Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford

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Presenting: Drug Story - On Xanax and Anxiety

This episode comes to you from the new podcast Drug Story, which investigates the origins, workings and cautionary tales behind today's medical interventions. In this episode, host Thomas Goetz investigates the rise of Xanax, a drug used to treat anxiety that has become one of th ... Show more

. 46min 28sec

"And it went click" - Dawn of the Working Dead

Robert Propst is more than an inventor: he is a visionary, an innovator dreaming up how to make the perfect office workstation. When he reveals his bold design for a creative, flexible 'cockpit of tomorrow', he comes into conflict with the unyielding push for workplace efficiency ... Show more

. 41min 29sec

Explosives or Sugar? The Deadly Art of Distraction in Putin’s Russia - with Helena Merriman

In 1999, a series of bombs explode in Russian apartments, killing hundreds and spreading panic. No one knows who is behind it. But when one device is spotted before it detonates, troubling questions emerge. Was it really a bomb? Why is the country's security service changing its ... Show more

. 42min 24sec

Flight of the Fantasist: The Race Around the World - Part 2

Donald Crowhurst is a brilliant inventor with a failing business. When he hears about the Golden Globe Race offering publicity and cash to the fastest to sail around the world, it feels like the perfect solution. Betting his business and his home on success, Crowhurst sets off in ... Show more

. 41min 21sec

The Philosopher and the Handyman: The Race Around the World - Part 1

Who will be the first to sail non-stop around the world? In 1968, The Sunday Times announces a trophy and a cash prize for the winner, and the Golden Globe Race is on. Leading the charge are Robin Knox-Johnston, an old-fashioned British patriot, and Bernard Moitessier, an enigmat ... Show more

. 39min 28sec