Main content

The puzzles you’re meant to get wrong

Alex Bellos sets Tim Harford logical conundrums designed to deceive.

Why do some puzzles make us immediately leap to the wrong conclusion?

That’s the subject of Alex Bellos’ new book Think Twice, which has page after page of questions designed to deceive.

Alex sets Tim Harford some of his favourite puzzles.

Presenter: Tim Harford
Series producer: Tom Colls
Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison and Janet Staples
Sound mix: Donald MacDonald
Editor: Richard Vadon

Available now

9 minutes

Last on

Sun 29 Sep 202423:50GMT
BBC World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa

More episodes

Previous

Could the winter fuel cut cost more than it saves?

Next

How do you breed seventeen octillion rats?

See all episodes from More or Less

Broadcasts

  • Sat 28 Sep 202404:50GMT
    BBC World Service except East and Southern Africa, Europe and the Middle East & West and Central Africa
  • Sat 28 Sep 202415:50GMT
    BBC World Service News Internet
  • Sun 29 Sep 202408:50GMT
    BBC World Service West and Central Africa
  • Sun 29 Sep 202410:50GMT
    BBC World Service except East and Southern Africa, Europe and the Middle East & West and Central Africa & Live News
  • Sun 29 Sep 202422:50GMT
    BBC World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
  • Sun 29 Sep 202423:50GMT
    BBC World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa

Unlock the history and truth behind the data with The OU

Unlock the history and truth behind the data with The OU

Explore how numbers shape, and sometimes mislead us, with The Open University.

When can you trust statistics?

When can you trust statistics?

BBC Ideas discovers three easy ways to help make sense of statistics.

Podcast

  • More or Less

    Tim Harford explains the numbers and statistics used in everyday life