From the team behind the hit Radio 4 series Sliced Bread, this is Toast. You can find more episodes in the Sliced Bread feed only on BBC Sounds, or by searching for Toast on BBC Sounds. BBC business journalist Sean Farrington investigates wonder products and businesses which promised so much to consumers... but ultimately ended up as toast. Sean is joined by the self-made millionaire and serial entrepreneur, Sam White, to conclude what went wrong. Together they look at why a product or business failed, and what we can learn from their stories today. In this preview episode, Sean talks about wearable tech and Google Glass. These futuristic looking spectacles, with a heads-up display which showed text messages and street directions and allowed users to record video footage of what was happening around them, were named in Time Magazine as one of the best inventions of 2012. There was plenty of hype. Google even demonstrated them by live-streaming a sky dive using Google Glass. But by 2015, just two years after their release, Google announced that Google Glass Explorer, the consumer version of the glasses, was going to be shelved, and the version used by businesses has since been ditched too. Sean and Sam speak to former BBC technology correspondent Rory Cellan Jones and the 'godfather' of wearable technology Professor Sandy Pentland, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, to discover how Google Glass went from being the best thing since sliced bread to toast. Presenter: Sean Farrington Producer: Jay Unger

The rising cost of living really brought home how those big, global economic shocks can mean some pretty bad bumps for our individual finances. Probably the most obvious, immediate and, painful way that global economic events hit our household budgets is through the price of energy. In 2022 we saw our bills almost double - causing the government to step in and guarantee energy prices, with the Treasury picking up the rest of the tab. Even with that support, many people are struggling and we’re all paying a bit more attention to our bills. How does the market for energy work? Exactly what are we paying for, who sets the prices and why are our bills so much higher? And where did it all begin: economic historian Dr Victoria Bateman gives us a brief history of the National Grid. Everything you need to know about the economy and what it means for you. This podcast will cut through the jargon to bring you clarity and ensure you finally understand all those complicated terms and phrases you hear on the news such as Inflation, GDP, National Debt, energy markets and more. We’ll ensure you understand what’s going on today, why your shopping is getting more expensive or why your pay doesn’t cover your bills. Guest: Mike Waterson, Emeritus Professor of Economics at the University of Warwick Producer: Louise Clarke-Rowbotham Researcher: Beth Ashmead-Latham Technical Producer: Nicky Edwards Editor: Clare Fordham Theme music: Don’t Fret, Beats Fresh Music A BBC Long Form Audio Production for BBC Radio 4

The cost of living crisis is putting more pressure on more people - but what happens when that pressure becomes too much, and is bankruptcy always a bad thing? Professor Diane Coyle explains the processes and wider economic impact of bankruptcy, and Dr Victoria Bateman takes us back to the very beginning of the idea in the time of Henry VIII. Everything you need to know about the economy and what it means for you. This podcast will cut through the jargon to bring you clarity and ensure you finally understand all those complicated terms and phrases you hear on the news such as Inflation, GDP, National Debt, energy markets and more. We’ll ensure you understand what’s going on today, why your shopping is getting more expensive or why your pay doesn’t cover your bills. Guest: Professor Diane Coyle, the Bennett Professor of Public Policy at the University of Cambridge. Producer: Louise Clarke-Rowbotham Researcher: Beth Ashmead-Latham Technical Producer: Nicky Edwards Editor: Clare Fordham Theme music: Don’t Fret, Beats Fresh Music A BBC Long Form Audio Production for BBC Radio 4

Politicians talk about government debt a lot. When Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promised to tackle Britain's five most pressing problems, he included making sure our debt was falling. But what is the debt? In this episode Dr Gemma Tetlow explains why we have the debt at all, how much we owe, who we owe it to, and whether we should worry about it. Plus Dr Victoria Bateman takes us back in time to hear about historical debts we are still repaying today. Everything you need to know about the economy and what it means for you. This podcast will cut through the jargon to bring you clarity and ensure you finally understand all those complicated terms and phrases you hear on the news such as Inflation, GDP, National Debt, energy markets and more. We’ll ensure you understand what’s going on today, why your shopping is getting more expensive or why your pay doesn’t cover your bills. Guest: Dr Gemma Tetlow, Chief Economist at the Institute for Government Producer: Louise Clarke-Rowbotham Researcher: Beth Ashmead-Latham Technical Producer: Nicky Edwards Editor: Clare Fordham Theme music: Don’t Fret, Beats Fresh Music A BBC Long Form Audio Production for BBC Radio 4

Collectively, our individual financial decisions have a big impact on what the wider economy does. That includes how we manage our own money, including what we buy and how we buy it. One way we make large purchases, smooth out big bills and sometimes just spend some cash we can’t afford - is credit. In this episode Dr Victoria Bateman looks back to the Tallyman in the 19th century, a very early way of shopping with credit. We’ll explore what exactly credit is and how we use it. Everything you need to know about the economy and what it means for you. This podcast will cut through the jargon to bring you clarity and ensure you finally understand all those complicated terms and phrases you hear on the news such as Inflation, GDP, National Debt, energy markets and more. We’ll ensure you understand what’s going on today, why your shopping is getting more expensive or why your pay doesn’t cover your bills. Guest: Prof John Gathergood, Professor of Economics at the University of Nottingham Producer: Louise Clarke-Rowbotham Researcher: Beth Ashmead-Latham Technical Producer: Nicky Edwards Editor: Clare Fordham Theme music: Don’t Fret, Beats Fresh Music A BBC Long Form Audio Production for BBC Radio 4. This programme has been edited to change a section of music.

