Beware Tech Tycoons with Piranha Tanks - with Katie Prescott

Beware Tech Tycoons with Piranha Tanks - with Katie Prescott

Author: Pushkin Industries May 1, 2026 Duration: 40:42

Mike Lynch was often lauded as Britain's answer to Bill Gates. Born into a working-class family, Lynch's incredible intellect and passion for computers led him to become a billionaire tech entrepreneur. But behind the scenes, Lynch was a bully who couldn't bear criticism and was prone to creative accounting. When computer giant Hewlett Packard bought his company, Autonomy, it triggered one of the biggest fraud scandals in Silicon Valley history. Tim talks to Katie Prescott, Technology Business Editor at The Times and author of the book The Curious Case of Mike Lynch, about the lessons we can take from a story no one could have predicted.

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There’s a reason we share scary stories-not just to entertain, but to learn. Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford applies that same instinct to the real world, digging into history’s most fascinating blunders and disasters to uncover what they can teach us today. Brought to you by Pushkin Industries, each episode feels like a masterfully told story, where Tim Harford-known for his work at the Financial Times, the BBC, and as author of “The Data Detective”-unpacks a single event. You’ll hear about catastrophic business decisions, scientific hubris, and public policy fiascos, all presented with a blend of narrative flair and sharp analysis. This isn’t just a history podcast; it’s a deep dive into human nature, decision-making, and the unexpected consequences that ripple from a single mistake. Listening feels like having a brilliantly insightful guide explain why things went so terribly, or hilariously, wrong. The stories are gripping on their own, but the real value lies in the lessons they make tangible for our own lives and choices. If you’ve ever wondered how a group of smart people could make a disastrous call, or how a seemingly small error snowballed into legend, this is the podcast for you. New episodes arrive every Friday, ready to transform a true tale of error into a lasting piece of wisdom.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford
Podcast Episodes
"What a Bloody Mess we're in" - Britain's [REDACTED] Accident [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:32
Windscale is supposed to be Britain's big leap into the nuclear age, bringing science fiction to life in 1950s Northern England. But in the race to catch up with America's nuclear program, scientists are tinkering with f…
Attack of the Night People [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:43
If you tuned in to late-night WOR radio in 1950s New York, you'd enter the secret world of Jean Shepherd. Shepherd's nonconformist style, off-beat humor and love of pranks gathered a small but loyal following. These "Nig…
LIVE: We Are Not Machines - with Sarah O'Connor [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Treacle Tears: The Boston Molasses Disaster [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:14
The children of North End, Boston, play in the shadow of an enormous steel tank of molasses. The thick, sticky sugar syrup is being used to make munitions for the First World War. When a worker notices dark molasses seep…
The Thief, the Jewels, and the Dublin Castle Conspiracy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:24
In the early 1900s, Sir Arthur Vickers keeps the magnificent Irish Crown Jewels safe under lock and key at Dublin Castle. When the jewels disappear, the King rages, the police investigate, and even Sir Arthur Conan Doyle…
The Dunning Canoe-ger Effect [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:19
When John Darwin walks into a shop in London, it causes an instant stir. After all, John Darwin has been dead for five years. He claims to have amnesia, but everyone - from the police and the media to his insurance compa…
Presenting...This is History: A Dynasty to Die For [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:23
This episode comes to you from the new series of This is History, the podcast which tells the story of the Plantagenet Dynasty. Historian Dan Jones takes you through 300 years of calamities, wars and rebellions that mark…
How Civilizations Die - with Paul Cooper [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:07
As Governor of Britannia, Magnus Maximus has a huge army at his disposal, which is just what he needs to secure the Roman imperial throne. But perhaps the impressive general should have looked into the past before focusi…
Can You Make a Sherman Tank Float? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:32
It’s D-Day and the Allies are about to invade Nazi-occupied France. For the landings to succeed, American soldiers on Omaha Beach will have to break through some formidable coastal defences - Hitler’s Atlantic Wall. Sher…
The Inventor who Almost Ended the World (Classic) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:38
Thomas Midgley's inventions caused his own death, hastened the deaths of millions of people around the world, and very nearly extinguished all life on land. Midgley and his employers didn't set out to poison the air with…