More or Less: Behind the Stats

This podcast delves into the imbalance of teenage boys to girls in Sweden, specifically focusing on asylum seekers. They discuss the challenges in verifying the ages of young males from Afghanistan, methods used by authorities, and the impact on demographics. The analysis explores the distortion in the sex ratio among asylum seekers, prompting listeners to submit their own investigative queries.

Celebrating Maryam Mirzakhani, the only woman to win the biggest prize in mathematics. Explore her journey from Tehran to Harvard, her groundbreaking work in hyperbolic geometry and Riemann surfaces, and her unique mathematical models. Discover her pioneering research in abstract discoveries, billiards dynamics, and how her studies impact fields like embryonic growth, quantum mechanics, and financial markets.

Exploring statistical analysis of tennis at Wimbledon, including serving strategies and the impact of using fresh tennis balls. Debunking common beliefs about serving strategies and the advantage of serving first in a set. Analyzing player performance and serving stats to debunk myths about women players serving more double faults than men.

Lebron James discusses how NBA's top players like Steph Curry might actually be underpaid despite huge contracts. The podcast also delves into the mystery of Ryanair's 'random' seating allocation, questioning its true randomness.

Stand-up mathematician Matt Parker discusses the centenary of Woodall Primes and the call for new discoveries. He explains the uniqueness of Woodall Primes and how listeners can contribute to finding them. Also, the podcast explores the fairness of penalty shoot-outs in sports and potential solutions to level the playing field.

Exploring the rarity of deadly tower block fires like Grenfell Tower, highlighting the safety standards in high-rise buildings. Analysing the decline in fire incidents and deaths in UK residences due to technological advancements.

The Voice of 1960s British children’s TV series ‘Trumpton’, Brian Cant, died this week. The More or Less team has visited the town of Trumpton on a number of occasions so we have brought together a handful of our favourites as a tribute.

Post-election analysis of general election results, focusing on youth voter turnout, diversity in parliament, and unexpected outcomes. Explore discrepancies in crime statistics, election costs, and unusual candidacies like Lord Buckethead and Elmo.

Cheick Tiote, the former Newcastle United player tragically passed away while training with Beijing Enterprises. The podcast delves into the mortality rates of African football players and the potential risks they face, particularly from cardiac arrest. Dr. Robert and Professor Sanjay Sharma discuss the data and factors behind these tragic incidents, highlighting the differences in heart physiology among athletes.

Exploring claims on school funding, debunking myths about Conservative policies, analyzing government borrowing post-financial crisis, comparing political party donations, and discussing minimum armed response vehicle requirements for law enforcement.