Podcast Episodes

Life expectancy, inheritance tax and the NHS vs winter

We report on the state of the NHS as it struggles through a double wave of Covid and flu infections.

We report on the state of the NHS as it struggles through a double wave of Covid and flu infections…

Published on 1 year, 11 months ago

Do we see 10,000 adverts per day?

How many adverts does the average person see in a day? If you search for this question online, the surprising answer is that we might see thousands – up to 10,000.

However, the idea that we see thousa…

Published on 1 year, 11 months ago

Deaths, taxes and missing cats

Did London see a 2500% increase in gun crime? Are taxes in the UK the highest since the 1950s? Did the UK have high excess deaths from Covid, compared to the rest of Europe? Do three cats go missing …

Published on 1 year, 11 months ago

How much money do the ‘Ndrangheta mafia make?

The ‘Ndrangheta are one of Italy’s biggest and most dangerous criminal gangs. One piece of research suggested they have an annual turnover of €53bn - more than McDonalds and Deutsche Bank combined.

Bu…

Published on 1 year, 11 months ago

Numbers of the year 2023

Each year we ask some of our favourite statistically-minded people for their numbers of the year. Here they are - from the population of India to the results of a first division football match.

Contr…

Published on 1 year, 11 months ago

Can chocolate be better than salad?

We investigate a nutritional conundrum –can chocolate ever be better for you than salad? Today we dive in to one of our listener’s family debates and try to find an answer, with the help of nutrition…

Published on 2 years ago

China’s missing numbers

How many young people are unemployed? How much debt does the government owe? How many people have died from Covid? These are questions that many governments will keep regularly updated. But in China …

Published on 2 years ago

Does endurance sport harm your heart?

Exercise is good for you in all kinds of ways, there is no medicine like it to prevent a whole range of illnesses. But for some endurance athletes, exercise also comes with increased risk of a heart …

Published on 2 years ago

Will there be a billion climate refugees?

Former Vice President Al Gore has said that climate change is predicted to lead to a billion climate refugees. But where do these predictions come from and are they realistic? We investigate the idea…

Published on 2 years ago

A boy meets girl meets stats story

Veronica Carlin is a data scientist who loves romantic comedies. But she had a hunch about those movies, that there aren’t many women like her, women in STEM - science, technology, engineering and ma…

Published on 2 years, 1 month ago