![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: It's improved health, school attendance, agricultural productivity and farm worker wages, but concrete has a poor reputation. It takes a lot of energy to produce and releases a great deal of CO2 in the process. However, architects appreciate its versatility and there are few more important inventions. Tim Harford tells the remarkable hidden story of a ubiquitous, unloved material. (Image: Masons hands spread concrete, Credit: APGuide/Shutterstock)