50 Things That Made the Modern Economy is a radio show and podcast 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 on 30 March 2019.
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.""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.
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. The winning item was announced as the credit card in an episode on 28 October 2017. A bonus episode about Santa Claus was broadcast on 24 December 2018.
The first series was published in Britain as Fifty Things That Made The Modern Economy. by Little, Brown, and as Fifty Inventions That Shaped The Modern Economy in the US by Riverhead. Reviews of the book were mixed.
The show won a silver award for "Best Radio Podcast supported by UK Radioplayer" at the 2017 British Podcast Awards.
Episodes Series 1 (2016–2017) 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 Episode Title Tagline Broadcast Date 1 Diesel engine Rudolf Diesel died in strange circumstances after changing the world with his engine 5 Nov 2016 2 Haber-Bosch process Saving lives with thin air - by taking nitrogen from the air to make fertiliser 14 Nov 2016 3 Shipping container The boom in global trade was caused by a simple steel box 19 Nov 2016 4 Concrete It's improved health, school attendance, agricultural productivity and farm worker wages 26 Nov 2016 5 iPhone How Uncle Sam played an essential role in the creation and development of the iPhone 3 Dec 2016 6 Barcode How vast mega-stores emerged with the help of a design originally drawn in the sand 10 Dec 2016 7 Banking Warrior monks, crusaders and the mysterious origins of modern banking 17 Dec 2016 8 Lightbulb Once too precious to use, light is now too cheap to notice 24 Dec 2016 9 M-Pesa Transferring money by text message is far safer and more convenient than cash 31 Dec 2016 10 Compiler Installing Windows might take 5,000 years without it 7 Jan 2017 11 Billy bookcase Low cost, functional and brilliantly efficient, one is produced every three seconds 14 Jan 2017 12 Antibiotics The tale of antibiotics is a cautionary one, and economic incentives are often to blame 20 Jan 2017 13 Paper The Gutenberg press changed the world – but it could not have done so without paper 28 Jan 2017 14 Insurance Insurance is as old as gambling, but it's fundamental to the way the modern economy works 4 Feb 2017 15 Google The words 'clever' and 'death' crop up less often than 'Google' in conversation 11 Feb 2017 16 Clock The clock was invented in 1656 and has become an essential part of the modern economy 18 Feb 2017 17 Disposable razor King Camp Gillette created the disposable razor. But his influence extends beyond shaving 25 Feb 2017 18 Robot Robots threaten the human workforce, but they are crucial to the modern economy 4 Mar 2017 19 Public-key cryptography Geeks versus government – the story of public key cryptography 11 Mar 2017 20 Battery The story of the battery begins inside a dead murderer. It's a tale that's far from over 18 Mar 2017 21 Gramophone "Superstar" economics – the story of how the gramophone led to a winner-take-all market 25 Mar 2017 22 TV dinner The TV dinner, and other inventions from the same era, made a lasting economic impression 1 Apr 2017 23 Contraceptive pill The pill wasn't just socially revolutionary, it also sparked an economic revolution 8 Apr 2017 24 Elevator The safety elevator is a mass transit system that has changed the shape of our cities 15 Apr 2017 25 Air conditioning Invented for the printing industry, air conditioning now influences where and how we live 22 Apr 2017 26 Cuneiform Cuneiform, the earliest known script, was used to create the world's first accounts 29 Apr 2017 27 Video games From Spacewar to Pokémon Go, video games have shaped the modern economy in surprising ways 6 May 2017 28 Intellectual property Intellectual property reflects an economic trade off when it comes to innovation 13 May 2017 29 Passports If anyone could work anywhere, some economists think global economic output would double 22 May 2017 30 Tally stick The tally stick shows us what money really is: a kind of debt that can be traded freely 27 May 2017 31 Index fund Warren Buffett is one of the world's great investors. His advice? Invest in an index fund 3 Jun 2017 32 Infant formula For many new mothers who want, or need, to get back to work, infant formula is a godsend 10 Jun 2017 33 Tax havens Gabriel Zucman invented an ingenious way to estimate how much wealth is hidden offshore 17 Jun 2017 34 Barbed wire "Lighter than air, stronger than whiskey" – barbed wire wreaked huge changes in America 24 Jun 2017 35 Department store Harry Selfridge pioneered a whole new retail experience with his London department store 1 Jul 2017 36 Leaded petrol When lead was added to petrol it made cars more powerful – but it also poisoned people 8 Jul 2017 37 Dynamo The big story behind the way dynamos made electricity useful 15 Jul 2017 38 Limited liability company How some legal creativity has created vast wealth down the centuries 22 Jul 2017 39 Paper money Currency derives value from trust in the government which issues it 29 Jul 2017 40 Seller feedback Without seller feedback, companies like eBay might not have grown as they have 5 Aug 2017 41 Plastic We make so much plastic these days that it takes about eight percent of oil production 12 Aug 2017 42 Market research Market research marked a shift from a producer-led to consumer-led approach to business 19 Aug 2017 43 Radar A high-tech 'death ray' capable of zapping sheep led to the invention of radar 26 Aug 2017 44 S-bend The S-bend was a pipe with a curve in it, an invention that led to public sanitation 2 Sep 2017 45 Double-entry bookkeeping Renaissance man Luca Pacioli wrote the definitive book on double-entry bookkeeping 9 Sep 2017 46 Management consulting If managers often have a bad reputation, what should we make of the people who tell managers how to manage? 