Do you really know?

What is period poverty? Thanks for asking! Menstrual hygiene products are an essential expense, but many women on low incomes find that the cost is out of their reach. This is known as period poverty and it affects more people than you might think, even in developed countries. A survey in the UK found that over 40% of 14-21 year olds had used items like socks, tissues or paper as a makeshift replacement for sanitary products. Activists have been campaigning for a number of years now to bring about change. They see period poverty as a form of injustice and want to put an end to it once and for all. Surely tampons and sanitary pads don’t cost that much, do they? Why are periods such a taboo subject? Have these campaigns led to any concrete change so far? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: What is newspeak? What is the three-finger salute? What is class-passing? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is newspeak? Thanks for asking! Lockdown, patient zero, social distancing and PCR tests - the last year has seen the emergence of many new terms due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Some have labelled this vocabulary Coronaspeak. At Do You Really Know, we’ve covered several such topics to decipher their meaning. But today we will be discussing a different type of newspeak. The idea of newspeak didn’t emerge at the time of the Covid-19 pandemic; rather it was invented by George Orwell in his dystopian novel 1984. The book sheds light on the mechanisms behind modern-day thought control. So what is newspeak like as a language? Can it be learned? How is newspeak relevant in the 21st century? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: What is class-passing? What is the Matilda Effect? What is cyclothymia? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is the three-finger salute? Thanks for asking! Since the start of February, protesters in Myanmar have been pictured making a three-finger gesture as a symbol of opposition to the country’s recent coup d’état. They’ve taken to the streets to protest against what they see as an attack on democracy. So why are the protesters using the three-finger salute? Well it might look like a scout salute but it actually comes from the Hunger Games series of books and films. The story sees heroine Katniss Everdeen lead a revolt against the rich, sadistic elite in the nation of Panem. District 12 villagers use the three-finger salute as a symbol of unity. The franchise met huge success in Asia upon the release of the first film in 2012. And the three-finger salute was actually used in Thailand in the aftermath of a coup d’état in 2014. It even ended up being made illegal. It reappeared at Hong Kong protests in 2019 and 2020, as a symbol of resistance against the Chinese government. Some activists have suggested the three raised fingers represent the French Revolution ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity. Are you saying we can compare what’s going on in Myanmar to Hunger Games? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: What is class-passing? What is the Matilda Effect? What is cyclothymia? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is class-passing? Thanks for asking! Everybody loves a rags-to-riches story, but the reality is social mobility is far from easy. Class-passers are those who manage to successfully improve their status and navigate their new life as part of a higher socioeconomic group. To understand class-passing, let’s first discuss the idea of social classes. Within our societies, people are divided according to factors like their family background, education, wealth, occupation and income. Most commonly these categories are described as the lower, middle and upper classes. A person’s life path and opportunities are often defined by their social background. For example, just 26% of poorer school pupils in the UK went on to higher education in 2017, compared to 44% among their better-off peers. Is there a surefire way to climb the social ladder? Or do I just need to hope for a lucky break? Shouldn’t class-passers be proud to have made it? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: What is class-passing? What is the Matilda Effect? What is cyclothymia? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is the Matilda Effect? Thanks for asking! Imagine humanity only using half the brains at its disposal to solve the many scientific challenges it faces in the present and future. While such an idea might seem crazy, it’s not so far from reality. In recognition of International Women’s Day, which took place on Monday, let’s discuss a form of bias known as the Matilda Effect. Over the years, very few female scientists have got the same level of acclaim as their male counterparts, whether it be in the history books or on award winner lists. As a simple illustration, if you ask someone to name a female scientist, Marie Curie may well be the first name they come up with. Even so, her husband is often referenced as having contributed to her work, and she is rarely referred to by her last name alone. Where did the name Matilda effect come from? Do you have any examples of forgotten female scientists? What can we do to help these female scientists be remembered? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: What is cyclothymia? What is long COVID? What is Clubhouse? