

More or Less
BBC Radio 4
Tim Harford explains - and sometimes debunks - the numbers and statistics used in political debate, the news and everyday life
Episodes
Mentioned books

4 snips
Jul 20, 2024 • 10min
Is increasing turbulence making flying more dangerous?
Turbulence expert Paul Williams discusses the link between climate change and increased turbulence, its impact on flight safety, and advancements in turbulence avoidance. Exploring injury statistics, projections of rising turbulence, and strategies for managing fear of turbulence.

4 snips
Jul 13, 2024 • 9min
Federer’s 54%: Tennis stats explained
Tennis stats expert Jeff Sackmann joins Tim Harford to explain how Roger Federer's 54% point win rate translates to a 60% chance of winning a tennis game. They discuss the importance of consistency in point victories for overall match success and explore the correlation between points won and success in tennis, comparing statistics of top players like Federer and Serena Williams.

13 snips
Jul 6, 2024 • 10min
The magic of trigonometry
Matt Parker, the 'Love Triangle' author, discusses the importance and practical applications of trigonometry in GPS, architecture, and special effects. He campaigns for geometrically accurate street signs and footballs, showcasing the versatility of trigonometry in everyday systems.

Jul 3, 2024 • 37min
Election endings, tennis and meeting men in finance
The podcast delves into the accuracy of election exit polls, employment proposals by political parties, and meeting tall men in finance. It also discusses statistics on Roger Federer's tennis performance and the challenges of fixing impossible street signs in the UK.

14 snips
Jun 29, 2024 • 9min
How a tick box doubled the US maternal mortality rates.
Saloni Dattani, a researcher at Our World in Data, joins Tim Harford to uncover how a simple tick box on death certificates led to a doubling of US maternal mortality rates. The podcast explores the impact of changes in data collection methods, discrepancies in maternal mortality data due to checkbox usage, and the implications of counting all deaths with the checkbox ticked as maternal deaths.

Jun 26, 2024 • 28min
Election claims and erection claims
Delving into political claims on mortgages, pension taxes, and funding disparities. Exploring the physiology of erections and debunking misconceptions. Analyzing the complexities of MRP polls in predicting voting behavior and swing distribution. Examining the uncertainties in forecasting election results and the impact of vote distribution. Investigating the implications of imposing a price cap on croissants and the cost of a croissant subsidy.

Jun 22, 2024 • 10min
Do ‘pig butchering’ cyber scams make as much as half Cambodia’s GDP?
Uncovering 'pig butchering' cyber scams in Cambodia that potentially take half of the country's GDP. Heartbreaking story of Cindy falling victim to a cryptocurrency scam. Delving into the challenges of estimating cyber scam revenue globally and their impact on victims. Investigating the scale of these illicit operations and the difficulty in verifying the estimated losses. Previewing the next installment and inviting audience feedback on the questionable figures.

Jun 19, 2024 • 32min
Worse mortgages, better readers, and potholes on the moon
Investigating the validity of political claims on mortgages, primary school reading abilities, and potholes in the UK. Highlighting discrepancies in financial projections and campaign strategies between Labour and Conservatives. Examining the impact of excluding gold bullion on trade statistics and the comparison of potholes on British roads to craters on the moon.

Jun 15, 2024 • 10min
Shakespeare’s maths
Author Rob Eastaway discusses the mathematical references in Shakespeare's works, highlighting the use of numbers for dramatic effect and the intriguing connection between Shakespeare's portrayals of currency and finance. The conversation delves into the intersection of mathematics and literature, shedding light on the hidden numerical depths of Shakespearean texts.

6 snips
Jun 12, 2024 • 29min
Leaflets, taxes, oil workers and classrooms
Investigating misleading bar charts in political leaflets, tax promises, potential job losses for oil workers, and impact on class sizes in state schools. Tim Harford delves into the numbers in the news with Kate Lamble.


