More or Less Episodes Episode guide
-
![]()
Which city has the longest canals?
We dive into the world of waterways after a listener asked who has the longest canals.
-
![]()
How to approach the world through numbers
Professor David Sumpter talks to Tim Harford about his new book
-
![]()
Did 35,000 Americans die building the Panama Canal?
We fact check a claim made by Donald Trump about the world famous canal
-
![]()
What percentage of our brain do we actually use?
Do we have access to some or all of our brain-power?
-
![]()
How safe is the release of Fukushima nuclear plant water?
We ask whether there are any risks posed by the release into the Pacific Ocean
-
![]()
How many butterflies are there in the world?
The world鈥檚 butterfly population doesn鈥檛 seem to be online 鈥� so what is it?
-
![]()
Why is it so hard to predict the outcome of competitions like the Premier League?
What variables do we look at when we try to predict the outcome of a sports competition?
-
![]()
Are the media exaggerating how hot it is in the Mediterranean?
A look at how accurately media report on the weather 鈥� especially recent heatwaves.
-
![]()
Data, extreme weather and climate change
The role data plays in climate attribution - and why we don鈥檛 always have it
-
![]()
Ukraine war: A new way of calculating Russian deaths
How Russian journalists are using probate records to estimate fatalities
-
![]()
Are more adult nappies sold in Japan than baby ones?
We examine a claim related to the perception of Japan as an ageing society.
-
![]()
Does it take 10,000 litres of water to make a pair of jeans?
The numbers behind water use and denim production.
-
![]()
Will there be just six grandchildren for every 100 South Koreans?
We look at the numbers around South Korea鈥檚 birth rate and the reasons why it鈥檚 so low.
-
![]()
US national debt: Is $32 trillion a big number?
How concerned should we be about how much the US government borrows?
-
![]()
Is breastfeeding the key to exam success?
We look at a new UK study that links being breastfed as a baby with academic achievement.
-
![]()
Counting Hunger in India
Is it true that hunger has worsened in India?
-
![]()
A short history of data
How the evolution of data over centuries has shaped today鈥檚 world
-
![]()
Are young people more single than ever before?
How to define and measure being single 鈥� and are dating apps to blame?
-
![]()
Detecting bad science with data
Uncovering fraud, malpractice and incompetence in science
-
![]()
Do 94% of marriages in Portugal really end in divorce?
We examine a social media post that claims to outline rates of divorce across the world.
-
![]()
Why is life expectancy falling in the USA?
We ask why average life expectancy in America is falling so quickly.
-
![]()
How much is the Coronation crown worth?
King Charles will be anointed with the St Edward鈥檚 Crown 鈥� but what is its true value?
-
![]()
The Pentagon leaks and Fox News
Why did Tucker Carlson say far more Ukrainian troops than Russian are dying in the war?
-
![]()
How accurate is baby's due date?
This week we investigate how a baby's due date is calculated
-
![]()
How to better understand and explain numbers
Professor Oliver Johnson discusses the use of statistics in the pandemic and in life.
-
![]()
A groundbreaking new proof for Pythagoras鈥� Theorem?
Two high school students say they鈥檝e discovered a new trigonometric proof for the theorem
-
![]()
Covid vaccines and false claims about miscarriage
We debunk viral claims that incorrectly link covid-19 vaccines with a risk of miscarriage
-
![]()
Silicon Valley Bank: A very modern bank run
How do bank runs happen?
-
![]()
Do fungi kill three times as many people as malaria?
We investigate the claim that fungal infections are a much bigger killer than malaria.
-
![]()
Does British jewellery contain stolen Brink鈥檚-Mat gold?
We ask what happened to the 3 tonnes of pure gold after the infamous robbery of 1983
