More or Less: Behind the Stats

Investigating the alleged $1.7 million salary of Nigerian lawmakers, debunking myths about their pay and Yoruba twin births. Discover the truth behind corruption allegations and the scientific evidence on twin birth rates in Nigeria.

Counting the favourite words of well-known authors: Stephen King, Hemingway and others

Did the 2016 US election galvanise young people to become more engaged in politics?

Richard Thaler, the influential behavioural economist, discusses how behavioural anomalies challenge traditional economic theories, the impact of his 'Nudge' concept on pensions policy, and the importance of recognizing manipulative tactics in financial markets. Explore risk aversion through a coin toss dilemma and learn about Thaler's contributions to integrating psychology into economic models.

Exploring the history and evolution of digital storage file names, from kilobytes to brontobytes. Unraveling the linguistic roots and cultural significance of memory measurement terms. Delving into the origins of data storage prefixes and the whimsical journey from terabytes to yottabytes. Discussing energy consumption, storage capacity, and the introduction of new terms like brontobyte and hellabyte. Engaging listeners in a humorous debate over preferred names for data storage units in the evolving landscape of naming conventions.

The podcast discusses the environmental impact of large container ships, revealing that 15 of these ships emit more pollution than all cars globally. It also explores regulatory efforts to address ship emissions and how emissions decreased during the recession with fuel-efficient super ships.

Investigation into Uber safety controversies, comparison of safety stats between Uber and London cab drivers. Surge in EU passport applications post-Brexit. Challenges in measuring domestic violence and need for improved data collection. Wrap-up with subscription promotion and announcement of upcoming podcast series.

Exploring falling sperm count as a problem, analyzing trends and meta-analysis studies, discussing declining sperm counts and impact on male fertility, exploring impacts of age on fertility and health advice for prospective fathers

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is accused of mis-using official statistics.

Delving into the intricacies of hurricane measurement, the podcast explores the Saffir-Simpson scale and introduces advanced models like Ike and CDP to assess intensity and damage potential. It discusses the significance of duration in determining storm damage and how location influences the severity of hurricane impact.