Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford Laser Versus Parchment: Doomsday for the Disc
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Nov 10, 2023 Dive into the fascinating tale of the Doomsday Book, a remarkable record of 11th-century England, and its modern counterpart, the BBC's 1980s Doomsday Project. Explore the precarious challenges faced by individuals proving their residency rights today amid evolving immigration policies. Hear gripping personal stories that highlight the fragility of identity in the face of bureaucracy and the critical need for preserving our digital archives for future generations. History reveals its lessons on the importance of safeguarding our collective memory.
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Doomsday Book
- William the Conqueror, facing legitimacy struggles, conducted a detailed survey of his realm in 1086.
- This survey resulted in the Doomsday Book, a record of land, mills, and people.
Michael Braithwaite's Story
- Michael Braithwaite arrived in Britain from Barbados in 1961 with indefinite leave to remain.
- Despite living and working in the UK for decades, he lacked a UK passport, facing no issues until much later.
BBC's Doomsday Project
- In 1983, the BBC launched the Doomsday Project, a crowdsourced survey of Britain involving school children.
- Stored on laserdiscs, this interactive digital database became unreadable just years later.