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is cyclothymia? Thanks for asking! The term cyclothymia was coined in the late 19th century by German psychiatrist Karl Ludwig Kahlbaum. It describes a clinical situation which has many similarities with bipolar disorder, although its symptoms are less severe. It affects 6% of people but to get diagnosed takes 10-12 years on average and seeing several different doctors. We talk about something being a disorder when it has an impact on everyday life, and that’s the case with cyclothymia. It usually comes on during adolescence or early adulthood. Those affected are highly sensitive and can quickly change moods in an intense way. During the depressive phase, they may suddenly lose all enthusiasm for something that interested them before, like exercise or work. At other times, they may have inflated self-esteem, be more talkative, hyperactive or unpredictable. This phase is known as hypomania and usually lasts four or more days. So how is cyclothymia different from bipolar disorder? Why is it so difficult to diagnose then? Is cyclothymia a curable disorder? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: What is Clubhouse? What is a nasal spray vaccine? What is quantum technology? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is long COVID? Thanks for asking! Even months after infection, some Covid-19 patients have continued to suffer from symptoms such as extreme fatigue, lack of sleep or breathing problems. And these are mostly people who have long been discharged from hospital, or never even went there in the first place. This form of the virus is generally multi-symptomatic and protean. The term long Covid was actually coined by a group of infected patients, who experienced it during the first wave of the pandemic. They had to campaign for months to raise public awareness and draw greater attention from the medical community, getting it on the agenda for scientific research. Does long Covid affect a high proportion of patients? How would I know if I had long Covid? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: What is Clubhouse? What is a nasal spray vaccine? What is quantum technology? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is Clubhouse? Thanks for asking! Clubhouse is a 100% audio social networking app. It’s suddenly everywhere, having accrued 2 million users despite being created less than a year ago in March 2020. Its current valuation is over $1bn. In the era of lockdowns, social distancing and an increased need to communicate with the outside world, you could say Clubhouse came along at just the right time. Wait a minute, it’s not like we’re lacking in social networks to choose from. What’s different about this one? So it’s a bit like listening to Do You Really Know then, is it? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: What is a nasal spray vaccine? What is quantum technology? What is the social credit system? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is a nasal spray vaccine? Thanks for asking! We’re all familiar with how traditional vaccines work. We get injected with a virus, or a weakened version, so that our immune system learns how to fight against it. This is most often done with a little jab in the arm. But scientists have actually been working on other injection methods for years. Spray vaccines, or mucosal vaccines, are more effective than traditional vaccines for some illnesses. Such vaccines already exist for cholera or rotavirus, and research is ongoing to find one for whooping cough or HIV. This method is comparable to the oral vaccine, thanks to which we were able to eradicate polio throughout the world. A number of pharmaceutical companies in the US, France, Germany and China are trying to find a Covid-19 spray vaccine. Are they doing that for people like me who hate needles? How does this all relate to the vaccine? How do nasal sprays compare to Covid-19 vaccine injections? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: What is quantum technology? What is the social credit system? What is 'Oumuamua? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is quantum technology? Thanks for asking! Quantum technologies are tools which use the physical properties of tiny particles like ions or photons. It might seem abstract, but these technological breakthroughs look set to be a game-changer in computing and communications. The UK government has already invested over £1bn in quantum science and technology, with the country is seen as one of the world’s leaders in the field. The National Quantum Technologies Programme receives funding to develop new technologies like electric car batteries and advancing imaging systems to detect cancer. Are quantum technologies totally new then? How does quantum computing actually work? So can we all expect to be using quantum technologies soon? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: What is 'Oumuamua? What is critical thinking? What is the postpartum period? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is the social credit system? Thanks for asking! With a population of 1.4 billion inhabitants and a surface area 39 times larger than that of the UK, China has seen mass surveillance systems rolled out in recent decades. Take video surveillance and facial recognition for example, with over 600 million security cameras throughout the country. Or the controlling and censorship of the country’s most popular social network WeChat. And now the Chinese authorities are taking this to the next level, with the social credit system that evaluates citizens’ behaviour and perceived trustworthiness. It’s the brainchild of Lin Junyue, a researcher from Beijing who took inspiration from the American insurance system. The original idea was to verify the solvency of individuals and companies, but it has evolved a great deal since. So how does the system work? It sounds like Black Mirror or 1984! Aren’t the country’s laws enough? