Humanity's taming of fire may be where the story of economics really begins, some argue. Tim Harford explores how fire has shaped our world and our minds, and why it's still got some important lessons to teach us.
Last on
Sources
Surrounded by Forest Fires - E. C. Pulaski, Forest History
Fire on Earth - an introduction. Andrew C. Scott, David M. J. S. Bowman, William J. Bond, Stephen J. Pyne, Martin E. Alexander, Wiley Blackwell 2014
Burning Planet: The Story of Fire Through Time - Andrew C. Scott, Oxford University Press 2018
Savanna, Not Forest, Was Human Ancestors' Proving Ground - Live Science
Who Started The First Fire? - Sapiens
The discovery of fire by humans: A long and convoluted process, J. A. J. Gowlett - The Royal Society
Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human - Richard Wrangham, Profile Books 2009
Firing up the Social Brain, J. A. J. Gowlett - ResearchGate
Foolproof: Why Safety Can Be Dangerous and How Danger Makes Us Safe - Greg Ip, Hachette UK 2015
Broadcasts
- Sat 10 Aug 201904:50GMTBBC World Service except East and Southern Africa & South Asia
- Sat 10 Aug 201913:50GMTBBC World Service News Internet
- Sun 11 Aug 201914:50GMTBBC World Service except Americas and the Caribbean, East Asia & South Asia
- Sun 11 Aug 201921:50GMTBBC World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
- Sun 11 Aug 201922:50GMTBBC World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
- Mon 12 Aug 201903:50GMTBBC World Service South Asia
Podcast
![]()
50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
The stories of inventions, ideas and innovations which helped create the economic world
