How a Broken Arm Improved my French - with David Epstein

How a Broken Arm Improved my French - with David Epstein

Author: Pushkin Industries September 18, 2026 Duration: 42:47

Last week, Cautionary Tales described the rise and fall of General Magic, the startup with too much money and too few constraints. Was General Magic really doomed from the start, and what does its fate tell us about AI, drug discovery and our love lives? David Epstein, author of Inside the Box: How Constraints Make Us Better, joins Tim to make the case for loving limitations.

For a list of sources, see the show notes at timharford.com

Join our Cautionary Club to get episodes ad-free, hear bonus interviews and get an extra Cautionary Tale every month.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.


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
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]

Duration: 41:40
When the Luddites smashed factory frames in a bid to defend their craft and livelihoods, the machines came out on top. Today, AI and automation threaten to wipe out skilled jobs and flood us with inferior products at a f…
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…
From Drilled: The Carbon Gold Rush [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:06
We usually bring you failures of the past, but today we're sharing an episode from someone who uncovers failures as they happen. Amy Westervelt is an award-winning investigative climate journalist and the host of Drilled…