College sports and Covid-19. It’s complicated
Photo by Riley McCullough on UnsplashUniversities around the United States are struggling to deliver their…
Sheldon H. JacobsonOctober 1, 2020
The many definitions of a Covid-19 death toll
Photo by Dan Burton on UnsplashThis note considers the different measures of the death toll…
Pandemics and exponential growth
Photo by Mihály Köles on UnsplashDuring his 26 March call into "The Sean Hannity Show"…
James J. CochranApril 21, 2020
Opioids in the USA: Summary statistics
Editor's note: This table is published as supplementary material to the article "Opioids in the…
Brian TarranSeptember 11, 2019
Still running against the odds: revisiting the London Marathon ballot
Monday 15 October had a lot of people eagerly awaiting the postman to deliver the…
Anthony HatswellOctober 29, 2018
The Promise: When truth overshadows power
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is a prestigious event and a hot-spot for finding…
Levon DemirdjianDecember 11, 2017
Chilcot, part 2: How Tony Blair fumbled Iraq’s child mortality statistics
At a dramatic moment in Tony Blair’s testimony before the Iraq Inquiry back in 2010,…
Michael SpagatJuly 14, 2016
Running against the odds – The probabilities of the London Marathon ballot
The late Chris Brasher, founder of the London Marathon, described the event as the ‘Suburban…
Anthony HatswellOctober 6, 2015
The political pollsters’ report card: the statisticians’ verdict
Election season is now well underway in the UK and every scandal, botched interview and…
Deirdre Toher & Robin EvansMarch 11, 2015
Is prostitution really worth £5.7 billion a year?
The EU has demanded rapid payment of £1.7 billion from the UK because our economy…
David SpiegelhalterOctober 27, 2014
Does New York City really have as many rats as people?
New York City’s rat problem is infamous. The media describes a metropolis under never-ending siege…
Jonathan AuerbachOctober 10, 2014
Migration statistics: ‘Unfit for purpose’?
Official UK migration figures have been denounced. They are "little better than a best guess",…
Julian ChampkinJuly 29, 2013
Age and cancer
Older people are more likely to be diagnosed with cancer than younger people. According to…
Terry MillsJuly 19, 2013
Bizarre statistic: How much will vultures pay us a year?
A somewhat bizarre statistic heard on the radio this morning. The discussion was on the…
Julian ChampkinJanuary 14, 2013
150 years underground: Tube celebrates its sesquicentenary
Queen Victoria was on the throne, Abraham Lincoln was President of the United States of…
Abdel KhairounJanuary 10, 2013
Big numbers, and big debts
Not long ago, on the PBS program “NewsHour”, I was listening to David Brooks, Op-Ed…
Alan PenmanOctober 24, 2011
