How to understand statistics in the news and when to trust them

<p>In this week's episode of the&nbsp;<em>Science Focus Podcast</em>, editor Daniel Bennett speaks to Tom Chivers and David Chivers.</p><p>Tom is a veteran science journalist and author and David is lecturer in economics at the University of Durham. As well as a surname, they share a passion for statistics, or more precisely for the way that numbers are used and presented in the media. Together they’ve written a new book: <em>How to Read Numbers: A Guide to Statistics in the News and Knowing When to Trust Them</em>.</p><p>They talk to Daniel about how to understand the sometimes confusing stats surrounding health and risk, how to spot a suspicious claim when you see one, and how to think about the current concerns surrounding the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine.</p><p>Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts.</p><ul><li><strong>Subscribe</strong>&nbsp;to the&nbsp;<em>Science Focus Podcast</em>&nbsp;on these services:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.acast.com/science-focus-podcast" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Acast</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/science-focus-podcast/id1296673906?mt=2" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">iTunes</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/immediate-media-2/science-focus-podcast" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Stitcher</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://rss.acast.com/science-focus-podcast" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">RSS</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes1296673906/science-focus-podcast" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Overcast</a></li><li><a href="https://www.sciencefocus.com/science/tom-chivers-and-david-chivers-on-how-to-understand-statistics/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Read the full transcription of this episode</a> [this will open in a new window]</li></ul><p><strong>Listen to more episodes of the&nbsp;<em>Science Focus Podcast</em>:</strong></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.sciencefocus.com/science/theres-no-such-thing-a