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The Hero Who Rode His Segway Off a Cliff

The Hero Who Rode His Segway Off a Cliff

FromCautionary Tales with Tim Harford


The Hero Who Rode His Segway Off a Cliff

FromCautionary Tales with Tim Harford

ratings:
Length:
36 minutes
Released:
Feb 17, 2023
Format:
Podcast episode

Description

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
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Released:
Feb 17, 2023
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.