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50 Things That Made the Modern Economy - Paper Money - BBC Sounds

50 Things That Made the Modern Economy - Paper Money - BBC Sounds

50 Things That Made the Modern Economy

Paper MoneyPaper Money

Released On: 29 Jul 2017

Available for over a year

Currency derives value from trust in the government which issues it

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50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Paper Money
Currency derives value from trust in the government which issues it
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50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Seller Feedback
Without seller feedback, companies like eBay might not have grown as they have
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50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Plastic
We make so much plastic these days that it takes about eight percent of oil production
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50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Market Research
Market research marked a shift from a producer-led to consumer-led approach to business
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Radar
A high-tech ‘death ray’ capable of zapping sheep led to the invention of radar
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50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
S-Bend
The S-bend was a pipe with a curve in it, an invention that led to public sanitation
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50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Double-entry Bookkeeping
Renaissance man Luca Pacioli wrote the definitive book on double-entry bookkeeping
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50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Management Consulting
If managers often have a bad reputation, what about those who tell them how to manage?
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50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Searching for 51
The extra “thing” – what should it be?
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50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Property Register
Property rights for the world's poor could unlock trillions in ‘dead capital’
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50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Welfare State
Do welfare states boost economic growth, or stunt it? It’s not an easy question to answer
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50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Cold Chain
Refrigeration revolutionised the food industry, and other industries too
9 mins
50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
The Plough
The plough kick-started civilisation – and ultimately made our modern economy possible
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50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Number 51
Revealed – the winning 51st Thing! Which “thing” won the vote to be added to our list?
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50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Special Bonus: Santa Claus
Why does Father Christmas wear red and white? It is not for the reason you may think
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50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Coming soon: Season two
Fifty more things are on their way! Tim Harford returns with season two on 25 March 2019
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50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Bonus: 30 Animals That Made Us Smarter
Introducing our new podcast about innovation, technology and the animal kingdom
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50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Langstroth Hive
The Langstroth Hive: a wooden box that made the industrialisation of the bee possible
11 mins
50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Bonus 2: Octopus and camouflage
Episode 2 of our new podcast, 30 Animals That Made Us Smarter
13 mins
50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Cellophane
Cellophane transformed how consumers purchased food, as well as how producers sold it
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50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Bonus 3: Mosquito and surgical needle
Episode 3 of our new podcast: the blood-sucking pest and a pain-free surgical needle
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50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Gyroscope
The gyroscope: a remarkable device used to guide everything from submarines to satellites
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50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Bonus 4: Woodpecker and black box
The last bonus ep of #30Animals. For more, search for 30 Animals That Made Us Smarter
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50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
QWERTY
From the early typewriters, the QWERTY keyboard layout has stood the test of time
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Bicycle
Has the bicycle had its day, or is it a technology whose best years lie ahead?
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50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Mail order catalogue
How the Montgomery Ward shopping catalogue transformed the middle-class way of life
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50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Brick
The humble brick has housed us for thousands of years - will it endure?
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50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Spreadsheet
How a grid on a computer screen gives us a glimpse of the future of automation
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50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Recycling
Could recycling save cash, as well as the planet?
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50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Pornography
Did pornography help develop the internet?
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50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Dwarf wheat
Feeding a hungry world – how Norman Borlaug used genetics to tackle predicted famines
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50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
'Like' button
Are we addicted to getting 'likes' on social media?
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Pencil
Is the pencil underrated?
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Blockchain
How powerful could the technology behind Bitcoin be?
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50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Factory
Have factories made workers' lives better?
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50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
CubeSat
How a student engineering challenge has changed the way we use space
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Rubber
An everyday substance with a bloody past
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50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Postage stamp
How a disgruntled customer revolutionised the postal service
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50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
RFID: The tech you’ve never heard of – but use every day
Radio frequency identification is the foundation of many contactless technologies
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50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Fire
Does the story of economics really begin with a spark?
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50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Cassava
A toxic plant that sheds light on hidden social forces
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50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Solar PV
How important is solar power to the future of the planet?
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50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Chatbot
Can a computer convince you that it's human?
10 mins
50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Oil
How did the price of oil become so important?
8 mins
50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Interchangeable parts
The manufacturing revolution that started with a gun
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50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Canned food
The surprising lessons lurking under the lid
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50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Interface Message Processor
The big metal box that made the internet possible
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50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Prohibition
How much does it cost to outlaw something?
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50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Bonsack machine
Why did a machine for making cigarettes transform the advertising industry?
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50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
GPS
What would happen if GPS stopped working?
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50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Vickrey turnstile
How did an invention that was never built help make the modern world?
9 mins
50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Glasses
A vital aid for many, but billions don't know they need them
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50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Wedgwood
What does the fashion industry owe to an 18th-century potter?
9 mins
50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
SWIFT
A system that solved big problems is now facing its greatest challenge
10 mins
50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Fundraising appeal
What's the best way to get people to give to charity?
9 mins
50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Stock option
An incentive for good performance, or another way to boost executives' pay?
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Hollerith punch card
The machine that turned data into money
9 mins
50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Sewing machine
A device that changed women's lives was designed to make a man very rich
9 mins
50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Santa
Why does Father Christmas wear red and white?
16 mins
50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Retirement
How should we treat our elders?
10 mins
50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
CCTV
How do we feel about being watched?
9 mins
50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Fast food franchise
How a milkshake-mixer salesman turned a burger restaurant into a global giant
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50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Wardian case
How miniature greenhouses were a powerful tool for British colonisers
9 mins
50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Sanitary towel
Selling a product that some people found too embarrassing to mention
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Tulips
Did colourful flowers really cause a financial bubble?
10 mins
50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Dams
The benefits they bring can be huge - but so can the problems
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50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Auctions
Are things only worth what people are willing to pay for them?
9 mins
50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Chess algorithms
What chess reveals about the power of computers
9 mins
50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Slot machines
Spinning wheels, flashing lights, and the business of addiction
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Gutenberg press
A revolutionary technology - so why did its inventor struggle to make money from it?
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