Steven Spielberg thought his career was finished. He was behind schedule, his actors were fighting, the crew were mutinous and worst of all, his shark was broken. It looked like Jaws was destined for failure, but the movie that came out defined the Hollywood blockbuster. In this special episode celebrating 50 years of Jaws, we take…

Tim Harford

20.06.2025

Am I boring you? Good | Tim Harford

A good columnist is never unintentionally tedious, but this week’s effort is about obsolete telephone directories, binary counter overflow, and the alternating current waveform. The boredom is the point. Start with alternating current. As most of us once learnt and have since half-forgotten, mains electricity is supplied by an oscillating current whose direction changes rapidly.…

Tim Harford

27.06.2025

Cautionary Tales – The Man Who Solved Kindness | Tim Harford

George Price is on a mission to prove that human kindness is real. He's seen the latest research suggesting any altruism is ultimately selfish and finds it deeply depressing. George decides to learn the mathematics he needs to prove that research wrong, and throws his career, and life, into the quest for complete kindness. [Apple]…

Tim Harford

27.06.2025

Can we ‘nudge’ our way to higher growth? | Tim Harford

Can we “nudge” our way to a higher rate of economic growth? In a recent speech, David Halpern argued that we should at least try. Halpern was the founder of the Behavioural Insight Team (BIT) that was so enthusiastically championed by then UK prime minister David Cameron, so it is no surprise to find him…

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Tim Harford

Economy

Cautionary Tales – The Shark That Ate Hollywood | Tim Harford

Am I boring you? Good | Tim Harford

Cautionary Tales – The Man Who Solved Kindness | Tim Harford

Can we ‘nudge’ our way to higher growth? | Tim Harford

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