More or Less

How much of the world isn’t owned by anyone?

Sometimes world events of massive practical significance lead our minds towards some lovely impractical thoughts. So it was for loyal listener, Nigel. Pondering the conflict in Iran, and the maritime...

2026-08-22

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14 million deaths or zero deaths? The impact of the USAID cuts

As part of their mandate to stop 'waste, fraud and abuse' in federal government spending, DOGE, the department of Government Efficiency, made large cuts to the amount of money the US spent on foreign ...

2026-08-15

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How much of all the money in the world does Elon Musk have?

Earlier this year, South African-born tech tycoon Elon Musk briefly became the world’s first dollar trillionaire. This prompted loyal listener Stephen to email the More or Less team, to ask us to in...

2026-08-08

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Would you take £50,000 or a 50/50 chance of £1m?

If you had a choice between instantly receiving £50,000 or a 50% chance to win £1m, which would you pick? When YouGov asked exactly that question to people in the UK, 73% said they would take the £50...

2026-08-01

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The mistake in Trump’s tariff formula

What is the error in the calculation Donald Trump used to work out his new tariffs? What happened when the government ordered a recount of bobbies on the beat? When is a tax freeze not a tax freeze...

2026-07-30

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Is crime in London ‘through the roof’?

The crime rate in London has been cropping up regularly on social media and in political discussions - US president Donald Trump has claimed that crime in the city is ‘through the roof’. But what doe...

2026-07-25

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How much luck do you need to win the World Cup?

As the 2026 World Cup approaches its end, what is the biggest factor in who wins? Is it extraordinary moments of attacking magic? Gritty defensive organisation? Or is it all just a question of luck an...

2026-07-18

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Does playing tennis make you live 9.7 years longer?

Recently a post did the rounds on Twitter, claiming that people who play tennis live on average 9.7 years longer than people who play other sports. The figure comes from a recent analysis of people's...

2026-07-11

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Does the average teacher really earn £54,000?

Tim Harford investigates some of the numbers in the news. This week: (00:32) A government minister has informed the nation that average teacher pay in England is around £54,000. Radio 4 listeners are...

2026-07-08

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Does a full moon make crime rates go up?

The Moon is one of the most captivating features of our night's sky, and apparently, one of the most suspicious.... For thousands of years, people have blamed the full moon for strange behavior. From ...

2026-07-04

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Examining the numbers behind Andy Burnham’s ‘Manchester Miracle’

Tim Harford investigates some of the numbers in the news. This week: (00:23) Andy Burnham may not be Prime Minister yet, but he’s setting out his economic agenda, and its based on his old stomping gr...

2026-07-01

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Benefits v minimum wage: Which pays more?

Tim Harford investigates some of the numbers in the news. This week: (00:42) Former Chancellor of the Exchequer Sir Jeremy Hunt argues that you can earn far more on out of work benefits than you can ...

2026-06-24

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Is the US worse than North Korea for malnutrition deaths?

This surprising claim was spotted circulating on social media: 'The United States has surpassed China and North Korea in deaths from malnutrition’. The claim used analysis from the Global Burden of Di...

2026-06-20

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Does Europe suffer more heat deaths than the US?

Tim Harford investigates some of the numbers in the news. This week: (00:31) Claims have circulated on the internet that Europe sees a particularly high number of deaths from heat waves, especially w...

2026-06-17

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Andrew Ross Sorkin: What can the Great Crash of 1929 tell us about today?

The financial journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin on the numbers behind the 1929 crash.The Great Crash of 1929 has faded into history, but financial journalist and author Andrew Ross Sorkin argues it holds ...

2026-06-13

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Education, Education, Education (and Immigration)

Tim Harford investigates some of the numbers in the news. This week: (00:32) The internet is abuzz with the claim that twenty-seven young migrants are hired for every British young person. We explore...

2026-06-10

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Factchecking claims that 400 churches were burned to the ground in France

In certain corners of the internet some suspicious numbers are cropping up again and again. People claiming that 400 churches have been burnt to the ground or attacked in an assortment of countries, i...

2026-06-06

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Debunking the claim that migrants will get half of new homes

Tim Harford investigates some of the numbers in the news. This week: (00:42) The Daily Express claims that ‘Migrants will get half of all new homes’, based on a calculation from the Conservatives. We...

2026-06-03

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The known unknowns of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

On the 17th of May the World Health Organisation declared a new outbreak of Ebolavirus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as an International Emergency. Ebola virus is an extremely nasty viral ...

2026-05-30

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Does a fall in the UK's healthy life expectancy mean what you think it means?

Tim Harford investigates some of the numbers in the news. This week: Headlines have claimed that “healthy life expectancy” in the UK has fallen by two years. What does this actually mean? (00:32) A ...

2026-05-27

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