More or Less

Recently a post did the rounds on Twitter, claiming that people who play tennis live on average 9.7 years longer than people who play other sports.
The figure comes from a recent analysis of people's exercise habits in Denmark.
But not everyone on Twitter was convinced. Tennis is a sport that in many countries is expensive to play and so attracts wealthier players. Couldn't it be the players' socio-economic status driving the trend?
We speak to medical statistician Adam Jacobs, to understand what the study in question can, and cannot, say for certain.
If you see any stats that look too good to be true and want us to check them out, email moreorless@bbc.co.uk.
Presenter: Tim Harford
Producer: Lizzy McNeill
Series Producer: Tom Colls
Editor: Richard Vadon
Production Coordinator: Siobhan Reed, Maria Ogundele
Sound Mix: James Beard
Image Credit: Adrian Dennis, Getty Images Sport

Tim Harford investigates some of the numbers in the news. This week:
(00:32) A government minister has informed the nation that average teacher pay in England is around £54,000. Radio 4 listeners are howling at the radio in disbelief. Surely someone from the IFS would be able to explain all this? We interview someone from the IFS to explain all this.
(06:32) The Independent says that Russian soldiers survive an average of 20 minutes when they get to the frontline. How can they possibly know? We take a peek into the murky information ecosystem that surrounds the war in Ukraine.
(15:00) A loyal listener has resent a burning question that - mortifyingly - he first asked us nearly three years ago: why is air travel cheaper than rail travel? We push our guilt deep, deep down then make it worse by challenging the premise of the question.
(21:18) Is every shuffle of a deck of cards an unprecedented event in the history of the universe? It’s a bold claim, but maths YouTuber and comedian Matt Parker has done his homework. We invite him into the studio to make his case - and show off his shuffling skills.
More or Less is the programme that looks at numbers and statistics in news and in life. We’re always looking for questions from listeners - you can contact us on moreorless@bbc.co.uk.
Guests:
Luke Sibieta - Research Economist at the Institute for Fiscal Studies
Andrey Vladov - BBC Monitoring
Mark Galeotti - author of Forged in War - A Military History of Russia from its Beginnings to Today
Simon Calder - Travel Correspondent at the Daily Telegraph
Matt Parker - Mathematician, comedian and YouTuber (Stand-up Maths)
Presenter: Tim Harford
Series Producer: Tom Colls
Reporter: Josh McMinn
Producers: Nathan Gower, Lizzy McNeill
Editor: Richard Vadon
Programme Coordinator: Maria Ogundele, Siobhan Reed
Sound Engineer: James Beard

The Moon is one of the most captivating features of our night's sky, and apparently, one of the most suspicious....
For thousands of years, people have blamed the full moon for strange behavior. From ancient myths and the origins of the word lunacy to modern police folklore, the idea that a bright moon can influence human actions is one that many believe.
But what does the data tell us? We spoke to Professor Eric Chudler, who has looked at crime rates and lunar cycles to discover whether the moon truly is the ultimate crime puppeteer.
If you spot any suspicious numbers in the news or life and want us to investigate, please email in to: moreorless@bbc.co.uk.
Presenter/Producer: Lizzy McNeill
Series Producer: Tom Colls
Editor: Richard Vadon
Sound Mix: James Beard
Production coordinator: Siobhan Reed

Tim Harford investigates some of the numbers in the news. This week:
(00:23) Andy Burnham may not be Prime Minister yet, but he’s setting out his economic agenda, and its based on his old stomping ground, Greater Manchester. We ask whether the official figures that seem to show an economic miracle can be fully believed, and how much credit he deserves.
(10:09) As our towns and cities get hotter, would turning to air conditioning really drive outside temperatures up by 10 to 12 degrees celcius? We learn about the fascinating world of ‘urban heat islands’.
(15:40) We turn to homophones in an attempt to continue a running joke. This week, we follow six items about Wales with an item about whales - are our cetacean friends the carbon sinks of our dreams? Will we ever write a stranger paragraph?
(22:10) Cult director and maths fanboy Werner Herzog has been waxing lyrical about the intruiging mysteries of prime numbers. Tim cracks out a surprisingly decent impression and we learn about one of the most inscrutable problems in mathematics - what’s not to like?
More or Less is the programme that looks at numbers and statistics in news and in life. We’re always looking for questions from listeners - you can contact us on moreorless@bbc.co.uk.
Guests:
Paul Swinney - Chief Economist at The Data City
Liam Sides - Associate Director at Oxford Economics
Dimple Rana - Heat Resilience Leader at Arup
Sue Grimmond - Professor of Meteorology, University of Reading
Dr Olaf Meynecke - Marine Ecologist, Griffith University
James Grime - Mathematician and star of YouTube channel Numberphile
Special Guest Appearance:
The Voice of Werner Herzog
Presenter: Tim Harford
Series Producer: Tom Colls
Reporter: Nathan Gower
Producers: Josh McMinn, Lizzy McNeill
Editor: Richard Vadon
Programme Coordinator: Brenda Brown
Sound Engineer: James Beard

This year, the UK has had its hottest May and June days on record, with the mercury hitting the high thirties.
But while the markings on a thermometer seem scientific and regular, the way we split up our calendar does not. Why, for instance, does May have 31 days and June have 30?
To find out why our calendar has its modern form, we speak to Kristen Lippincott, former director of the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, and author of The Story of Time.
If you have seen a number in the news you think we should take a look at, email moreorless@bbc.co.uk
Presenter: Tim Harford
Producer: Josh McMinn
Series Producer: Tom Colls
Programme Coordinator: Brenda Brown
Sound Engineer: Giles Aspen
Editor: Richard Vadon