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Tim Harford explains the numbers and statistics used in everyday life

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

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More or Less: What Is Scottish Independence Worth?

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What is Scottish independence worth?

06/06/2014

What Is Scottish Independence Worth?

BBC Radio 4 - More or Less, What Is Scottish Independence Worth?

What will the referendum result mean for Scots' wallets?

Tim Harford investigates the numbers in the news. Featuring an analysis of the Scottish and UK government claims about what the referendum result will mean for Scots' wallets.

Scottish independence - yes or no? Which will line your pocket more? The Scottish government says a Yes vote will leave Scots £1000 each better off; the UK treasury says a No vote means a £1400 bonus for Scots. More or Less looks at exactly what these claims mean, the key assumptions underlying them, and asks whether either number is likely to be accurate.

We return to a 'zombie' statistic that's risen again after being struck down on the programme earlier this year. The claim that each year 100,000 Christians are martyred around the world wasn't true when we looked at it in January, but that didn't stop The Times featuring it in a recent editorial.

Freakonomics guru Stephen Levitt joins us to talk about an unusual experiment - getting people to agree to make major life decisions based on the toss of a coin. Is this really good social science? And what do the results tell us about decision making and happiness?

And it's World Cup Office Sweepstake time, so Tim Harford peels the probability onion to help a listener decide the ideal sweepstake strategy, and lifts the lid on our own office sweepstake design.

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