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Why this crisis is a test of our capacity to adapt

Geoff Riley

27th March 2020

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My article of the day comes from Tim Harford, the Undercover Economist, columnist for the FT and presenter of More or Less on Radio 4.

I have written before that this crisis is a test of the resilience of many often inter-locking systems - economic, social, healthcare, financial and political. In countries which have built up anti-fragility against huge shocks, the chances of coming through the crisis with limited permanent effects are quite good.

Tim Harford's piece is about the need for creativity and a capacity to adapt - a theme he explored a decade ago in a superb book called Adapt which is still highly relevant today.

He writes: "This crisis is a test of many things. Not least among them is our capacity to adapt." from finding new staff to perform key roles in an expanded NHS to building consortia of companies with the technical expertise and supply chain capacity to ramp up production of ventilators.

Please have a read: http://timharford.com/2020/03/why-the-crisis-is-a-test-of-our-capacity-to-adapt/

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Geoff Riley

Geoff Riley FRSA has been teaching Economics for nearly forty years. He has over twenty years experience as Head of Economics at leading schools. He writes extensively and is a contributor and presenter on CPD and Revision conferences in the UK and overseas.