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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: Subitising and simplifying: how to better explain numbers

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Subitising and simplifying: how to better explain numbers

16/04/2022 GMT

BBC World Service - More or Less, Subitising and simplifying: how to better explain numbers

How can we clearly explain complex numbers to the public without losing their meaning?

Tim Harford talks to authors Chip Heath and Karla Starr about their book ‘Making Numbers Count’, exploring how we can better explain complex numbers to the public.

Have you ever looked at a numerical claim and thought ‘what on earth does that mean?’ 

Complex numbers are often badly communicated, making it difficult for the public to appreciate what they signify - but dial things down too much and you’re at risk of oversimplifying important issues. 

It’s a tightrope walk authors Chip Heath and Karla Starr have explored in their new book ‘Making Numbers Count’. Tim Harford talks to them about how we can improve the way we communicate numbers to the general public.

Producer: Lizzy McNeill

(Image: Child in front of numbers, Credit: Getty Images)

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