On one hand, we’ve all experienced the things we buy getting more expensive, from the price of fuel to a tub of butter. On the other hand, retailers desperately try to entice us to buy with discounts. Shops seem to constantly have their ‘best ever’ sales and there are days like ‘Black Friday’ when prices are slashed. How can prices go up and up, and at the same time drop? In this episode, Felicity Hannah speaks to Rupal Patel, Economist at the Bank of England, to de-mystify how prices work and figure out who has the power in the buyer seller relationship. Dr Victoria Bateman, economic Historian from the University of Cambridge brings us the history of bulk buying. Everything you need to know about the economy and what it means for you. This podcast will cut through the jargon to help you understand the complicated terms and phrases you hear on the news. Inflation, GDP, National Debt, energy markets and more. We’ll ensure you understand what’s going on today, why your shopping is getting more expensive or why your pay doesn’t cover your bills. Guest: Rupal Patel, Economist at the Bank of England and co-author of ‘Can’t we just print more money? Economics in Ten Simple Questions’ Producer: Louise Clarke-Rowbotham Researcher: Beth Ashmead-Latham Technical Producer: Nicky Edwards Editor: Clare Fordham Theme music: Don’t Fret, Beats Fresh Music A BBC Long Form Audio Production for BBC Radio 4

Why are the rich, rich and the poor, poor, and was it always this way? Tim Harford explains what’s happened to inequality over the last 100 years in the UK and why things might be better than you think. Economic historian Victoria Bateman explains the surprising effect The Great Plague had on income and gender equality. Everything you need to know about the economy and what it means for you. This podcast will cut through the jargon to bring you clarity and ensure you finally understand all those complicated terms and phrases you hear on the news. Inflation, GDP, Interest rates, and bonds, Tim Harford and friends explain them all. We’ll ensure you understand what’s going on today, why your shopping is getting more expensive or why your pay doesn’t cover your bills. We’ll also bring you surprising histories, from the war hungry Kings who have shaped how things are counted today to the greedy merchants flooding Spain with Silver coins. So if your eyes usually glaze over when someone says ‘cutting taxes stimulates growth’, fear no more, we’ve got you covered. Guest: Xiaowei Xu, Senior Research Economist at the Institute for Fiscal Studies Producer: Phoebe Keane Researchers: Drew Hyndman and Kirsteen Knight Editor: Clare Fordham Theme music: Don’t Fret, Beats Fresh Music A BBC Long Form Audio Production for BBC Radio 4

The reason we can eat pineapples and sell aeroplane parts. But why might the value of the pound fall and what does that mean if it does? Tim Harford explains who wins and who loses if the pound is cheap against the dollar and economic historian Victoria Bateman tells the story of a trade deal with Portugal that flooded England with wine and Port. Everything you need to know about the economy and what it means for you. This podcast will cut through the jargon to bring you clarity and ensure you finally understand all those complicated terms and phrases you hear on the news. Inflation, GDP, Interest rates, and bonds, Tim Harford and friends explain them all. We’ll ensure you understand what’s going on today, why your shopping is getting more expensive or why your pay doesn’t cover your bills. We’ll also bring you surprising histories, from the war hungry Kings who have shaped how things are counted today to the greedy merchants flooding Spain with Silver coins. So if your eyes usually glaze over when someone says ‘cutting taxes stimulates growth’, fear no more, we’ve got you covered. Guest: Professor Richard Davies, The University of Bristol Producer: Phoebe Keane Researcher: Drew Hyndman Editor: Clare Fordham Theme music: Don’t Fret, Beats Fresh Music A BBC Long Form Audio Production for BBC Radio 4

Why is it so hard to save for retirement? Will future generations even get a pension? Why is the pension age rising and what is the state pension age? Tim Harford explains the problem an aging population is causing for the state pension and explores the gender pension gap. Economic historian Victoria Bateman tells the story of the very first pensions in the UK. Everything you need to know about the economy and what it means for you. This podcast will cut through the jargon to bring you clarity and ensure you finally understand all those complicated terms and phrases you hear on the news. Inflation, GDP, Interest rates, and bonds, Tim Harford and friends explain them all. We’ll ensure you understand what’s going on today, why your shopping is getting more expensive or why your pay doesn’t cover your bills. We’ll also bring you surprising histories, from the war hungry Kings who have shaped how things are counted today to the greedy merchants flooding Spain with Silver coins. So if your eyes usually glaze over when someone says ‘cutting taxes stimulates growth’, fear no more, we’ve got you covered. Guest: Dr. Rajiv Prabhakar, The Open University Producer: Phoebe Keane Researcher: Drew Hyndman Editor: Clare Fordham Theme music: Don’t Fret, Beats Fresh Music A BBC Long Form Audio Production for BBC Radio 4

What happens when lots of people lose their jobs? Why might wages be low even though everyone who wants a job, has one? What do we mean by employment and unemployment and what does 'economic inactivity' mean? What is productivity and how does it relate to you and your job? Tim Harford explains, and Cambridge University Economic Historian Victoria Bateman tells the story of what happened when unemployment in the North East of England reached 70%. Everything you need to know about the economy and what it means for you. This podcast will cut through the jargon to bring you clarity and ensure you finally understand all those complicated terms and phrases you hear on the news. Inflation, GDP, Interest rates, and bonds, Tim Harford and friends explain them all. We’ll ensure you understand what’s going on today, why your shopping is getting more expensive or why your pay doesn’t cover your bills. We’ll also bring you surprising histories, from the war-hungry kings who have shaped how things are counted today to the greedy merchants flooding Spain with silver coins. So if your eyes usually glaze over when someone says ‘cutting taxes stimulates growth’, fear no more, we’ve got you covered. Guest: Professor Richard Davies, The University of Bristol Producer: Phoebe Keane Researcher: Drew Hyndman Editor: Clare Fordham Theme music: Don’t Fret, Beats Fresh Music A BBC Long Form Audio Production for BBC Radio 4