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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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.
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Immigration: A More or Less Special Programme
Wed 5 Jul 2023
Who is coming to the UK - and how do we count them?
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Will there be just six grandchildren for every 100 South Koreans?
Sat 1 Jul 2023
We look at the numbers around South Korea’s birth rate and the reasons why it’s so low.
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Will there be just 6 grandchildren for every 100 South Koreans?
Sat 1 Jul 2023
We look at the numbers around South Korea’s birth rate and the reasons why it’s so low.
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Halving inflation, Scottish tidal power and have 1 in 3 women had an abortion?
Wed 28 Jun 2023
Will Rishi Sunak's pledge to halve inflation happen?
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US national debt: Is $32 trillion a big number?
Sat 24 Jun 2023
How concerned should we be about how much the US government borrows?
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US National Debt: is $32 trillion a big number?
Sat 24 Jun 2023
How concerned should we be about how much the US government borrows?
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Mortgages, birth rates and does space contribute 18% to UK GDP?
Wed 21 Jun 2023
Who will be most affected by mortgage rate increases?
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Is breastfeeding the key to exam success?
Sat 17 Jun 2023
We look at a new UK study that links being breastfed as a baby with academic achievement.
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Is breastfeeding the key to exam success?
Sat 17 Jun 2023
We look at a new UK study that links being breastfed as a baby with academic achievement.
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Electric vehicles, 600 million bottles and does oral sex cause cancer?
Wed 14 Jun 2023
Is the weight of electric vehicles a risk to infrastructure?
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Lib Dem ambulance claims, affordable rent and goat meat
Wed 7 Jun 2023
Did 120 people a day in England die last year whilst waiting for an ambulance?
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A short history of data
Sat 3 Jun 2023
How the evolution of data over centuries has shaped today’s world
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A short history of data
Sat 3 Jun 2023
How the evolution of data over centuries has shaped today’s world
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Food prices, net migration and beef about beef
Wed 31 May 2023
Does Britain really have the most affordable food in Europe?
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Are young people more single than ever before?
Sat 27 May 2023
How to define and measure being single – and are dating apps to blame?
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NHS waiting lists, voter ID, and measuring divorce
Wed 24 May 2023
A fall in those waiting longest for NHS treatment in England isn't telling the whole story
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Detecting bad science with data
Sat 20 May 2023
Uncovering fraud, malpractice and incompetence in science
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Detecting Bad Science with Data
Sat 20 May 2023
Uncovering fraud, malpractice and incompetence in science
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Do 94% of marriages in Portugal really end in divorce?
Sat 13 May 2023
We examine a social media post that claims to outline rates of divorce across the world.
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Do 94% of marriages in Portugal really end in divorce?
Sat 13 May 2023
We examine a social media post that claims to outline rates of divorce across the world.
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Why is life expectancy falling in the USA?
Sat 6 May 2023
We ask why average life expectancy in America is falling so quickly.
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Why is life expectancy falling in the USA?
Sat 6 May 2023
We ask why average life expectancy in America is falling so quickly.
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How much is the Coronation crown worth?
Sat 29 Apr 2023
King Charles will be anointed with St Edward’s Crown – but what’s its true value?
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How much is the Coronation crown worth?
Fri 28 Apr 2023
King Charles will be anointed with the St Edward’s Crown – but what is its true value?
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The Pentagon leaks and Fox News
Sat 22 Apr 2023
Why did Tucker Carlson say far more Ukrainian troops than Russian are dying in the war?
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The Pentagon Leaks and Fox News
Sat 22 Apr 2023
Why did Tucker Carlson say far more Ukrainian troops than Russian are dying in the war?
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How accurate is baby's due date?
Sat 15 Apr 2023
This week we investigate how a baby's due date is calculated
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.
