![50 Things That Made the Modern Economy show](https://d3dthqtvwic6y7.cloudfront.net/podcast-covers/000/072/750/small/50-things-that-made-the-modern-economy.jpg)
Summary: Installing Windows might take 5,000 years without the compiler, a remarkable innovation which made modern computing possible. Tim Harford tells a compelling story which has at its heart a pioneering woman called Grace Hopper who – along the way – single-handedly invented the idea of open source software too. The compiler evolved into COBOL – one of the first computer languages – and led to the distinction between hardware and software. Producer: Ben Crighton Editors: Richard Knight and Richard Vadon (Image: Grace M. Hopper, Credit: Bettman/Getty Images)