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From50 Things That Made the Modern Economy

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From50 Things That Made the Modern Economy

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Length:

10 minutes

Released:

Jul 22, 2019

Format:

Podcast episode

Description

In the mid-19th Century, a man named Rowland Hill got fed up with how Britain's postal service worked, and decided to come up with a new system of his own. It would go on to change the world.

Released:

Jul 22, 2019

Format:

Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

Tim Harford tells the fascinating stories of inventions, ideas and innovations which have helped create the economic world.

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Passports: If anyone could work anywhere, some economists think global economic output would double by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
9 min listen
Tax Havens: Gabriel Zucman invented an ingenious way to estimate how much wealth is hidden offshore by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
9 min listen
Diesel Engine: Rudolf Diesel died in strange circumstances after changing the world with his engine by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
9 min listen
Haber-Bosch Process: Saving lives with thin air - by taking nitrogen from the air to make fertiliser by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
9 min listen
Shipping Container: The boom in global trade was caused by a simple steel box by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
9 min listen
Concrete: It's improved health, school attendance, agricultural productivity and farm worker wages by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
9 min listen
Lightbulb: Once too precious to use, light is now too cheap to notice by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
9 min listen
Banking: Warrior monks, crusaders and the mysterious origins of modern banking by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
9 min listen
TV Dinner: The TV dinner, and other inventions from the same era, made a lasting economic impression by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
9 min listen
Disposable Razor: King Camp Gillette created the disposable razor. But his influence extends beyond shaving by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
9 min listen
Compiler: Installing Windows might take 5,000 years without it by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
9 min listen
Cuneiform: Cuneiform, the earliest known script, was used to create the world’s first accounts by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
9 min listen
Google: The words 'clever' and 'death' crop up less often than 'Google' in conversation by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
9 min listen
Antibiotics: The tale of antibiotics is a cautionary one, and economic incentives are often to blame by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
9 min listen
Leaded Petrol: When lead was added to petrol it made cars more powerful – but it also poisoned people by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
9 min listen
Clock: The clock was invented in 1656 and has become an essential part of the modern economy. by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
9 min listen
Billy Bookcase: Low cost, functional and brilliantly efficient, one is produced every three seconds by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
9 min listen
iPhone: How Uncle Sam played an essential role in the creation and development of the iPhone. by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
9 min listen
Department Store: Harry Selfridge pioneered a whole new retail experience with his London department store by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
9 min listen
M-Pesa: Transferring money by text message is far safer and more convenient than cash by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
9 min listen
Number 51: Revealed – the winning 51st Thing! Which “thing” won the vote to be added to our list? by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
10 min listen
Barcode: How vast mega-stores emerged with the help of a design originally drawn in the sand by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
9 min listen
Public Key Cryptography: Geeks versus government – the story of public key cryptography by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
9 min listen
Robot: Robots threaten the human workforce, but they are crucial to the modern economy by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
9 min listen
Gramophone: "Superstar” economics – the story of how the gramophone led to a winner-take-all market by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
9 min listen
Paper: The Gutenberg press changed the world – but it could not have done so without paper by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
9 min listen
Battery: The story of the battery begins inside a dead murderer. It’s a tale that’s far from over by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
9 min listen
Tally Stick: The tally stick shows us what money really is: a kind of debt that can be traded freely by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
9 min listen
Insurance: Insurance is as old as gambling, but it’s fundamental to the way the modern economy works by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
9 min listen
Elevator: The safety elevator is a mass transit system that has changed the shape of our cities by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
9 min listen

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Introducing: Season 2 of 30 Animals That Made Us Smarter: How animals make us smarter – we thought you might like to hear our brand new episode by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
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Introducing 13 Minutes to the Moon Season 2: Jump on-board a doomed mission to the Moon. Apollo 13: the extraordinary story by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
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Gutenberg press: A revolutionary technology - so why did its inventor struggle to make money from it? by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
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Slot machines: Spinning wheels, flashing lights, and the business of addiction by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
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Chess algorithms: What chess reveals about the power of computers by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
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Auctions: Are things only worth what people are willing to pay for them? by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
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Dams: The benefits they bring can be huge - but so can the problems by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
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Tulips: Did colourful flowers really cause a financial bubble? by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
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Sanitary towel: Selling a product that some people found too embarrassing to mention by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
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Wardian case: How miniature greenhouses were a powerful tool for British colonisers by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
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Fast food franchise: How a milkshake-mixer salesman turned a burger restaurant into a global giant by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
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CCTV: How do we feel about being watched? by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
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Retirement: How should we treat our elders? by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
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Santa: Why does Father Christmas wear red and white? by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
16 min listen
Sewing machine: A device that changed women's lives was designed to make a man very rich by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
10 min listen
Hollerith punch card: The machine that turned data into money by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
10 min listen
Stock option: An incentive for good performance, or another way to boost executives' pay? by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
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Fundraising appeal: What's the best way to get people to give to charity? by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
10 min listen
SWIFT: A system that solved big problems is now facing its greatest challenge by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
10 min listen
Wedgwood: What does the fashion industry owe to an 18th-century potter? by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
10 min listen
Glasses: A vital aid for many, but billions don't know they need them by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
10 min listen
Vickrey turnstile: How did an invention that was never built help make the modern world? by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
10 min listen
GPS: What would happen if GPS stopped working? by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
10 min listen
Bonsack machine: Why did a machine for making cigarettes transform the advertising industry? by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
10 min listen
Prohibition: How much does it cost to outlaw something? by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
10 min listen
Interface Message Processor: The big metal box that made the internet possible by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
10 min listen
Canned food: The surprising lessons lurking under the lid by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
10 min listen
Interchangeable parts: The manufacturing revolution that started with a gun by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
11 min listen
Oil: How did the price of oil become so important? by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
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Chatbot: Can a computer convince you that it's human? by 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
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Titles in the series (100)

More Episodes from 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy