Tim Harford

“The evolutionary algorithm--of variation and selection, repeated--searches for solutions in a world where the problems keep changing, trying all sorts of variants…

— Tim Harford

There's lots and lots of guys out there. The question is trying to find the right one.

— Tim Harford

If the whole process of learning from failure means discarding stuff that's not working, but in fact, our natural reaction is to…

— Tim Harford

In many ways, love seems to be totally divorced from economics. But then you realize - well, the stakes are high. This…

— Tim Harford

I don't think Brian Cox does 'The Wonders of the Solar System' because he believes the world would be a better place…

— Tim Harford

Our society is intertwined with the economy that we've built, which is a fantastically complex system. I hope that my writing about…

— Tim Harford

You show me a successful complex system, and I will show you a system that has evolved through trial and error.

— Tim Harford

I think the association of economics with forecasting is unfortunate and is down to the fact that one great way to get…

— Tim Harford

The more grotesque your boss's pay and the less he has do to earn it, the bigger the motivation for you to…

— Tim Harford

Bill Phillips was this nervous, chain-smoking student. He had signed up to be an engineer, he had gone away to fight in…

— Tim Harford

“We should aim to make ours a world where people feel free to do things they enjoy, even if others are mildly…

— Tim Harford

Loss aversion is a really disproportionate anxiety about stuff that doesn't matter very much. So for instance, if you lose $5, you…

— Tim Harford

Cory Doctorow should be too busy for lunch. He's co-editor of, and a prolific contributor to, one of the most influential blogs…

— Tim Harford

Accepting trial and error means accepting error. It means taking problems in our stride when a decision doesn't work out, whether through…

— Tim Harford

“Hours are long. Wages are pitiful. But sweatshops are the symptom, not the cause, of shocking global poverty. Workers go there voluntarily,…

— Tim Harford

“No plan survives first contact with the enemy. What matters is how quickly the leader is able to adapt.”

— Tim Harford

Ten percent of American businesses disappear every year. ... It's far higher than the failure rate of, say, Americans. Ten percent of…

— Tim Harford

Economists have allowed themselves to walk into a trap where we say we can forecast, but no serious economist thinks we can.…

— Tim Harford

“The dictator has to keep the economy functioning in order to keep stealing from it.”

— Tim Harford

Economists have allowed themselves to walk into a trap where we say we can forecast, but no serious economist thinks we can.

— Tim Harford

Failure's inevitable. It happens all the time in a complex economy. And how did the economy produce all these amazing things that…

— Tim Harford

There is much more to life than what gets measured in accounts. Even economists know that.

— Tim Harford

Love may be boundless and abundant, but time isn't. Time is finite.

— Tim Harford

We now have political chaos. We've got parties in Ireland saying they want to merge with Northern Ireland. You've got parties in…

— Tim Harford

Funnily enough, the Federal Reserve produced comics about monetary policy, and there is a good comic book guide to microeconomics and macroeconomics…

— Tim Harford