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: What is 'Oumuamua? What is critical thinking? What is the postpartum period? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is 'Oumuamua? Thanks for asking! In 2017, ‘Oumuamua became the first interstellar object to be detected passing through our solar system. The discovery of this mysterious object has led to a number of theories about its origins. Could ‘Oumuamua hold the secret to how other solar systems were formed, or be proof that aliens exist? How did we first discover the existence of ‘Oumuamua then? So what are the most convincing theories? And what do other scientists think of the alien hypothesis? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: What is the postpartum period? What is ketamine? What is burnout? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is critical thinking? Thanks for asking! Critical thinking is the intellectual process of evaluating information, thinking clearly and rationally as a guide to belief and action. You could see it as an attitude whereby no statement or piece of information is accepted as true or false, without first being carefully analysed. Simplistic conflations, generalisations and preconceptions are all challenged, as is any kind of statement made without evidence. Critical thinking has its roots in the teachings of ancient Greek philosophers Socrates and Plato. Throughout history, philosophers like Francis Bacon, René Descartes and Emmanuel Kant have used it to create the basis for methodical thought. So how do I go about becoming a critical thinker then? What about religion? Surely it can’t be possible for religious beliefs and critical thinking to coexist, can it? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: What is the postpartum period? What is ketamine? What is burnout? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is the postpartum period? Thanks for asking! Many people wrongly assume that all women immediately find their feet after having a baby. In reality, it can be an overwhelming phase which is often neglected. The postpartum period begins as the mother’s body starts returning to a non-pregnant state. It’s commonly used to refer to the first six weeks following childbirth, but it may last significantly longer, with a range of physical and psychological symptoms. So what actually happens during the postpartum period? Postpartum is a time of recovery for the new mother’s body. The uterus, which grows up to fifteen times bigger during pregnancy, contracts and returns to its normal size. Changing levels of hormones like progesterone and estrogen can cause hot flashes and sweating. It’s best to stock up on disposable underwear for leaking and bleeding. Post-childbirth vaginal discharge, known as lochia, contains blood, mucus and uterine tissue. After the postpartum period is over, you should start feeling more like yourself again. Your body may also be ready to have sex. Is postpartum just a fancy word for the baby blues then? We shouldn’t confuse postpartum depression with the baby blues, which affect up to 80% of mothers. These short-term mood dips usually disappear within a week or two after the baby’s birth. Meanwhile, postpartum depression is more severe and lasts longer. The World Health Organisation has estimated that between 10% and 15% of women experience it. Whereas a mum with the baby blues might see her moods swing quickly from happy to sad, postpartum depression is characterised by constant feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness and loneliness. Needless to say, this can quickly become overwhelming in the life of a young mother, making it difficult to complete daily activities for herself or her baby. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is ketamine? Thanks for asking! Ketamine is a psychoactive drug, which is known for being both a horse tranquiliser horse and a party drug for ravers looking to experience a psychedelic trip. lsd kick in It has also recently emerged that ketamine is an effective antidepressant. Its use for medical purposes has been approved in the United States and Europe. edge of space Ketamine was first synthesised in 1962. It’s widely used by vets to anesthetize animals, but it’s also been used to ease pain in humans for some time. It’s common knowledge that ketamine was given to American soldiers requiring emergency surgery during the Vietnam war. To this day, it’s used in other procedures like skin grafts and cardiac catheterisation. techno In the 90s, ketamine got a reputation as an illicit party drug. Nicknamed Special K, ravers made it their recreational drug of choice for its hallucinogenic and dissociative effects. Of course, using it is illegal and potentially dangerous. Mixed with alcohol or in a high dose, it can lead to respiratory failure and death. What are the scientific effects of ketamine? Ketamine acts as an antagonist on a number of neurotransmitters, in particular glutamate, the brain’s most common chemical messenger. When taken in high doses, it prevents glutamate from circulating, causing the anaesthetising effect. But in small doses it increases production, which is what leads to hallucinations. woosh In depressed people, some brain cell connections have been destroyed by significant stress or trauma. An article published in Science magazine explained that ketamine can prompt those connections to regrow, thereby acting as a treatment for depression. