

More or Less: Behind the Stats
BBC Radio 4
Tim Harford and the More or Less team try to make sense of the statistics which surround us. From BBC Radio 4
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 29, 2018 • 28min
BONUS PODCAST: Economics with Subtitles - Coffins Full of Car Keys
BONUS PODCAST: For the rest of August, in addition to More or Less you’ll get a brand new podcast, Economics with Subtitles. It’s your everyday guide to economics and why you should care. In this edition, Ayeisha and Steve make sense of interest rates. Why did they lead to coffins full of car getting sent to the US Federal Reserve? What factors affect what you have to pay on your loans? And what do your film choices say about why you decide to borrow?Producers: Simon Maybin & Phoebe Keane
Presenters: Ayeisha Thomas-Smith & Steve Bugeja

Aug 27, 2018 • 9min
WS: More or Less - Automated fact-checking
Computer programmes are being developed to combat fake news.

Aug 24, 2018 • 25min
A no-frills life, automated fact-checking and Lord-of-the-Rings maths
What would have been the most efficient way to get to Mordor?

Aug 22, 2018 • 28min
BONUS PODCAST: Economics with Subtitles - How Condoms Can Cost a Week’s Wages
BONUS PODCAST: For the rest of August, in addition to More or Less you’ll get a brand new podcast, Economics with Subtitles. It’s your everyday guide to economics and why you should care. In this show, Ayeisha and Steve make sense of inflation. They’ll explain how hyperinflation is affecting how Venezuelans have sex, why you can’t afford a ticket to see your favourite band in concert anymore and why a sale on sofas isn’t always a good thing.Producers: Simon Maybin & Phoebe Keane
Presenters: Ayeisha Thomas-Smith & Steve Bugeja

Aug 20, 2018 • 9min
WS More or Less: Are Wildfires Really Burning More Land?
Are Wildfires in the United States and Southern Europe burning more land than before?

Aug 15, 2018 • 28min
BONUS PODCAST: Economics with Subtitles - Bracelets for Bullets
BONUS PODCAST: For the rest of August, in addition to More or Less you’ll get a brand new podcast, Economics with Subtitles. It’s your everyday guide to economics and why you should care. In this show, Ayeisha and Steve explore government debt. Why did an anonymous mother send her bracelet to the government to be turned into a bullet? How are you lending the government money without even realising? And when should you be worried about how much debt the government is in?Producers: Simon Maybin & Phoebe Keane
Presenters: Ayeisha Thomas-Smith & Steve Bugeja

Aug 10, 2018 • 9min
Numbers Behind a Tweetstorm
How do you get a hashtag to trend around the world?

Aug 8, 2018 • 29min
BONUS PODCAST: Economics with Subtitles - How Buying Cocaine Helps the Government
BONUS PODCAST: For the rest of August, in addition to More or Less, you’ll get four bonus editions of Economics with Subtitles. It’s a brand new podcast that will bring you an everyday guide to economics and why you should care. In this edition, Ayeisha and Steve look at how we quantify economic success. Should dodgy drug deals be included? What is Steve’s contribution to GDP? And should we ban people who pinch too many of your crisps?Producers: Simon Maybin & Phoebe Keane
Presenters: Ayeisha Thomas-Smith & Steve Bugeja

Aug 3, 2018 • 9min
Carbs, Sugar and the Truth
Does a baked potato contain the equivalent of 19 cubes of sugar?

Jul 27, 2018 • 9min
Getting Creative with Statistics
How big are your testicles and what does that mean?