Elfonomics - with Elf Lyons and Dr Gerard Lyons
Episodes
Why are the trains so sh*t?
22 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Elf and her dad take on one of Britain’s favourite grumbles:the railways. Are they really as bad as we think? In this episode, they dive into how th...
Live at Latitude!: The Creative Economy
15 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Recorded live on-stage at The Listening Post, Latitude’s spoken word venue, comedian Elf Lyons and her economist Dad, Dr Gerard Lyons are buzzing on...
Do newspapers still matter?
01 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Comedian Elf Lyons and the economist Dr Gerard Lyons explore the economics of newspapers and how the industry has been forced to transform in recent d...
Student debt (and is it worth it?)
25 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Are student loans really a tax? Are they fair? And are they putting people off going to university? Elf Lyons and economist Dr Gerard Lyons accrue you...
Fast Fashion: Cheap Thrills or Economic Illusion?
18 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why is your £5 crop top such a big deal? In this episode of Elfonomics, Elf Lyons and economist Dr Gerard Lyons unravel the tangled threads of fast f...
Babies (and how to afford them)
11 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Fertility is falling, IVF is rising, and bringing up a child in the UK now costs more than buying a house! In this heartfelt and data-packed episode, ...
Mini-ep on future eps!
28 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Elf and Dr Gerard Lyons tease future episodes.
Why are theatre tickets so expensive?
14 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Elf and her dad dive into the economics behind theatre ticket prices. From production costs to audience demand, we explore why a night at the theatre ...
What is money?
07 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What IS money? How much of it really exists? And when can it be a cow? Is a cashless future inevitable? And in a cashless society, will you still be ...
Should I be ashamed that I have no savings?
31 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Peeling the banana that is savings, Elf and Gerard Lyons explore bank balance embarrassment via the economics of the comedy industry, personal invest...
Is ChatGPT our friend?
24 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hello! This podcast blurb was written by HUMAN INTELLIGENCE... Or was it? In this episode we dip our toe in the water of one of the most uncanny valle...
Why is Nanny Squeak obsessed with Premium Bonds?
17 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Elf and Gerard Lyons discuss Premium Bonds. What are they? Are they a smart savings choice? How do they help the UK government raise revenue? Did the...
The Indo-Pacific: Heartbeat of The Future Global Economy
10 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Gerard Lyons and Elf Lyons move the map and discover why the Indo-Pacific is ‘the heartbeat of the future global economy’. They discuss the gr...
Why Is Coffee So Expensive?
03 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Elfonomics: back for 2025, carefully brewed for your ears. Dr Gerard Lyons and Elf Lyons have a heavily caffeinated chat about why coffee is so costl...
What can artists learn from football?
02 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Elf discovers what lessons artists can take from football as Gerard analyses the economics of the Premier League and whether the model is sustainable....
Should I start an OnlyFans account?
05 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Elf and Gerard discuss the rise of OnlyFans and the economics behind it: the reinvention of the middle man, an online market place an...
Why Are Vets So Expensive?
26 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Why is it cheaper to fly to a different country than pay for a veterinary bill? In this episode of Elfonomics, Elf and Gerard dissect the economics of...
Why Is Everything Made In China?
17 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Why does it feel that everything is made in China and will that always be the case? Guilt-ridden by her online shopping addiction, Elf asks her da...
Why Are Weddings So Expensive?
06 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to Elfonomics! In this episode, Elf prepares to get hitched and asks her dad 'Why are weddings so expensive?'. Whilst Gerard trie...
What The H£ll is a Smart City?
23 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Elf asks her economist dad 'What is a smart city? And if there are smart cities, does that mean there are silly cities?' Gerard talks about the techno...
Why can't I buy a house?
01 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Elf asks her dad why she can't buy a house... and is it possible to live in a parking space? From growing populations, rising property prices and the ...
What The H£ll is the Green Economy?
06 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As COP27 gets underway in Egypt, comedian Elf Lyons and her father, the economist Dr Gerard Lyons, discuss whether we can have economic growth at the ...
What The H£ll is the Cost Of Living Crisis?
12 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
With inflation surging, energy prices rocketing and ‘a summer of strikes’, comedian Elf Lyons and her father, the economist Dr Gerard Lyons, tackl...
What The H£ll is the Edinburgh Fringe?
02 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ahead of this year’s Festival, comedian Elf Lyons and her father, the economist Dr Gerard Lyons, examine the economics of the Edinburgh Fringe; how ...