More or Less: Behind the Stats

Delving into the broken market of antibiotics, the podcast discusses the economic challenges that hinder research and development. It highlights the urgency of finding solutions to combat antibiotic resistance and the innovative approaches needed to incentivize pharmaceutical companies to invest in this crucial area of medicine.

Professional snooker player Ronnie O'Sullivan discusses the impact of incentives on performance, touching on the delicate balance between motivation and pressure in sports. The podcast also delves into how incentives can affect intrinsic motivation, using examples like blood donation and nursery school penalties. Additionally, the intricacies of measuring coastlines and the complexities of mapping them are explored, highlighting the intricate nature of coastline measurements.

Exploring the alarming prediction of more plastic than fish in the ocean by 2050, debunking the fishy statistics. Delving into the probability of sharing birthdays with two children, analyzing the likelihood based on UK family statistics and birth date distribution.

Questionable research on selfie habits and sugar daddy students, debunked. Discussion on the impact of birth month on academic performance in children. Exploring predictions about plastic overtaking fish in oceans by 2050 and shifts in government spending priorities. Misinterpretation of statistical significance highlighted.

Academics critique a controversial study claiming e-cigarettes hinder smoking cessation efforts. Experts highlight flaws in data collection and questionable conclusions. Debate ensues over the paper's publication in a respected journal, with conflicting views on its accuracy and impact.

Exploring controversies surrounding e-cigarettes and smoking cessation, including critiques of a study claiming e-cigarettes hinder quitting. Analyzing the accuracy of politicians' statements through fact-checking. Investigating the impact of term-time holidays on GCSE results and debunking the correlation. Calculating the probability of a father and two children sharing the same birthday, revealing the rarity of this occurrence.

Have refugees caused a gender imbalance in Sweden? It has been reported that there are 123 boys for every 100 girls aged between 16 and 17 in Sweden. In China, the ratio is 117 boys to 100 girls. We explore if the numbers add up and why this might be.

Professor David Speigelhalter, an expert in statistics and probability, discusses the new alcohol guidelines and the complexities of alcohol research. The podcast also explores the challenges of accurately diagnosing sepsis, a statistician's investigations in South Carolina graveyards, and the gender imbalance among refugees in Sweden.

Exploring Oxfam's report on global inequality, discussing the concentration of wealth among a few individuals. Examining the complexities of measuring wealth disparity and proposing alternative metrics. Highlighting global trends in inequality and the reduction of extreme poverty, driven by economic growth in poorer nations.

Exploring global wealth inequality, the podcast questions if 62 billionaires owning as much as half the world is truly telling. They also discuss UK's educational initiatives, language proficiency among Muslim women, and the discovery of a massive prime number. Engaging children in mathematical activities on a bus adds a fun twist to the episode.