Polls, Nuns, Life Partners

Available for over a year

Is the number of Catholic nuns on the up? It was recently reported in the news that the number of Catholic nuns has trebled in the past five years, reaching its highest level since 1990. The number of women training to become Catholic nuns in Great Britain has reached a 25-year high. Are we witnessing the so-called 'Pope Francis effect'? What's the long-term trend - are more women becoming nuns? Tim Harford looks at figures from the UK and across the world. On the eve of the UK's general election, Tim Harford takes a look at what polling data can tell us about predicting elections. Plus, Matt Parker the stand-up mathematician is invited back to the programme to respond to a listener's query about his theory on the best way to find a life partner.