More or Less Podcast
Tim Harford explains - and sometimes debunks - the numbers and statistics used in political debate, the news and everyday life.
Episodes to download
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A boy meets girl meets stats story
Sat 25 Nov 2023
A data scientist takes on rom com films to see how women in STEM are represented
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A boy meets girl meets stats story
Sat 25 Nov 2023
A data scientist takes on rom com films to see how women in STEM are represented.
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Are women in the UK the biggest binge drinkers in the world?
Sat 18 Nov 2023
Checking out stats on boozing Brits and fishing fleets in the South China Sea.
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Are women in the UK the biggest binge drinkers in the world?
Sat 18 Nov 2023
Checking out stats on boozing Brits and fishing fleets in the South China Sea
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Can maths prove the existence of aliens?
Sat 11 Nov 2023
We look a famous equation which tries to explain whether life exists in outer space
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Can maths prove the existence of aliens?
Sat 11 Nov 2023
We look a famous equation which tries to explain whether life exists in outer space
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Do Indian women own 11% of the world’s gold?
Sat 4 Nov 2023
The cultural importance of gold is well known – but how much do Indians actually own?
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Do Indian women own 11% of the world’s gold?
Sat 4 Nov 2023
The cultural importance of gold is well known – but how much do Indians actually own?
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The overlooked mathematicians of history
Sat 28 Oct 2023
A global history of mathematics, from ancient China to the Middle East
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The Overlooked Mathematicians of History
Sat 28 Oct 2023
Exploring the global history of mathematics
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What do windscreen splats tell us about insect decline?
Sat 21 Oct 2023
We ask whether the ‘windscreen phenomenon’ suggests falling numbers of insects
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What do windscreen splats tell us about insect decline?
Sat 21 Oct 2023
We ask whether the ‘windscreen phenomenon’ suggests falling numbers of insects
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Greedy jobs and the gender pay gap
Sat 14 Oct 2023
Tim Harford discusses the work of Nobel Economics prize winner Claudia Goldin
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Greedy jobs and the gender pay gap
Sat 14 Oct 2023
Tim Harford discusses the work of Nobel Economics prize winner Claudia Goldin
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Are half the words in English from French?
Sat 7 Oct 2023
We ask whether almost half the words in the English language are of French origin.
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Are half the words in English from French?
Sat 7 Oct 2023
We ask whether almost half the words in the English language are of French origin.
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Vaccine claims, Alzheimer's treatment and Tim's Parkrun times
Wed 4 Oct 2023
We debunk claims about excess deaths and the covid vaccine made by YouTuber John Campbell
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Is the UK really ahead in cutting carbon emissions?
Sat 30 Sep 2023
As the UK changes course in its path to net zero, how does it compare with other nations?
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Is the UK really ahead in cutting carbon emissions?
Sat 30 Sep 2023
As the UK changes course in its path to net zero, how does it compare with other nations?
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NHS consultant pay, Net Zero claims and Scotland's ferry woes
Wed 27 Sep 2023
Are consultants in England really paid an average of £120,000 a year?
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Which city has the longest canals?
Sat 23 Sep 2023
We dive into the world of waterways after a listener asked who has the longest canals.
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Which city has the longest canals?
Sat 23 Sep 2023
We dive into the world of waterways after a listener asked who has the longest canals.
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Social housing, NHS workforce and Liz Truss debt claims
Wed 20 Sep 2023
Have the Tories really built a record number of social rent homes since 2010?
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How to approach the world through numbers
Sat 16 Sep 2023
Professor David Sumpter talks to Tim Harford about his new book
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How to approach the world through numbers
Sat 16 Sep 2023
Professor David Sumpter talks to Tim Harford about his new book
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Skin cancer, London rents and your great great great granddaughter
Wed 13 Sep 2023
Is it true that 1 in 4 men and 1 in 5 women in the UK will get skin cancer?
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Did 35,000 Americans die building the Panama Canal?
Mon 11 Sep 2023
We fact check a claim made by Donald Trump about the world famous canal
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Did 35,000 Americans die building the Panama Canal?
Sat 9 Sep 2023
We fact check a claim made by Donald Trump about the world famous canal
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Covid deaths, North Sea gas and Chloe Kelly's World Cup penalty
Wed 6 Sep 2023
Covid related deaths are rising in England and Wales - we investigate the figures
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What percentage of our brain do we actually use?
Sat 2 Sep 2023
Do we have access to some or all of our brain-power?
Unlock the history and truth behind the data with The OU
Explore how numbers shape, and sometimes mislead us, with The Open University.
When can you trust statistics?
BBC Ideas discovers three easy ways to help make sense of statistics.
