More or Less: Behind the Stats

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Episodes

Date Title & Description Contributors
2024-03-25

  What's happening to arctic ice?

The area of ice covering the arctic ocean has been in a state of long decline, as climate change takes effect. But recent fluctuations in the ice have been seized on by climate change sceptics, who say it tells a different story.We speak to polar clima...
  BBC Radio 4 author
2024-03-16

  Does the Russian government really spend 40% of its budget on the military?

According to the head of the British military, the Russian government spends 40% of its budget on its war machine. But is it true? With the help of Professor Bettina Renz from Nottingham University and Dr Richard Connolly from The Royal United Servi...
  BBC Radio 4 author
2024-03-09

  Is public speaking really our biggest fear?

For over 50 years it’s been widely reported that speaking before a group is people’s number one fear. But is it really true? With the help of Dr Karen Kangas Dwyer, a former Professor in the School of Communication at the University of Nebraska-Omaha...
  BBC Radio 4 author
2024-03-02

  Ultramarathons: Are women faster than men?

As running races get longer, the gap between male and female competitors seems to close. Tim Harford and Lucy Proctor investigate the claim that when the race is 195 miles long, women overtake men to become the fastest runners. Presenter: Tim Harfor...
  BBC Radio 4 author
2024-02-28

  School spending, excess deaths and billions of animals at Heathrow

Is school funding at record levels as the education secretary claimed? Why did the ONS change how they measure excess deaths? Is there a shoplifting epidemic? Did 6.5bn creatures arrive in the UK by plane last year?Tim Harford investigates some of the ...
  BBC Radio 4 author
2024-02-24

  NBA basketball: Is height more important than skill?

In the NBA, the US professional basketball league, the average player is a shade over 6ft 6 inches tall. So just how much does being very tall increase a man’s chances of becoming a professional player? Tim Harford talks to data scientist Seth Stephen...
  BBC Radio 4 author
2024-02-21

  Per capita GDP, MP claims and the entire EU budget

What does per capita GDP tell us about the UK economy? Did the government spend £94bn helping with rising energy prices? Was Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg right about the cost of the EU covid recovery scheme? How did Ben Goldacre persuade scientists to publish a...
  BBC Radio 4 author
2024-02-17

  The digital ‘robots’ unlocking medical data

Big medical datasets pose a serious problem. Thousands of patients’ health records are an enormous risk to personal privacy. But they also contain an enormous opportunity – they could show us how to provide better treatments or more effective health po...
  BBC Radio 4 author
2024-02-14

  Debt, students, shark and chips

What is the government’s fiscal rule on the national debt? Are international students stealing places from the UK’s young people? How much social housing is really being built? Do 90% of chip shops sell shark and chips?Tim Harford investigates some of ...
  BBC Radio 4 author
2024-02-10

  The global gender split in young people’s politics

In a surprising new trend, young men and women around the world are dividing by gender on their politics and ideologies. Whilst young women are becoming more liberal, young men are becoming more conservative. Tim Harford speaks to John Burn-Murdoch, Co...
  BBC Radio 4 author