What is the gold standard?
Million Bazillion
Marketplace
4.6 • 3.3K Ratings
🗓️ 19 May 2026
⏱️ 32 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this episode, Bridget and Ryan travel through the history of money in front of a live audience of kids and families (for real!) to answer Sofia’s big question: What is the gold standard? Together, they explore this old money rule, how paper money became a thing, and why no countries in the world – not a single one – use gold to back their money anymore.
This episode was performed as part of WBUR’s Podcast Playdate festival for kids in Boston. It was one of the most fun experiences we’ve ever had on the show. We loved seeing so many of you in the audience, hearing your reactions in real time and getting to meet you in person.
Thank you to everyone who came out. We can’t wait to go back next year!
If your family is interested in learning even more about today’s question, check out our website. We’ve got conversation starters and a tip sheet!
Love the show? You can help make it happen. Donate what you can at marketplace.org/givemillion
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hi Bridget. |
| 0:05.0 | Oh, hi Ryan. |
| 0:07.0 | Gosh, you wouldn't believe the squirrel I saw on the way over here. |
| 0:10.0 | Giant head. Normal squirrel body but with like a cat-sized head. |
| 0:14.0 | But... |
| 0:15.0 | Wait a minute. |
| 0:19.0 | Something feels different about this episode. |
| 0:22.9 | What's going on? Are we using different microphones or something? |
| 0:26.5 | Well, yeah, you might have noticed we're in front of this awesome audience of kids |
| 0:30.3 | who've come to see us do a live episode of Million Bazillion. |
| 0:35.4 | Yeah, it's part of the podcast Playdate Festival, put on by WBUR, right here in Boston. |
| 0:42.8 | Wait, we're in Boston, you say? |
| 0:45.0 | The home of MIT, Yo-Yo Ma, and Fenway Franks, the famous hood dog. |
| 0:50.0 | Yeah, that Boston. |
| 0:51.7 | And we're recording live in front of a studio audience like the Golden Girls? |
| 0:56.3 | Exactly. It's just like the Golden Girls. |
| 0:58.6 | You guys definitely know who the Golden Girls are, right? |
| 1:01.0 | Of course they know. |
| 1:02.9 | Dorothy, Blanche, Rose, Sophia. |
| 1:14.3 | See, these kids, they love Sophia from the Golden Girls. |
| 1:15.2 | Who would have thought? |
| 1:19.4 | Wait, so are these kids going to be here the whole show? |
... |
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