure, we might expect that they have attempted to put a number on this too. In fact, they have often been rather coy. A UN report, “Promoting,...
In the 1950s, polio spread at an unprecedented rate, killing or paralysing thousands of Americans. Two renowned scientists raced to develop a vaccine, taking radically different approaches and becoming bitter rivals in the process. Decades later, when a new virus...
https://omny.fm/shows/cautionary-tales-with-tim-harford/how-civilisations-die-with-paul-cooper As Governor of Britannia, Magnus Maximus has a huge army at his disposal, which is just what he needs to secure the Roman imperial throne. But perhaps the impressive general...
Marathon day. An early train into London, then an unfamiliar journey across a race-disrupted city from Paddington to Blackheath, all in good time for the start of the race. I was nervous, of course, but was cheered by the sight of another bib-wearing runner — more...
I'm speaking at 5x15 at 7pm on Monday 29 June - and at the FT Weekend Festival on Saturday 5 September. In both cases there are some brilliant speakers on stage - come along!