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Tim Harford explains – and sometimes debunks – the numbers and statistics used in political debate, the news and everyday life.

Latest Episodes:

Tax, speed dating and sea ice May 19, 2017

Show notes

Exploring the Labour manifesto's tax plans for high earners.

Nurses' pay, Scottish seats, Penalty shootouts May 13, 2017

Show notes

What is happening to nurses pay?

Amid reports of nurses using food banks, Jeremy Hunt said he doesn’t recognise claims their wages are worth less now than in 2010. He says nurses are actually paid £31,000 - more than the average person. If he’s right, why do so many nurses say they’re earning much less than that?

The Great Scottish Election Conspiracy

The reporting of the Scottish council elections has caused a bit of a stir. Did the SNP lose seven seats or gain six. The media including the BBC reported that they had lost seats, the many SNP supporters are sure that this isn’t a fair representation of their performance. This all hinges on how you look at the results last time around and how you account for the major boundary review that took place between elections. Tim tries to get to the bottom of what has happened with Professor David Denver from Lancaster University.

Penalty shootout maths

What do coffee, stew and nerve-biting football finales have in common? Maths whizz and football aficionado Rob Eastaway explains all. UEFA, European football’s governing body, is currently trialling a new system for penalty shootouts. But what is the maths behind the new system – and could a century-old Scandinavian mathematical sequence offer a better approach?

Presenter: Tim Harford Producer: Charlotte McDonald

WS More or Less: Is my Baby a Giant? May 12, 2017

Show notes

All over the world mothers are given numbers as their baby grows. The numbers are from ‘growth charts’ showing how a baby is developing in comparison to others. Seven month old Baby Arlo has particularly big numbers, so much so that his parents are worried he’s one of the biggest babies in America. But where do these numbers come from? Is it an average? Why do they measure a baby’s head? Reporter Jordan Dunbar sets out to find out how we get these baby numbers and just how big Baby Arlo is.

Presenter: Tim Harford and Jordan Dunbar Producer: Charlotte McDonald and Jordan Dunbar

WS More or Less: An urban maze May 08, 2017

Show notes

Why some parts of town are hard to navigate.

Is Crime Rising? May 05, 2017

Show notes

It looks like homicides are on the rise - but better check the footnotes

WS More or Less: The Maths of Dating May 01, 2017

Show notes

How to use mathematics to find your partner. And, how reliable are pregnancy due dates?

Fact-checking Boris Johnson Apr 28, 2017

Show notes

Giant bombs, a war hero and the foreign secretary's stats.

WS More or Less: The death rate of white Americans – What’s going on? Apr 21, 2017

Show notes

Are middle-aged white Americans dying younger than other groups?

Living standards and Kate Bush maths Apr 21, 2017

Show notes

Are people's incomes falling? Plus singing Pi like Kate Bush

WS More or Less: The Ignorance Test Apr 14, 2017

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How much do you know about the world?

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