This is 99% Invisible.

I'm Roman Mars.

There are lessons to be learned in our failures.

Touching a hot stove once will teach you to never touch a hot stove again.

But when it comes to the failures of complex systems, it's sometimes hard to know what

went wrong and when.

This is where Tim Harford, also known as the undercover economist and his brand new show

Coshnery Tales, comes in.

It's a podcast that brings you stories of awful human error, tragic catastrophes, daring

heists, and hilarious fiascoes.

His stories will delight you and if you're smart, they will scare the bejesus out of you.

But they'll also make you wiser.

The episode we're hearing today is about a fiasco that is often blamed on bad typography

and it's my specific interest in it.

But the full explanation turns out to be much weirder and more surprising.

Here's Tim Harford with Coshnery Tales.

You've heard this story before.

You might even have watched it happening live.

33 million people did.

There they stand, together on stage, fade on away and Warren Beatty, Bonnie and Clyde

together again after 50 years.

Even for a pair of veteran Hollywood stars, it must have been a nerve-wracking moment.

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