Tim Harford

Well, it’s been a long road since I raced the dinosaurs at a New Year’s Day parkrun. I’ve managed various niggles (knee, glute, achilles… yawn).

birmingham.ac.ukThe Baggs Memorial Happiness Lecture 2026 - University of BirminghamTim Harford delivers the 2026 Baggs Memorial Happiness Lecture in its 50th Anniversary year.

5h

If you're in Birmingham on Monday evening, 9 November, come along to the 50th anniversary Baggs Memorial Lecture - it's ME revealing the SECRETS OF HAPPINESS, through DATA. I promise some twists and turns. It will be lots of fun. Free, but register. Come along! www.birmingham.ac.uk/events/the-b...

Tim Harford reposted

timharford.comThe problem with P(doom)Will the robots kill us all? Hard to say. As the Dude wisely opined in The Big Lebowski, “a lotta ins, a lotta outs, a lotta what-have-yous. And, uh, a lotta strands to keep in my head, man.” But i…

The problem with P(doom) timharford.com/2026/10/the-...

Tim Harford reposted

Cautionary Tales - the Pedlar and the Witch timharford.com/2026/10/caut...

Cautionary Tales - the Pedlar and the Witch timharford.com/2026/10/caut...

timharford.comThe problem with P(doom)Will the robots kill us all? Hard to say. As the Dude wisely opined in The Big Lebowski, “a lotta ins, a lotta outs, a lotta what-have-yous. And, uh, a lotta strands to keep in my head, man.” But i…

The problem with P(doom) timharford.com/2026/10/the-...

Tim Harford reposted

Sarah O'Connor

@sarahoconnorft.ft.com

Replying to @sarahoconnorft.ft.com

As I said at an event at King's recently, it's a bit like having a personal trainer in the gym who keeps telling you how hot you are already, & offering to lift the next weight for you.

Tim Harford reposted

link.amazonAmazon.com : The Bishop of Durham Attempts to Surrender the City

Very excited to read this. Best book title ever? link.amazon/B05c5grmz

Tim Harford reposted

as.ft.comA pre-Budget day guide to Britain’s bad taxesThis is not the end of a list of potential reforms. It is barely even a start

6d

A pre-budget-day guide to Britain's bad taxes, with a guest appearance from Hotblack Desiato: as.ft.com/r/abb1bb4b-d...

as.ft.comA pre-Budget day guide to Britain’s bad taxesThis is not the end of a list of potential reforms. It is barely even a start

6d

A pre-budget-day guide to Britain's bad taxes, with a guest appearance from Hotblack Desiato: as.ft.com/r/abb1bb4b-d...

Tim Harford reposted

timharford.comSome weekend recommendationsA miscellany for your delectation. “Tomorrow, I will be going across channels with zero views, going into their chat, and pumping people up.” But it might not end up quite how you expec…

Some weekend recommendations timharford.com/2026/10/some...

Tim Harford reposted

Oliver Roeder

@okr.bsky.social

as.ft.comThe moral case for human musicA philosopher of music argues that AI music-generation software ‘is an insult to musicians’

the moral case for human music: as.ft.com/r/cf70ca21-2...

link.amazonAmazon.com : The Bishop of Durham Attempts to Surrender the City

Very excited to read this. Best book title ever? link.amazon/B05c5grmz

Tim Harford reposted

timharford.comAI can forecast the future. Should we let it?In the 1980s, the psychologist Philip Tetlock was struck by the fact that highly respected, highly credentialed geopolitical analysts often disagreed quite fundamentally about how the cold war was …

AI can forecast the future. Should we ask it to? timharford.com/2026/10/ai-c...

Tim Harford reposted

A Tale of Blood and Ashes - The Exeter Vampires (Cautionary Tales Halloween Season continues...) timharford.com/2026/10/caut...

A Tale of Blood and Ashes - The Exeter Vampires (Cautionary Tales Halloween Season continues...) timharford.com/2026/10/caut...

timharford.comAI can forecast the future. Should we let it?In the 1980s, the psychologist Philip Tetlock was struck by the fact that highly respected, highly credentialed geopolitical analysts often disagreed quite fundamentally about how the cold war was …

AI can forecast the future. Should we ask it to? timharford.com/2026/10/ai-c...

Tim Harford reposted

as.ft.comThe Nobel Prize is not an exact scienceWinners are only human. The committee could do more to highlight that

Why the Nobel foundation could usefully express a little more self-doubt as.ft.com/r/2dc96fbe-6...

as.ft.comThe Nobel Prize is not an exact scienceWinners are only human. The committee could do more to highlight that

Why the Nobel foundation could usefully express a little more self-doubt as.ft.com/r/2dc96fbe-6...

Tim Harford reposted

What's the frequency, Zenith? The Great Telepathy Experiment. (Cautionary Club exclusive - new Halloween episode drops on the main feed on Friday) timharford.com/2026/10/caut...

What's the frequency, Zenith? The Great Telepathy Experiment. (Cautionary Club exclusive - new Halloween episode drops on the main feed on Friday) timharford.com/2026/10/caut...

justgiving.comRaising money for colon cancer research in memory of Deb HarfordHelp Tim Harford raise money to support Occtopus Oxford Colon Cancer Trust

Made it - a really fun run with 15,000 inspiring fellow runners and great support too. Thank you so much to everyone who kindly donated money to a good cause.

