Recorded iPlayer [live] --> Roxio Sound Editor .wav converted to mp3@160kbps Broadcast on BBC Radio 4 16 Jan. - 6 Feb. 2018 Each episode is approx. 28 minutes In this series, Simon Evans examines the concept of the 'free lunch' and shines a light on new ways of making money in the 21st century. There are many apparently 'free' economic models operating today but what are they and how do they work? Across four episodes Simon and his team will explore Social Media and how we often appear to enjoy it for free. Later on Simon examines the perhaps unfair belief that some multinationals appear to operate tax free. And what about the billions being given away 'for free' by a new breed of philanthro-capitalists? Finally, what can we learn from these operating models to help that beloved yet creaking institution, the NHS, which is also apparently free at the point of use? As a wise person once said, there's no such thing as a free lunch. If you're not paying, you're the product. Also featuring Financial Times economics god Tim Harford, Timandra Harkness, author of 'Big Data: Does Size Matter?' and Dr Kristian Niemietz Episode 1: Social Media From the country-sized economy of Google changing the way we see adverts; to the seemingly free apps like Uber making San Francisco the economic centre of the world and changing the concept of local business; to social media platforms like Facebook redefining us as economic actors... the way we work, shop, meet, and think about money is profoundly changing. Many of these technologies look benign and free - but who is getting rich from them? And how? And how are we 'paying' without realising? Episode 2: Tax Free Most individuals who earn money or businesses that make a profit are required to cheerfully wave off substantial proportions of their money to the public good. But as soon as those individuals or corporations achieve a certain critical mass, they just sort of drift off to some mythical island whose co-ordinates are unknown to common folk, where they erect a giant tax-repellant rainbow over them to protect them from the tiresome responsibility of paying their way. Should we in fact find this as grossly infuriating as it appears to be? Episode 3: Philanthropy There comes a point in every busy tycoon's life when he or she realises that accruing vast wealth, power and prestige has not brought with it the warm glow they had hoped for. The solution was suggested several hundred years ago, most notably by the Earl of Shaftesbury - philanthropy. Literally - the love of what it is to be human - but more usually meant as, charity, but on a large scale and with your name over the door. But is it as economically straightforward as it seems? Episode 4: The Cost of Health While many services are now provided free of charge others continue to be very expensive, despite a widely held view that they should be free. Nowhere more so than in the field of healthcare. Big Pharma, as it is for some reason known (presumably to confuse people that it's all about fields), makes millions out of selling drugs to the poorly. With the economic complexities of healthcare provision growing more and more complex, what are the implications of an industry that thrives on our ill health? Who decides what gets subsidized, and how? Starring: Simon Evans with Tim Harford and Timandra Harkness Written by Simon Evans with Benjamin Partridge Researcher: Andrew Wright Production coordinator: Toby Tilling Producer: Richard Morris A BBC Studios Production. From 'mediainfo' Format : MPEG Audio File size : 31.7 MiB Duration : 27 min 40 s Overall bit rate mode : Constant Overall bit rate : 160 kb/s Track name : Audio_1 Writing library : LAME3.97 Audio Format : MPEG Audio Format version : Version 1 Format profile : Layer 3 Duration : 27 min 40 s Bit rate mode : Constant Bit rate : 160 kb/s Channel(s) : 2 channels Sampling rate : 44.1 kHz Frame rate : 38.281 FPS (1152 SPF) Compression mode : Lossy Stream size : 31.7 MiB (100%) Writing library : LAME3.97 Encoding settings : -m s -V 4 -q 2 -lowpass 17.5 -b 160