Best Prize Count Podcasts (2026)

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The Stats of the Nation: Older people, education, prisons and the weather 28:53

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6m ago28:53

28:53

What kind of state does the UK find itself in as we start 2026? That’s the question Tim Harford and the More or Less team is trying to answer in a series of five special programmes. In the fourth episode, we’re searching for answers to these questions: Are one in four pensioners millionaires? Is England’s education system performing better than Fin…

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The Stats of the Nation: Sex, drugs and empty homes 29:13

16m ago29:13

29:13

What kind of state does the UK find itself in as we start 2026? That’s the question Tim Harford and the More or Less team is trying to answer in a series of five special programmes. In the third episode, we’re searching for answers to these questions: Are there really 700,000 empty homes that could be used to solve the housing crisis? Does the NHS …

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The Stats of the Nation: Health 28:45

12h ago28:45

28:45

What kind of state does the UK find itself in as we start 2026? That’s the question Tim Harford and the More or Less team is trying to answer in a series of five special programmes. In the second episode, we’re asking some interesting questions about health and the NHS: Has life expectancy in the UK starting to go up again at last? What statistics …

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10.1 - Augustus Fitzroy, 3rd Duke of Grafton (Part 1) 59:41

6h ago59:41

59:41

Descended from an illegitimate son of Charles II, the Grafton clan seemed to embrace the ignominy, leading lives rocked in equal parts by political power and scandal. Augustus Fitzroy led a comfortable life filled with horses, hunting, and... women, but when duty called, could he put aside his family's proclivities to be the leader that Britain des…

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The Stats of the Nation: The Economy 28:41

21h ago28:41

28:41

What kind of state does the UK find itself in as we start 2026? That’s the question Tim Harford and the More or Less team is trying to answer in a series of five special programmes. In the first episode, we’re starting the week by asking some interesting questions about the economy: Is the cost-of-living crisis over? The economy is expected to have…

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Numbers of the year 2026 8:57

3d ago8:57

8:57

From record-breaking passenger numbers, to some more record-breaking numbers - courtesy of the Men’s football World Cup. We look forward to what 2026 might have in store for us - numerically of course. Presenter: Tim Harford Producers: Charlotte McDonald and Katie SolleveldProduction Co-ordinator: Maria OgundeleSound Mix: Rod FarquharEditor: Richar…

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Numbers of the year 2025 27:57

6d ago27:57

27:57

From the number of women in space and transistors on a chip to social media usage -we’re taking a look back the key numerical moments of 2025. We explore the woes of a big infrastructure projects. Plus, just how can you make sure your New Year’s Resolutions are successful? We’ve got statistics to help. Presenter: Tim HarfordReporter: Lizzy McNeilPr…

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Numbers of the year 2025 8:58

10d ago8:58

8:58

We look back at some stand out numbers of 2025. How significant were Trump’s import tariffs? China sets the pace for solar power installation across the globe. We also look upwards to a particularly speedy comet - 3i Atlas. Presenter: Tim Harford Producers: Charlotte McDonald and Katie SolleveldProduction Co-ordinator: Maria OgundeleSound Mix: Rod …

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Were there really Three Wise Men? 28:04

13d ago28:04

28:04

The surprising things we learn when we count everyone - a tour of the UK census through time. We also figure out just how many parking officers there are versus soldiers in the British army. Who really does all the housework? Plus - 20 years of ‘Freakonomics’ with Stephen Dubner. And finally - were there really three wise men who visited baby Jesus…

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The shocking world of US health costs 8:59

17d ago8:59

8:59

A loyal listener wrote in to question this claim made by neuroscientist Dr Daniel Levitin: "Here in the US valium in a pharmacy might be $3 that same pill in a hospital setting might be $750." Our listener was shocked at how one pill can cost 250 x more in a hospital setting than in a pharmacy. But can it? Sort of. We turned to Elisabeth Rosenthal …

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Sailing the Solar System 13:22

20d ago13:22

13:22

A solar sail uses light particles from the Sun to move through space without needing a single drop of fuel. NASA is demonstrating the lightweight technology that could open doors to low-cost missions to deep space.By National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

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Do we really have ‘superflu’? 28:38

21d ago28:38

28:38

The NHS is warning of an unprecedented flu season - we check what the numbers say. Is there really a mass exodus of Brits leaving the UK due to Labour tax policies? We look at the latest emigration figures. We take a look at the prison service’s curious habit of letting prisoners out early – or keeping them in for too long - is there a trend? Plus …

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RCP 8.5: Why did the climate change model get it wrong? 8:57

24d ago8:57

8:57

Whether we like it or not, global warming is happening. The global temperature has already gone up, and it’s going to go up more, because the atmosphere is already full of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, and we’re continuing to add to that stock. Quite how much it will increase by is a very important question for all of us. Until relativ…

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9.3 - William Pitt the Elder, 1st Earl of Chatham (Part 3) 1:05:41

1M ago1:05:41

1:05:41

The Seven Years' War bought Britain an empire but at a staggering price. The Americans cried out "No Taxation Without Representation!" even as Britain struggled to pay to maintain her new territory. Grenville and Rockingham's missteps had pushed the colonists to the brink. It would take a true man of the people, a "Great Commoner", like William Pit…

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Is RFK right about US sperm counts? 8:58

