The Humane Economy • 2016 • episode "S1E6" • Curiosity Retreats: 2016 Lectures

59:17

From the moment we first drilled for oil, we opened a Pandora's box that changed the world forever. It transformed the way we lived our lives, spawned foreign wars and turned a simple natural resource into the most powerful political weapon the world has ever known. But when exactly did geology turn into such a high-stakes game?

S1E1 • Planet Oil • Economics

176:13

The TV series "Mad Men" gave us a glimpse into the world of US advertising. Ch 1. The 1950s Now see how advertisements in the 1950s tantalised Americans with visions of futuristic homes and cars. Ch 2. The 1960s This was the era at the heart of the TV series 'Mad Men' when Madison Avenue tapped into the growing counter-cultural movement, using irreverence and wit, and changed advertising forever. Ch 3. The 1970s A golden age in America's ad world, full of creativity and a love affair with non-conformity. But it was also fraught with new challenges, including a growing mistrust amongst consumers. Ch 4. The 1980s It's the Reagan Era, and American political confidence fuels an era of heavy consumption. The creative geniuses on Madison Avenue find new ways of attracting a booming consumer spend.

2019 • Economics

110:01

This documentary seeks to be the ultimate Odyssey of exploration into Cannabis and its uses starting from the formation of the Endocannabinoid system in the simple sea squirt, through to its early uses, the plant's medical benefits and landing at the modern legalisation movements across the Globe. Where the billions generated in tax could be re-invested back into hospitals, roads, fire departments, scientific research, community projects and the list goes on.

2018 • Economics

102:47

Adapting one of the most groundbreaking and powerful books of our time, Capital in the 21st Century is an eye-opening journey through wealth and power, that breaks the popular assumption that the accumulation of capital runs hand in hand with social progress, shining a new light on the world around us and its growing inequalities. Traveling through time from the French Revolution and other huge global shifts, to world wars and through to the rise of new technologies today, the film assembles accessible pop-culture references coupled with interviews of some of the world's most influential experts delivering an insightful and empowering journey through the past and into our future.

2019 • Economics

51:51

In recent years, the Netherlands and Belgium have become major drug trafficking hubs in Europe, with almost 80 percent of the continent's cocaine passing through Rotterdam or Antwerp. This has led to the rise of the "Mocro Mafia," criminal networks of Dutch people of Moroccan origin. These gangs began by trafficking hashish from Morocco but now use the same routes for the more profitable cocaine trade, sourced from Latin American cartels. Consequently, the "Mocro Mafia" has become one of the world's richest criminal organizations, generating an estimated fifty billion euros annually in Antwerp alone—10 percent of Belgium's budget. The violent "Mocro Mafia" gangs have unleashed a reign of terror. They kill lawyers, magistrates, journalists, all without a second thought. They have even threatened government ministers in Belgium and the Netherlands. Anyone who challenges their network is a potential target. The drug money is so pervasive within the economy that, according to some, Belgium and the Netherlands risk becoming narco-states. This threat has been taken very seriously by the authorities and the police. Public anxiety rose even further after the horrifying discovery of a torture chamber in a shipping container used as an 'underworld prison' by the gangs, as well as the murder of journalist Peter de Vries. We investigate the "Mocro Mafia," the new ultra-violent criminal organisation which is shaking Europe.

2022 • Economics

58:42

Jacques reveals how the lessons learned from selling to children were used to make childlike consumers of us all. From the rise of product-driven kids’ TV in the 80s, to the man who designed cars that appealed to children, and the contemporary creators of games that hook adults, Jacques asks how spending turned into a game – one that we can’t stop playing.

S1E3 • The Men Who Made Us Spend • 2014 • Economics