大象传媒

Back up to: Things That Made the Modern Economy

1. Battery

   The story of the battery begins inside a dead murderer. It's a tale that's far from over.
2. Public Key Cryptography

   Geeks versus government - the story of public key cryptography.
3. Robot

   Robots threaten the human workforce, but they are crucial to the modern economy.
4. Disposable Razor

   King Camp Gillette created the disposable razor. But his influence extends beyond shaving.
5. Clock

   The clock was invented in 1656 and has become an essential part of the modern economy.
6. Google

   The words 'clever' and 'death' crop up less often than 'Google' in conversation.
7. Insurance

   Insurance is as old as gambling, but it's fundamental to the way the modern economy works.
8. Paper

   The Gutenberg press changed the world - but it could not have done so without paper.
9. Antibiotics

   The tale of antibiotics is a cautionary one, and economic incentives are often to blame.
10. Billy Bookcase

    The Billy bookcase epitomises the pursuit of lower costs and acceptable functionality.
11. Compiler

    Installing Windows might take 5,000 years without the compiler.
12. M-Pesa

    Transferring money by text message is far safer and more convenient than cash.
13. Light Bulb

    Once too precious to use, light is now too cheap to notice.
14. Banking

    Warrior monks, crusaders and the mysterious origins of modern banking.
15. Barcode

    How vast mega-stores emerged with the help of a design originally drawn in the sand.
16. iPhone

    How Uncle Sam played an essential role in the creation and development of the iPhone.
17. Concrete

    It's improved health, school attendance, agricultural productivity and farm worker wages.
18. Shipping Container

    How a simple steel box changed the face of global trade.
19. Haber-Bosch Process

    Saving lives with thin air - by taking nitrogen from it to make fertiliser.
20. Diesel Engine

    Rudolf Diesel died in strange circumstances after changing the world with his engine.

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