
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 Frida... more
| Publishes | Weekly | Episodes | 218 | Founded | 6 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | HistorySociety & Culture | |||

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 ... more
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 yea... more
According to the science, it really is better to give than receive. Donating a dollar; sharing a kind word or lending someone a hand changes lives, but can also hugely boost your happiness. So we're teaming up with other podcasts from Hidden Brain to... more
In 1912, a fossil discovery shakes the scientific world. Piltdown Man is the elusive missing link between humans and their ape-like ancestors. Forty years later, a researcher at the Natural History Museum gets a chance to see the relic for himself an... more
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I love this show and look forward to every episode! However, this latest two-part series about the treasure hunt left me wondering why this particular story deserved so much attention. There was some mention of cognitive biases towards the end of Part 2, but that hardly seemed enough to motivate all the work that must have gone into this story. I don’t really get it.
Too many ads
I truly LOVED C.T.
Is was a story. A superbly researched story.
I listened to it to be lifted into a narrative, where all other podcast just want to be long radio shows with long interviews.
I stopped listening to ‘cautionary conversations’ and started listening to Noiser instead… A great balance between story and interview.
You had it all… journalism, atmosphere, narrative,…
It’s still good. But it used to be amazing. Why on earth would you want to be more like the other 1 million podcasts ... more
Excellent. Look forward to every episode. Less keen on the interviews, though.
I love every episode and I think you haven’t found the right episode if you don’t like it and also I only listen to one other podcast which is absolutely no competition. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to listen to podcasts that are actually good
Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.
How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.
Spotify | #37 | |
Apple Podcasts | #36 | |
Spotify | #22 | |
Apple Podcasts | #246 | |
Apple Podcasts | #23 | |
Apple Podcasts | #24 |
Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.
Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.
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Offering a unique blend of storytelling and analysis, engaging narratives revolve around true stories of human error, missteps, and the lessons learned through catastrophic events. Topics range from historical events to contemporary dilemmas, ensuring listeners are both entertained and educated. The host draws upon rich historical contexts and personal anecdotes, making complex ideas accessible and engaging. Each episode serves as a cautionary tale, shedding light on the pitfalls of human decision-making while offering insights into resilience and growth in the face of adversity.
This podcast likely captivates an audience keen on history, sociology, and psychology, intertwining humor and serious reflection in its storytelling approach.
Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Cautionary Tales. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Cautionary Tales and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.
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These podcasts share a similar audience with Cautionary Tales:
1. Revisionist History
2. The Last Archive
3. 99% Invisible
4. Against the Rules: The Big Short Companion
5. More or Less
Cautionary Tales launched 6 years ago and published 218 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.
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Recent guests on Cautionary Tales include:
1. Tim Harford
2. JR Martinez
3. Michael Lewis
4. Dr. Maya Shankar
5. Katie Milchman
6. Joe Robertson
7. Ashley Hamer
8. Maria Konnikova
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