Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford

When the Financial Times uncovered the billion-dollar Wirecard fraud, it seemed like the story was over. But then the company’s Chief Operating Officer, Jan Marsalek, vanished - leaving behind clues that pointed to a double life as a secret agent. In his new podcast Hot Money: Agent of Chaos, FT journalist Sam Jones follows Marsalek’s trail through a globe-spanning world of spies, secrets, and corruption. Sam joins Tim to take him behind the scenes of the hunt for Marsalek, share his insights on the future of Russian espionage, and explore what modern spy stories tell us about ourselves. Find Hot Money: Agent of Chaos [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hot-money-agent-of-chaos/id1621757273] wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

In the gilded court of Louis XIV, 17th Century France, manners are everything. Where to sit, how to eat, what to wear - any misstep is costly. No one knows this better than François Vatel, the greatest party planner in all of France. Tonight, Vatel must deliver the ultimate banquet, a chance for his master to rise through the ranks and win the king's favour. But where there is opportunity there is danger, and even one mistake could prove deadly. WARNING: This episode discusses death by suicide. If you are suffering emotional distress or having suicidal thoughts, support is available - for example, from the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the US, or the Samaritans in the UK on 116 123 For a full list of show notes go to timharford.com, and to join our new Patreon, go to patreon.com/cautionaryclub    See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Writer Douglas Adams, best known for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, used science fiction and satire to warn us about potential dangers in our future, from artificial intelligence to social media and animal extinction. In this Cautionary Conversation, Tim is joined by Arvind Ethan David, author of the new audiobook Douglas Adams: Ends of the Earth, to discuss why Adams was in the business of telling Cautionary Tales, his worries (and fixes) for the future, and what we all have in common with a sentient puddle. For more information go to timharford.com [https://timharford.com/]. Douglas Adams Ends of the Earth on audiobook: https://www.pushkin.fm/audiobooks/douglas-adams-the-ends-of-the-earth [https://www.pushkin.fm/audiobooks/douglas-adams-the-ends-of-the-earth] The Hitchhikers Immersive evening in London: https://riversidestudios.co.uk/see-and-do/the-hitchhikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-185234/ [https://riversidestudios.co.uk/see-and-do/the-hitchhikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-185234/] ---------------------------------------- Become a Cautionary Club member on Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/cw/CautionaryClub] for bonus Cautionary Tales episodes, behind-the-scenes chats, newsletters, and more. To join Pushkin+ visit pushkin.fm⁠ [https://www.pushkin.fm/join-pushkin] or the show page on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cautionary-tales-with-tim-harford/id1484511465]. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

After years of campaigning for votes for women, the Suffragettes emerge at the turn of the 20th Century. Their motto, 'Deeds Not Words', heralds the start of more radical actions, including fire bombing, civil disobedience and hunger strikes. Emily Davison is a passionate rebel, but she pushes at the limits of what her allies find acceptable. History remembers Emily for her final act, but have we got everything about the story right? WARNING: This episode discusses death by suicide. If you are suffering emotional distress or having suicidal thoughts, support is available - for example, from the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the US, or the Samaritans in the UK on 116 123 Read more about Tim's work at http://timharford.com/ [http://timharford.com/] ---------------------------------------- Become a Cautionary Club member on Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/cw/CautionaryClub] for bonus Cautionary Tales episodes, behind-the-scenes chats, newsletters, and more. To join Pushkin+ visit pushkin.fm⁠ [https://www.pushkin.fm/join-pushkin] or the show page on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cautionary-tales-with-tim-harford/id1484511465]. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

In 1998, an art gallery gets a mysterious phone call. The caller claims they have been fooled by a master forger and that many of their prized paintings are fakes. Or are they? This is the story of the life and lies of the notorious Eric Hebborn. What did he do, and what does that teach us about how we can root out deepfakes without undermining our trust in reality? For a full list of sources, see the show notes at timharford.com [https://timharford.com/] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.