50 Things That Made the Modern Economy is a British radio show and podcast which airs on the BBC World Service. It is presented by economist and journalist Tim Harford. The first series was broadcast between 5 November 2016 and 28 October 2017. A second series began airing on 30 March 2019.

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Harford explained in a BBC interview in 2017 that his motivation for creating the show was 'to paint a picture of economic change by telling the stories of the ideas, people, and tools that had far-reaching consequences'. He was 'fascinated' by the many unexpected outcomes, such as 'the impact of the fridge on global politics, or of the gramophone on income inequality.'[1]

Towards the end of the first series, a public call was made for suggestions of a '51st thing'. Harford chose six submissions for an online vote, which ran from late September to early October, 2017.[2] The winning item was announced as the credit card in an episode released on 28 October 2017. A special bonus episode on Santa Claus was broadcast on Monday 24 December 2018.

The first series was released by Harford as a book titled Fifty Things That Made The Modern Economy.[citation needed] It was published in the UK by Little, Brown Books, and as Fifty Inventions That Shaped The Modern Economy in the US by Riverhead Books.[citation needed] The hardcover and eBook editions were released on 6 July 2017 in the UK and on 29 August 2017 in the US. A paperback edition was released on 2 August 2018.[citation needed]

Episodes[edit]

Series 1 (2016–2017)[edit]

Each of the nine-minute long programmes introduces the story of a product or invention that revolutionised the modern world.

Each episode was originally broadcast on BBC World Service, with a subsequent broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and distribution as a BBC podcast.

Series 1 episode listing with released titles and taglines
EpisodeTitleTaglineBroadcast Date
1Diesel EngineRudolf Diesel died in strange circumstances after changing the world with his engine5 Nov 2016
2Haber-Bosch ProcessSaving lives with thin air - by taking nitrogen from the air to make fertiliser14 Nov 2016
3Shipping ContainerThe boom in global trade was caused by a simple steel box19 Nov 2016
4ConcreteIt's improved health, school attendance, agricultural productivity and farm worker wages26 Nov 2016
5iPhoneHow Uncle Sam played an essential role in the creation and development of the iPhone3 Dec 2016
6BarcodeHow vast mega-stores emerged with the help of a design originally drawn in the sand10 Dec 2016
7BankingWarrior monks, crusaders and the mysterious origins of modern banking17 Dec 2016
8LightbulbOnce too precious to use, light is now too cheap to notice24 Dec 2016
9M-PesaTransferring money by text message is far safer and more convenient than cash31 Dec 2016
10CompilerInstalling Windows might take 5,000 years without it7 Jan 2017
11Billy BookcaseLow cost, functional and brilliantly efficient, one is produced every three seconds14 Jan 2017
12AntibioticsThe tale of antibiotics is a cautionary one, and economic incentives are often to blame20 Jan 2017
13PaperThe Gutenberg press changed the world – but it could not have done so without paper28 Jan 2017
14InsuranceInsurance is as old as gambling, but it's fundamental to the way the modern economy works4 Feb 2017
15GoogleThe words 'clever' and 'death' crop up less often than 'Google' in conversation11 Feb 2017
16ClockThe clock was invented in 1656 and has become an essential part of the modern economy18 Feb 2017
17Disposable RazorKing Camp Gillette created the disposable razor. But his influence extends beyond shaving25 Feb 2017
18RobotRobots threaten the human workforce, but they are crucial to the modern economy4 Mar 2017
19Public-Key CryptographyGeeks versus government – the story of public key cryptography11 Mar 2017
20BatteryThe story of the battery begins inside a dead murderer. It's a tale that's far from over18 Mar 2017
21Gramophone'Superstar' economics – the story of how the gramophone led to a winner-take-all market25 Mar 2017
22TV DinnerThe TV dinner, and other inventions from the same era, made a lasting economic impression1 Apr 2017
23Contraceptive PillThe pill wasn't just socially revolutionary, it also sparked an economic revolution8 Apr 2017
24ElevatorThe safety elevator is a mass transit system that has changed the shape of our cities15 Apr 2017
25Air ConditioningInvented for the printing industry, air conditioning now influences where and how we live22 Apr 2017
26CuneiformCuneiform, the earliest known script, was used to create the world's first accounts29 Apr 2017
27Video GamesFrom Spacewar to Pokémon Go, video games have shaped the modern economy in surprising ways6 May 2017
28Intellectual PropertyIntellectual property reflects an economic trade off when it comes to innovation13 May 2017
29PassportsIf anyone could work anywhere, some economists think global economic output would double22 May 2017
30Tally StickThe tally stick shows us what money really is: a kind of debt that can be traded freely27 May 2017
31Index FundWarren Buffett is one of the world's great investors. His advice? Invest in an index fund3 Jun 2017
32Infant FormulaFor many new mothers who want, or need, to get back to work, infant formula is a godsend10 Jun 2017
33Tax HavensGabriel Zucman invented an ingenious way to estimate how much wealth is hidden offshore17 Jun 2017
34Barbed Wire'Lighter than air, stronger than whiskey' – barbed wire wreaked huge changes in America24 Jun 2017
35Department StoreHarry Selfridge pioneered a whole new retail experience with his London department store1 Jul 2017
36Leaded PetrolWhen lead was added to petrol it made cars more powerful – but it also poisoned people8 Jul 2017
37DynamoThe big story behind the way dynamos made electricity useful15 Jul 2017
38Limited Liability CompanyHow some legal creativity has created vast wealth down the centuries22 Jul 2017
39Paper MoneyCurrency derives value from trust in the government which issues it29 Jul 2017
40Seller FeedbackWithout seller feedback, companies like eBay might not have grown as they have5 Aug 2017
41PlasticWe make so much plastic these days that it takes about eight percent of oil production12 Aug 2017
42Market ResearchMarket research marked a shift from a producer-led to consumer-led approach to business19 Aug 2017
43RadarA high-tech 'death ray' capable of zapping sheep led to the invention of radar26 Aug 2017
44S-BendThe S-bend was a pipe with a curve in it, an invention that led to public sanitation2 Sep 2017
45Double-entry BookkeepingRenaissance man Luca Pacioli wrote the definitive book on double-entry bookkeeping9 Sep 2017
46Management ConsultingIf managers often have a bad reputation, what should we make of the people who tell managers how to manage?16 Sep 2017
47Property RegisterProperty rights for the world's poor could unlock trillions in 'dead capital'30 Sep 2017
48Welfare StateDo welfare states boost economic growth, or stunt it? It's not an easy question to answer7 Sep 2017
49Cold ChainRefrigeration revolutionised the food industry, and other industries too14 Oct 2017
50PloughThe plough kick-started civilisation - and ultimately made our modern economy possible21 Oct 2017
51Number 51Revealed – the winning 51st Thing! Which 'thing' won the vote to be added to our list?28 Oct 2017

