Dynamo

You might think electricity had an immediate and transformative impact on economic productivity. But you would be wrong. Thirty years after the invention of the useable light bulb, almost all American factories still relied on steam. Factory owners simply couldn’t see the advantage of electric power when their steam systems – in which they had invested a great deal of capital – worked just fine. Simply replacing a steam engine with an electric dynamo did little to improve efficiency. But the thing about a revolutionary technology is that it changes everything. And changing everything takes imagination. Instead of replacing their steam engines with electric dynamos, company bosses needed to re-design the whole factory. Only then would electric power leave steam behind. As Tim Harford explains, the same lag has applied to subsequent technological leaps – including computers. That revolution might be just beginning.

Producer: Ben Crighton Editors: Richard Knight and Richard Vadon

(Image: Dynamo AC exciter Siemens, Credit: Igor Golovniov/Shutterstock)

Tämä jakso on lisätty Podme-palveluun avoimen RSS-syötteen kautta eikä se ole Podmen omaa tuotantoa. Siksi jakso saattaa sisältää mainontaa.

Jaksot(110)

Introducing: Season 2 of 30 Animals That Made Us Smarter

Introducing: Season 2 of 30 Animals That Made Us Smarter

How animals make us smarter – we thought you might like to hear our brand new episode. It’s about a robotic arm inspired by an elephant’s trunk.For more, search for 30 Animals That Made Us Smarter whe...

22 Heinä 202118min

Introducing 13 Minutes to the Moon Season 2

Introducing 13 Minutes to the Moon Season 2

Jump on-board a doomed mission to the Moon. Apollo 13: the extraordinary story, told by the people who flew it and saved it. Search for 13 Minutes to the Moon wherever you get your podcasts. #13Min...

9 Maalis 20203min

Gutenberg press

Gutenberg press

Johannes Gutenberg's printing press changed the course of human history. It created a new way of doing business, drastically reduced the cost and speed of making books, and enabled texts, ideas and ar...

2 Maalis 202010min

Slot machines

Slot machines

First developed by a toy company in the 1890s, slot machines have become one of the most profitable tools of the gambling trade - but many who play them say winning isn't the point. So why can't peopl...

24 Helmi 20209min

Chess algorithms

Chess algorithms

In 1997, Garry Kasparov, widely regarded as the world's greatest chess player, was defeated by Deep Blue, a computer. But how much did that reveal about the 'brainpower' of machines? Tim Harford expla...

17 Helmi 20209min

Auctions

Auctions

Are things only worth what people are willing to pay for them? Tim Harford explains why a method of buying and selling that originated in ancient times has endured to the present day, and is now under...

10 Helmi 20209min

Dams

Dams

From reliable water supplies to large-scale electricity generation, the benefits brought by dams can be huge. But so can the problems. Tim Harford explains how these massive structures have changed th...

3 Helmi 20209min

Tulips

Tulips

In the 1630s, the Netherlands experienced 'tulip mania' - a surge in demand for tulips from wealthy buyers, with some individual bulbs costing twenty times more than a carpenter's annual salary. Then,...

27 Tammi 202010min

Suosittua kategoriassa Liike-elämä ja talous

sijotuskasti
mimmit-sijoittaa
psykopodiaa-podcast
rss-oivalluksia-rahasta-elamasta
rss-rahapodi
rss-sami-miettinen-neuvottelija
asuntoasiaa-paivakirjat
ostan-asuntoja-podcast
oppimisen-psykologia
rss-perho-rajoilla
hyva-paha-johtaminen
rss-rahamania
pomojen-suusta
raharesepti
rss-hilden-kaira-podcast
rss-inderes
rss-rahataito-podcast
rahapuhetta
rss-porssipuhetta
rss-uskalla-yrittaa