1M ago8:58

8:58

Around the world, many countries are concerned about tackling the decline in birth rates and total fertility rates. The US is no exception. To tackle this issue the US government announced that it would provide subsidies for Americans seeking IVF treatment. The announcement was accompanied by one suspect sounding stat from US Health Secretary Rober…

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Simulating Moon and Mars Dust 15:41

1M ago15:41

15:41

Dr. Jennifer Edmunson explains what it takes to simulate Moon and Mars dust on Earth, and lessons learned from preparing to build habitats on other worlds.By National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

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Richard Thaler and The Winner’s Curse 8:57

1M ago8:57

8:57

In the later part of the 20th century, a pioneering group of economists started shaking up their academic field. These “behavioural economists” used findings from experimental psychology and everyday life to challenge the prevailing view that human beings were rational decision makers – acting in predictable ways to maximize their wealth. One of th…

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Is there a stock market crash coming? 8:58

2M ago8:58

8:58

For months, the share prices of tech companies have marched seemingly-ever upward, driven by fevered excitement about the potential of Artificial Intelligence. But many are now voicing fears that this surge might turn out to be a bubble, which could burst with damaging effects. So do we have to rely on vibes? Or can we use data to tell us about the…

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NASA's Centennial Challenges Prize Program 20:37

2M ago20:37

20:37

There’s a program at NASA that taps into the power of the public to solve some of the toughest problems in space exploration. It’s called Centennial Challenges, a prize competition that has awarded more than $24 million to hundreds of people ranging from academics, startup founders, small business owners, and independent inventors from across the U…

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9.2 - William Pitt the Elder, 1st Earl of Chatham (Part 2) 56:20

2M ago56:20

56:20

"My Lord, I am sure I can save this country, and no one else can." Britain was losing the Seven Years War and the Duke of Newcastle seemed powerless to stop it. William Pitt had been drummed out of government once, but the mobs in the street still cried out his name. No one had more faith in his abilities than Pitt himself, but could the Great Comm…

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Has there been a $50 trillion wealth transfer to the richest Americans? 8:58

2M ago8:58

8:58

Bernie Sanders says a vast amount of wealth - $50 trillion - has moved from 90% of the population to the wealthiest Americans since the 1970s. The figure comes from a study by Carter Price, a senior mathematician at nonprofit research institute the RAND Corporation. Tim Harford speaks to Carter to understand how he calculated his figures and what t…

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Is RFK Jr right about China's diabetes rate? 8:56

2M ago8:56

8:56

The US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr is on a mission to make America healthy again. One of his health-promotion ideas is to reduce chronic illness, specifically diabetes. And has part of his campaign he said that: "a typical pediatrician would see one case of diabetes in his lifetime, over a 40 or 50 year career. Today, 1 out of every 3 kid…

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Halloween special: How many people did the real Dracula impale? 8:57

2M ago8:57

8:57

Vlad III Dracula, the Wallachian Prince who became Bram Stokers inspiration behind his famous vampire 'Count Dracula,' was a brutal ruler. So brutal that history dubbed him 'Vlad the Impaler' due to his penchant for that particularly gruesome form of execution. Which, without going into too much detail, involved driving a large stake or pole throug…

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Italian Unification - Part 2 (Feat. Marco Cappelli of Storia d'Italia) 1:20:30

2M ago1:20:30

1:20:30

At Cavour's death, the dream of a united Italy was still incomplete: Rome and Venice remained outside the newly formed Italian Kingdom. Garibaldi cried out for Rome, but it would take the rise of one empire and the fall of another before the ancient Aurelian walls fell and Italy was whole once again. Featuring Marco Cappelli from Storia d'Italia as…

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Is your housework split sexist? 8:58

3M ago8:58

8:58

Do you ever have fights with your partner about who does more of the housework and whether it’s fair? Well data might have the answer. Corinne Low is an associate professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. She analyses surveys of how people spend their time, particularly in terms of “home production” - that is things like co…

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Nobel economics prize 2025: What's the big idea? 8:56

3M ago8:56

8:56

Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt have been awarded this year’s Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. The three are sharing 11 million Swedish kronor, over a million dollars, after being recognised for their work in the area of “innovation-driven economic growth”. But why does this area matter and what did the three economists actua…

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Are millions of people getting Motability cars for anxiety and ADHD? 28:38

3M ago28:38

28:38

Tim Harford investigates some of the numbers in the news. This week: The Conservative party conference has been told that millions of people are getting free cars from the government because they have ADHD and anxiety. Is that right? The chair of the Labour party says that only 3% of farmers will be affected by proposed changes to inheritance tax. …

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Are 72% of prison inmates in Switzerland foreign? 8:58

3M ago8:58

8:58

In a recent speech to the UN, US president Donald Trump set out some remarkable figures on the proportion of inmates in European prisons who were foreign nationals. Citing statistics from the Council of Europe, he references Greece, Germany and Austria, as having rates around 50%. “In Switzerland, beautiful Switzerland,” he said “72% of the people …

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Does half the UK get more in benefits than they pay in tax? 26:40

3M ago26:40

26:40

Tim Harford investigates some of the numbers in the news. This week: The Daily Mail says that over half of the UK population live in households that get more in benefits than they pay in tax - is it true? Do some billionaires earn more in a night than the population of Bournemouth earns in a year? New Green leader Zack Polanski seems to think so - …