Special (2018)[edit]

A bonus episode on Santa Claus was broadcast on 24 December 2018. This included the announcement of the series 2 for March 2019.

Series 2 (2019)[edit]

Slot
Series 2 episode listing with released titles and taglines
EpisodeTitleTaglineBroadcast Date
1Langstroth HiveThe Langstroth Hive: a wooden box that made the industrialisation of the bee possible30 Mar 2019
2CellophaneCellophane transformed how consumers purchased food, as well as how producers sold it6 Apr 2019
3GyroscopeThe gyroscope: a remarkable device used to guide everything from submarines to satellites13 Apr 2019
4QWERTYFrom the early typewriters, the QWERTY keyboard layout has stood the test of time20 Apr 2019
5BicycleHas the bicycle had its day, or is it a technology whose best years lie ahead?27 Apr 2019
6Mail order catalogueHow the Montgomery Ward shopping catalogue transformed the middle-class way of life4 May 2019
7BrickThe humble brick has housed us for thousands of years, but how much longer will it endure?11 May 2019
8SpreadsheetHow a grid on a computer screen gives us a glimpse of the future of automated work.18 May 2019
9RecyclingCould recycling save cash, as well as the planet?25 May 2019
10PornographyDid pornography help develop the internet?1 Jun 2019
11Dwarf wheatFeeding a hungry world – how Norman Borlaug used genetics to tackle predicted famines8 Jun 2019
12'Like' buttonAre we addicted to getting 'likes' on social media?15 Jun 2019
13PencilIs the pencil underrated?22 Jun 2019
14BlockchainHow powerful could the technology behind Bitcoin be?22 Jun 2019
15FactoryHave factories made workers' lives better?29 Jun 2019
16CubeSatHow a student engineering challenge has changed the way we use space6 Jul 2019
17RubberAn everyday substance with a bloody past13 Jul 2019
18Postage stampHow a disgruntled customer revolutionised the postal service20 Jul 2019
19RFIDRadio frequency identification is the foundation of many contactless technologies27 Jul 2019
20FireDoes the story of economics really begin with a spark?3 Aug 2019
21CassavaA toxic plant that sheds light on hidden social forces10 Aug 2019
22Solar PVHow important is solar power to the future of the planet?17 Aug 2019
23ChatbotCan a computer convince you that it's human?24 Aug 2019
24OilHow did the price of oil become so important?31 Aug 2019
25Interchangeable partsThe manufacturing revolution that started with a gun9 Sep 2019
26Canned foodThe surprising lessons lurking under the lid16 Sep 2019
27Interface Message ProcessorThe big metal box that made the internet possible22 Sep 2019
28ProhibitionHow much does it cost to outlaw something?29 Sep 2019
29Bonsack MachineWhy did a machine for making cigarettes transform the advertising industry?6 Oct 2019
30GPSWhat would happen if GPS stopped working?13 Oct 2019
31Vickrey TurnstileHow did an invention that was never built help make the modern world?20 Oct 2019
32GlassesA vital aid for many, but billions don't know they need them27 Oct 2019
33WedgewoodWhat does the fashion industry owe to an 18th-century potter?3 Nov 2019
34SWIFTA system that solved big problems is now facing its greatest challenge10 Nov 2019
35Fundraising appealWhat's the best way to get people to give to charity?17 Nov 2019
36Stock optionAn incentive for good performance, or another way to boost executives' pay?24 Nov 2019
37Hollerith punch cardThe machine that turned data into money1 Dec 2019