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is burnout? Thanks for asking! In January 2021, the European Parliament approved a “right to disconnect” policy which passed relatively unnoticed in the midst of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. This resolution recognises workers rights to switch off outside of working hours, in order to protect their mental health, wellbeing and private lives. A Eurofound survey estimated that one third of all workers were working remotely last year. Since the start of the pandemic, a sedentary and “always-on” lifestyle has become the norm for many. While remote work clearly has some advantages, staying connected and available around the clock can have negative effects. These include anxiety, depression or even a burnout. Is burnout similar to depression then? Not really, because it’s seen as an occupational phenomenon, rather than a medical condition. The World Health Organisation defines burn-out as a “syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.” American psychiatrist Herbert Freudenberger coined the term burn-out back in 1974 when he became the first person to publish research on the syndrome in the Journal of Social Issues. How can I tell if one of my colleagues is experiencing a burn-out then? There may be physical, emotional, cognitive, interpersonal and motivational signs. The three characteristics of occupational burn-out are: feelings of exhaustion, increased mental distance from, or negative feelings towards, your job and reduced efficiency. Furthermore, Mayo Clinic cites a lack of work-life balance, a high workload, overtime and a monotonous job among the risk factors for burnout. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is dyspareunia? Thanks for asking! Most people associate sex with pleasure but research suggests that 60% of women have already experienced pain during sex without daring to tell their partner. Dyspareunia is the medical term for pain which occurs before, during or after intercourse. The problem can affect men, but is far more common in women. Dyspareunia may be persistent or recurrent, sometimes leading to a loss of libibdo or forms of sexual dysfunction like vaginismus. What does this pain feel like? There are two main types of dyspareunia: superficial and deep. Superficial pain can affect the clitoris, vulva or at the opening of the vagina. It may come on as soon as penetration begins, or even before. Deeper pain is generally felt in the vault of the vagina or within the pelvis upon penetration. It may be more acute in certain sexual positions. So what are the causes of dyspareunia? Is there any hope for those suffering with dyspareunia? What can they do to stop? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: What is the Gamestop short squeeze? What is a coup d'etat? What is Diogenes Syndrome? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is Pancake Day? Thanks for asking! Feeling hungry? It’s Pancake Day tomorrow, which means you’ve still got time to choose your favourite toppings! Pancake Day is also known as Shrove Tuesday, which marks the day before the start of Lent on the Christian calendar. The date changes every year, as it depends on when Easter falls. So how did a religious date get to be known as Pancake Day? Well, according to Christian tradition, Pancake Day marks the last day of excess allowed before Lent. The following day is Ash Wednesday, and the beginning of 40 days of prayer and fasting. During Lent, practising Christians often give up something as a personal sacrifice to remember the forty days Jesus spent in the desert. Lent ends on Easter Sunday, when Christians celebrate Jesus’s resurrection from the dead, after being crucified. How far back does the celebration of Pancake Day go? The tradition of making pancakes dates back to at least the Middle Ages. Preparing pancakes was considered ideal to use up rich foodstuffs like butter, eggs and milk, before Lent. Like many religious festivals, customs vary by region. In other countries, people eat doughnuts, omelettes or pastries instead of pancakes. In the UK, pancake races are held, with participants in fancy dress running down the street flipping pancakes in a frying pan. Elsewhere, Shrove Tuesday is known as Mardi Gras, which translates into English as Fat Tuesday. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is an antiviral mask? Thanks for asking! Since the turn of the year, the threat of new coronavirus variants has emerged. As a result, many are questioning how effective different types of face covering are against these more contagious strains. The World Health Organisation has stressed that cloth masks still work just as well, because the mode of transmission is the same, despite the mutation. However, governments in some countries have encouraged people to favour surgical masks or FFP2 masks. Manufacturers are on a mission to make more efficient face coverings available to the public. Some even claim their products have germ-killing properties which can destroy the coronavirus! How can a mask kill a virus? Is that really possible? Remember that the coronavirus doesn’t simply circulate on its own. It’s always carried by something like a drop of saliva. When we wear a face covering of any kind, we mainly protect others from our own droplets. A standard mask filters the majority of pathogens but can never be 100% successful. Antiviral masks are more proactive in that they don’t just seek to stop viruses and bacteria from penetrating, but to kill it and prevent them from staying on the surface. The best form of defence is attack, as they say! Some use antimicrobial agents, like proteins, which bind to the virus and stop it from replicating. Others are infused with metals like copper or silver, which are known to have antimicrobial properties. In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: What is the Gamestop short squeeze? What is a coup d'etat? What is Diogenes Syndrome? