Uploaded January 2018 | Updated September 2026, 19 hours ago
Financial crises have been a regular feature of economic life in advanced countries since the industrial revolution. Towards the end of the twentieth century, however, economists noted that financial crises had become somewhat less common than had been in the nineteenth century. Some conjectured that this might be because we had come to understand macroeconomics and finance better and could, therefore, control our economies better. Whoops! We all know what happened next. And the biggest global financial crisis since the Great Depression was particularly severe in Ireland.
Ten years on, what have we learned? Do we now understand the causes of such crises? Could it happen again? Could it be even worse? What can we do to make it less likely? What can we do as individuals to protect ourselves from the complex, chaotic forces of global financial markets? Dr Pete Lunn is a behavioural economist. He runs a lab in Dublin that investigates our economic decision-making. He will discuss the systematic patterns in our perceptions, judgements and choices that leave us prone to crises, mistakes and, on occasion, financial calamity.
Financial crises have been a regular feature of economic life in advanced countries since the industrial revolution. Towards the end of the twentieth century, however, economists noted that financial crises had become somewhat less common than had been in the nineteenth century. Some conjectured that this might be because we had come to understand macroeconomics and finance better and could, therefore, control our economies better. Whoops! We all know what happened next. And the biggest global financial crisis since the Great Depression was particularly severe in Ireland.
Ten years on, what have we learned? Do we now understand the causes of such crises? Could it happen again? Could it be even worse? What can we do to make it less likely? What can we do as individuals to protect ourselves from the complex, chaotic forces of global financial markets? Dr Pete Lunn is a behavioural economist. He runs a lab in Dublin that investigates our economic decision-making. He will discuss the systematic patterns in our perceptions, judgements and choices that leave us prone to crises, mistakes and, on occasion, financial calamity.
![PLASTIC - Cant live with it, cant live without it [3 min video]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/kkGUi5vbvBc/mqdefault.jpg "PLASTIC - Cant live with it, cant live without it [3 min video]
It is essential but polluting. It saves lives, yet it chokes our oceans. It is cheap to create but expensive to dispose of. It can last forever but is often used only once. PLASTIC has changed our daily lives and our environment more than any other material. The unsustainability of our relationship with it is well documented, but to stop using it completely is not an option. Its use has revolutionised industrial design and more essentially, modern medicine relies on plastic so heavily that even the most basic medical procedures would be unimaginable without it. But what are the effects of such an incredibly long-lasting substance? How can we reduce plastic consumption without compromising medicine, science and the many industries that rely on its use?
Curious? Visit Science Gallery’s latest exhibition PLASTIC – CAN’T LIVE WITH IT, CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT IT from October 25th until 9th February 2020 and explore how we can responsibly use this incredible material, while fundamentally changing our approach to living with it.")
