The Geometry of Holes: A Mathematical Exploration

A coronavirus check-in, our daily mask use measured, and a minister's claim on the universal credit cut questioned.

There was a time when the latest Covid statistics were headline news daily, but as the pandemic has stretched on into its second year and third wave people don't pay as much attention. But on More or Less we still keep an eye on them because that’s how we roll.

A recent article estimated that 129 billion single-use face masks are used every day around the world. It sounds wrong, but how wrong is it? And how did it get so wrong?

Making up the shortfall from the £20 weekly cut in the universal credit benefit means working an extra two hours a week - or an extra nine, depending on who you listen to. We run the numbers.

Plus, has the number of periods women have in a lifetime increased fourfold? And how many holes does a drinking straw have?