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The Inventor Who Almost Ended the World

The Inventor Who Almost Ended the World

FromCautionary Tales with Tim Harford


The Inventor Who Almost Ended the World

FromCautionary Tales with Tim Harford

ratings:
Length:
37 minutes
Released:
Nov 11, 2022
Format:
Podcast episode

Description

Thomas Midgley's inventions caused his own death, hastened the deaths of millions of people around the world, and very nearly extinguished all life on land. 
Midgley and his employers didn't set out to poison the air with leaded gasoline or wreck the ozone layer with CFCs - but while these dire consequences were unintended... could they have been anticipated?
For a full list of sources used in this episode visit Tim Harford.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Released:
Nov 11, 2022
Format:
Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

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. iHeartMedia is the exclusive podcast partner of Pushkin Industries.