Here’s a special preview of the new season of Cautionary Tales from Pushkin Industries. On Cautionary Tales, bestselling author Tim Harford shares stories of human error, natural disasters, and tragic catastrophes from history that teach us important lessons for today. In this preview, you’ll hear about the 1981 Hyatt Regency Hotel collapse, a shocking desig ... Show More
Dec 17
7 Winter Legends That Lurk in the Dark
From the monstrous Yule Cat of Iceland to the cannibal Wendigo of North America, in this episode I explore seven eerie winter legends from around the world. You’ll meet Japan’s ghostly Yuki-Onna, China’s New Year beast Nian, Greece’s chaotic Kallikantzaroi, the rhyming ghost-hors ... Show More
50m 9s
Nov 26
The Night of the Strigoi: St. Andrew’s Eve in Romania
<p>Between garlands of garlic on doorways, wolves finding their voice in the dark, and the undead rising from their graves, Romania’s celebration of St. Andrew’s Eve (November 29th-30th) blurs the line between the living and the dead. Join Alyson in exploring this magical and un ... Show More
51m 10s
Mar 2022
Death on the Dancefloor from Cautionary Tales
Here’s a special preview of the new season of Cautionary Tales, from Pushkin On Cautionary Tales, bestselling author Tim Harford shares stories of human error, natural disasters, and tragic catastrophes from history that contain important lessons for today. In this preview, you’l ... Show More
8m 33s
Apr 2022
TEASER: From Cautionary Tales: Death on the Floor
Here’s a special preview of the new season of Cautionary Tales from Pushkin Industries. On Cautionary Tales, bestselling author Tim Harford shares stories of human error, natural disasters, and tragic catastrophes from history that teach us important lessons for today. In this pr ... Show More
10m 53s
Jul 2023
A Fascination with Failure: Death On The Dancefloor (Classic)
Henry Petroski is one of Tim Harford's favourite fellow nerds. His study of engineering failures has profoundly influenced Tim's own writing, including the classic Cautionary Tales episode Death on the Dance Floor. Petroski passed away in June 2023, at the age of 81. This week, i ... Show More
42m 27s
Mar 2020
Classic Tides: The Black Death Revisited
<p>In light of current events, we are re-posting one of my favorite episodes (from June, 2018) on the Black Death.</p><p>Between 1346 and 1351, the Black Death killed tens of millions of people - at least half the population - in Europe and the Middle East. This great mortality, ... Show More
52m 36s
Oct 2019
Introducing: Cautionary Tales
Coming November 15 from Tim Harford and Pushkin Industries, Cautionary Tales relates a true story of a time when something did not go according to plan. Some of these true stories are tragic, some are comic, but like the great fables and parables, each of them has a moral. Equipp ... Show More
2m 57s
Oct 2023
Crime Story: Yohance reflects on You Didn’t See Nothin
Yohance sits down with Kathleen Goldhar, the host of CBC’s new podcast Crime Story, to talk about Lenard Clark’s case and the many questions he grappled with while making You Didn’t See Nothin. Every week, Crime Story brings you a true crime case told by the storyteller who knows ... Show More
43m 11s