More or Less was an idea born of the sense that numbers were the principal language of public argument. And yet there were few places where it was thought necessary to step back and think - in the way we often step back to think about language - about the way we use figures: what they really measure, what kind of truth, if any, they capture.
Yet no politician, no economist, and in recent years no doctor, teacher, chief constable or any number of others, has been able to make a case or answer one without regaling you with numbers.
Open the pages of any newspaper and you will see risks of this, targets for that, new spending and new cuts, arguments about productivity, performance indicators, measurements, statistics and quantification of every kind.
And so was born More or Less, initially with six programmes on BBC Radio 4 and now a permanent part of the schedule with two series annually, one in the summer, one in winter.
Since January 2005 it has been produced in association with The Open University.
More Or Less is on BBC Radio 4 on Fridays at 4.30pm, with a repeat on Sundays at 8.00pm; on iPlayer; by podcast - or dip into the archive.
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Look back on previous series of More or Less that The Open University co-produced.
More on statistics
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Uncertainty within the Realm of Statistics
Mathematician and tutor, Katie Chicot, questions the role of "certainty" within the realm of statistical data. She interviews Carol Calvert on the issue, following her talk entitled 'Data – love the uncertainty'.
Read nowUncertainty within the Realm of StatisticsLevel: 1 Introductory
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An introduction to visualising development data
Tony Hirst and Hans Rosling introduce us to visualising development data and explore bar charts, line charts and scatter graphs.
Watch nowAn introduction to visualising development dataLevel: 3 Advanced
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More confusing terms in statistics
Kevin McConway explains why statisticians use everyday words for not-so-everyday concepts - and how to translate what they really mean.
Read nowMore confusing terms in statisticsLevel: 1 Introductory
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OU on the BBC: The Joy Of Stats
Hans Rosling takes a journey into the heart of statistics - and shows why they're anything but dull.
Read nowOU on the BBC: The Joy Of StatsLevel: 1 Introductory
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Postcode patterns
Learn to read and interpret social statistics by exploring Milton Keynes, home of The Open University.
Take part nowPostcode patternsLevel: 1 Introductory
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Diary of a data sleuth: When the data you don't collect affects the data you do
Is there anything sinister in the statistics which appears to show left-handed people die before their time?
Read nowDiary of a data sleuth: When the data you don't collect affects the data you do
Try a free course or study a qualification
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Using numbers and handling data
You might not realise it, but maths is an essential component of healthcare. In fact, sloppy calculations can have fatal consequences. This free course, Using numbers and handling data, is designed for those contemplating a future in the health services industry.
Learn moreUsing numbers and handling dataLevel: 1 Introductory
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