Tim Harford@timharford.ft.com

My mother died 30 years ago after a long and difficult illness. I'm running the Oxford Half this October in her memory and to raise money for Occtopus, the Oxford Colon Cancer Trust. They do good work, and any donations would be gratefully received. www.justgiving.com/page/tim-har...

justgiving.comRaising money for colon cancer research in memory of Deb HarfordHelp Tim Harford raise money to support Occtopus Oxford Colon Cancer Trust

The run is tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Tim Harford@timharford.ft.com

My mother died 30 years ago after a long and difficult illness. I'm running the Oxford Half this October in her memory and to raise money for Occtopus, the Oxford Colon Cancer Trust. They do good work, and any donations would be gratefully received. www.justgiving.com/page/tim-har...

timharford.comSome weekend recommendationsA miscellany for your delectation. “Tomorrow, I will be going across channels with zero views, going into their chat, and pumping people up.” But it might not end up quite how you expec…

Some weekend recommendations timharford.com/2026/10/some...

Tim Harford reposted

Cautionary Tales – When Aliens Landed in Wiltshire timharford.com/2026/10/caut...

Tim Harford reposted

birmingham.ac.ukThe Baggs Memorial Happiness Lecture 2026 - University of BirminghamTim Harford delivers the 2026 Baggs Memorial Happiness Lecture in its 50th Anniversary year.

No idea if this is a good sign or not, but I pinged awake at five this morning full of ideas about what I might say. If you're in or can get to Birmingham on 9 November, come along and learn the secrets of happiness! www.birmingham.ac.uk/events/the-b...

Tim Harford reposted

as.ft.comHow AI tempts the lazy mindThe real risk of generative artificial intelligence is not that we will trust it completely, but that we will stop caring enough to check

AI Lessons from your affectionate uncle, SCREWTAPE as.ft.com/r/22fd925a-3...

Tim Harford reposted

Sarah O'Connor

@sarahoconnorft.ft.com

An absolute masterclass in short-form writing this, from @timharford.ft.com It even has a twist! www.ft.com/content/f5d0...

Tim Harford reposted

Is the modern economy a bit... samey? timharford.com/2026/10/is-t...

Cautionary Tales – When Aliens Landed in Wiltshire timharford.com/2026/10/caut...

birmingham.ac.ukThe Baggs Memorial Happiness Lecture 2026 - University of BirminghamTim Harford delivers the 2026 Baggs Memorial Happiness Lecture in its 50th Anniversary year.

No idea if this is a good sign or not, but I pinged awake at five this morning full of ideas about what I might say. If you're in or can get to Birmingham on 9 November, come along and learn the secrets of happiness! www.birmingham.ac.uk/events/the-b...

Is the modern economy a bit... samey? timharford.com/2026/10/is-t...

Tim Harford reposted

Randall Munroe

@xkcd.com

youtube.comMore weird and worrying questionsYouTube video by xkcd's What If?

More weird and worrying questions Watch the latest What If? video in collaboration with @minuteearth.bsky.social! www.youtube.com/shorts/alBQC...

as.ft.comHow AI tempts the lazy mindThe real risk of generative artificial intelligence is not that we will trust it completely, but that we will stop caring enough to check

AI Lessons from your affectionate uncle, SCREWTAPE as.ft.com/r/22fd925a-3...

Tim Harford reposted

Sarah O'Connor

@sarahoconnorft.ft.com

ft.comWhy are bond yields so high?An attempt to shed some light on the big question of 2026

Excellent chart-filled exploration of why govt bond yields have risen this year, from @chrisgiles.ft.com www.ft.com/content/a616...

Tim Harford reposted

justgiving.comRaising money for colon cancer research in memory of Deb HarfordHelp Tim Harford raise money to support Occtopus Oxford Colon Cancer Trust

The race is on Sunday - wish me luck! Any further donations very very welcome. Thank you so much to all the people (many anonymous) who have pledged their hard-earned already. It's so kind.

Tim Harford@timharford.ft.com

My mother died 30 years ago after a long and difficult illness. I'm running the Oxford Half this October in her memory and to raise money for Occtopus, the Oxford Colon Cancer Trust. They do good work, and any donations would be gratefully received. www.justgiving.com/page/tim-har...

justgiving.comRaising money for colon cancer research in memory of Deb HarfordHelp Tim Harford raise money to support Occtopus Oxford Colon Cancer Trust

The race is on Sunday - wish me luck! Any further donations very very welcome. Thank you so much to all the people (many anonymous) who have pledged their hard-earned already. It's so kind.

Tim Harford@timharford.ft.com

My mother died 30 years ago after a long and difficult illness. I'm running the Oxford Half this October in her memory and to raise money for Occtopus, the Oxford Colon Cancer Trust. They do good work, and any donations would be gratefully received. www.justgiving.com/page/tim-har...

Tim Harford reposted

Cautionary Tales is going all in on Halloween, with spooooky new episodes each week this month. As a palate-cleanser, however, one of my all-time favourite episodes: The Mummy's Curse! timharford.com/2026/10/caut...

Tim Harford reposted

I was wrong about Bad Girl Books timharford.com/2026/10/i-wa...