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More or Less: Behind the Stats

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BBC Radio 4

Tim Harford and the More or Less team try to make sense of the statistics which surround us. From BBC Radio 4

#976

Nobel prize: Why are some countries so much richer than others?

The question of why some countries are rich and some poor has been described as the most important question in economics. Perhaps that is why the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics to Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson and James Robinson for their work on the importance of institutions in the economic fortunes of nation states. Tim Harford explains the economic theory that underpins their award. Presenter: Charlotte McDonald Reporter: Tim Harford Producer: Bethan Ashmead Latham Series producer: Tom Colls Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison Sound mix: Giles Aspen Editor: Richard Vadon ... Read more

19 Oct 2024

08 MINS

08:55

19 Oct 2024

#975

When are numbers like a horse at a gymkhana?

Can we teach BBC political editor Chris Mason some new maths skills? Do 60 of the UK’s richest people pay 100% tax? Have water bills fallen in real terms since 2010? When it comes to HPV and cervical cancer, is zero a small number? Tim Harford investigates some of the numbers in the news. Presenter: Tim Harford Producers: Nathan Gower and Bethan Ashmead Latham Series producer: Tom Colls Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison Sound mix: Sarah Hockley Editor: Richard Vadon ... Read more

16 Oct 2024

28 MINS

28:43

16 Oct 2024

#974

Uncertainty, probability and double yoked eggs

Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter is one of the great communicators of probability and uncertainty. His new book, The Art of Uncertainty, explains how to approach uncertainty, luck, probability and ignorance. Tim Harford talks to Sir David about double yoked eggs, the Bay of Pigs, and his top tips for politicians who want to communicate evidence and uncertainty. Presenter: Tim Harford Series producer: Tom Colls Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison Sound mix: John Scott Editor: Richard Vadon ... Read more

12 Oct 2024

08 MINS

08:57

12 Oct 2024

#973

Should the government target persnuffle?

Are childhood obesity rates going down? Do 35 million birds die every year in the UK after hitting windows? How much money could the Chancellor find by changing the debt rule? And Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter contemplates the probability of his own conception. Tim Harford investigates some of the numbers in the news, and in life. Presenter: Tim Harford Reporter: Charlotte MacDonald Producers: Bethan Ashmead Latham, Natasha Fernandes and Nathan Gower Series producer: Tom Colls Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison Sound mix: Neil Churchill Editor: Richard Vadon ... Read more

09 Oct 2024

27 MINS

27:55

09 Oct 2024

#972

Are 672 billion pounds of corn eaten in the US every year?

National Geographic magazine recently wrote that “people in the United States eat more than 672 billion pounds of corn per year, which breaks down to more than 2,000 pounds per person annually”. Is this really true? Tim Harford investigates all the things that we don’t eat, that are counted in this number. Presenter: Tim Harford Producer: Bethan Ashmead Latham Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison Sound mix: Giles Aspen Editor: Richard Vadon ... Read more

05 Oct 2024

10 MINS

10:13

05 Oct 2024

#971

How do you breed seventeen octillion rats?

Are GPs really working less hours per week? Does Wetherspoons really pay one in every £1000 of tax in the UK? Are more people in the UK economically inactive? How long does it take two rats to produce 17 octillion rats? Tim Harford investigates some of the numbers in the news. Presenter: Tim Harford Reporters: Natasha Fernandes and Bethan Ashmead-Latham Producer: Nathan Gower Series producer: Tom Colls Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison Sound mix: Sarah Hockley Editor: Richard Vadon ... Read more

02 Oct 2024

28 MINS

28:42

02 Oct 2024

#970

The puzzles you’re meant to get wrong

Why do some puzzles make us immediately leap to the wrong conclusion? That’s the subject of Alex Bellos’ new book Think Twice, which has page after page of questions designed to deceive. Alex sets Tim Harford some of his favourite puzzles. Presenter: Tim Harford Series producer: Tom Colls Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison and Janet Staples Sound mix: Donald MacDonald Editor: Richard Vadon ... Read more

28 Sep 2024

08 MINS

08:58

28 Sep 2024

#969

Could the winter fuel cut cost more than it saves?

The government is encouraging pensioners to claim pension credit in order to remain eligible for winter fuel payments. Will people sign up - and might that end up costing the exchequer more than it saves? The Office for National Statistics has downgraded the status of a new statistic aiming to measure how many people are transgender. What went wrong? Cancer appears to be on the rise in people under 50. But are more people dying? And try your hand at a puzzle you’re likely to get wrong. Tim Harford investigates some of the numbers in the news. Presenter: Tim Harford Producers: Natasha Fernandes and Bethan Ashmead-Latham Series producer: Tom Colls Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison Sound mix: Sarah Hockley Editor: Richard Vadon ... Read more

25 Sep 2024

28 MINS

28:37

25 Sep 2024

#968

Do 85% of the world’s population practice a religion?

We don’t usually do god on More or Less, but one listener got in touch to ask us to investigate a stat used by an Anglican priest on a BBC radio programme. Speaking on the “Thought for the Day” slot, Reverend Lucy Winkett said that around 85% of the world's population practice a religion. Is this true? We speak to Conrad Hackett, from the Pew Research Center, and the person whose research is the source for the claim. Presenter: Tim Harford Producer: Natasha Fernandes Series producer: Tom Colls Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison Sound mix: Nigel Appleton Editor: Richard Vadon ... Read more

21 Sep 2024

10 MINS

10:00

21 Sep 2024

#967

How do you count millionaires?