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is the Gamestop short squeeze? Thanks for asking! You may have seen headlines about it in recent weeks, and it’s certainly one of the financial stories of the year so far. The Gamestop short squeeze saw Wall Street tremble at least temporarily due to the actions of amateur traders from Reddit. And this battle is perhaps just the start of a long war. To understand the short squeeze, let’s go back to the beginning. Gamestop is an American chain of video game stores which has a presence in many countries across the world. It’s well-known among gamers, but has been struggling of late due to competition from digital distribution. That might sound like sad news, but some American hedge funds saw an opportunity to make money by effectively betting on the company’s stock falling in value. That’s known as shorting and it’s seen as a form of vulture capitalism, because of the disregard it shows for the businesses in question. How does short-selling actually work in practice? OK it’s a little complicated for novice traders but let’s try with a simplified example. Say you expect the value of a company’s shares to drop. You borrow a single share in the company from someone and then immediately sell it. When the value drops, you can make a profit by buying back a new share at a lower price, and simply paying it back to the original lender. This is what some hedge funds like Melvin Capital did with Gamestop, but in far higher quantities than a single share of course! So what went wrong for the hedge funds in this case? Anybody can buy stocks? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: What is Diogenes Syndrome? What is the sixth dose? What is sensory processing sensitivity? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is a coup d’etat? Thanks for asking! Just last week, Myanmar underwent its fourth coup d’état in 63 years, ten years after becoming a democracy. Although no blood was spilled, several members of the ruling National League for Democracy Party were placed under house arrest by the military. That includes Aung San Suu Kyi, the elected State Counsellor. The Tatmadaw military declared a year-long state of emergency. What are the main characteristics of a coup d’état? The term, which has been around since the 18th century, comes from French words meaning “a strike against the state”. In 2013, the University of Illinois’ Cline Center for Democracy defined a coup d’état as “the sudden and irregular removal, or displacement, of the executive authority of an independent government.” Their project listed twelve different types of coup. So the purpose of a coup is usually to seize power. A coup isn’t necessarily violent, but many are. In 2011, American researchers Jonathan Powell and Clayton Thyne identified three common criteria in coups d’état. Firstly, the coup has to be carried out against the executive authority, by the military or other elites within the state, using anti-constitutional methods. Another synonym is the Swiss-German word “putsch”, which is also used in English. It refers to military coups, such as Myanmar 2021. When it’s the people who overthrow the government and take power, we talk instead about a revolution. Can you give me some examples of recent coups d’état? What about January’s storming of the U.S. Capitol? Could that be considered a coup d’état? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: What is Diogenes Syndrome? What is the sixth dose? What is sensory processing sensitivity? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is Diogenes Syndrome? Thanks for asking! Diogenes Syndrome is a behavioural disorder which mainly affects older adults. It’s also known as senile squalor syndrome, which is perhaps a more evocative name for what it entails. It happens when people neglect to take care of themselves, leading to poor personal hygiene and an extremely dirty or messy home. The unsanitary conditions in which these people live can lead to other health problems. How could anyone get to live in such squalor? Many people affected are totally unaware that anything is wrong with their home, or simply living in denial. Untrusting of others, they often live in isolation and may turn down offers of help from family or friends. They are compulsive hoarders, even keeping rubbish in their homes which can attract insects and rodents. So their living situation may only come to light after they get sick or have an accident like a fall which results in them needing medical attention. In other scenarios, neighbours may investigate due to smells coming from the person’s home, or the building becoming infested with pests like cockroaches. Extreme cases have even seen fires or serious leaks due to the squalor of someone with Diogenes syndrome. Wait a minute; who is Diogenes and what does he have to do with all this? Who is affected by this behavioural disorder? What’s the best way to help someone with Diogenes Syndrome? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: What is sensory processing sensitivity? What is enbyphobia? What is ASMR? