Do so-called ‘100 year floods’ only happen once a century? Read more
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100 Year Floods?
Do so-called ‘100 year floods’ only happen once a century?
How many Stormtroopers are there?
Are Star Wars’ Stormtroopers the biggest secret army on Earth?
Numbers of the Year 2015 - Part One
A look back at some of the most interesting numbers that made the news during 2015
Numbers of the Year 2015 Part 2
Tim Harford looks back at some of the most interesting numbers of 2015.
Numbers of the Year 2015: Part Three
Tim Harford looks back at some of the most interesting numbers making the news in 2015
Gravitational Waves
In search of a previously unobserved part of Einstein’s theory.
Oxfam and Wealth Inequality
Were Oxfam right to compare the wealth of the rich with that of the poor?
Swedish Refugees
Have refugees caused a gender imbalance in Sweden's teenage population?
Do e-Cigarettes Harm Your Chances of Quitting?
Should research described as 'misleading; and 'not scientific' have been published?
Fishy numbers?
Will there be more plastic than fish in the sea by 2050?
When £10,000 isn’t a good incentive
Could no prize have been a better way to motivate snooker player Ronnie O’Sullivan?
Antibiotics and the Problem of the Broken Market
The world needs new antibiotics so how do we entice big pharmaceuticals back in?
Fact checking The Big Short
Is it true that “every one percent unemployment goes up, 40,000 people die"?
Can We Trust Food Surveys?
The pitfalls of nutrition science - how do really know what people are eating?
Mobiles or lightbulbs
Are there more mobile phones than lightbulbs in Uganda? And thyroid cancer in Fukushima.
Safe Drinking
UK Alcohol guidelines recommend drinking less – but do the numbers support them?
The Great EU Cabbage Myth
Does the European Union dedicate 26,911 words to cabbage regulation?
The story of average
How astronomers introduced the world to the average.
The Life Expectancy of a Pope
Statistics show that the Head of the Catholic Church can expect to live to an old age
Most Expensive Building
How much to build The Great Pyramid, a nuclear power station, or an airport?
Simpson’s Paradox
We explore how statistics can support two seemingly contradictory results.
Leicester City football fluke?
The statistics behind the English Premier League’s surprise winners
The World’s Most Diverse City
Is it true that London is the most diverse city in the world?
The World's Most Profitable Product
Is the iPhone the most profitable product in history? What are the other contenders?
Refugee Camp Statistics
Is it true that the average stay in a refugee camp is 17 years?
HIV in Africa
Is it true that 74% of African girls aged 15-24 HIV positive?
Sexist Data Crisis
Are we collecting enough data about women?
When Companies Track Your Life
How are companies using our personal data?
Brexit Economics
What will happen to trade and business in the UK after leaving the EU?
Ranking Iceland’s Football Team
Are Iceland's football team the best in the world per capita?
Sleeping: the 8-hour myth
Could having a lie-in lead to an early death?