The Hero Who Rode His Segway Off a Cliff

Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford

17-02-2023 • 35 mins

Steve Jobs called It “the most amazing piece of technology since the PC.” According to Jeff Bezos It was not only “revolutionary,” but infinitely commercial. It was a fiendishly clever and massively hyped invention. But in the end It — also known as the Segway — was a failure.

What makes an invention useful and valuable? Jimi Heselden’s pragmatic brainchild the Concertainer might hold the answers. First used to shore up the collapsing walls of a canal, it ultimately solved problems that Jimi had never even imagined.

For a full list of sources for this episode, go to timharford.com

If you’d like to keep up with the most recent news from this and other Pushkin podcasts, be sure to sign up for our email list at pushkin.fm.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You Might Like

History Daily
History Daily
Airship | Noiser | Wondery
Dark History
Dark History
Audioboom Studios
The Ancients
The Ancients
History Hit
Lore
Lore
Aaron Mahnke and Grim & Mild
BADLANDS
BADLANDS
Double Elvis
The Rest Is History
The Rest Is History
Goalhanger Podcasts
History Extra podcast
History Extra podcast
Immediate Media
Tides of History
Tides of History
Wondery / Patrick Wyman
You're Wrong About
You're Wrong About
Sarah Marshall
Everything '80s
Everything '80s
Jamie Logie / Curiouscast