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A podcast about the hidden stories tucked inside the data that shapes our world.

From political polls to global happiness indices, we go beyond charts and headlines to uncover where data comes from, why it’s collected, what we can learn from it — and how we can all make better decisions in a data-centric world.

The Latest Episodes

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EVERY DATASET REFLECTS A CHOICE—AND A STORY WORTH TELLING

EVERY DATASET REFLECTS A CHOICE—AND A STORY WORTH TELLING

Each episode explores a fascinating dataset that helps us better understand the systems, policies, and people around us.

Whether you're new to data or work with it every day, you'll find approachable conversations, surprising lessons for making sense of data *and life* (!!), and a reminder that every dataset reflects a choice—and a story worth telling.

Join us as we explore where data comes from—and where it can take us. Because data is about so much more than numbers -- it's how we make sense of the world.

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Podcast Host

Meet Your PODCAST HOST Andrea Jones-Rooy

Andrea Jones-Rooy, Ph.D., is a data scientist who is obsessed with sharing the power of thinking like a data scientist with the world.

Originally trained as a political scientist, Andrea is particularly interested in how we can use data to better understand some of our thorniest and seemingly most intractable political and social problems — and then use that newfound clarity to actually make the world better.

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WANT TO BE A GUEST ON BEHIND THE DATA?

Do you work with data or have a story shaped by it?

We’re always looking for guests who can help us uncover the hidden stories behind the numbers. From research projects to community initiatives, political polling to personal passion projects—if there’s a dataset you know well (and a story it tells), we’d love to hear about it.

This show is about going beyond the charts to explore where data comes from, why it’s collected, and what it can teach us about the systems, policies, and people around us. If you can bring fresh insights, surprising connections, or lessons that help listeners see data—and the world—differently, apply below.

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Share Your Thoughts With Behind The Data

Got a question you’d love Andrea to explore on the show? An idea for a dataset we should dig into? Or feedback on an episode you enjoyed? We’d love to hear from you.

Your questions and ideas help shape the conversations we have and the stories we uncover. And if you’ve been enjoying the show, leaving a review is one of the best ways to support us—it helps more curious minds find Behind the Data.

Keep Exploring

Loved the episode? Continue the conversation on Andrea’s Substack. You’ll get bonus content, behind-the-scenes stories, fascinating resources, and thought-provoking ideas that expand on the curiosity you bring to Behind the Data.

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