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Spreadsheet
How a grid on a computer screen gives us a glimpse of the future of automated work.
A grid on a computer screen took the world of accountancy by storm in the early 1980s, making many accounting tasks effortless. But should we consider this 'robot accountant' more carefully? As Tim Harford explains, the digital spreadsheet is a 40-year-old example of what automation could do to all of our jobs.
Last on
Mon 20 May 201903:50GMT
BBC World Service South Asia
Sources
Steven Levy, 'A Spreadsheet Way of Knowledge', Harper's November 1984
Broadcasts
- Sat 18 May 201904:50GMTBBC World Service except East and Southern Africa & South Asia
- Sat 18 May 201913:50GMTBBC World Service News Internet
- Sun 19 May 201914:50GMTBBC World Service except Americas and the Caribbean, East Asia & South Asia
- Sun 19 May 201921:50GMTBBC World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
- Sun 19 May 201922:50GMTBBC World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
- Mon 20 May 201903:50GMTBBC World Service South Asia
Podcast
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50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
The stories of inventions, ideas and innovations which helped create the economic world
