The notion of shipping things in standardised boxes seems obvious in retrospect, so why did shipping containers take so long to emerge? Host Tom Standage finds out how difficult it was for this simple idea to take off. He talks to shipping experts and economists about the container’s far-reaching impact on the global economy—creating both winners and losers. For full access to The Economist’s print, digital and audio editions subscribe at economist.com/podcastoffer   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.