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
Oct 15, 2012 • 9min
Predicting the global population
Predicting the global population: does anyone really know what’s going to happen?
Oct 8, 2012 • 10min
Predicting the Presidency
Nate Silver tells us who will win the 2012 US election - and how he knows.
Oct 1, 2012 • 10min
Plenty more fish in the sea?
Only 100 cod are left in the North Sea according to newspapers. Is this the most wrong headline in More or Less history?
Sep 24, 2012 • 10min
Factchecking America
US Presidential Election factchecked. Is Mitt Romney right to say that 47% of Americans pay no tax? And how many jobs has President Obama really created?
Sep 17, 2012 • 10min
Investigating crime statistics
Investigating Sweden's high rape rate and surprising leaders of world kidnappings. Comparing medal hauls between Olympians and Paralympians from London 2012 Games. Discussing challenges in analyzing crime statistics and the complexities of international comparisons.
Sep 10, 2012 • 10min
Where are the Paralympics Medals?
Why did the USA top the gold medals league in the Olympics, but not the Paralympics? Ruth Alexander examines the performance numbers of the London 2012 Paralympic Games and discovers which countries are punching above their weight, and which below. And Yan Wong tries to calculate how many opening bars are possible in music. This programme was first broadcast on the BBC World Service.
Sep 3, 2012 • 10min
How to explain infinity to a 4-year-old
‘What’s the number before infinity?’ asks Claudia, aged 4. We challenge Johnny Ball, legendary British TV presenter, to explain. And in celebration of the voice of Sesame Street’s Count von Count, Jerry Nelson, who’s died aged 78, there’s another chance to hear our 2009 interview with the Count, in which he revealed his favourite number: 34,969. Presented by Ruth Alexander, this programme was first broadcast on the BBC World Service.
Aug 27, 2012 • 10min
Are African leaders more likely to die in office?
The Prime Minister of Ethiopia is the fourth African premier to die this year alone. Are African leaders more likely to die in office, than their counterparts elsewhere? Also: does marriage make economic sense?
Aug 20, 2012 • 10min
Levelling the statistical playing field
Daniel Tammet, author of 'Thinking in Numbers,' joins to discuss the adjustment of Olympic medal tables for country wealth and population size. They also delve into his journey as an autistic savant and the role of mathematics and imagination in education.
Aug 17, 2012 • 28min
The great playing field sell off?
Given that some countries are richer than others, and some have larger populations, what should the Olympic medal tally really have looked like? Also: numbers help us understand the world. But for Daniel Tammet, author of “Thinking in Numbers". They don't just help him to understand the world - but to be a part of it.
