The history of light (classic)
Planet Money5 Juni 2024

The history of light (classic)

For thousands of years, getting light was a huge hassle. You had to make candles from scratch. This is not as romantic as it sounds. You had to get a cow, raise the cow, feed the cow, kill the cow, get the fat out of the cow, cook the fat, dip wicks into the fat. All that--for not very much light. Now, if we want to light a whole room, we just flip a switch.

The history of light explains why the world today is the way it is. It explains why we aren't all subsistence farmers, and why we can afford to have artists and massage therapists and plumbers. (And, yes, people who make podcasts about the history of light.) The history of light is the history of economic growth--of things getting faster, cheaper, and more efficient.

On today's show: How we got from dim little candles made out of cow fat, to as much light as we want at the flick of a switch.

Today's show was hosted by Jacob Goldstein and David Kestenbaum. It was originally produced by Caitlin Kenney and Damiano Marchetti. Today's rerun was produced by James Sneed, and edited by Jenny Lawton. It was fact-checked by Sierra Juarez. Engineering by Valentina Rodríguez Sánchez. Alex Goldmark is Planet Money's executive producer.

Help support Planet Money and hear our bonus episodes by subscribing to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy

Det här avsnittet är hämtat från ett öppet RSS-flöde och publiceras inte av Podme. Det kan innehålla reklam.

Avsnitt(355)

The real horror of ‘Alien’ and how it explains why we’re not paid enough

The real horror of ‘Alien’ and how it explains why we’re not paid enough

Maybe the real monster in the Alien franchise isn’t actually the killer alien. Because behind the acid blood and jump scares is an even more insidious horror: a single employer with unchecked power. T...

19 Juni 32min

Can computer hackers get inside your mind?

Can computer hackers get inside your mind?

The cyber weapon that might have prevented nuclear war.The U.S. and Israel have long been in conflict with Iran over their nuclear development program. Some of that conflict has been out in the open, ...

17 Juni 29min

It’s my tree. Why can’t I cut it down?

It’s my tree. Why can’t I cut it down?

Can the government stop you from cutting down your own tree? In many towns and cities these days, removing a tree now requires a permit. You might have to pay a fee, or promise to plant replacement tr...

12 Juni 25min

Two indicators for lowering the rent

Two indicators for lowering the rent

One specific type of affordable housing used to be popular in American cities, kept rents low, then nearly vanished. Is it time to reconsider boarding houses and single room occupancy units? If they l...

10 Juni 17min

Why is there a supplement craze if they don’t even work?

Why is there a supplement craze if they don’t even work?

One reason the $70 billion supplement industry is set to double in the next seven years? Lax regulation.On today's show, we tell the story of a century-long battle between the U.S. government and … yo...

5 Juni 34min

There's no business like dough business

There's no business like dough business

Have you ever walked around a street, mall, or airport and noticed two or three of the same franchise restaurant within walking distance? Why might one Starbucks or McDonald’s or Wetzel’s Pretzels som...

3 Juni 27min

The sneaky way companies get new chemicals into our food

The sneaky way companies get new chemicals into our food

99% of chemicals in our food right now were added without FDA approval. Many were added in secret, through a sneaky loophole built into the 1958 Food Additives Amendment.It was supposed to require FDA...

29 Maj 35min

The leaked tapes that show how the rich avoid taxes

The leaked tapes that show how the rich avoid taxes

Tax avoidance -- that is, legally reducing your tax bill -- is as American as apple pie. But the line between tax avoidance and tax evasion is often a grey one. On today’s show, a collaboration with T...

27 Maj 26min

Populärt inom Business & ekonomi

badfluence
framgangspodden
varvet
uppgang-och-fall
rss-borsens-finest
24fragor
avanzapodden
dynastin
bathina-en-podcast
rss-dagen-med-di
lastbilspodden
rss-inga-dumma-fragor-om-pengar
fill-or-kill
svd-tech-brief
kapitalet-en-podd-om-ekonomi
tabberaset
borsmorgon
rikatillsammans-om-privatekonomi-rikedom-i-livet
bilar-med-sladd
rss-kort-lang-analyspodden-fran-di