Can we be sure that thousands of millionaires are leaving the UK? How much do asylum seekers cost the state? Who will win a geeky bet on private school pupil numbers? What does a string quartet teach us about the woes of the National Health Service? Tim Harford investigates some of the numbers in the news. Presenter: Tim Harford Producers: Caroline Bayley, Natasha Fernandes and Bethan Ashmead-Latham Series producer: Tom Colls Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison Sound mix: Sarah Hockley Editor: Richard Vadon ... Read more

18 Sep 2024

28 MINS

28:50

18 Sep 2024

#966

Nate Silver: Do risk-takers run the world?

Big stakes poker player and elections analyst Nate Silver is no stranger to a calculated risk. In his new book, On The Edge, he makes the case that people willing to take massive calculated risks are winning in the modern economy. Tim Harford talks to Nate about the mindset that’s driving hedge fund managers, crypto true-believers and silicon valley investors. Presenter: Tim Harford Producer: Beth Ashmead Latham Series producer: Tom Colls Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison Sound mix: Nigel Appleton Editor: Richard Vadon ... Read more

14 Sep 2024

08 MINS

08:59

14 Sep 2024

#965

How long does it take to turn around an oil tanker?

Do illegal migrants receive more in benefits than pensioners? Was Energy Secretary Ed Miliband right to celebrate a “record breaking” renewable energy auction? Is one divided by zero infinity? Why don’t we spend more on evidence that government spending works? And how long does it actually take to turn around an oil tanker? Tim Harford investigates some of the numbers in the news. Presenter: Tim Harford Reporter: Charlotte McDonald Producers: Natasha Fernandes, Bethan Ashmead-Latham and Nathan Gower Series producer: Tom Colls Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison Sound mix: Gareth Jones Editor: Richard Vadon ... Read more

11 Sep 2024

27 MINS

27:42

11 Sep 2024

#964

Who pays when trade wars heat up?

Donald Trump wants new tariffs on goods coming into the US, describing them as a tax on other countries. The Democrats are no stranger to trade tariffs themselves, with Joe Biden having added them to numerous goods coming into the US from China. We talk to Erica York from the Tax Foundation about how tariffs work and who ends up paying for them. Presenter: Tim Harford Producers: Kate Lamble and Beth Ashmead Latham Series producer: Tom Colls Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison Sound mix: Steve Greenwood Editor: Richard Vadon ... Read more

07 Sep 2024

08 MINS

08:58

07 Sep 2024

#963

Exclusions, black holes and dividing by zero

Do half of children in Wales have special educational needs? Are permanent exclusions at the highest ever level in England? Labour are talking about a £22bn black hole. Is that a new black hole in the finances? Are there more Ghanaian nurses in the UK than in Ghana? Can you divide one by zero? Tim Harford looks at some of the numbers in the news. Presenter: Tim Harford Reporters: Kate Lamble and Nathan Gower Producer: Beth Ashmead Latham Series producer: Tom Colls Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison Sound mix: Andy Fell Editor: Richard Vadon ... Read more

04 Sep 2024

28 MINS

28:53

04 Sep 2024

#962

Where have Cuba’s people gone?

The Cuban government has announced that their population has fallen by 10% in two years – just days after a demographer on the Caribbean island suggested an even bigger fall. But which is the right number, and why are so many people leaving? We speak to Dr Emily Morris from University College London and Dr Jorge Duany from the Cuban Research Institute at Florida International University. Presenter: Kate Lamble Producer: Beth Ashmead Latham Series producer: Tom Colls Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison Sound mix: Sue Maillot Editor: Richard Vadon ... Read more

31 Aug 2024

09 MINS

09:02

31 Aug 2024

#961

Do we eat a credit card's worth of microplastic each week?

The claim we all swallow 5.5 grams of microplastic each week – the same as the weight of a credit card – has been repeated by charities, newspapers and the World Economic Forum. But when you understand how this number was calculated, and the range of possible answers for the amount of plastic you eat, you might not want to repeat it yourself. Professor Jamie Woodward from the University of Manchester explains what’s what. Presenter: Kate Lamble Producer: Beth Ashmead Latham Researcher: Ajai Singh Series producer: Tom Colls Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison Sound mix: Giles Aspen Editor: Richard Vadon ... Read more

24 Aug 2024

08 MINS

08:58

24 Aug 2024

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#976

Nobel prize: Why are some countries so much richer than others?

#975

When are numbers like a horse at a gymkhana?

#974

Uncertainty, probability and double yoked eggs

#973

Should the government target persnuffle?

#972

Are 672 billion pounds of corn eaten in the US every year?

#971

How do you breed seventeen octillion rats?

#970

The puzzles you’re meant to get wrong

#969

Could the winter fuel cut cost more than it saves?

#968

Do 85% of the world’s population practice a religion?

#967

How do you count millionaires?

#966

Nate Silver: Do risk-takers run the world?

#965

How long does it take to turn around an oil tanker?

#964

Who pays when trade wars heat up?

#963

Exclusions, black holes and dividing by zero

#962

Where have Cuba’s people gone?

#961

Do we eat a credit card's worth of microplastic each week?