The Numbers

Jo Craven McGinty shares her thoughts on numbers and numeracy (and a quiz!) as she says goodbye.

The lights, touted as lasting far longer than their incandescent counterparts, can burn out more quickly in some circumstances.

Disclosures might be required soon on the amount of greenhouse gases released, but for now uniform reporting standards are lacking.

Researchers have calculated a key number—the threshold of protection—for other vaccines. Covid-19’s is still a mystery.

Demographers suspect many young children don’t get counted in the decennial tally of the U.S. population. The omissions carry costs for Head Start and other social programs.

A human challenge study in the U.K. infected 30 healthy, unvaccinated people with the virus that causes Covid-19 to observe in real time how the immune system responds.

The main index used to measure obesity—called BMI—is far from perfect. Here’s why doctors continue to use it.

The country has been creeping toward the metric system for decades, and is fully bilingual when it comes to weights and measures.

Hurricane names are reused—until they cause too much damage. Since 1953, 93 names have been retired.

As the wet-bulb temperature climbs, the body loses its ability to cool itself with sweat.

Deaths and serious injuries related to pyrotechnics increased sharply last year—even in places where they are banned, such as Los Angeles.

The products’ ingredients and labels don’t always match, and federal law doesn’t require the supplements to be proven safe before they are marketed.

People tend to rely on anecdotal evidence to make decisions, rather than considering the numbers

The phenomenon occurs three or four times a year, with the moon at varying distances from the Earth.

Selective breeding helps Holsteins produce 94% of the nation’s milk, but can also lead to the proliferation of some diseases.

Women report spending more time than men during the lockdown on cleaning, shopping and caring for children or adults.

The prospect of turning Washington, D.C., into the 51st state has opponents on the offensive, but as far as the Constitution is concerned, only a few conditions need to be met.

The University of Michigan and the Pew Research Center shifted established surveys from the telephone to the internet this year.

Of the plastics generated in the U.S. each year, only about 9% is recycled.

Federal debt recently hit a high, thanks in part to foreign investors who are happy to park their cash in the U.S. But some say the traditional debt-to-GDP ratio is no longer meaningful.