Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford

The Hero Who Rode His Segway Off a Cliff


Listen Later

Steve Jobs called It “the most amazing piece of technology since the PC.” According to Jeff Bezos It was not only “revolutionary,” but infinitely commercial. It was a fiendishly clever and massively hyped invention. But in the end It — also known as the Segway — was a failure.

What makes an invention useful and valuable? Jimi Heselden’s pragmatic brainchild the Concertainer might hold the answers. First used to shore up the collapsing walls of a canal, it ultimately solved problems that Jimi had never even imagined.

For a full list of sources for this episode, go to timharford.com

If you’d like to keep up with the most recent news from this and other Pushkin podcasts, be sure to sign up for our email list at pushkin.fm.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Cautionary Tales with Tim HarfordBy Pushkin Industries

  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7

4.7

4,560 ratings


More shows like Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford

View all
Radiolab by WNYC Studios

Radiolab

43,824 Listeners

This American Life by This American Life

This American Life

90,778 Listeners

More or Less: Behind the Stats by BBC Radio 4

More or Less: Behind the Stats

904 Listeners

the memory palace by Nate DiMeo

the memory palace

6,862 Listeners

Freakonomics Radio by Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

Freakonomics Radio

32,146 Listeners

99% Invisible by Roman Mars

99% Invisible

26,185 Listeners

No Such Thing As A Fish by No Such Thing As A Fish

No Such Thing As A Fish

4,841 Listeners

Revisionist History by Pushkin Industries

Revisionist History

59,250 Listeners

Sidedoor by Smithsonian Institution

Sidedoor

2,171 Listeners

Broken Record with Rick Rubin, Malcolm Gladwell, Bruce Headlam and Justin Richmond by Pushkin Industries

Broken Record with Rick Rubin, Malcolm Gladwell, Bruce Headlam and Justin Richmond

4,111 Listeners

Decoder Ring by Slate Podcasts

Decoder Ring

2,063 Listeners

Against the Rules with Michael Lewis by Pushkin Industries

Against the Rules with Michael Lewis

9,555 Listeners

Solvable by Pushkin Industries

Solvable

570 Listeners

The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos by Pushkin Industries

The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos

14,540 Listeners

Go and See by Lexus

Go and See

404 Listeners

Making a Killing with Bethany McLean by Pushkin Industries

Making a Killing with Bethany McLean

72 Listeners

The Last Archive by Pushkin Industries

The Last Archive

1,832 Listeners

Deep Cover by Pushkin Industries

Deep Cover

3,714 Listeners

People I (Mostly) Admire by Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

People I (Mostly) Admire

2,099 Listeners

Hearing with Tali Farhadian Weinstein by Pushkin Industries

Hearing with Tali Farhadian Weinstein

80 Listeners

Fiasco by Pushkin Industries

Fiasco

396 Listeners

The Rest Is History by Goalhanger

The Rest Is History

12,102 Listeners

Bad Women: The Blackout Ripper by Pushkin Industries

Bad Women: The Blackout Ripper

1,210 Listeners

Backstage Pass with Eric Vetro by Pushkin Industries

Backstage Pass with Eric Vetro

232 Listeners

What's Your Problem? by iHeartPodcasts and Pushkin Industries

What's Your Problem?

258 Listeners

Not Lost by iHeartPodcasts and Pushkin Industries

Not Lost

433 Listeners

Car Show! with Eddie Alterman by Pushkin Industries

Car Show! with Eddie Alterman

147 Listeners

Come As You Are by Pushkin Industries

Come As You Are

374 Listeners

The Loudest Girl in the World by Pushkin Industries

The Loudest Girl in the World

332 Listeners

Where There's a Will: Finding Shakespeare by Pushkin Industries

Where There's a Will: Finding Shakespeare

33 Listeners

Started from the Bottom by Pushkin Industries

Started from the Bottom

95 Listeners

The Best Audio Storytelling 2022 by Pushkin Industries

The Best Audio Storytelling 2022

78 Listeners

Where's Dia? by Pushkin Industries

Where's Dia?

246 Listeners