More or Less

The former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt says that the cost of maternity litigation claims in England is now more than the cost of salaries for maternity nurses and doctors. We crunch the numbers and ask how worried parents and taxpayers should be. Also are there more bees in the world than stars in the galaxy? And would planes be much lighter if they didn’t bother with windows? Maths Professor Hannah Fry talks to us about her experience of cancer and the choices she and others have faced after a diagnosis. And we hear from author Simon Singh, who wants to bring fun maths conversations into homes everywhere.Produced in partnership with the Open University.

Hannah Fry, a British mathematics professor and broadcaster, shares her personal journey with cervical cancer and the critical role of statistics in medical decision-making. She questions whether patients receive adequate information to make informed choices about their treatment options. Fry discusses the pitfalls of overtreatment and the importance of clear communication between doctors and patients. She also highlights a shocking study revealing that many women may unknowingly live with undetected cancer. Her insights challenge how we view cancer and patient care.

Unemployment rates may be low, but many remain outside the workforce—experts dissect the paradox. Discover if the pyramids have actually drifted south over the years, with entertaining historical tidbits. The rarity of identical triplets is scrutinized, challenging the staggering one-in-200-million claim. Life expectancy disparities in England reveal significant gaps based on socio-economic status. Plus, enjoy some witty banter on nautical miles and hear listener feedback, adding depth to the conversation.

Experts discuss the intriguing trend of girls starting puberty earlier than in previous decades. They explore historical data and the complexities of determining puberty onset. The conversation highlights the challenges of distinguishing physiological changes and the influence of factors like obesity. Revelations from the 1980s provide context for today's observations, with a focus on the implications across different racial groups. The need for more research is emphasized to fully understand the psychological and physical effects of this shift.

Is the government really spending a billion pounds on the Jubilee, as some have claimed? We investigate some of the facts and figures around this week’s commemorations. We also ask why energy bills are becoming so high in the UK when we actually have plenty of gas, and we unpack the mystery of measuring fuel poverty. Plus after the Texas school shooting we investigate the statistics around gun deaths in the US.And finally we hear about the joys and perplexities of imperial measures with Hannah Fry and Matt Parker.

Nobel memorial prize winner Daniel Kahneman is one of the world’s most famous psychologists, known particularly for his work identifying the role of cognitive bias in everyday decision making. In this edition of More or Less he talks to Tim Harford about his latest book, Noise - A Flaw in Human Judgement, in which he outlines how a multitude of often irrelevant factors influence important decisions, whether in job interviews, the courtroom or workplaces generally - and what we can do about it.

Some recent, and surprising, estimates from the World Health Organisation suggested that the UK fared better than Germany in the pandemic. But did they get it right?At Eurovision this year an algorithm was apparently used to replace whole countries’ votes - was it responsible for the UK’s second-place finish?The global economy has been putting the squeeze on many of us this year. Various factors have caused food, fuel and energy prices to rocket and many households are starting to feel the pinch. We speak to economist Duncan Weldon about whether this year is the worst hit to the cost of living since records began.An unusually large contingent of children are set to hit English secondary schools just as the number of 21 year olds dips – so are we heading for a teaching crunch in England?Produced in partnership with The Open University.

In the fight against global warming we’re constantly told to do our bit to reduce green house gas emissions. However, a claim circulating that just ‘100 companies are responsible for 71% of global emissions’ can make any individual effort seem futile. But does this claim mean what you think it means? We look into this and the claim that the pandemic pushed South African stress levels up by 56%. With guests Abbas Panjwani from Fullfact and Kirsten Cosser from Africa Check.(Image: Power plant emitting smoke at sunset. Credit: Enviromantic/Getty)

The World Health Organisation recently released some new estimates of the global death toll of the pandemic. But the figures for a few countries have caused controversy. Tim Harford speaks to Professor Jon Wakefield, who worked on the analysis - and Indian data journalist Rukmini S about the debate that’s erupted in India over the figures.(man puzzled at blackboard. Credit: Getty images)

Tim Harford dives into the alarming world of ocean acidification, unpacking the significance of pH changes and their logarithmic scale. Discover how a seemingly small decline in pH translates to a staggering 30% increase in acidity over recent years. Explore the dire consequences for marine life, including coral reefs and shellfish, as acidity rises by 43% since pre-industrial times. This thought-provoking discussion calls for a deeper understanding of these changes and their implications for marine ecosystems and food security.