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50 Things That Made the Modern Economy

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.

111 - Introducing: Season 2 of 30 Animals That Made Us Smarter
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  • 111 - 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. It’s about a robotic arm inspired by an elephant’s trunk.

    For more, search for 30 Animals That Made Us Smarter wherever you get your podcasts.

    #30Animals

    Thu, 22 Jul 2021
  • 110 - Introducing 13 Minutes to the Moon Season 2

    Jump on-board a doomed mission to the Moon. Apollo 13: the extraordinary story, told by the people who flew it and saved it. Search for 13 Minutes to the Moon wherever you get your podcasts. #13MinutestotheMoon

    Mon, 09 Mar 2020
  • 109 - 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?

    Mon, 02 Mar 2020
  • 108 - 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.

    Mon, 24 Feb 2020
  • 107 - 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.

    Mon, 17 Feb 2020
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