50 Things That Made the Modern Economy

BBC World Service

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

  1. 22/07/2021

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    4 min

  3. 02/03/2020

    Gutenberg press

    Johannes Gutenberg's printing press changed the course of human history. It created a new way of doing business, drastically reduced the cost and speed of making books, and enabled texts, ideas and arguments to spread further and faster than ever before. So why did he struggle to make money from it?

    10 min

  4. 24/02/2020

    Slot machines

    First developed by a toy company in the 1890s, slot machines have become one of the most profitable tools of the gambling trade - but many who play them say winning isn't the point. So why can't people pull themselves away? Tim Harford looks under the spinning wheels and flashing lights to see what these devices reveal about the business of addiction.

    10 min

  5. 17/02/2020

    Chess algorithms

    In 1997, Garry Kasparov, widely regarded as the world's greatest chess player, was defeated by Deep Blue, a computer. But how much did that reveal about the 'brainpower' of machines? Tim Harford explains by delving into the history of algorithms. They've been used by mathematicians and scientists for millennia, but have acquired a new level of power and importance in the digital age.

    10 min

  6. 10/02/2020

    Auctions

    Are things only worth what people are willing to pay for them? Tim Harford explains why a method of buying and selling that originated in ancient times has endured to the present day, and is now underpinning the success of some of the internet's most powerful brands.

    10 min

  7. 03/02/2020

    Dams

    From reliable water supplies to large-scale electricity generation, the benefits brought by dams can be huge. But so can the problems. Tim Harford explains how these massive structures have changed the world for many, but led to catastrophe for others.

    10 min

  8. 27/01/2020

    Tulips

    In the 1630s, the Netherlands experienced 'tulip mania' - a surge in demand for tulips from wealthy buyers, with some individual bulbs costing twenty times more than a carpenter's annual salary. Then, in February 1637, the price suddenly crashed. It's often cited as the first great financial bubble, but is that really the case? Tim Harford tries to sort fact from fiction.

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

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