More or Less Podcast
Tim Harford explains - and sometimes debunks - the numbers and statistics used in political debate, the news and everyday life.
Episodes to download
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Is the UK really ahead in cutting carbon emissions?
Sat 30 Sep 2023
As the UK changes course in its path to net zero, how does it compare with other nations?
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Is the UK really ahead in cutting carbon emissions?
Sat 30 Sep 2023
As the UK changes course in its path to net zero, how does it compare with other nations?
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NHS consultant pay, Net Zero claims and Scotland's ferry woes
Wed 27 Sep 2023
Are consultants in England really paid an average of £120,000 a year?
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Which city has the longest canals?
Sat 23 Sep 2023
We dive into the world of waterways after a listener asked who has the longest canals.
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Which city has the longest canals?
Sat 23 Sep 2023
We dive into the world of waterways after a listener asked who has the longest canals.
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Social housing, NHS workforce and Liz Truss debt claims
Wed 20 Sep 2023
Have the Tories really built a record number of social rent homes since 2010?
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How to approach the world through numbers
Sat 16 Sep 2023
Professor David Sumpter talks to Tim Harford about his new book
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How to approach the world through numbers
Sat 16 Sep 2023
Professor David Sumpter talks to Tim Harford about his new book
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Skin cancer, London rents and your great-great-great-granddaughter
Wed 13 Sep 2023
Is it true that 1 in 4 men and 1 in 5 women in the UK will get skin cancer?
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Did 35,000 Americans die building the Panama Canal?
Mon 11 Sep 2023
We fact check a claim made by Donald Trump about the world famous canal
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Did 35,000 Americans die building the Panama Canal?
Sat 9 Sep 2023
We fact check a claim made by Donald Trump about the world famous canal
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Covid deaths, North Sea gas and Chloe Kelly's World Cup penalty
Wed 6 Sep 2023
Covid-related deaths are rising in England and Wales, we investigate the figures.
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What percentage of our brain do we actually use?
Sat 2 Sep 2023
Do we have access to some or all of our brain-power?
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What percentage of our brain do we actually use?
Sat 2 Sep 2023
Do we have access to some or all of our brain-power?
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HS2 and electric cars, UK vs China emissions & massive maths errors
Wed 30 Aug 2023
Can you really buy an electric car for everybody in the UK for the cost of HS2?
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How safe is the release of Fukushima nuclear plant water?
Sat 26 Aug 2023
We ask whether there are any risks posed by the release into the Pacific Ocean
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How safe is the release of Fukushima nuclear plant water?
Sat 26 Aug 2023
We ask whether there are any risks posed by the release into the Pacific Ocean.
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How many butterflies are there in the world?
Sat 19 Aug 2023
The world’s butterfly population doesn’t seem to be online – so what is it?
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How many butterflies are there in the world?
Sat 19 Aug 2023
The world’s butterfly population doesn’t seem to be online – so what is it?
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Why is it so hard to predict the outcome of competitions like the Premier League?
Sat 12 Aug 2023
What variables do we look at when we try to predict the outcome of a sports competition?
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Why is it so hard to predict the outcome of competitions like the Premier League?
Sat 12 Aug 2023
What variables do we look at when we try to predict the outcome of a sports competition?
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Are the media exaggerating how hot it is in the Mediterranean?
Sat 5 Aug 2023
A look at how accurately media report on the weather – especially recent heatwaves.
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Are the media exaggerating how hot it is in the Mediterranean?
Sat 5 Aug 2023
A look at how accurately media report on the weather – especially recent heatwaves.
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Data, extreme weather and climate change
Sat 29 Jul 2023
The role data plays in climate attribution - and why we don’t always have it
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Data, extreme weather and climate change
Sat 29 Jul 2023
The role data plays in climate attribution - and why we don’t always have it
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Ukraine war: A new way of calculating Russian deaths
Sat 22 Jul 2023
How Russian journalists are using probate records to estimate fatalities
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Ukraine war: A new way of calculating Russian deaths
Sat 22 Jul 2023
How Russian journalists are using probate records to estimate fatalities
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Are more adult nappies sold in Japan than baby ones?
Sat 15 Jul 2023
We examine a claim related to the perception of Japan as an ageing society.
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Are more adult nappies sold in Japan than baby ones?
Sat 15 Jul 2023
We examine a claim related to the perception of Japan as an ageing society.
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Does it take 10,000 litres of water to make a pair of jeans?
Sat 8 Jul 2023
The numbers behind water use and denim production.
Unlock the history and truth behind the data with The OU
Explore how numbers shape, and sometimes mislead us, with The Open University.
When can you trust statistics?
BBC Ideas discovers three easy ways to help make sense of statistics.
