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Did tea-drinking cut deaths in the Industrial Revolution? Apr 09, 2022

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Could an explosion in tea-drinking explain a decline in deaths in England during the industrial revolution? Professor Francisca Antman, an economist at the University of Colorado Boulder believes it might.

Tim Harford discovers that dusting down the data from tea shipments and local burial records gives us surprising insight into how boiling water for tea accidentally improved public health.

Presenter: Tim Harford Producer: Nathan Gower Sound Engineer: Graham Puddifoot

Will the war in Ukraine cause a global wheat shortage? Apr 02, 2022

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As the Russian Invasion of Ukraine continues, the effects ripple around the rest of the world. One concern involves the wheat harvest. There have been claims that Ukraine and Russia supply 25% of the worlds wheat and that as a result we’re facing a global wheat crisis. We look into this misleading figure to determine what the real impact might be.

Why has Hong Kong’s Covid wave been so bad? Mar 27, 2022

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After pursuing a largely successful ‘Zero-Covid’ strategy for two years, Hong Kong has now suffered one of the worst Covid death rates in the whole of the pandemic. But what are the numbers that explain this surprising vulnerability? Tim Harford spoke to Professor Ben Cowling from the University of Hong Kong to talk about the nuances of vaccination rates, Hong Kong’s ageing population, and the implications for mainland China and other ‘Zero-Covid’ countries.

Producer: Nathan Gower Sound Engineer: Rod Farquhar

(People lie in hospital beds outside the Medical Centre in Hong Kong, Feb.2022 (Credit: Peter Parks/Getty Images)

Pizza and Nuclear War Mar 20, 2022

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The War in Ukraine has reminded the world how easily conflict might escalate into a Nuclear War. But according to Professor Barry Nalebuff of Yale University, good strategy and negotiating can help us with everything from avoiding Armageddon to dividing up a pizza fairly.

Tim Harford talks to Barry Nalebuff about his new book, “Split the Pie”.

Presenter:Tim Harford Producer: Lizzy McNeill

Does the UK take in more refugees than other European countries? Mar 13, 2022

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As the war in Ukraine continues, Reuters has reported that some 2.3 million people have been displaced. So far many of those have sought refuge in neighbouring countries. The UN estimates that as of the 8th of march Poland has taken in almost 1.3 million refugees, Hungary just over 200,000 and Slovakia almost 100,000.

In comparison the UK has issued visa’s to just under 1000 people. Some say this isn’t enough, however, Prime Minister Boris Johnson defended the governments record claiming that ‘"We've done more to resettle vulnerable people than any other European country since 2015." Sound familiar? Join us on a journey back to 2020 to find out whether this is accurate or just a repeated misleading claim.

Numbers in Ukraine and low seas in Chagos Mar 06, 2022

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Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we take a look at some of the numbers coming out of the conflict and ask how to know which information you can trust during a war. We also investigate the perplexing claim that the seas around the Chagos Islands are 100m lower than the seas around the rest of the world.

Troop and Casualty Numbers in Ukraine Mar 02, 2022

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How reliable are the figures coming out of the conflict in Ukraine?

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we consider claims about the numbers of troops involved, people killed, and planes downed.

Also: are the prime minister’s parliamentary claims about growing numbers of NHS staff backed up by data? We investigate the perplexing claim that the Chagos Islands are 100 metres below sea level. How long do you have to drive an electric car to offset the pollution from making the battery? And do we really make 35,000 decisions a day?

Did lockdowns save any lives? Feb 27, 2022

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Lockdown. A word we’ve all become overly familiar with over the past two years. Lockdowns were intended to protect people, especially societies most vulnerable, from the risks associated with contracting Covid. However, a new study has been making headlines which claims to show that mandatory lockdowns have only reduced Covid-19 mortality by 0.2%, or one death in five hundred. We examine the evidence behind the claim.

Vaccinating children, lockdowns, and ebikes Feb 23, 2022

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Jabs for five to 11-year-olds, lockdown effectiveness, and being green on two wheels.

Governments across the UK have decided to offer Covid vaccinations to primary school-aged children. What was the data behind this decision?

What effect did lockdowns have on preventing deaths from Covid? We look at a research paper that says almost none. Plus, is Elon Musk right to warn of a global population collapse? And can it really be greener to ride an e-bike than a good old-fashioned push bike?

Hospitalisation rates for children with Covid Feb 20, 2022

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Covid vaccines will be offered to all children across the UK between the ages of 5 and 12 - some months after the same decision in countries such as Italy and Germany. It is a topic that has caused a fair amount of controversy and with controversy often comes suspicious statistical claims. We look at the data behind child hospitalisations and deaths due to Covid19.

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