Subitising and simplifying: how to better explain numbers
How can we clearly explain complex numbers to the public without losing their meaning?
More or Less · BBC Radio 4
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Show Notes
Have you ever looked at a numerical claim and thought ‘what on earth does that mean?’ Complex numbers are often badly communicated, making it difficult for the public to appreciate what they signify - but dial things down too much and you’re at risk of oversimplifying important issues. It’s a tightrope walk authors Chip Heath and Karla Starr have explored in their new book ‘Making Numbers Count’. Tim Harford talks to them about how we can improve the way we communicate numbers to the general public.
Producer: Lizzy McNeill
(Image: Child in front of numbers, Credit: Getty Images)