Original version

BBC Radio 4 FM

BBC Radio 4 is a radio channel that started transmitting on the 30th September 1967. It replaced BBC Home Service.

BBC Radio 4

Radio 4

Radio 4 (FM)

More or Less

Magazines & Reviews

Factual: Arts, Culture & the Media

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

BBC Radio 4 LW

More or Less: Climate change, Victorian diseases, Alcohol

Climate change, Victorian diseases, Alcohol

BBC Radio 4 - More or Less, Climate change, Victorian diseases, Alcohol

Tim Harford on climate change, Victorian diseases, maths mistakes and alcohol consumption.

On Tuesday, Today programme listeners woke up to the news that the think tank, the Institute for Public Policy Research, had new statistics that showed the scale of the damage we humans are doing to the planet. It said that since 2005, the number of floods across the world has increased by 15 times, extreme temperature events by 20 times, and wildfires seven-fold. However, the IPPR soon corrected that date to 1950, blaming a ‘typo’, but climate change researcher and author of Six Degrees Mark Lynas tells Tim Harford why he thinks the IPPR’s numbers are still wrong.

The Labour Party says Victorian diseases are returning, but is austerity really to blame? Lizzie McNeill and Tim Harford find the case is not proven.

Stand-up comedian Matt Parker talks to Tim Harford about his new book, Humble Pi – a collection of mathematical errors and their consequences.

Will moderate alcohol consumption really damage your mental health to the tune of £2,400 a year, as The Sunday Times claims? Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter doesn’t think so. 

Producer: Ruth Alexander


Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

More or Less

Climate change, Victorian diseases, Alcohol

Genres

Brand

BBC Radio 4 FM

About BBC Radio 4