16 Sep 2017 47 Property register Property rights for the world's poor could unlock trillions in 'dead capital' 30 Sep 2017 48 Welfare state Do welfare states boost economic growth, or stunt it? It's not an easy question to answer 7 Sep 2017 49 Cold chain Refrigeration revolutionised the food industry, and other industries too 14 Oct 2017 50 Plough The plough kick-started civilisation - and ultimately made our modern economy possible 21 Oct 2017 51 Number 51 Revealed – the winning 51st Thing! Which "thing" won the vote to be added to our list? 28 Oct 2017
Special (2018) 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) Series 2 episode listing with released titles and taglines Episode Title Tagline Broadcast Date1Langstroth HiveThe Langstroth Hive: a wooden box that made the industrialisation of the bee possible30 Mar 20192CellophaneCellophane transformed how consumers purchased food, as well as how producers sold it6 Apr 20193GyroscopeThe gyroscope: a remarkable device used to guide everything from submarines to satellites13 Apr 20194QWERTYFrom the early typewriters, the QWERTY keyboard layout has stood the test of time20 Apr 20195BicycleHas the bicycle had its day, or is it a technology whose best years lie ahead?27 Apr 20196Mail order catalogueHow the Montgomery Ward shopping catalogue transformed the middle-class way of life4 May 20197BrickThe humble brick has housed us for thousands of years, but how much longer will it endure?11 May 20198SpreadsheetHow a grid on a computer screen gives us a glimpse of the future of automated work.18 May 20199RecyclingCould recycling save cash, as well as the planet?25 May 201910PornographyDid pornography help develop the internet?1 Jun 201911Dwarf wheatFeeding a hungry world – how Norman Borlaug used genetics to tackle predicted famines8 Jun 201912"Like" buttonAre we addicted to getting 'likes' on social media?15 Jun 201913PencilIs the pencil underrated?22 Jun 201914BlockchainHow powerful could the technology behind Bitcoin be?22 Jun 201915FactoryHave factories made workers' lives better?29 Jun 201916CubeSatHow a student engineering challenge has changed the way we use space6 Jul 201917RubberAn everyday substance with a bloody past13 Jul 201918Postage stampHow a disgruntled customer revolutionised the postal service20 Jul 201919RFIDRadio frequency identification is the foundation of many contactless technologies27 Jul 201920FireDoes the story of economics really begin with a spark?3 Aug 201921CassavaA toxic plant that sheds light on hidden social forces10 Aug 201922Solar PVHow important is solar power to the future of the planet?17 Aug 201923ChatbotCan a computer convince you that it's human?24 Aug 201924OilHow did the price of oil become so important?31 Aug 201925Interchangeable partsThe manufacturing revolution that started with a gun9 Sep 201926Canned foodThe surprising lessons lurking under the lid16 Sep 201927Interface Message ProcessorThe big metal box that made the internet possible22 Sep 201928ProhibitionHow much does it cost to outlaw something?29 Sep 201929Bonsack MachineWhy did a machine for making cigarettes transform the advertising industry?6 Oct 201930GPSWhat would happen if GPS stopped working?13 Oct 201931Vickrey TurnstileHow did an invention that was never built help make the modern world?20 Oct 201932GlassesA vital aid for many, but billions don't know they need them27 Oct 201933WedgewoodWhat does the fashion industry owe to an 18th-century potter?3 Nov 201934SWIFTA system that solved big problems is now facing its greatest challenge10 Nov 201935Fundraising appealWhat's the best way to get people to give to charity?17 Nov 201936Stock optionAn incentive for good performance, or another way to boost executives' pay?24 Nov 201937Hollerith punch cardThe machine that turned data into money1 Dec 201938Sewing machineA device that changed women's lives was designed to make a man very rich8 Dec 201939SantaWhy does Father Christmas wear red and white?16 Dec 201940RetirementHow should we treat our elders?23 Dec 201941CCTVHow do we feel about being watched?4 Jan 202042Fast Food FranchiseWhy the franchising model is such a success11 Jan 202043Wardian CaseThe economic effects of a miniature greenhouse18 Jan 202044Sanitary TowelThe controversial history of a quietly revolutionary product25 Jan 202045TulipsThe Tulip-mania Bubble popped in 1637 but there were other financial bubbles1 Feb 202046DamsHow these massive structures have changed the world for many, but led to catastrophe for others8 Feb 202047AuctionsAre things only worth what people are willing to pay for them?15 Feb 202048Chess AlgorithmsThe history and nature of computer algorithms22 Feb 202049Slot MachinesWhat slot machines reveal about the business of addiction29 Feb 202050The Gutenberg PressWhy did Johannes Gutenberg struggle to make money from his invention?7 Mar 2020
Bonus episodes 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.