Spurious Correlations
Is the divorce rate in the US state of Maine linked to margarine consumption? We ask Tyler Vigen about the spurious correlations he's found and the serious point he's making.
Is the divorce rate in the US state of Maine linked to margarine consumption? It sounds ridiculous, but you might be tempted to believe it if you saw the graphs side by side. It's one of many pairs of statistics featured on the 'Spurious Correlations' website started recently by Tyler Vigen. We talk to him about some of the funniest correlations he's found and the serious point he's trying to make. And it's World Cup Office Sweepstake time, so Tim Harford peels the probability onion to help a listener decide the ideal sweepstake strategy, and lifts the lid on our own office sweepstake design.
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Read James Fletcher鈥檚 article on the 91福利社 News Magazine website.
Broadcasts
- Fri 6 Jun 2014 18:50GMT91福利社 World Service Online
- Sun 8 Jun 2014 22:50GMT91福利社 World Service Online
- Mon 9 Jun 2014 01:50GMT91福利社 World Service Online
- Mon 9 Jun 2014 08:50GMT91福利社 World Service Online
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Tim Harford explains the numbers and statistics used in everyday life

