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Brings together in a single hour The Why Factor; More or Less and Trending.

The Thought Show: Numbers of the Year

Factual: Life Stories

Blocks spelling out "Mexico" on a Mexican map drawn in crayon.

25/12/2014

Numbers of the Year

BBC World Service - The Thought Show, Numbers of the Year

In More or Less, Tim Harford asks experts their most memorable number of the year.

More or Less asks experts their most memorable number of 2014, Trending hears how a photo on social media may not be all it seems and The Why Factor asks why we wear perfume.

In More or Less, Tim Harford asks experts to name their most memorable number of the year. Mexico specialist Professor Carlos Vilalta explains what’s so special about 39,222 and the Editor of fact-checking site, Africa Check, Julian Rademeyer, reveals the truth behind a number of casualties  shown in a photo.
 
In Trending, Anne Mairie Tomchak hears how another photo trending on social media may not be all it seems. And there’s an end of year round up from some of the top social media platforms which have been creating lists of what have been the biggest trends on their sites over the past 12 months.
 
In the Why Factor, Mike Williams delves into the world of perfume. For centuries perfume has been used to show status and wealth, for medicines and for religious purposes and the global business is now worth tens of billions of dollars a year. So why do we still perfume ourselves and what image are we trying to project?

(Image: Mexico illustration. Credit: Shutterstock)

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