BBC World Service Europe and the Middle East

The Thought Show

Factual

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

The Thought Show: Fact Checking the Big Short; The ‘Bride Price’ Story in China; Conspiracy Theory

Discussion & Talk

Factual: Life Stories

Conspiracy Theory

10/03/2016 GMT

Fact Checking the Big Short; The ‘Bride Price’ Story in China; Conspiracy Theory

BBC World Service - The Thought Show, Fact Checking the Big Short; The ‘Bride Price’ Story in China; Conspiracy Theory

Are the facts about unemployment and the death rate in the film the Big Short accurate?

Are the facts about unemployment and the death rate in the film the Big Short accurate? Plus, the 'bride price' story in China, and a look at conspiracy theories.

More Or Less checks out a fact quoted in the film the Big Short that for every 1%  that unemployment goes up, 40,000 people die. But is there any truth in this statistic? It turns out it is a figure that has been around for many decades. Charlotte McDonald explores its origins. And, is it true that the UK is the fifth largest economy in the world, as said by many politicians in the debate over whether the UK should leave the European Union? 

BBC Trending reports on a story shared on Weibo, about a girl forced to have an abortion when her boyfriend could not pay her family to marry her. It has raised the issue of ‘bride price’ payments in China. And there is news of Ese, a Nigerian girl who was abducted last August, but returned to her family this week thanks in part to a hashtag campaign - #FreeEse.

And, the Why Factor asks why throughout history people have held conspiracy theories which cast doubt on the official narratives of some very serious events - from the Holocaust to 9/11, Diana to JFK, Lockerbie to Sandy Hook. What prompts people to think in this way and how should governments react to the people who doubt them? Mike Williams reports.

(Photo: Conspiracy word cloud concept, with abstract background. Credit: Shutterstock)

BBC World Service

BBC World Service Online

BBC World Service schedule for American satellite radio and the Caribbean

BBC World Service Americas and the Caribbean

BBC World Service Australasia

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa Schedule

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa

BBC World Service East Asia

BBC World Service South Asia

BBC World Service West and Central Africa Schedule

Accessibility links

Programme Index

The Thought Show

Fact Checking the Big Short; The ‘Bride Price’ Story in China; Conspiracy Theory

Genres

Formats

Brand

BBC World Service Europe and the Middle East

About BBC World Service