Main content

A short history of data

How the evolution of data over centuries has shaped today’s world.

We live in a world where data is everywhere – informing if not governing our lives. But this wealth of data didn’t just turn up overnight. Tim Harford talks to academics Chris Wiggins and Matthew Jones, whose new book How Data Happened aims to explain how the world we know today has been shaped by not just technological developments but battles around how emerging sources of data should be utilised.

Presenter: Tim Harford
Producer: Jon Bithrey
Editor: Richard Vadon
Production Coordinator: Brenda Brown
Sound Engineer: Graham Puddifoot

(Data futuristic server room. Credit: Yuichiro Chino/Getty images)

Available now

9 minutes

Last on

Sun 4 Jun 2023 23:50GMT
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa & Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Afghan Radio

More episodes

Previous

Are young people more single than ever before?

Next

Counting Hunger in India

See all episodes from More or Less

Broadcasts

  • Sat 3 Jun 2023 04:50GMT
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service except East and Southern Africa, Europe and the Middle East & West and Central Africa
  • Sat 3 Jun 2023 10:50GMT
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service East and Southern Africa & Europe and the Middle East only
  • Sun 4 Jun 2023 08:50GMT
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service West and Central Africa
  • Sun 4 Jun 2023 10:50GMT
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service except East and Southern Africa, Europe and the Middle East & West and Central Africa
  • Sun 4 Jun 2023 22:50GMT
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
  • Sun 4 Jun 2023 23:50GMT
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa & Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Afghan Radio

Download this programme

Download this programme

Subscribe to this programme or download individual episodes.