Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford
Hosted by Tim Harford · Pushkin Industries
4.8from 8,242 ratings
- 250
- Episodes
- 143
- Transcribed
- 8,242
- Ratings
- Weekly
- Cadence
- 2019
- First episode
- 938K
- YouTube views
About Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford
We tell our children unsettling fairy tales to teach them valuable lessons, but these Cautionary Tales are for the education of the grown ups – and they are all true. Tim Harford (Financial Times, BBC, author of “The Data Detective”) brings you stories of awful human error, tragic catastrophes, and hilarious fiascos. They'll delight you, scare you, but also make you wiser. New episodes every Friday.
- Publisher
- Pushkin Industries
- Category
- history · society & culture
- Language
- en
- Explicit
- No
- First episode
- 22 Oct 2019
- Latest episode
- 6 Nov 2026
Latest episodes
143 of 250 episodes have a transcript.
6 Nov 2026TRANSCRIPT
Why Milk Cartons "Scared the Bejesus Out of a Generation" - with Roman Mars
30 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT
Why Miners See Ghosts | Halloween Season
27 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT
Introducing... Unexplained: Lying in Wait
Inside a recent episode
Why Milk Cartons "Scared the Bejesus Out of a Generation" - with Roman Mars
Published 6 Nov 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] And she cut out the milk carton. She kept it. And a friend of hers, parents of a friend of hers, found it, realized who she was, and it all resulted in her being returned to her father. It's an incredible story. Yeah. This neighborhood mom going, do you mind if I just keep this milk carton? Yeah. […]
Read the full transcript with a Pod Engine plan.
See plansWho has been a guest on Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
- David Epstein
- Pascal Wyse
- Maddy Pelling
- Sarah O'Connor
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
- YouTube views
- 937,810
- Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
- Apple Podcasts (US)
- 4.7 / 5
- 4,863 ratings
- Spotify
- 4.8 / 5
- 3,379 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 87 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
- Quality
- 96
- Social presence
- 0
- YouTube
- 93
- Engagement
- 100
Contact Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford
- Guest appearances
- Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
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Questions about Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford
Who hosts Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford?
Tim Harford host the show. Published by Pushkin Industries.
How often do new episodes come out?
The show publishes weekly, based on its RSS feed.
Does Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford take guests?
Yes. Guests have been identified in episode analyses.
Where can I read transcripts?
143 of 250 episodes have a transcript on Pod Engine. Full transcripts are available with a Pod Engine plan.
Host of Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford?
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