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Questioning claims about Covid and children Feb 16, 2022

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How likely are children to end up in hospital because of Covid? And how many have died?

We scrutinise some scary stats that have been circulating on social and examine what excess deaths figures tell us about the risks of Covid compared to other illnesses.

Plus, with the gift of hindsight, we examine the joys and sorrows of modelling the spread of the virus. Do MPs understand how false positive rates work? And we unwrap the mystery of the nanomoles.

Presenter: Tim Harford Produced by Simon Maybin, Lizzie McNeill, Lucy Proctor, Kirsteen Knight and Imogen Serwotka Production Coordinator: Brenda Brown Editor: Richard Vadon Sound: James Beard

Testosterone and sport Feb 13, 2022

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In early December 2021 a member of Penn University Women’s Swim Team caused a stir. Lia Thomas not only won three events but she had the fastest time in elite college swimming in the country in two out of three races. This achievement reignited a debate as Lia Thomas is a transgender woman; we examine the rules around testosterone and trans women’s participation in elite sport.

The prime minister in statistical bother Feb 09, 2022

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Boris Johnson has been ticked off for misleading Parliament on jobs and on crime.

He claimed that the number of people in employment has been rising - when it’s been falling. And he made a claim that crime has fallen - when it’s risen. We discuss the truth, and what Parliament can do to defend it.

Plus, we examine the rules around testosterone and trans women’s participation in elite sport, and the spirit of Donald Rumsfeld is with us as we try to navigate the largely unknown world of fungi.

Can you fool your brain? Feb 06, 2022

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Have you given up on your New Year’s resolution yet? Every year many of us make the promise to become better, shinier, more accomplished versions of ourselves by the same time next year. It’s often easier said than done but to an extent it really is the thought that counts. David Robson, author of ‘The Expectation Effect’ says the power of our expectations can cause real physiological effects but Mike Hall, co-director of ‘The Skeptic’ magazine isn’t convinced.

Does the UK have the fastest growing economy in the G7? Feb 02, 2022

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Conservative politicians have taken to the airwaves to tell us to forget the parties, and just look at the economic growth - but is the UK really growing faster than other leading economies?

The Omicron variant has raised the chance that people are re-infected with Covid - how common is that, and should it change the way we read the statistics that are reported each day?

The great statistician Sir David Cox has died; we remember his life and his contribution to the science of counting.

And does comparing the number of food banks to the number of McDonald’s restaurants in the UK tell us anything about food poverty?

Fertility rates: baby boom or bust? Jan 30, 2022

Show notes

Under lockdown, couples were destined to find themselves closer than ever before, but despite what you’d think – this didn’t result in a higher birth rate. In fact in developed countries across the world the birth rate is falling, we spoke to Professor Marina Adshade about why this is and what this could mean for the future.

Should you follow the 5 second rule? And does inflation hit the poorest harder? Jan 26, 2022

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Food writer Jack Monroe sparked national debate this week when she tweeted about food price hikes on the cheapest goods in supermarkets - but does inflation really hit low income households hardest?

Social media and some news outlets have spread claims this week that only around 17,000 people have actually died of Covid. We debunk.

We test the truth of the five second rule - is it a good idea to eat watermelon within five seconds of dropping it on the floor? And can you think yourself better?

Are female patients more likely to die if the surgeon is male? Jan 23, 2022

Show notes

In early January several newspapers ran article claiming that ‘women are 32% more likely to die after operation by male surgeon. If true, this is a terrifying figure but is all as it seems? We dig into the data to find out whether women should really be worried about having a male surgeon.

Are women 32% more likely to die after operation by a male surgeon? Jan 19, 2022

Show notes

Are women 32% more likely to die after operation by a male surgeon? Headlines asserting this were shared across social media recently - but the truth is a bit more complicated.

We compare the price and the quality of the UK’s Test and Trace system with that of Germany and check on what’s happening to the Covid death toll during the Omicron wave.

And we investigate the worrying statistic that one in ten people are planning to start a podcast in the coming year.

QAnon: Did 365,348 children go missing in the US in 2020? Jan 16, 2022

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In December, Republican politician Lauren Boebert tweeted the claim that ‘365,348 children went missing in 2020’. This is a shocking statistic but is it true and does it mean what we think it means? We speak to Gabriel Gatehouse, international editor of Newsnight, who has been investigating conspiracy theories including the Qanon conspiracy theory for a new podcast, The Coming Storm.

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