Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford

Who do you suppose benefits from your mistrust? Get a clue at “Missing on Dead Mountain”

My favourite notification on my iPhone is that a new Cautionary Tales is waiting for me.

**When a British host only gives temperature measurements in Fahrenheit, it still reaches ALL of your listeners, all around the world.** I understand your audience is largely American, but not exclusively. The clear message you are sending to your listeners from *all* the “other” countries, is that they are less important. Extremely damaging in at least two (2) ways: 1 — it reinforces the American belief that they do not have to make room for anyone else, nor come part way. In turn, it prevents them from allowing space for other countries and cultures. And 2 — it means that if you are from any other country, you are less important. You are a second-class citizen. (And this fact is so un-disputable that I will not even consider reading Celsius, peasants!) It is not unreasonable to suggest Americans read Celsius (which would be beneficial in their future) rather than assigning the extra conversion work to “lesser” countries. As usual. (They’re used to working harder anyway!) Just a thought!

I want to like it, but the execution is so often misleading and/or in poor taste. The host are unable to examine more than one argument or one side of history, leading to a conclusion that is often as disturbing as it is disturbingly numb-skulled.