Tim Harford on "Data Detectives" and Statistics

In this episode of "Keen On", Andrew is joined by Tim Harford, the author of "The Data Detective", to discuss the evolution of record keeping and statistics, as well as to consider whether or not data should ever be taken at face value.

Tim Harford is a senior columnist for the Financial Times. His long-running column, “The Undercover Economist”, reveals the economic ideas behind everyday experiences, while he also writes op-eds, interviews and long feature articles for the FT. He is an evangelist for the power of economics, wisely used, and has spoken at TED, PopTech and Sydney Opera House.

Tim’s first book, “The Undercover Economist” has sold more than 1.5 million copies worldwide in 30 languages. He is also the author of “The Logic of Life“, “Dear Undercover Economist“, “Adapt“, “The Undercover Economist Strikes Back“, “Messy“, “The Next Fifty Things That Made the Modern Economy” and “How To Make The World Add Up / The Data Detective“.

As a broadcaster, Tim has presented television and radio series for the BBC, including “More or Less”, “Pop Up Ideas“, “Trust Me, I’m an Economist” and “50 Things That Made the Modern Economy“. The Times of London recently rated both “More or Less” and “50 Things” among the world’s best 10 podcasts. His new podcast, produced by Pushkin Industries (Malcolm Gladwell, Jacob Weisberg) is “Cautionary Tales“.

Tim has appeared on the Colbert Report, Newsnight, Marketplace, Planet Money, PM, Today, The One Show and many other popular radio and TV programs. His writing has been published by the leading magazines and newspapers on both sides of the Atlantic, including Esquire, Forbes, Wired, New York Magazine, the Guardian, the Sunday Times, the Washington Post and the New York Times.

Tim was the first Peter Martin Fellow at the Financial Times, and was a member of the Financial Times editorial board from 2006-2009. He previously worked for Shell and for the World Bank.

Tim was a member of the Royal Economic Society council 2011-2017. He is an honorary fellow of the Royal Statistical Society and an associate member of Nuffield College, Oxford. Tim was made an OBE for services to improving economic understanding in the New Year honours of 2019. He lives in Oxford with his wife and three children.