Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford · Episode 46 · November 13, 2026 · 43 min
Bravo, Comrade Lysenko! The Man who Failed to Feed the USSR
Comrade Lysenko has seized control of Soviet agriculture with his radical ideas about genetics. He disdains traditional scientists who learn everything from books and nothing from the land, and those who question his methods soon find themselves in trouble with Stalin. Across the world, the abrasive Iowan farmer's son Norman Borlaug is also annoying experts with his big ideas. Both men are sure they can end starvation, but their approaches couldn't be more different. See the show notes at timharford.com Click here for details on how to preorder Tim's new book, The Measure of Everything: How Numbers Shape Us . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.