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BBC Radio 4 FM

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

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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: Employment puzzle, pyramids and triplets

08/06/2022

Employment puzzle, pyramids and triplets

BBC Radio 4 - More or Less, Employment puzzle, pyramids and triplets

The UK has a low unemployment rate but lots of people not working – how come?

The UK has a low unemployment rate, and a large number of people who are not working right now – we look at how both of these are true with the help of Chris Giles from the FT and Louise Murphy from the Resolution Foundation.

Have pyramids really moved 4km south since they were built? 

For years, the media has been claiming that the odds of having identical triplets are one in 200 million – we are very suspicious. And we look at apparently concerning reports about women's life expectancy in the poorest parts of England.

Plus, we have received a lot of emails from listeners about last week’s episode. Some questioning the definition of a billion, others questioning our explanation of the nautical mile. We do some reflecting.

Produced in partnership with The Open University.
Presenter: Tim Harford
Production: Charlotte McDonald, Jon Bithrey, Lizzy McNeil, Nathan Gower
Production coordinator: Brenda Brown
Sound: James Beard
Editor: Richard Vadon

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

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Employment puzzle, pyramids and triplets

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