
Are bad teeth the number one reason kids go to A&E?
Tim Harford investigates kids’ teeth, Israeli drugs, NEETs and the chances AI kills us all
Tim Harford investigates some of the numbers in the news. This week:
(00:33) Are crumbling teeth the number one reason children attend A&E? We drill down into the dental health of the nation’s kids.
(08:20) The US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has claimed that a quarter of pharmaceuticals used in the UK come from Israel. We check the facts.
(13:20) Is former Education Secretary Michael Gove responsible for increasing number of young people not in education, employment or training?
(20:11) An AI researcher has caused a global firestorm by suggesting there’s more than a 10% chance AI kills all humans within the next decade. We explore the rigorous maths (or lack thereof) behind these kinds of predictions.
Guests:
Dr Chris Vernazza - head of the School of Dental Sciences at Newcastle University
Daisy Christodoulou - Director of Education at No More Marketing
Dr Alexandru Marcoci - Assistant Professor of Global Risk and Resilience at the University of Cambridge
Presenter: Tim Harford
Series Producer: Tom Colls
Reporter: Lizzy McNeill
Producers: Nathan Gower, Phoebe Keane
Editor: Richard Vadon
Programme Coordinator: Maria Ogundele
Sound Engineer: Neil Churchill
On radio
More episodes
Broadcasts
- Today09:00BBC Radio 4
- Tomorrow05:04BBC Radio 4
- Friday16:30BBC Radio 4
Unlock the history and truth behind the data with The OU
Podcast
![]()
More or Less
Tim Harford explains the numbers and statistics used in everyday life.