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is the sixth dose? Thanks for asking! From the outset, each vial of the Pfizer and BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine was supposed to contain five doses. But it has since emerged that a sixth dose can in fact be extracted from each vial. So, is this extra dose a welcome surprise which will allow vaccination programmes to move forward more quickly? Let’s go back to Germany at the end of December 2020. The European Medicines Agency recommended that the Cominarty vaccine from BioNTech and Pfizer be authorised. According to official guidelines, each vial contained enough for five vaccine doses. The two pharmaceutical giants then asked the EU to allow doctors to extract an extra sixth dose from their vials. The EMA regulator approved this proposition on January 8th 2021, and a spokesperson from BioNTech insisted that the cost of the EU’s vaccine order would remain the same. So are we saying that European member states are both saving money and able to vaccinate more people with the same number of vials? It seemed that way at first. But ten days later, Pfizer and BioNTech changed tune. As each vial was now considered to contain six doses, rather than five, they would deliver less vials to European states. Having ordered 600 million doses of the Cominarty vaccine, the EU would now receive only 100 million vials, rather than the initially expected 120 million. What’s going to happen with all the remaining vials then? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: What is sensory processing sensitivity? What is enbyphobia? What is ASMR? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is sensory processing sensitivity? Thanks for asking! “Why are you being so sensitive?” “Stop overreacting”. It’s common to hear people criticise others for being highly sensitive, but it actually often isn’t a choice. Sensory processing sensitivity, or SPS, is a personality trait which describes how individuals’ levels of sensitivity vary when reacting to physical, social and emotional stimuli. This is down to differences in the central nervous system and cognitive processing. Discussion of SPS is recent. It only began in the 1990s, thanks to American psychologists Elaine and Arthur Aron. They designed a questionnaire to measure sensitivity and estimated that 15-20% of the world’s population have high SPS. Such people are known as HSPs, or highly sensitive people. Wow, that’s a lot! Could I be an HSP without realising it? There are a number of telltale signs. On the physical side, a highly sensitive person may react in a very positive or negative way to certain sounds, odours or even touches. Some examples are bright lights, coarse fabrics and loud noises. Emotional reactions, both positive and negative, can also be strong. Highly sensitive people may have trouble accepting criticism, as well as compliments. They can switch quickly from joy to anger, or from love to apathy. Due to their heightened empathy, they understand what other people are feeling. If you’re a neurotypical, you may find HSPs tactless when describing their feelings. Is high sensitivity considered an illness? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: What is ASMR? What is VOC 202012/01? What is Wikipedia? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is enbyphobia? Thanks for asking! This term first appeared in LGBT+ circles; if you’re wondering what an “enby” is, just say it slower: N - B, which stands for non-binary. So it refers to a phobia of non-binary people, which is also sometimes called exorsexism. If you think back to our episode about non-binary gender identity, you’ll remember it means people who do not feel exclusively male or female. For example, some may identify as having two or more genders, or none at all. There isn’t much data on the subject, but statistics gathered by Nat Titman in 2014 suggest that at least 1 in 250 people are non-binary. In reality, the figure may be much higher. British Grammy-winning singer Sam Smith and Netflix star Brigette Lundy-Pain are just a couple of the numerous celebrities who describe themselves as non-binary. So why do some people have a problem with NBs? And what does enbyphobic behaviour look like? Enbyphobes often argue that being non-binary isn’t a real thing. They see it as a fad or temporary identity crisis affecting confused, attention-seeking members of today’s younger generations. And of course non-binary people don’t appreciate not being taken seriously. They see enbyphobia as a form of systemic oppression. Some people refuse to use gender-neutral pronouns like ‘they’ or ‘zie’, even when corrected. Assuming, ignoring or invalidating a person's gender is called misgendering. Most NBs understand that mistakes happen, but choosing to wilfully ignore a person’s choice of pronoun is seen as disrespectful and enbyphobic. Other common examples of enbyphobia in society are only having male and female bathrooms, only listing two genders on a form or using non-inclusive phrases such as “ladies and gentlemen” or “boys and girls”. Non-binary people may also be more likely to be victims of harassment and assault. What’s the difference between transphobia and enbyphobia? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: What is ASMR? What is VOC 202012/01? What is Wikipedia? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is ASMR? Thanks for asking! ASMR is short for autonomous sensory meridian response. It refers to the pleasant tingling sensations some people feel when triggered by certain sensory stimuli. These sensations tend to begin on the scalp and work their way down throughout the body, bringing on a state of relaxation. In the 2010s, ASMR was popularised to such an extent that there are thousands of videos available online for those looking to experience it. Most often, ASMR is brought on by an audio stimulus, so it’s recommended to listen with headphones to really enhance the sounds going into your ears. That’s especially true when the recordings have been made with a binaural microphone. Other kinds of triggers are visual, like hand movements, or tactile, like light touches against the skin. Are you saying it took us until the 21st century to discover such sensations? Well, in reality the sensations have existed since forever, but it wasn’t until 2010 that anyone put a name on them. Jennifer Allen, herself an ASMR content creator, coined the scientific-sounding acronym on a Facebook group and it caught on. Allen has since explained she wanted the term to come across as clinical, so people could talk about it openly without fear of being ridiculed. There’s almost no science on ASMR. Since then, this digital-age relaxation method has become a true sensation. Each month, there are over 11 million searches for ASMR on Youtube, and the most viewed videos have tens of millions of plays. The influencers posting these are known as ASMRtists and they have to regularly come up with new ideas to keep their content fresh. What are the most common ASMR triggers? