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Tim Harford explains the numbers and statistics in the news and in life

Tim Harford explains the numbers and statistics in the news and in life.

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More or Less: The Life Expectancy of a Pope

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pope picture.jpg

15/04/2016 GMT

The Life Expectancy of a Pope

BBC World Service - More or Less, The Life Expectancy of a Pope

Statistics show that the Head of the Catholic Church can expect to live to an old age

In 2014 Pope Francis alluded to the fact he did not expect to live more than another two or three years. A group of statisticians have taken a look at the life expectancy of popes over the centuries and decided that he may have been rather pessimistic.

The Curse of the London Olympics
In a similar vein, is there an unusually high death count among athletes who took part in the London Olympics in 2012? The French press seem to think there is. Currently news reports estimate that 18 people have so far died since taking part in the sports event. The athletes come from teams around the world and have died from all sorts of causes – from cancer to drowning, murder, suicide, a helicopter crash among other things. But is there really a link between taking part in the London Olympics and the chances of dying? Or is it to be expected, statistically speaking, that 18 people have died over the last four years? 

(Photo: Pope Francis. Credit: European Photo press Agency)

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