More or Less: behind the statistics
Tim Harford and the More or Less team try to make sense of the statistics which surround us. From BBC Radio 4
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Episodes
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Catching Chess Cheats with Data
Saturday, October 8th, 2022
A cheating scandal is rocking the world of chess - and data is at its heart
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Teens and antidepressants, stamp duty savings and earthquake probabilities
Friday, October 7th, 2022
We debunk a claim that a third of British teenagers have been prescribed antidepressants
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NASA’s asteroid collision: how many asteroids are really out there?
Saturday, October 1st, 2022
As NASA rams an asteroid to try and alter its course, how many are yet to be discovered?
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Falling pound, the Queen’s funeral and is 0.5 on the Richter scale a big number?
Wednesday, September 28th, 2022
How worried should we be about the steep falls in the pound?
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Ukraine’s progress in numbers
Saturday, September 24th, 2022
We ask how much progress Ukraine has really made in recapturing territory from Russia.
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Ukraine offensive, weak pound & how much do women really exercise
Thursday, September 22nd, 2022
We ask how much progress Ukraine has really made in recapturing territory from Russia
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How bad is fashion for the environment?
Saturday, September 17th, 2022
Does fashion really account for 10% of greenhouse gas emissions?
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Energy crisis plan, imperial measures survey, gardens v national parks
Wednesday, September 14th, 2022
How much will the UK government’s plan to limit energy price rises end up costing?
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Is a third of Pakistan really under water?
Saturday, September 10th, 2022
We investigate a widely reported claim as Pakistan deals with devastating flooding
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Pakistan flooding, UK power prices and Boris’s broadband claim
Wednesday, September 7th, 2022
The scale of the disaster is huge, but is a third of Pakistan really under water?
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Can we use maths to beat the robots?
Saturday, September 3rd, 2022
Why improving how we teach and think about maths could help us keep an edge over machines
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Energy prices, excess deaths and the race to count to 200
Wednesday, August 31st, 2022
Is there an easy way to cut soaring energy bills?
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Kenya’s Election Rounding Error
Saturday, August 27th, 2022
Official figures didn’t add up - but due to rounding, not fraud.
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The numbers behind “natural” birth control
Saturday, August 20th, 2022
We examine online claims about the effectiveness of “natural” birth control methods
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Is opinion polling broken?
Saturday, August 13th, 2022
Following some high profile slip-ups in recent US elections, is opinion polling broken?
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Debunking the Liverpool FC Conspiracy Theory
Saturday, August 6th, 2022
We debunk spurious rumours that Liverpool FC use asthma medication to enhance performance
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How our world measures up
Saturday, July 30th, 2022
From ancient tally bones to a jar of peanut butter, a look at the history of measurement
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Does the World Athletics Championships have a false start problem?
Saturday, July 23rd, 2022
We examine the rules and tech of false starts after the disqualification of Devon Allen.
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Is Uganda about to become a middle income country?
Saturday, July 16th, 2022
We assess President Museveni’s claim that Uganda is nearing a higher economic status.
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Does it take 10,000 litres of water to make a pair of jeans?
Saturday, July 9th, 2022
The numbers behind water use and denim production
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How many American women will have an abortion in their lifetime?
Saturday, July 2nd, 2022
In the wake of the historic overturning of Roe vs Wade, we look at the statistics.
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Covid climb, childcare costs and why can’t the French count properly?
Wednesday, June 29th, 2022
How accurately are official figures picking up the new covid wave?
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Ed Sheeran and the mathematics of musical coincidences
Saturday, June 25th, 2022
Ed Sheeran thinks that musical coincidences will always happen… but do the numbers agree?
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Rail strikes, tyre pollution and sex statistics
Wednesday, June 22nd, 2022
Do rail workers really earn £13,000 a year more than nurses?
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How often do people have sex?
Saturday, June 18th, 2022
Looking at sex and statistics in Japan and America.
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Maternity litigation, stars, bees and windowless planes
Wednesday, June 15th, 2022
Are damages for maternity mistakes now more than wages for maternity nurses and doctors?
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Hannah Fry: Understanding the numbers of cancer
Saturday, June 11th, 2022
The maths professor on the choices she and others have faced after a cancer diagnosis
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Employment puzzle, pyramids and triplets
Wednesday, June 8th, 2022
The UK has a low unemployment rate but lots of people not working – how come?
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Are girls starting puberty earlier?
Saturday, June 4th, 2022
We look into a claim that the age of girls’ puberty is falling rapidly
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Jubilee costs, fuel poverty and imperial measures
Wednesday, June 1st, 2022
We debunk a claim the government is spending £38,000 per household on the Jubilee
Now and Next
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Chris Weaving1:00pm - 4:00pm
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Jack Haywood4:00pm - 6:00pm
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Out On The Floor with Chalky6:00pm - 8:00pm
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Groove Indicator with Andy Walters8:00pm - 10:00pm