Fearing for his life, Harry Houdini leaves secret codes with his loved ones, promising to use them in any post-mortem messaging. In 1926, Houdini's death shocks the world, but the news that follows is even more astounding. A report of the impossible: contact has been made.

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

Get ad-free episodes, plus an exclusive monthly bonus episode, to Cautionary Tales by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks exclusive binges, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows. 

Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin
Subscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.fm/plus

Fearing for his life, Harry Houdini leaves secret codes with his loved ones, promising to use them in any post-mortem messaging. In 1926, Houdini's death shocks the world, but the news that follows is even more astounding. A report of the impossible: contact has been made.
For a full list of sources, see the show notes at <a href="https://timharford.com/">timharford.com</a>.
Get ad-free episodes, plus an exclusive monthly bonus episode, to Cautionary Tales by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks exclusive binges, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows. Subscribe on Apple: <a href="http://apple.co/pushkin">apple.co/pushkin</a> Subscribe on Pushkin:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pushkin.fm/join-pushkin">pushkin.fm/plus</a>

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.

Houdini: The Phone Call from the Coffin (Part 3)

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/450fd1dc-5d61-4e99-9ca5-b2ac00eb0e89/transcript

A megaplant near the small village of Flixborough, England, is busy churning out a key ingredient of nylon 6, a material used in everything from stockings to toothbrushes to electronics. When a reactor vessel fails, the engineers improvise a quick-fix workaround, so the plant can keep up with demand. Before long, the temporary patch - a small, bent pipe - becomes a permanent part of the factory, and the people of Flixborough unknowingly drift towards disaster. 

For a full list of sources, see www.timharford.com

A megaplant near the small village of Flixborough, England, is busy churning out a key ingredient of nylon 6, a material used in everything from stockings to toothbrushes to electronics. When a reactor vessel fails, the engineers improvise a quick-fix workaround, so the plant can keep up with demand. Before long, the temporary patch - a small, bent pipe - becomes a permanent part of the factory, and the people of Flixborough unknowingly drift towards disaster. For a full list of sources, see <a href="http://www.timharford.com/">www.timharford.com</a>

Flixborough: The Factory that was Wiped off the Map

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/da23167a-d26e-4bdc-8f8f-b3b000ffc807/transcript

At the start of the 20th century, Britain was slowly becoming a freer place for women. Young Grace Oakeshott seized every opportunity to learn and improve the world around her - though she found those opportunities frustratingly narrow. One day, she vanished suddenly, leaving behind only a pile of clothes on a beach. A hundred years later, the truth about Grace’s disappearance has finally come to light.

At the start of the 20th century, Britain was slowly becoming a freer place for women. Young Grace Oakeshott seized every opportunity to learn and improve the world around her - though she found those opportunities frustratingly narrow. One day, she vanished suddenly, leaving behind only a pile of clothes on a beach. A hundred years later, the truth about Grace&rsquo;s disappearance has finally come to light.

The Disappearance of Grace Oakeshott

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/9c71c899-9c20-42ec-9fb4-b3a8014bca41/transcript

Ever wished you could be a fly on the wall while Cautionary Tales is being made? Now you can.

We just launched the Cautionary Club - our new Patreon community for Cautionary Tales fans who want to go deeper. If you sign up before the end of the year, you’ll be a Cautionary Club Founding Member, and you'll be invited to join Tim and the producers in a live table read of an unreleased episode.

This will be a rare chance for you to see how the stories we tell are developed in real time, hear the editorial suggestions, and ask your burning questions about Cautionary Tales. Founding Members will receive an invitation to the table read, which will be held early 2026.

But that’s just the beginning. You’ll also receive:
- two monthly bonus episodes
- a members-only newsletter with sneak peeks of what’s coming up 
- behind-the-scenes chats and videos with Tim 
- the chance to vote on future episodes
- early information on books and live events
- ad-free listening to the entire archive 
and the opportunity to support the creation of the stories we tell on Cautionary Tales. 

Join by December 31, 2025 to lock in exclusive perks and be recognised as one of the original members of the Cautionary Club. Sign up at patreon.com/cautionaryclub.

Ever wished you could be a fly on the wall while Cautionary Tales is being made? Now you can.
We just launched the <a href="https://www.patreon.com/cw/CautionaryClub">Cautionary Club</a> - our new Patreon community for Cautionary Tales fans who want to go deeper. If you sign up before the end of the year, you&rsquo;ll be a Cautionary Club Founding Member, and you'll be invited to join Tim and the producers in a live table read of an unreleased episode.
This will be a rare chance for you to see how the stories we tell are developed in real time, hear the editorial suggestions, and ask your burning questions about Cautionary Tales. Founding Members will receive an invitation to the table read, which will be held early 2026.
But that&rsquo;s just the beginning. You&rsquo;ll also receive: - two monthly bonus episodes - a members-only newsletter with sneak peeks of what&rsquo;s coming up - behind-the-scenes chats and videos with Tim - the chance to vote on future episodes - early information on books and live events - ad-free listening to the entire archive and the opportunity to support the creation of the stories we tell on Cautionary Tales. Join by December 31, 2025 to lock in exclusive perks and be recognised as one of the original members of the Cautionary Club. Sign up at <a href="http://patreon.com/cautionaryclub">patreon.com/cautionaryclub</a>.

Your Chance to Attend a Cautionary Tales Table Read

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/6562b651-e6be-4adf-979f-b3a8011cbcc5/transcript

Houdini: The Phone Call from the Coffin (Part 3)

In 1 playlist(s)

Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips