

The Inventor who Almost Ended the World (Classic)
Thomas Midgley's inventions caused his own death, hastened the deaths of millions of people around the world, and very nearly extinguished all life on land. Midgley and his employers didn't set out to poison the air with leaded gasoline or wreck the ozone layer with CFCs - but while these dire consequences were…
We score an episode from what we can actually measure — its reach and engagement, what listeners say about it, and what it covers. We don't have those signals for this one yet, so it doesn't get a number.
Buzzmeter says it's buzzing across platforms — the Hive Vote says whether the people who actually listened liked it.
Rate this episode
Add your vote to the Hive — listeners rate every episode after they finish.
- No reviews yet — be the first.
More from Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford
See all episodes →Similar episodes from other shows
More like Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford →
Thomas Midgley Jr.’s Deadly Inventions

Special Episode: Daniel Stone & American Poison

What Ever Happened to the Ozone Hole?

The Chloroform Baronet (Part 2)
One great episode in your inbox, daily — free.
One email a day, unsubscribe anytime. No spam, ever.

