Acclaimed author Michael Lewis discusses his time with Sam Bankman-Fried and why he thinks both high finance and Effective Altruism... more

A radical thought experiment transforms the lives of a new breed of philanthropists, as they follow the logic of altruism... more

George Price is on a mission to prove that human kindness is real. He's seen the latest research suggesting any... more

Steven Spielberg thought his career was finished. He was behind schedule, his actors were fighting, the crew were mutinous and... more

The annual Le Mans 24 Hour race brings in hundreds of thousands of spectators to watch the giants of motor... more

Lise Meitner has fought for her entire life to be seen as a scientist, slowly building a career as a... more

Can game theory be used to win a world cup? Can you pay the way out of political corruption? And... more

Sixteen years have passed since Ferdinand De Lesseps' catastrophic failure in Panama and the dramatic collapse of the French Panama... more

Ferdinand De Lesseps, "the Great Frenchman", is convinced that he is the man to build the Panama Canal. No, he... more

In 1978 the world is on the brink of declaring victory over smallpox. No cases have been seen for months,... more

In 1900, two friends in the flourishing Arts and Crafts Movement in London share a vision: to print the ultimate... more

Cautionary Tales returns with a new episode on May 2nd. Both of the world’s greatest economists, Irving Fisher and John... more

Here's a special episode from our friends at You Must Remember This. Hitchcock’s most iconic decade— a decade of Technicolor... more

20 years ago, a book called Freakonomics became an instant bestseller and worldwide sensation. Tim Harford got his hands on... more

When Britain entered its first Covid-19 lockdown in March 2020, many found comfort in evoking the British wartime spirit. A... more

Fearing for his life, Harry Houdini leaves secret codes with his loved ones, promising to use them in any post-mortem... more

Harry Houdini finds an ally in his fight against spiritualism, a brilliant detective called Rose Mackenberg, who'll do whatever it... more

Harry Houdini is remembered today for his legendary escapes and illusions, but he also had a lifelong obsession with the... more

Do we trust our fitness trackers too much? How do fraudsters gain our faith? Why do people trust podcasters? And... more

When Ernest Borgnine gets his big break in Hollywood, he can hardly believe his luck. But soon he discovers his... more

"Down Under" was huge. This jokey ode to legendary Australian wanderlust helped Men at Work win a Grammy and was a... more

Tim Harford is joined by Ben Walter, CEO of Chase for Business and the host of "The Unshakeables" podcast, to... more

Leah Washington and her new boyfriend Joe Pugh are on their first day out together. They're at Alton Towers theme... more

Cautionary Conversation: In the 1920s, a conman convinced America that goat testicles were the secret to male virility. Tim Harford... more

Winston Trew has just been arrested for mugging. It's 1972 and the crime has recently made its way to Britain... more

In the bleak Russian winter of 1959, nine experienced hikers led by Igor Dyatlov set out on an expedition. None... more

Two airplanes have just collided on the runway at Tenerife Airport. While no one on the Amsterdam-bound KLM plane survives... more

“Evacuate the airport, we’ve planted bombs,” a terrorist tells the telephone operator at the airport in Gran Canaria, in 1977.... more

Cautionary Tales returns with new episodes on January 10th. Lizzie J. Magie (played by Helena Bonham Carter) should be celebrated as... more

When James Dallas Egbert III was reported missing from his college dorm in 1979, one of America's most flamboyant private... more

Off the coast of an Italian island, an enormous cruise ship - seventeen floors high, three soccer pitches long -... more

It's the season of giving: colorful paper and shiny bows, sure, and charitable giving, too. In this special episode, Jacob... more

What really drove the 2008 financial crash? What’s a shadow bank? And what’s the connection between NIMBYs and BANANAs? Tim... more

Charles Darwin was stumped by peacocks. According to his theory of evolution, some creatures were better equipped to survive in... more

In 1827, Edinburgh, Scotland was a world centre for anatomical study, but there was a shortage of cadavers for medical... more

