Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford

“Evacuate the airport, we’ve planted bombs,” a terrorist tells the telephone operator at the airport in Gran Canaria, in 1977. By the end of that day, 583 people will have lost their lives – but not to a bomb explosion. The planes are diverted to the neighboring island of Tenerife. Loaded with passengers, they’re forced to sit on the hot tarmac for hours. Meanwhile, the flight crews rely on air traffic control to keep them updated. Two Boeing 747s are waiting for thick fog to lift so that they can begin the journey home; they're anxious to receive clearance to take off. One of them has just taken on a hefty 15,000 gallons of fuel. What unfolds next is the most deadly aviation accident in history. For a full list of sources see the show notes at timharford.com [http://timharford.com/]. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Cautionary Tales returns with new episodes on January 10th. Lizzie J. Magie (played by Helena Bonham Carter) should be celebrated as the inventor of what would become Monopoly. But, even though she had a patent, her role in creating the smash hit board game was cynically ignored. Discrimination has marred the careers of many inventors and excluded others from the innovation economy entirely. Could crediting forgotten figures such as Lizzie Magie help change that? For a full list of sources, see the show notes at timharford.com [http://timharford.com/].  See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

When James Dallas Egbert III was reported missing from his college dorm in 1979, one of America's most flamboyant private detectives was summoned to solve the case. "Dallas" faced the same problems as many teenagers, but P.I. William Dear stoked fears that he might have fallen under the evil spell of a mysterious and sinister game: Dungeons & Dragons... Tim Harford returns with brand new episodes of Cautionary Tales on January 10th. In the meantime, Merry Christmas from the Cautionary Tales team! For a full list of sources, see the show notes at timharford.com [http://timharford.com/].  See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Off the coast of an Italian island, an enormous cruise ship - seventeen floors high, three soccer pitches long - is tilting noticeably to one side. The local mayor is horrified: there are thousands of people on board the Costa Concordia, and it's only a matter of time before the ship capsizes altogether. How did a routine trip go so terribly wrong? And why is the captain nowhere to be found? For a full list of sources, see the show notes at timharford.com [http://timharford.com/]. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

It's the season of giving: colorful paper and shiny bows, sure, and charitable giving, too. In this special episode, Jacob Goldstein, the host of What's Your Problem [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whats-your-problem/id1602541473], gets smart about donating. Did you know that spending money on others makes you happier than spending money on yourself? Or that altruistic nerds have discovered four of the most impactful charities in the world (per dollar spent)? Have you ever wondered how poker players think about giving? Dr. Laurie Santos from The Happiness Lab, Elie Hassenfeld of GiveWell, and Nate Silver and Maria Konnikova from Risky Business talk about how to maximize your giving – and why you’ll be happy you did. Link to donate: https://givingmultiplier.org/happinesslab [https://givingmultiplier.org/happinesslab] Listen to The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-happiness-lab-with-dr-laurie-santos/id1474245040] Listen to Risky Business [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/risky-business-with-nate-silver-and-maria-konnikova/id1743213122] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.