More or Less

If you had a choice between instantly receiving £50,000 or a 50% chance to win £1m, which would you pick?
When YouGov asked exactly that question to people in the UK, 73% said they would take the £50,000, while 21% opted for the 50/50 chance of winning £1m.
As you may or may not have imagined, this finding provoked outrage on Twitter, with people saying the UK appeared incredibly risk averse. “This is what’s wrong with Britain,” wrote celebrity polling analyst and More or Less interviewee Nate Silver.
But is the result surprising, when you know a bit more about how people make decisions like this? BBC economics editor Faisal Islam explains why he thinks not.

CREDITS:
Presenter: Lizzy McNeill
Series producer: Tom Colls
Production co-ordinator: Siobhan Reed
Sound mix: Donald MacDonald
Editor: Richard Vadon
Image Credit: Jamie Lawton via Getty

What is the error in the calculation Donald Trump used to work out his new tariffs?
What happened when the government ordered a recount of bobbies on the beat?
When is a tax freeze not a tax freeze?
And do redheads really have a 25% higher tolerance to pain?
Tim Harford investigates some of the numbers in the news.
Presenter: Tim Harford
Reporter: Charlotte McDonald
Producers: Nathan Gower and Lizzy McNeill
Series producer: Tom Colls
Production co-ordinator: Brenda Brown
Sound mix: James Beard
Editor: Richard Vadon

The crime rate in London has been cropping up regularly on social media and in political discussions - US president Donald Trump has claimed that crime in the city is ‘through the roof’.
But what does the data tell us?
Professor Matt Ashby, from University College London’s Centre for Global City Policing, has put together statistics that allow you to start to compare crime rates between cities around the world.

That evidence shows London in a different light, in terms of murder and other violent crimes.
If you see any stats you think need looking into, contact us at moreorless@bbc.co.uk

Presenter/Producer: Lizzy McNeill
Series Producer: Tom Colls
Editor: Richard Vadon
Production Coordinator: Brenda Brown
Sound Mix: Andrew Garratt

As the 2026 World Cup approaches its end, what is the biggest factor in who wins? Is it extraordinary moments of attacking magic? Gritty defensive organisation? Or is it all just a question of luck and random chance?

We look at how mathematicians and analysists make sense of chaos, xG and unpredictability in the beautiful game.

If you've seen a number in the news you think we should take a look at, email the team: moreorless@bbc.co.uk

CONTRIBUTORS:

Ian Graham, former Head of Research at Liverpool FC
David Sumpter, Professor of Applied Mathematics at Uppsala University
Luis Nunes Vicente, Mathematician at Lehigh University

CREDITS:

Presenter: Lizzy McNeill
Producer: Josh McMinn
Series producer: Tom Colls
Production co-ordinator: Brenda Brown
Sound mix: Dave O'Neill
Editor: Richard Vadon

As the 2026 World Cup approaches its end, what is the biggest factor in who wins? Is it extraordinary moments of attacking magic? Gritty defensive organisation? Or is it all just a question of luck and random chance?

We look at how mathematicians and analysists make sense of chaos, xG and unpredictability in the beautiful game.

If you've seen a number in the news you think we should take a look at, email the team: moreorless@bbc.co.uk

CONTRIBUTORS:

Ian Graham, former Head of Research at Liverpool FC
David Sumpter, Professor of Applied Mathematics at Uppsala University
Luis Nunes Vicente, Mathematician at Lehigh University

CREDITS:

Presenter: Lizzy McNeill
Producer: Josh McMinn
Series producer: Tom Colls
Production co-ordinator: Brenda Brown
Sound mix: Dave O'Neill
Editor: Richard Vadon