Tim Harford joined Nate Silver and Maria Konnikova on their podcast Risky Business to discuss two of history’s most compelling... more

India, 1930. Sarojini Naidu is marching towards a British-controlled saltwork; behind her is a long column of protestors all dressed in... more

Early morning, April 1789. Captain Bligh is abruptly dragged from his cabin. Wrists bound, bayonet pressed to his chest, he... more

Paul Starrett has just won a major building contract. If everything goes according to plan, this will be the tallest... more

Leo Durocher would stop at nothing to win. The baseball player-turned-manager was a skilled tactician and famously tough. But he also cheated,... more

Tim Harford's life has been building up to this moment. In this Cautionary Conversation, he discusses the works of his... more

Young doctor Jesse Lazear has deadly Yellow Fever. He thrashes around and convulses in his sick bed, and his vomit... more

Cautionary Conversation: Steve Jobs hated his phone so much that he smashed it against a wall. He also referred to... more

The disappearance and death of Mitrice Richardson remains Malibu, CA’s most baffling unsolved case. It’s been nearly 14 years since... more

Panic has erupted in the cockpit of Air France Flight 447. The pilots are convinced they’ve lost control of the plane. It’s... more

Until the 1960s, it was deemed too "dangerous" for women athletes to run distances longer than 200m - and a... more

Adi and Rudi Dassler made sports shoes together - until a feud erupted between them. They set up competing companies,... more

In the middle of the Pacific Ocean, in 1819, Owen Chase is standing on a slowly sinking ship. It's just... more

Tim Harford is joined by Jacob Goldstein to answer your questions. Does winning the lottery make you unhappy? Is Bitcoin bad... more

Neatly dressed in his suit, Hans Ferdinand Mayer was every inch the unassuming corporate executive. So, when he asked to... more

Sam Israel had a problem. The investors in his hedge fund, Bayou Capital, were expecting spectacular returns. Sam himself had spent... more

Bonus: When Spanish conquistadors arrived in Peru in 1526, it was the beginning of the end for the Inca. Their... more

Nicolae Ceaușescu was not beloved. His regime was vicious and he treated Romania as his personal wallet: while Ceaușescu emptied the... more

Why are so many autocrats germaphobes? Why was the truth so dangerous for Soviet engineers? And what can salami reveal... more

Chuck Yeager's plane pitched and rolled as it plummeted from the sky. He grappled with the controls inside the cockpit,... more

As US troops approached a Nazi prison camp, they could hear agonized wailing. The stench of rotting flesh filled their... more

In the 1920s, Germany’s Society for Spaceship Travel boasted some of the sharpest scientific minds – like the incandescently brilliant... more

At the height of World War Two, British intelligence began receiving reports that the enemy was developing a rocket weapon.... more

Teaser: In 1977, two planes collided on the runway at Tenerife Airport. Why did the crash happen? And, given that... more

One speechmaker inspired millions with his words, the other utterly destroyed his own multi-million-dollar business with just a few phrases.... more

Torrey Canyon was one of the biggest and best ships in the world - but its captain and crew still... more

What if you could never have the same day off as your family and friends? Would you quit your job?... more

Cautionary Book Club: Mollie Maggia's dentist planned to remove a painful abscess from her mouth. But to his horror, her jawbone disintegrated at his... more

In Goiânia, Brazil, a junk dealer acquires an old medical device from two scrap-metal scavengers. The device itself isn't useful, but it... more

Cautionary Conversation: Just before Christmas 1799, President George Washington was riding around his country estate, Mount Vernon, when it began to... more

William the Conqueror undertook a remarkably modern project. In 1086, he began compiling and storing a detailed record of his... more

On The Dream, host Jane Marie gets to know the life coaches and gurus who claim they know the secret... more

Henry Roan has been shot through the back of his head. The local authorities have found his body slumped over... more

Minnie Smith grew sick quite suddenly. She had been young, fit and healthy - and the doctors were baffled when... more

This week, we've twice the storytelling fun for you: two Cautionary Tales shorts, previously only available to Pushkin+ subscribers. A... more