More or Less

5.0 (1)
MATHEMATICS
EVERY TWO WEEKS

Tim Harford explains - and sometimes debunks - the numbers and statistics used in political debate, the news and everyday life

1 DAY AGO

Halloween special: How many people did the real Dracula impale?

Vlad III Dracula, the Wallachian Prince who became Bram Stokers inspiration behind his famous vampire 'Count Dracula,' was a brutal ruler. So brutal that history dubbed him 'Vlad the Impaler' due to his penchant for that particularly gruesome form of execution. Which, without going into too much detail, involved driving a large stake or pole through someone's body - often vertically. Chroniclers and historians claim that he impaled over 20,000 people during his reigns which, if true is a very, very big number. But is it true? We speak to Historian Dénes Harai whose paper: 'Counting the Stakes: A Reassessment of Vlad III Dracula’s Practice of Collective Impalements in Fifteenth-Century South-eastern Europe' attempts to set the record straight. Let's travel back to 1431 to separate the math's from the myth. Presenter/Producer: Lizzy McNeill Series Producer: Tom Colls Sound Mix: Neil Churchill Editor: Richard Vadon

9 min
25 OCT

Is your housework split sexist?

Do you ever have fights with your partner about who does more of the housework and whether it’s fair? Well data might have the answer. Corinne Low is an associate professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. She analyses surveys of how people spend their time, particularly in terms of “home production” - that is things like cooking and cleaning, and “market work”, that is, paid work. If you’re the male half of a heterosexual couple, then she’s got some stats you should hear. Tim sat down to talk it all over while Corinne was in the UK to promote her new book on the subject - titled Femonomics in the UK, and Having It All in the US. Presenter: Tim Harford Series producer: Tom Colls Production co-ordinator: Janet Staples Sound mix: Giles Aspen Editor: Richard Vadon

9 min
18 OCT

Nobel economics prize 2025: What's the big idea?

Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt have been awarded this year’s Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. The three are sharing 11 million Swedish kronor, over a million dollars, after being recognised for their work in the area of “innovation-driven economic growth”. But why does this area matter and what did the three economists actually do? We turn the tables on our presenter Tim Harford, to explain all. If you’ve seen a number in the news you think we should take a look at, let us know: moreorless@bbc.co.uk Presenter: Lizzy McNeill Reporter: Tim Harford Series producer: Tom Colls Sound mix: Donald MacDonald Editor: Richard Vadon Image credit: Johan Jarnestad / The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences

9 min
15 OCT

Are millions of people getting Motability cars for anxiety and ADHD?

Tim Harford investigates some of the numbers in the news. This week: The Conservative party conference has been told that millions of people are getting free cars from the government because they have ADHD and anxiety. Is that right? The chair of the Labour party says that only 3% of farmers will be affected by proposed changes to inheritance tax. Is that true? The charity Movember claim that two in five men die too young. What does that really mean? And Tim’s mid-life crisis has manifested itself in a marathon run. We ask a scientist if data can help him finish faster. If you’ve seen a number in the news you think we should take a look at, let us know: moreorless@bbc.co.uk Presenter: Tim Harford Reporter: Nathan Gower Producer: Lizzy McNeill Series producer: Tom Colls Production co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele Sound mix: Gareth Jones Editor: Richard Vadon

29 min
11 OCT

Are 72% of prison inmates in Switzerland foreign?

In a recent speech to the UN, US president Donald Trump set out some remarkable figures on the proportion of inmates in European prisons who were foreign nationals. Citing statistics from the Council of Europe, he references Greece, Germany and Austria, as having rates around 50%. “In Switzerland, beautiful Switzerland,” he said “72% of the people in prisons are from outside of Switzerland.” These numbers are correct, but why are the percentages so high – particularly in Switzerland? Tim Harford speaks to Professor Marcelo Aebi, a criminologist from the University of Lausanne, who wrote the prisons report for the Council of Europe. If you’ve seen a number in the news you think we should take a look at, let us know: moreorless@bbc.co.uk Presenter: Tim Harford Producer: Tom Colls Sound mix: Rod Farquhar Editor: Richard Vadon

9 min
8 OCT

Does half the UK get more in benefits than they pay in tax?

Tim Harford investigates some of the numbers in the news. This week: The Daily Mail says that over half of the UK population live in households that get more in benefits than they pay in tax - is it true? Do some billionaires earn more in a night than the population of Bournemouth earns in a year? New Green leader Zack Polanski seems to think so - we scrutinise the figures. Are older generations getting smarter? Have 77% of Gen-Z brought a parent along to a job interview? Really? If you’ve seen a number you think we should take a look at, email the team: moreorless@bbc.co.uk Presenter: Tim Harford Reporter: Lizzy McNeill Producer: Nathan Gower Series producer: Tom Colls Production co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele Sound mix: Duncan Hannant Editor: Richard Vadon

27 min
4 OCT

Is the world getting less miserable?

When you follow the news, particularly in countries like the UK and the US, it sometimes feels like people are less optimistic about their lives than they were in the past. But a new piece of analysis from polling company Gallup suggests this might just be the local view, not the global one. Using data from the Gallup World Poll, it suggests that “people in more countries are living better lives and expressing more hope for the future” than at any point in the last decade. Tim Harford speaks to Gallup’s Benedict Vigers, who wrote the report, to understand what improvements in the “global median for thriving” really means. If you’ve seen a number in the news you think we should look at, email the team: moreorless@bbc.co.uk Presenter: Tim Harford Series producer: Tom Colls Sound mix: Bob Nettles Editor: Richard Vadon

9 min
1 OCT

Has Donald Trump ended seven 'unendable' wars?

Tim Harford investigates some of the numbers in the news. This week: US President Donald Trump claims he has ended seven “unendable” wars. Is that true? Chancellor Rachel Reeves says the UK was the fastest growing economy in the G7 for the first six months of 2025. What do you need to know about that stat? The Daily Mail has described a recent scientific paper as describing a global cancer “explosion”. Is that the whole story? And why have Oxford and Cambridge dropped down a university league table? If you’ve seen a number you think we should take a look at, email the team: moreorless@bbc.co.uk Presenter: Tim Harford Producers: Nathan Gower and Lizzy McNeill Series producer: Tom Colls Production co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele Sound mix: Gareth Jones Editor: Richard Vadon

28 min

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The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk

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DAILY NEWS
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DOCUMENTARY
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HISTORY
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HISTORY
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POLITICS
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DAILY NEWS