
The Dunning Canoe-ger Effect
From Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford by Pushkin Industries
June 12, 2026 · 39 min · Season 7 · Episode 24
About this episode
The episode explores the bizarre case of John Darwin, who reappears after being presumed dead, raising questions about truth and deception.
When John Darwin walks into a shop in London, it causes an instant stir. After all, John Darwin has been dead for five years. He claims to have amnesia, but everyone - from the police and the media to his insurance company - suspects he is lying. No one can prove a thing, until a young woman at home with her baby thinks of something everyone else has missed. For the show notes, see timharford.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
People in this episode
Host: Tim Harford
Topics covered
- amnesia
- insurance fraud
- media
- police investigation
- identity
- deception
Keywords
- John Darwin
- amnesia
- insurance
- fraud
- London
- media
- police
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Pushkin Industries
Places: London
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