Tim Harford, the Undercover Economist
Tim Harford, “the Undercover Economist”, is a Financial Times columnist, BBC broadcaster, and the author of eight books (most recently “The Next Fifty Things That Made the Modern Economy”) and the podcast “Cautionary Tales”.
Cautionary Tales – Missing on “Dead Mountain”: A cold war cold …
2 days ago · In the bleak Russian winter of 1959, nine experienced hikers set out on an expedition. None of them made it back alive. When their campsite was finally discovered, it told a chilling story: tents slashed open, bodies scattered across the snow. The hikers' injuries were as baffling as they were gruesome. One had had his…
Biography - Tim Harford
One line biography Tim Harford, “the Undercover Economist”, is a Financial Times columnist, BBC broadcaster, and the author of ten books (most recently "The Truth Detective") and the podcast “Cautionary Tales”. Brief biography Tim is an economist, journalist and broadcaster. He is author of "How To Make the World Add Up" / "The Data Detective",…
The truth about the forecasting paradox | Tim Harford
2 days ago · Here’s the problem with forecasts: some of them are right, and some of them are wrong, and by the time we find out which is which, it’s too late. This leads to what we might call the forecasting paradox: the test of a useful forecast is not …
Archives - Tim Harford
Jan 9, 2025 · Cautionary Tales – Frozen in a Burning 747 (Tenerife Air Disaster 2) by Tim Harford | Jan 17, 2025 | Cautionary Tales. Two airplanes have just collided on the runway at Tenerife Airport. While no one on the Amsterdam-bound KLM plane survives the resulting fireball, 71 Pan-Am passengers and crew make it off their plane.
Archives - Tim Harford
Dec 12, 2024 · Cautionary Tales – Demonising Dungeons and Dragons (Classic) by Tim Harford | Dec 20, 2024 | Cautionary Tales. When James Dallas Egbert III was reported missing from his college dorm in 1979, one of America’s most flamboyant private detectives was summoned to …
Where to find me these days - Tim Harford
Nov 27, 2024 · The simplest and most reliable way to see everything I create is here on this blog, via RSS or email. (I don’t share your email or use it for any other purpose.)
My biggest productivity mistake | Tim Harford
Oct 17, 2024 · From time to time, my editor will suggest that I write a column about how to be more productive. It’s a sure way to trigger imposter syndrome because, whether or not I appear productive from the outside, I certainly don’t feel productive on the inside.
Archives - Tim Harford
Dec 1, 2022 · Quitting is underrated. by Tim Harford | Dec 22, 2022 | Undercover Economist “I am a fighter and not a quitter,” said Liz Truss, the day before quitting. She was echoing the words of Peter Mandelson MP over two decades ago, although Mandelson had the good sense to speak after winning a political fight rather than while losing one.
The Next Fifty Things - Tim Harford
“Endlessly insightful and full of surprises — exactly what you would expect from Tim Harford.” Bill Bryson. In Fifty Things that Made the Modern Economy, I presented a selection of fifty radical inventions that changed the world. Now, in this new book, The Next Fifty Things That Made the Modern Economy, I’m back with another array of remarkable, memorable, curious …