Main content

Obesity Projections, Global Footprint, Street Value of Drugs

Tim Harford asks how recent obesity projections were calculated and where the numbers for the street value of drugs come from. Richard Thaler talks about the psychology of risk.

It's the last in the series so we're packing in the statistical goodies so that you can go into numerical hibernation until August. We're looking at the street value of drugs: when police claim that they've confiscated hundreds of millions of pounds worth of narcotics, where do those numbers come from? And how has the dark internet changed drug prices?
We'll also be looking at claims that those of us who aren't binging on drugs are binging on biscuits instead. Apparently much of the UK and almost the entire population of Ireland is going to be obese before long. But how have such alarming forecasts fared in the past?
We're often told that we consume so much that we need one and a half planets - and not just to provide room for all those obese people. What does that number even mean, and is it helpful?

Available now

28 minutes

Last on

Sun 14 Jun 2015 20:00

Broadcasts

  • Fri 12 Jun 2015 16:30
  • Sun 14 Jun 2015 20:00

Just how reliable is our intuition? Find out with The Open University

OU Connect: Put your brain to the test with our new mind-bending probability problems!

When can you trust statistics?

When can you trust statistics?

Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Ideas discovers three easy ways to help make sense of statistics.

Download this programme

Download this programme

Subscribe to the More or Less Podcast or download individual episodes.