Podcast Episodes

Which city has the longest canals?

After a listener emailed More or Less to ask whether world famous Venice or the slightly less famous English city of Birmingham has more canals, Daniel Gordon decided to investigate and widen the que…

Published on 2 years, 3 months ago

Social housing, NHS workforce and Liz Truss debt claims

Long: Housing minister Rachel Maclean claimed the government has built a record number of social rent homes. Tim and the team investigate. Following Lucy Letby’s conviction, we look at how sentences …

Published on 2 years, 3 months ago

How to approach the world through numbers

How can we navigate our lives in a more efficient and satisfactory way? It’s a question Professor David Sumpter is looking to answer in his new book, Four Ways of Thinking. He talks to Tim Harford ab…

Published on 2 years, 3 months ago

Skin cancer, London rents and your great great great granddaughter

A BBC report quoted a study that said 1 in 4 men and 1 in 5 women in the UK will get skin cancer in their lifetime. Tim Harford and the team look into the detail. Also London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan said …

Published on 2 years, 3 months ago

Did 35,000 Americans die building the Panama Canal?

The construction of the Panama Canal linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through Central America is considered one of the greatest engineering feats of all time. It also caused enormous human suf…

Published on 2 years, 3 months ago

Covid deaths, North Sea gas and Chloe Kelly's World Cup penalty

Covid related deaths are rising in England and Wales - but what do the figures really tell us? Also the UK's GDP during the pandemic has been revised upwards. Tim Harford and team ask why and discuss…

Published on 2 years, 3 months ago

What percentage of our brain do we actually use?

On this week’s episode of More or Less we interrogate a widely circulated myth relating to how much of our brain power we can access and engage. Ever heard someone say, “You know we can only use 10% …

Published on 2 years, 3 months ago

HS2 and electric cars, UK vs China emissions & massive maths errors

Can you really buy an electric car for everybody in the UK for the cost of HS2? That claim was recently made on Radio 4's Broadcasting House programme. Also we look at a viral claim that 1 in 73 peop…

Published on 2 years, 3 months ago

How safe is the release of Fukushima nuclear plant water?

Water used to cool nuclear reactors at the stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan is being released into the Pacific Ocean by Japanese authorities. The move has sparked protests and concerns…

Published on 2 years, 4 months ago

How many butterflies are there in the world?

Butterflies are a much-loved feature of summer in many parts of the world. But how many of them are there on Earth?

That’s the question a young listener to More or Less wanted an answer to – and she …

Published on 2 years, 4 months ago