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Macroeconomics 8: Productivity & Getting Lit

Planet Money Summer School

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The Roman Empire and Light

From babylonian times to around 18 hundred, there were very modest improvements in the pace of improvement. Light still comes from finding stuff that's lying around and just lighting it on fire. In light, the romans figure out how to make a lamp that's a little more efficient. People start to use whale oil. Again, economists build northouse.

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