What happens when advances in technology allow many things to be produced for more or less nothing? And what happens when those things are then made available to the consumer for free? In his groundbreaking new book, Free, Chris Anderson considers a brave new world where the old economic certainties are being undermined by a growing flood of free goods – newspapers, DVDs, T shirts, phones, even holiday flights.

Chris explains why this has become possible – why new technologies, particularly the internet, have caused production and distribution costs in many sectors to plummet to an extent unthinkable even a decade ago. He shows how the flexibility provided by the online world allows producers to trade ever more creatively, offering items for free to make real or perceived gains elsewhere. He pinpoints the winners and the losers in the Free universe, and he demonstrates the ways in which, as an increasing number of things become available for free, our decisions to make use of them will be determined by two resources far more valuable than money: the popular reputation of what is on offer and the time we have available for it.

In the future, he argues, when we talk of the ‘money economy’ we will talk of the ‘reputation economy’ and the ‘time economy’ in the same breath, and our world will never be the same again.

The event takes place at Explore at Bristol on Wednesday 1st July from 6pm-7pm

How to book

Price: £6.50 / £4.50. Contact Explore-At-Bristol by telephone or in person. Telephone bookings can be made from 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday on: 0845 345 1235 (local rate calls) or 0117 915 5000. This service is not available on weekends or public holidays. Bookings can be made in person every day from 10am-5pm, except on 24th, 25th and 26th December.