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More or Less

BBC Radio 4
Covid-19
Climate Refugees
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Climate Change
Migration Patterns
‘ndrangheta
Chess
China
Sea Level Rise
Marketing Clutter
Council Tax
COP Climate Conference
The Drum
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India
Al Gore
Centre For Global Development
Institute For Economics and Peace
Youth Unemployment

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

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes1090Founded18 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
NewsMathematicsNews CommentaryScience

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Latest Episodes

When you’re listening to the news, you will often hear words that are meant to communicate the probability of something happening. A terrorist attack is “a realistic possibility”, the spread of a certain strain of virus is “highly likely", the relega... more

As Artificial Intelligence continues to expand rapidly, some people have raised concerns about its potential environmental impact - in particular its use of water, which is used to cool both data centres and the power generators that supply them with... more

Paul Ehrlich’s bestselling book The Population Bomb opens with an apocalyptic paragraph.

“The battle to feed all of humanity is over,” it states. “In the 1970s and 1980s hundreds of millions of people will starve to death in spite of any crash prog... more

In most sports, men compete against men and women compete against women. That is generally considered fair, because men are faster, more powerful and have greater endurance.

But there is an ongoing controversy about transgender women - people who we... more

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Recent Guests

Adam Kucharski
Professor of epidemiology and author of Proof, the Uncertain Science of Certainty
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Episode: How likely is ‘likely’?
Xiaolei Ren
Professor who contributed to the episode's discussion
University/Institute
Episode: How much water does AI consume?
Alex de Vries-Gao
Researcher providing electricity use estimates for AI servers
Independent researcher
Episode: How much water does AI consume?
Darrell Bricker
Global CEO of Ipsos Public Affairs, co-author of Empty Planet
Ipsos Public Affairs
Episode: Paul Ehrlich: The man who bet England wouldn’t exist by the year 2000
Vincent Geloso
Free market economist, professor
George Mason University
Episode: Paul Ehrlich: The man who bet England wouldn’t exist by the year 2000
Peter Alexander
Professor of Global Food Systems
University of Edinburgh
Episode: Paul Ehrlich: The man who bet England wouldn’t exist by the year 2000
Alun Williams
Professor of sports science
Manchester Metropolitan University
Episode: Transgender women in sport: Does ‘comparable’ mean ‘equal’?
Tom Colls
BBC journalist investigating the study
BBC
Episode: Transgender women in sport: Does ‘comparable’ mean ‘equal’?
Bruno Guallano
Associate professor at the School of Medicine, University of São Paulo
University of São Paulo
Episode: Transgender women in sport: Does ‘comparable’ mean ‘equal’?

Host

Tim Harford
Host of the show, known for his insightful analysis of statistics and their implications on everyday life.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 5.6k ratings
  • Journalism at its best!

    Should be compulsory listening in all schools.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    footlady007
    United Kingdom2 months ago
  • Marked down one star for inability to pronounce Zed correctly as in Generation Zed. Sigh.

    Podcast Addict
    4
    EdmundP
    3 months ago
  • Think please

    More or Less brings the research to the questions of the day! But you’ve been failing in your analysis. Your expert, university professor champions the idea that it’s not that big! The numbers provided were, the Trump administration says it’s 71B but your expert says a lot of that was refunded so it’s closer to 36B - the show takeaway was Trump is wrong again. More or Less has missed the point. Your program isn’t to split hairs. It should be to help people understand the numbers.

    The actual ... more

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Future-is-bright
    United States3 months ago
  • Good numerically Christmas fun

    Podcast Addict
    4
    LankyG
    3 months ago
  • Sad to be unsubscribing

    I’ve subscribed to many BBC podcasts for 15+ years. But I must join Robin Ince in leaving it due to the BBC choosing to side with the perpetrators of a genocide. I will be unsubscribing from all my BBC podcasts. I believe the BBC has shown there is a rotten element at the centre of its management. Their bias towards the genocide in Palestine is shocking. I had hoped that the recent exposure of the level of bias at the BBC would be enough to snap them out of it, but clearly not. Their silence on ... more

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    Irlskin
    Ireland4 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners appreciate the intelligent analysis and informative discussions around statistics and their real-world implications.
Some listeners express frustration over perceived biases in content, particularly concerning political subjects.
The show's emphasis on fact-checking and clarity in statistical discussions gains frequent praise, making it a reliable source for understanding complex data.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

How likely is ‘likely’?
Q: Which is more likely to happen? Something that is very unlikely or something that is highly probable?
People generally identify 'highly probable' as more likely than 'very unlikely,' though the exact boundary is fuzzy, highlighting the imprecision of natural language in conveying probability.
How much water does AI consume?
Q: Why were the initial figures for AI water use misleading?
They came from misinterpreted data and extrapolations that didn't account for existing servers, regional cooling needs, and the distinction between electricity-driven processes and actual water use.
How much water does AI consume?
Q: What is the difference between water withdrawal and water consumption in the context of data centers?
Withdrawal is the total water taken from a source, while consumption is the portion that is not returned, so many large estimates overstate consumption by conflating the two.
Has a company really discovered a million new species?
Q: How do scientists determine whether two genomes reflect the same or different species?
Scientists compare genome sequences and consider them the same species if they are more than about 95% identical, but exact thresholds vary and depend on the organisms and methods used; this affects the total count of distinct species.
Has a company really discovered a million new species?
Q: What exactly are we counting when we say there are a million new species, and are they living organisms we can observe?
The claim mainly refers to microbial DNA data and genome-based distinctions; many of the “new species” are defined by genomic differences in sequencing data rather than visible, living organisms, which makes the figure more about data discovery than a swarm of newly observed life forms.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About More or Less

What is More or Less about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This podcast focuses on examining and interpreting the numbers and statistics prevalent in political discourse, news stories, and daily life. Each episode discusses various topics, from the accuracy of statistical claims regarding benefits and immigration to trends in public health, environmental issues, and economic indicators. The host often engages with experts to demystify complex subjects, evaluate the validity of claims, and encourage critical thinking about the numbers presented in media. It stands out for its commitment to making sometimes technical statistical analyses accessible and relevant to a general audience, promoting a deeper understanding of the data shaping public opinion and policy.

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Which podcasts are similar to More or Less?

These podcasts share a similar audience with More or Less:

1. BBC Inside Science
2. Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4
3. The Infinite Monkey Cage
4. Page 94: The Private Eye Podcast
5. Sliced Bread

How many episodes of More or Less are there?

More or Less launched 18 years ago and published 1090 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on More or Less?

Recent guests on More or Less include:

1. Adam Kucharski
2. Xiaolei Ren
3. Alex de Vries-Gao
4. Darrell Bricker
5. Vincent Geloso
6. Peter Alexander
7. Alun Williams
8. Tom Colls

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