Tim Harford explains - and sometimes debunks - the numbers and statistics used in political debate, the news and everyday life.
The "More or Less" podcast, hosted by Tim Harford, investigates the disappearance and alteration of US government data in early February 2025. This issue, attributed to executive orders from President Trump's second term, led to the removal of approximately 8,000 government pages and 3,000 datasets, particularly those ...
In this episode of "More or Less," Tim Harford and guests dissect statistical claims in the news. They investigate Donald Trump's assertion of ending seven "unendable wars," finding it an overstatement. They analyze UK's economic growth within the G7, cautioning against short-term data interpretation. The team also add...
The "More or Less" podcast investigates the disappearance and alteration of US government data starting in February 2025. Host Tim Harford, with guests Maggie Levinstein and John Kubale, discusses how executive orders led to the shutdown of agency websites, budget cuts, and the firing of data-related personnel, making ...
In this episode of More or Less, Tim Harford explores statistical inaccuracies and their implications in current affairs. The podcast investigates claims made by a Lib Dem leader regarding the UK's deportation capabilities under the Dublin Convention, revealing discrepancies in the numbers. It also addresses a misrepor...
The "More or Less" podcast episode analyzes claims made by politicians regarding political violence in the United States. It examines polling data related to the acceptability of political violence among different political groups, and it presents data on deaths from politically motivated attacks, differentiating betwe...
In this episode of More or Less, Tim Harford and guests delve into the accuracy of statistical claims in the news. They dissect Nigel Farage's statement about the rise in out-of-work benefits, revealing how changing definitions and policy shifts distort the true picture. The podcast further examines the surprising stat...
The More or Less podcast investigates the claim by Nvidia's CEO that the world will face a 50-million worker shortage by 2030. Host Tim Harford interviews Rajiv Gupta from the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), who confirms a similar figure in a BCG report. Gupta explains their methodology, which projects job demand based...
In this episode of "More or Less," Tim Harford and guests delve into the numbers behind current affairs. They analyze the UK's national debt, examining claims about interest payments and comparing them to other countries, while also addressing the "moron premium" concept. The podcast further investigates a claim regard...
The More or Less podcast investigates the claim by marine conservation charity Sea Shepherd Global that 100 million sharks are killed annually. Host Lizzy McNeill interviews Dr. Boris Worm, a professor of marine conservation, who explains the methodology behind this estimate, highlighting the challenges of data collec...
In this episode of the More or Less podcast, Lizzy McNeill investigates claims made by Tesla and Waymo about the safety of their self-driving cars compared to human-driven vehicles. The podcast examines the statistics cited by these companies, revealing that Waymo's self-driving taxis are supposedly five times safer an...
The More or Less podcast investigates the common observation that women often find office temperatures too cold. The host interviews Gail Brager, Director of the Center for Environmental Design Research at UC Berkeley, and Boris Kingma, a senior researcher, to explore the scientific basis for this phenomenon. They di...
The More or Less podcast investigates a tweet claiming the Mediterranean Sea experienced a 1 in 216 billion-year temperature anomaly. Host Lizzy McNeill interviews physical oceanographer Dr. Jules Kajtar, who explains that while Mediterranean temperatures have been exceptionally high, reaching 5-8 degrees above averag...
This More or Less podcast episode discusses the firing of Erika McEntarfer, head of the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, by President Trump. The firing followed the release of revised job numbers showing weaker-than-expected job growth. The podcast interviews Michael Strain, an economist, who explains that data revisio...
This More or Less podcast episode investigates the unexpected rise in US abortion numbers following the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Host Lizzy McNeill interviews data scientist Isaac Madozimit from the Guttmacher Institute and public health scientist Dr. Ushma Upadhyay of We Count. They discuss the data showing an in...
This More or Less podcast episode investigates the unexpected rise in US abortion numbers following the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Host Lizzy McNeill interviews data scientist Isaac Madozimit from the Guttmacher Institute and public health scientist Dr. Ushma Upadhyay of We Count. They discuss the data showing an in...
This More or Less podcast episode investigates the water consumption of AI systems, specifically language models like ChatGPT. The episode features an interview with Dr. Xiaole Ren, whose research quantified the water used, both directly in data centers and indirectly in electricity generation. While initial estimate...
This More or Less podcast episode investigates the accuracy of the claim that one in six children globally are living through war. Host Lizzy McNeill interviews Siri Aas Rustad, research director at the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO), the source of the statistic. Rustad explains the methodology behind the figur...
This More or Less podcast episode investigates the high market value of Manchester United football club despite its recent poor on-field performance. Host Tim Harford interviews football finance expert Kieran Maguire, who explains that Manchester United's value stems from its global brand recognition, extensive mercha...
This More or Less podcast episode features an interview with Duncan Weldon, author of "Blood and Treasure," discussing the economic aspects of war and conflict throughout history. Using examples such as Viking raids, the Spanish Conquistadors' plunder of the Americas, and the Vietnam War, Weldon and host Tim Harford a...
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