

More or Less
BBC Radio 4
Tim Harford explains - and sometimes debunks - the numbers and statistics used in political debate, the news and everyday life
Episodes
Mentioned books

May 25, 2012 • 10min
The maths of infidelity (WS)
It’s a very commonly-held belief that men are less faithful than women But it takes two to tango. So can this be mathematically possible? And we answer a cry for help from an Australian listener who wants to be “a bit more average”.

May 21, 2012 • 9min
Where are the world hardest workers? (WS)
Earlier in the year we found out that Greeks put in more working hours than Germans. But the Germans are more efficient. So that got us thinking: who works the longest hours in the world?

May 17, 2012 • 28min
Troubled families and unneutered cats. (R4)
Explore the government's identification of troubled families and the misrepresentation of deprivation as troublemaking. Discover a unique fare structure for public transportation and the surprising discussion on cat reproduction rates. Delve into the potential cat population explosion and NHS staffing debate. Compare the employee numbers of various global organizations and their civilian staff inclusion.

May 14, 2012 • 10min
Trouble on the Greek railways (WS)
Would it be cheaper to send every Greek rail passenger by taxi instead? This programme was first broadcast on the BBC World Service.

May 11, 2012 • 28min
Are CEOs worth it? (R4)
Executive pay, chess and trouble on the Greek railway.

May 4, 2012 • 10min
A grand economic experiment? (WS)
Are we witnessing a grand economic experiment being played out between Europe, trying to cut its way out of trouble, and the United States, trying to spend its way to redemption? Plus, we investigate the height of North Koreans.
This programme was first broadcast on the BBC World Service.

May 4, 2012 • 28min
Austerity, border queues and bank holidays (R4)
Are we witnessing a grand economic experiment playing out between Britain and the United States? How long have travellers been waiting to get through immigration at Heathrow? Plus, are you going to destroy the economy this bank holiday weekend?

Apr 27, 2012 • 10min
The formula that changed the world
The Midas Formula - In this week's More or Less: The story of Black-Scholes, the equation that transformed Wall Street – and the arguments over whether it made the world a better place, or helped cause the financial mess we have all been dealing with for the past five years.
This programme was first broadcast on the BBC World Service.

Apr 27, 2012 • 28min
The formula that changed the world
Rain and drought in numbers, the formula which changed Wall Street and then the world forever - and why Conservative MPs used to be taller than their Labour counterparts.

Apr 20, 2012 • 10min
20 Apr 12
Is the rate of species extinction exaggerated - or even unknowable?
Producer: Richard Knight
This programme was first broadcast on the BBC World Service.


