This is a special crossover episode with Business History.

John DeLorean was a visionary who wanted to create a futuristic new sports car - a stainless steel marvel with distinctive gull-wing doors. The British Government agreed to finance the project, provided he built his factory in a troubled part of Northern Ireland. Production stumbled, sales fizzled and DeLorean liked to fiddle with the numbers. As the company approached ruin, a neighbour offered DeLorean a lifeline, if he'd only come in on a cocaine deal.  

See the show notes at timharford.com

This is a special crossover episode with <a href="https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/business-history" data-airgap-id="12">Business History.</a>
John DeLorean was a visionary who wanted to create a futuristic new sports car - a stainless steel marvel with distinctive gull-wing doors. The British Government agreed to finance the project, provided he built his factory in a troubled part of Northern Ireland. Production stumbled, sales fizzled and DeLorean liked to fiddle with the numbers. As the company approached ruin, a neighbour offered DeLorean a lifeline, if he'd only come in on a cocaine deal.&nbsp;&nbsp;
See the show notes at <a href="https://timharford.com/">timharford.com</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.

The DeLorean Saga: Fraud, Drugs and Marty McFly's Car - with Business History 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/953b2199-1b20-4770-b8e0-b4ac014a24d5/transcript

Before he became Muhammad Ali, Cassius Clay was known as the "Louisville Loud-mouth", as famous for his sharp taunts and poetic put-downs as he was for his skills in the ring. In 1963, Clay arrived in England to take down beloved British Heavyweight, Henry Cooper. Clay is the clear favourite, but the showdown will be remembered as one of boxing history's most shocking battles, changing both men forever and showing what it really means to win. 

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 .

Before he became Muhammad Ali, Cassius Clay was known as the "Louisville Loud-mouth", as famous for his sharp taunts and poetic put-downs as he was for his skills in the ring. In 1963, Clay arrived in England to take down beloved British Heavyweight, Henry Cooper. Clay is the clear favourite, but the showdown will be remembered as one of boxing history's most shocking battles, changing both men forever and showing what it really means to win.&nbsp;
For a list of sources, see the show notes at <a href="https://timharford.com/">timharford.com</a>
Join our&nbsp;<a href="http://patreon.com/cautionaryclub" data-airgap-id="12">Cautionary Club </a>to get episodes ad-free, hear bonus interviews and get an extra Cautionary Tale every month .

When Muhammad Ali Met Henry’s Hammer

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/dcbc2b62-2d9c-405c-8156-b4cf01241e04/transcript

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.

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 <a href="http://patreon.com/cautionaryclub" data-airgap-id="11">Cautionary Club </a>to get episodes ad-free, hear bonus interviews and get an extra Cautionary Tale every month.

How a Broken Arm Improved my French - with David Epstein

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/2ec01096-8e65-43fa-8b5b-b4c8016c5756/transcript

It's 1990. A new company called General Magic is going to build its vision of the future: the smart phone. They have talent, almost unlimited cash, and a 15 year head start on the iPhone. What could go wrong? 

This episode was based, with permission, on David Epstein's book Inside the Box: How Constraints Make us Better. For a list of sources, see the show notes.

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

It's 1990. A new company called General Magic is going to build its vision of the future: the smart phone. They have talent, almost unlimited cash, and a 15 year head start on the iPhone. What could go wrong?&nbsp;
This episode was based, with permission, on David Epstein's book Inside the Box: How Constraints Make us Better. For a list of sources, see the show notes.
Join our <a href="http://patreon.com/cautionaryclub" data-airgap-id="12">Cautionary Club </a>to get episodes ad-free, hear bonus interviews and get an extra Cautionary Tale every month.

Talent, Time and Money: The Curse of General Magic 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/19e5a41d-87d8-4bc6-b32d-b4c10125f7ed/transcript

The DeLorean Saga: Fraud, Drugs and Marty McFly's Car - with Business History

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