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A sweltering afternoon in July 1785, in the cool of a dungeon east of Paris, was the site of a remarkable demonstration of French engineering – and French insouciance. Honoré Blanc, a gunsmith, showed how he could take apart flintlock rifles, jumble up the parts, and reassemble the rifles. The parts were interchangeable, promising a revolution in maintenance and production. Thomas Jefferson, future President of the US, was in the audience. As Tim Harford explains, the world of engineering was about to change – but could either Blanc or Jefferson take advantage of what was coming?

Producer: Ben Crighton
Editor: Richard Vadon