William McGonagall's poems are something else. The jarring meter, the banal imagery, the awkward rhymes: they made him a laughing stock in 19th Century Scotland and are still derided to this day. How does someone get that bad at poetry? Or have we been misunderstanding McGonagall all along?

William McGonagall's poems are something else. The jarring meter, the banal imagery, the awkward rhymes: they made him a laughing stock in 19th Century Scotland and are still derided to this day. How does someone get that bad at poetry? Or have we been misunderstanding McGonagall all along?

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.

We tell our children unsettling fairy tales to teach them valuable lessons, but these Cautionary Tales are for the education of the grown ups &ndash; and they are all true. Tim Harford (Financial Times, BBC, author of &ldquo;The Data Detective&rdquo;) 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.

Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford

We tell our children unsettling fairy tales to teach them valuable life 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” and “The Undercover Economist”) brings you stories of awful human error, tragic catastrophes, daring heists and hilarious fiascos. They'll delight you, scare you, but also make you wiser. New episodes every Friday.

We tell our children unsettling fairy tales to teach them valuable life lessons, but these Cautionary Tales are for the education of the grown ups &ndash; and they are all true. Tim Harford (Financial Times, BBC, author of &ldquo;The Data Detective&rdquo; and &ldquo;The Undercover Economist&rdquo;) brings you stories of awful human error, tragic catastrophes, daring heists and hilarious fiascos. They'll delight you, scare you, but also make you wiser. New episodes every Friday.

"Genius Still Unrecognised" - The Worst Poet in the World 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/fd2acf28-383a-4874-b266-b33900f48f7c/transcript

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 fraction of the price: is history going to repeat itself? FT journalist and author of We Are Not Machines Sarah O'Connor joins Tim to discuss her findings from the front lines about the future of work. Which professions are most at risk, and is there anything workers can do about it?  

See the show notes at TimHarford.com

Sarah's book, "We Are Not Machines: The Fight for the Future of Work", is available here (UK) and for pre-order here (US). 

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 fraction of the price: is history going to repeat itself? FT journalist and author of We Are Not Machines Sarah O'Connor joins Tim to discuss her findings from the front lines about the future of work. Which professions are most at risk, and is there anything workers can do about it?&nbsp;&nbsp;
See the show notes at <a href="https://timharford.com/">TimHarford.com</a>
Sarah's book, "We Are Not Machines: The Fight for the Future of Work", is available <a href="https://guardianbookshop.com/we-are-not-machines-9780241704226/">here</a> (UK) and for pre-order <a href="https://www.amazon.com/We-Are-Not-Machines-Future/dp/1567928366/ref=sr_1_1?crid=H86QNNDYO6AE&amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.otHLew_otxwdiH8xyyvEwHyOlK6BiNfARXkSOYMEC4xcsi-LlCjp3O__eHz80TSXSwRNb_NTIUpLwnDT79g2X_DZ6fJIwsu4XLQg3kmU35PRSmD82Ka3v9R3H5_6FjA5V5sQcsQf-Fb2PwyyNUWHEsz74wb4C4qQpdwrtICFNWFf8fUqjljfwY88-8vrDpa9QPVI9dqmtY7KqkGIBZvMHwGvfollJloZ4R1Zzi0oY1g.muNnnZb0EZo5xBXuw25WEGhwM2woRKCBU70RC3KTd0I&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;keywords=we+are+not+machines&amp;qid=1782997834&amp;sprefix=we+are+not+machin%2Caps%2C183&amp;sr=8-1">here</a> (US).&nbsp;

LIVE: We Are Not Machines - with Sarah O'Connor 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/6a67f2bc-896a-4cee-8f76-b47b0149395e/transcript

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 seeping from the tank he warns the company that there could be a leak. But the man in charge, Arthur Jell, has more important things to worry about: schedules to meet and profits to make. Besides, it's only sugar. How dangerous could it be?

For the sources, see the show notes at timharford.com.

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 seeping from the tank he warns the company that there could be a leak. But the man in charge, Arthur Jell, has more important things to worry about: schedules to meet and profits to make. Besides, it's only sugar. How dangerous could it be?
For the sources, see the show notes at <a href="https://timharford.com/">timharford.com</a>.

Treacle Tears: The Boston Molasses Disaster

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/8a15e32b-7a40-4745-bf81-b4740142ca4a/transcript

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 gets involved. No one is ever charged and no jewels are ever recovered. Except, we have a very good idea of who took them, and why the truth has stayed buried. 

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

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 gets involved. No one is ever charged and no jewels are ever recovered. Except, we have a very good idea of who took them, and why the truth has stayed buried.&nbsp;
For a list of sources, see the show notes at <a href="https://timharford.com/">timharford.com</a>

The Thief, the Jewels, and the Dublin Castle Conspiracy 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/b3465343-ddbd-41b8-b2ee-b46d010dcb33/transcript

"Genius Still Unrecognised" - The Worst Poet in the World

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