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Things That Made the Modern Economy

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Inventions, ideas and innovations that have helped to create the modern economic world

Tim Harford introduces inventions, ideas and innovations that have helped to create the modern economic world

50 Things That Made the Modern Economy: Series 1

Things That Made the Modern Economy: Series 1: Antibiotics

Antibiotics

04/04/2017

Series 1

BBC Radio 4 - Things That Made the Modern Economy, Series 1, Antibiotics

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

Tim Harford introduces inventions, ideas and innovations that have helped to create the modern economic world. A cautionary tale of an impactful invention.

In 1928 a young bacteriologist named Alexander Fleming failed to tidy up his petri dishes before going home to Scotland on holiday. On his return, he famously noticed that one dish had become mouldy in his absence, and the mould was killing the bacteria he'd used the dish to cultivate. It's hard to overstate the impact of antibiotics on medicine, farming and the way we live. But, as Tim Harford explains, the story of antibiotics is a cautionary one. And unhelpful economic incentives are in large part to blame.

Producer: Ben Crighton
Editors: Richard Knight and Richard Vadon.

Things That Made the Modern Economy: Series 1

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Inventions, ideas and innovations that have helped to create the modern economic world.

Tim Harford introduces inventions, ideas and innovations that have helped to create the modern economic world.

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Things That Made the Modern Economy

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Antibiotics

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