Data Radicals

Premature Enumeration with Tim Harford, Senior Columnist, The Financial Times and Author of The Data Detective

Feb 15, 2023

41:18

Data has never been more readily available, yet the world seems more confusing than ever. In this episode, Satyen interviews Tim Harford, who’s on a mission to help everyone become a Data Radical.

As a Senior Columnist for The Financial Times, author of The Data Detective, and host of the Cautionary Tales podcast, Tim joins us ready to change how we view numbers—and in turn, the world. Him and Satyen discuss everything from how he develops ideas for stories driven by data to fostering a spirit of curiosity in how we approach the world (and try to change it).

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“Approach the world and numbers with a spirit of curiosity. Very often we don't behave like we like curiosity. We often like simple answers or we often like to just win an argument. But the world is a confusing place. The world is fascinating—I have questions and maybe the data can help me answer those questions. If that's the spirit with which you approach the data, then obstacles become intriguing. Mysteries become satisfying puzzles. Arguments turn into constructive, exploratory questions and it's just a lot more fun.” - Tim Harford

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Time Stamps

* (2:26) How an award-winning storyteller approaches his work

* (8:13) Data brings people comfort and knowledge in times of crisis (like the pandemic)

* (16:50) A glimpse into Tim’s book The Data Detective

* (19:49) The importance of “the stuff around numbers” in increasing data literacy

* (25:03) Approaching the world with humility and curiosity

* (37:15) How you can be an undercover economist

* (39:10) Satyen’s Takeaways

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Sponsor

This podcast episode is presented by Experian.