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BBC Radio 4

Tim Harford explains - and sometimes debunks - the numbers and statistics used in political debate, the news and everyday life.

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1,133 episodes
Updated Saturday

Episodes1133

Newest first

Jun 17, 2023 · 9 min
Is breastfeeding the key to exam success?
We look at a new UK study that links being breastfed as a baby with academic achievement.
Jun 14, 2023 · 32 min
Electric vehicles, 600 million bottles and does oral sex cause cancer?
Is the weight of electric vehicles a risk to infrastructure?
Jun 10, 2023 · 9 min
Counting Hunger in India
Is it true that hunger has worsened in India?
Jun 7, 2023 · 28 min
Lib Dem ambulance claims, affordable rent and goat meat
Did 120 people a day in England die last year whilst waiting for an ambulance?
Jun 3, 2023 · 9 min
A short history of data
How the evolution of data over centuries has shaped today’s world
May 31, 2023 · 30 min
Food prices, net migration and beef about beef
Does Britain really have the most affordable food in Europe?
May 28, 2023 · 8 min
Are young people more single than ever before?
How to define and measure being single – and are dating apps to blame?
May 24, 2023 · 28 min
NHS waiting lists, Voter ID and measuring divorce
Why a fall in those waiting longest for treatment in England isn't telling the whole story
May 20, 2023 · 10 min
Detecting Bad Science with Data
Uncovering fraud, malpractice and incompetence in science
May 13, 2023 · 10 min
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.
May 6, 2023 · 10 min
Why is life expectancy falling in the USA?
We ask why average life expectancy in America is falling so quickly.
Apr 29, 2023 · 10 min
How much is the Coronation crown worth?
King Charles will be anointed with St Edward’s Crown – but what’s its true value?
Apr 22, 2023 · 9 min
The Pentagon Leaks and Fox News
Why did Tucker Carlson say far more Ukrainian troops than Russian are dying in the war?
Apr 15, 2023 · 10 min
How accurate is baby's due date?
This week we investigate how a baby's due date is calculated
Apr 8, 2023 · 10 min
How to better understand and explain numbers
Professor Oliver Johnson discusses the use of statistics in the pandemic and in life.
Apr 1, 2023 · 10 min
A groundbreaking new proof for Pythagoras’ Theorem?
Two high school students say they’ve discovered a new trigonometric proof for the theorem
Mar 25, 2023 · 9 min
Covid vaccines and false claims about miscarriage
We debunk viral claims that incorrectly link covid-19 vaccines with a risk of miscarriage
Mar 18, 2023 · 9 min
Silicon Valley Bank: a very modern bank run
How do bank runs happen?
Mar 11, 2023 · 8 min
Do fungi kill three times as many people as malaria?
We investigate the claim that fungal infections are a much bigger killer than malaria.
Mar 4, 2023 · 10 min
Does your jewellery contain stolen Brink’s-Mat gold?
We ask what happened to the 3 tonnes of pure gold after the infamous robbery of 1983