Get Happier, Help Others: Some Good Ideas About Giving
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, gets smart about donating. Did y...
2 Dec 202451min
RoboPod and the Perpetual Money Machine - Cautionary Questions 2
What really drove the 2008 financial crash? What’s a shadow bank? And what’s the connection between NIMBYs and BANANAs? Tim Harford and Jacob Goldstein answer more of your questions. Do you have a que...
22 Nov 202442min
Darwin's Grandpa and the Art of Sex Appeal
Charles Darwin was stumped by peacocks. According to his theory of evolution, some creatures were better equipped to survive in their particular environment than others. It explained a lot - but it di...
8 Nov 202440min
The Edinburgh Body Snatchers: Murder at Halloween
In 1827, Edinburgh, Scotland was a world centre for anatomical study, but there was a shortage of cadavers for medical students to dissect. Two men, William Burke and William Hare, spotted a grim busi...
25 Okt 202441min
Cautionary Tales Presents: Death Fraud and Other Risky Business
Tim Harford joined Nate Silver and Maria Konnikova on their podcast Risky Business to discuss two of history’s most compelling swindlers: Sam Israel III and John Law. We hope you enjoy this episode of...
14 Okt 202448min
The Poet Who Toppled The British Empire
India, 1930. Sarojini Naidu is marching towards a British-controlled saltwork; behind her is a long column of protestors all dressed in white. The great campaigner for India's Independence, Gandhi, is...
11 Okt 202443min
Reason, Wrath and Rebellion on the High Seas
Early morning, April 1789. Captain Bligh is abruptly dragged from his cabin. Wrists bound, bayonet pressed to his chest, he and a few loyal sailors are forced into a tiny launch and set adrift on the ...
27 Sep 202441min
Steel and Kindness: Clash of the Skyscrapers
Paul Starrett has just won a major building contract. If everything goes according to plan, this will be the tallest building in the world. But will everything go according to plan? This prestigious n...
13 Sep 202439min
