The Industrial Revolution Was Supposed to Lea...

Why did the West dominate all rivals on Earth? How did a group of states that were nearly wiped out in the late Middle Ages by enemies to the south and east grow to conquer the globe by the 16th century? To answer that question, we need to go back to its beginning and see what ma ...  Show more

When European settlers arrived in North America, they enjoyed a level of meat consumption that was absolutely unimaginable in the Old World. An average European was lucky to see meat once a week while even a poor American consumed about two hundred pounds a year. Ten years after ...  Show more

The Industrial Revolution began in Britain in the late 18th century, giving birth to an era that has changed world history. The period was characterised by rapid economic, social and technological growth. Marked by innovation and inventions like the steam engine, spinning jenn ...

By 2030 we'll only work 15 hours a week, predicted the legendary economist John Maynard Keynes back in 1930. He thought advances in technology and wealth would let us earn enough money to live in a day or two - leaving the rest of the week for leisure and community service.  How ...  Show more

The art of making work not suck; how playing helps you stress less (and achieve more). In today’s episode, we challenge the architecture of adulthood, built brick by brick with “shoulds”. Using stories of ancient ancestors and modern cubicles, we’ll ask: Why do we surrender to se ...  Show more

Oliver Burkeman is a renowned author and expert on the psychology of productivity. He is best known for his work exploring how modern life’s obsession with productivity often leaves us overwhelmed and unfulfilled.

In this episode, Oliver dives deep into the dangers o ...