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Is Uganda about to become a middle income country? Jul 16, 2022

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In his State of the Nation address in early June 2022, Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni said that Uganda was on the cusp of becoming a middle income country. That’s been contradicted by World Bank figures. In response to a question from a More or Less fan in Uganda, Tim Harford looks at how a country’s income status is calculated and what relevance it has. Featuring Rachel Sebudde, Senior Economist at the World Bank.

Does it take 10,000 litres of water to make a pair of jeans? Jul 09, 2022

Show notes

Various claims have been made about how much water is used in the production of a pair of jeans, that cornerstone of casual clothing. With growing worries over the environmental impact of denim production, More or Less decided to investigate - with the help of journalist and researcher Elizabeth L. Cline who has written extensively on sustainability and the fashion industry.

How many American women will have an abortion in their lifetime? Jul 02, 2022

Show notes

Earlier this month, the US Supreme Court overturned its 1973 ruling on Roe vs Wade - the case which guaranteed a constitutional right to a legal abortion across the US, sparking heated protests and debates across the country.

But how many American women will have an abortion in their lifetime? One statistic circulating online puts it at as high as one in three. Reporter Charlotte McDonald has been looking into the figures and has uncovered some surprising statistics.

Covid climb, childcare costs and why can't the French count properly? Jun 29, 2022

Show notes

Covid cases are rising once again – how accurately are official figures picking up the new wave and how worried we should be? We discuss inflationary spirals and how much wage and pension increases contribute to inflation. Also how many parents actually struggle with childcare costs? Can long waits at A&E be put down to the pandemic and why the French count differently to the British. Produced in partnership with the Open University. Presenter: Tim Harford Series Producer: Charlotte McDonald Reporters: Jon Bithrey, Nathan Gower Production Coordinator: Brenda Brown Sound Engineer: James Beard Editor: Richard Vadon

Ed Sheeran and the mathematics of musical coincidences Jun 25, 2022

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After beating a plagiarism claim in court, musician Ed Sheeran said that musical coincidences were inevitable with only 12 notes to choose from… but what do the numbers say? Mathematician and concert pianist Eugenia Cheng takes us through the mathematics of music and explains how the power of exponentials mean that just a handful of notes can open up a seemingly endless world of musical variety.

Presenter: Tim Harford Producer: Nathan Gower Programme Coordinator: Janet Staples Sound Engineer: Neil Churchill

Rail strikes, tyre pollution and sex statistics Jun 22, 2022

Show notes

Do rail workers really earn £13,000 a year more than nurses? As rail strikes severely hit services we look at some of the claims being made around pay – and explain how you can measure average pay in different ways.

Plus we investigate claims that Chancellor Rishi Sunak wasted £11bn by paying too much interest on Britain’s national debt.

Is pollution from tyres really 2000 times worse than pollution from exhausts?

And we look at sex and statistics in America.

Produced in partnership with the Open University.

Credits: Presenter: Tim Harford Series Producer: Charlotte McDonald Reporters: Nathan Gower, Jon Bithrey Production Coordinator: Janet Staples Sound Engineer: James Beard Editor: Richard Vadon

How often do people have sex? Jun 18, 2022

Show notes

Magazine articles and advice columns are commonly littered with spurious statistics about how much sex we’re having. So how much do we really know – and what are the difficulties of collecting information about such an intimate part of our lives?

Doctor Marina Adshade from the Vancouver School of Economics, who specialises in the economics of sex and love, answers questions posed by a curious More or Less listener in Japan.

Maternity litigation, stars, bees and windowless planes Jun 15, 2022

Show notes

The former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt says that the cost of maternity litigation claims in England is now more than the cost of salaries for maternity nurses and doctors. We crunch the numbers and ask how worried parents and taxpayers should be. Also are there more bees in the world than stars in the galaxy? And would planes be much lighter if they didn’t bother with windows? Maths Professor Hannah Fry talks to us about her experience of cancer and the choices she and others have faced after a diagnosis. And we hear from author Simon Singh, who wants to bring fun maths conversations into homes everywhere.

Produced in partnership with the Open University.

Presenter: Tim Harford Series Producer: Charlotte McDonald Reporters: Nathan Gower, Lizzy McNeill, Jon Bithrey Production Coordinator: Brenda Brown Sound Engineer: James Beard Editor: Richard Vadon

Hannah Fry: Understanding the numbers of cancer Jun 11, 2022

Show notes

British mathematics professor and broadcaster Hannah Fry has spent many years trying to explain the world through numbers. But when she was diagnosed with cervical cancer she embarked on a new mission – to discover whether the medical world, and we as individuals, make the right choices around treatment. Are patients always given the facts – and the time - they need to make rational decisions? And could we be at risk of unnecessary overtreatment?

Employment puzzle, pyramids and triplets Jun 08, 2022

Show notes

The UK has a low unemployment rate, and a large number of people who are not working right now – we look at how both of these are true with the help of Chris Giles from the FT and Louise Murphy from the Resolution Foundation.

Have pyramids really moved 4km south since they were built?

For years, the media has been claiming that the odds of having identical triplets are one in 200 million – we are very suspicious. And we look at apparently concerning reports about women's life expectancy in the poorest parts of England.

Plus, we have received a lot of emails from listeners about last week’s episode. Some questioning the definition of a billion, others questioning our explanation of the nautical mile. We do some reflecting.

Produced in partnership with The Open University. Presenter: Tim Harford Production: Charlotte McDonald, Jon Bithrey, Lizzy McNeil, Nathan Gower Production coordinator: Brenda Brown Sound: James Beard Editor: Richard Vadon

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