Podcast Episodes

Are black babies in the US really more likely to die under the care of white doctors?

Babies born in the US to Black Hispanic or African American mothers are more likely to die than any other ethnic group in America.

That is a fact.

But the reason why this happens is unclear. In 2020 …

Published on 10 months, 2 weeks ago

Are quantum computers already super-powerful?

Google claim their latest quantum computer chip is able to process something in five minutes it would take a normal computer 10 septillion years to figure out.

As this is a massive amount longer than …

Published on 10 months, 3 weeks ago

Did Trump make billions with his meme-coin?

Just before being inaugurated as US president for the second time, Donald Trump launched something called a “meme-coin”. This is a bespoke cryptocurrency token featuring a picture of Donald Trump. …

Published on 11 months ago

Can redheads handle 25% more pain than brunettes?

What has the colour of your hair got to do with your capacity to withstand pain?

We investigate the claim, which regularly circulates on social media, that natural redheads are 25% tougher than their…

Published on 11 months, 1 week ago

Do 79% of Swedish asylum seekers go on holiday to the country they fled from?

The claim that 79% of asylum seekers in Sweden go on holiday in their home country has been repeated regularly on social media. It’s used to argue that recent refugees are being disingenuous about t…

Published on 11 months, 2 weeks ago

Numbers of the year part 2

We asked and you responded, this edition of ‘numbers of the year’ are from you. our loyal listeners. We scoured the inboxes to find three fascinating numbers that say something about the world we liv…

Published on 11 months, 3 weeks ago

Numbers of the year 2024

It’s that time of year again, the time when we ask some of our favourite statistically-inclined people for their numbers of the year. We present them to you - from falling birth rates in India to ch…

Published on 11 months, 4 weeks ago

Did Mussolini make the trains run on time?

“Say what you like about Mussolini but he did make the trains run on time.” This phrase is the political equivalent of “every cloud has a silver lining” – but does it have any factual basis? Musso…

Published on 1 year ago

How many Americans live ‘paycheck to paycheck’?

Are most Americans barely holding their head above water when it comes to personal finances? That’s what various US politicians and news outlets keep suggesting. They can’t stop using a statisti…

Published on 1 year ago

Did one in 10 Greeks die in World War Two?

When World War Two came to Greece, a period of terrible human suffering followed. There was a brutal battle with Italian and then Nazi forces, followed by an occupation in which thousands were execut…

Published on 1 year ago