38Sewing machineA device that changed women's lives was designed to make a man very rich8 Dec 2019
39SantaWhy does Father Christmas wear red and white?16 Dec 2019
40RetirementHow should we treat our elders?23 Dec 2019
41CCTVHow do we feel about being watched?4 Jan 2020
42Fast Food FranchiseWhy the franchising model is such a success11 Jan 2020
43Wardian CaseThe economic effects of a miniature greenhouse18 Jan 2020
44Sanitary TowelThe controversial history of a quietly revolutionary product25 Jan 2020
45TulipsThe Tulip-mania Bubble popped in 1637 but there were other financial bubbles1 Feb 2020
46DamsHow these massive structures have changed the world for many, but led to catastrophe for others8 Feb 2020
47AuctionsAre things only worth what people are willing to pay for them?15 Feb 2020
48Chess AlgorithmsThe history and nature of computer algorithms22 Feb 2020
49Slot MachinesWhat slot machines reveal about the business of addiction29 Feb 2020
50The Gutenberg PressWhy did Johannes Gutenberg struggle to make money from his invention?7 Mar 2020

Bonus episodes[edit]

The series 1 episode on the Index Fund was re-released with additional comments by Harford in the podcast feed to commemorate the death of John C. Bogle.[citation needed]

A number of episodes of the parallel BBC radio documentary series 30 Animals That Made Us Smarter were included as bonuses in the podcast feed of early episodes of series 2.[citation needed]

'51st thing'[edit]

The shortlist selected by Harford for public vote as the 51st thing was:[citation needed]

  • Global Positioning System (GPS)

The item selected by public vote was the credit card, announced by Harford in the episode entitled 'Number 51'.

Book[edit]

Each of the short chapters describes fifty products or inventions that have revolutionised the modern world. The chapter order is different from the radio broadcast and podcast order. Some book chapters have modified titles, and the chapters are grouped into sections in the book.

Book chapter listing
ChapterTitle
Introduction
1The Plough
I. Winners and Losers
2Gramophone
3Barbed Wire
4Seller Feedback
5Google Search
6Passports
7Robots
8The Welfare State
II. Reinventing How We Live
9Infant Formula
10TV Dinners
11The Pill
12Video Games
13Market Research
14Air Conditioning
15Department Stores
III. Inventing New Systems
16The Dynamo
17The Shipping Container
18The Barcode
19The Cold Chain
20Tradable Debt and the Tally Stick
21Billy Bookcase
22Elevator
IV. Ideas About Ideas
23Cuneiform
24Public-Key Cryptography
25Double-Entry Bookkeeping
26Limited Liability Companies
27Management Consulting
28Intellectual Property
29The Compiler
V. Where Do Inventions Come From
30The iPhone
31Diesel Engines
32Clocks
33The Haber-Bosch Process
34Radar
35Batteries
36Plastic
VI. The Visible Hand
37The Bank
38Razors and Blades
39Tax Havens
40Leaded Petrol
41Antibiotics in Farming
42M-Pesa
43Property Registers
VII. Inventing the Wheel
44Paper
45Index Funds
46The S-bend
47Paper Money
48Concrete
49Insurance
Epilogue
50Lightbulb

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^'BBC World Service invites suggestions for the '51st Thing' that made the modern economy', BBC World Service, 19 August 2017. Retrieved on 10 September 2017.
  2. ^'Vote for the 51st Thing!'. BBC. Archived from the original on 5 October 2017. Retrieved 5 October 2017.

External links[edit]

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