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: What is Wikipedia? What is Parler? What is Signal? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is VOC202012/01? Thanks for asking! It might seem like a random series of letters and numbers, but bear with us and you’ll soon understand. VOC202012/01 is the name of the so-called UK coronavirus variant, one of several which are causing concern at the moment. Since first being detected in South-East England, it has started spreading all across the world. How far back does this strain actually date? In mid-December, London mayor Sadiq Kahn warned people to expect the “toughest Christmas” since the Second World War, after it was announced the city would face Tier 4 covid-19 restrictions. That decision was taken due to the rising infection rates caused by the new virus strain. According to Nick Loman, professor of microbial genomics and bioinformation at the University of Birmingham, this variant was first identified in the United Kingdom in late September 2020. The strain was originally known as VUI 202012/01, the VUI standing for variant under investigation. But it was then renamed as a VOC, or variant of concern, in December. So what are the differences between this variant and the original coronavirus? Are you saying this strain is more dangerous then? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: What is Wikipedia? What is Parler? What is Signal? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is Wikipedia? Thanks for asking! On January 15th 2021, Wikipedia turned 20 years old, believe it or not. Wow, thanks for making me feel old! OK so everybody already knows what Wikipedia is, but let’s look closer at its history, how it works and the limits of this collaborative, volunteer-produced internet encyclopedia. Nowadays, Wikipedia has over 55 million articles in over 300 different languages. But everything started with a single post titled Hello World, published by American founder Jimmy Wales. He invited internet users to join his encyclopedia project with the radical aim of changing how knowledge was created and shared online. That’s a pretty ambitious objective! The main novelty was allowing anyone to contribute and edit the encyclopedia’s articles, regardless of education or social origin. So with Wikipedia, knowledge on a subject isn’t produced according to some kind of hierarchy whereby a minority of experts have all the control. Instead we place trust in collective intelligence. Editors, also known as Wikipedians, combine their efforts on a voluntary basis, to help the collaborative community to exist, with no director. Can the information really be considered reliable if anyone can contribute? Interestingly, the sheer number of contributors is seen as a guarantee of Wikipedia’s reliability, even if they work on a voluntary basis. The more editors there are, the greater the number of peer reviews and edits which can be made to reach the general consensus on any given subject. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is Parler? Thanks for asking! Since the start of the year, a previously little known social network has been making international headlines. Despite having just 1 million users in July 2020, Parler was the most downloaded app on the US App Store in November, right after the Presidential election. By then, it had reached 10 million users, a figure which rose to 15 million by January 2021. Parler’s user base mainly consists of conservatives, Donald Trump supporters, right-wing extremists and conspiracy theorists. How did Parler become such a big deal? Parler was actually founded in 2018, positioning itself as an unbiased alternative to mainstream social networks. It takes its name from the French word parler, meaning “to speak”. Parler has officially described itself as “free speech social media focused on protecting users’ rights.” Like any other social network, Parler has a web browser version, as well as apps for mobile devices. Users just need an email address and telephone number to register, as well as meeting the minimum age requirement of 13. Unlike on Twitter, users must have an account before viewing posts. Despite its explosion in users, Parler has been offline since January 11th, when Amazon decided to suspend the site from its web hosting service. Google and Apple also removed Parler from their app stores, making the platform totally unavailable. That’s quite some rise and fall! Why was Parler taken offline then? What is the current outlook for Parler? Will it come back online? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: What is Signal? What is bardcore? What is compersion? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is Signal? Thanks for asking! Maybe you’re among the millions of new users to have recently downloaded messaging app Signal. Just like Whatsapp or Messenger, Signal is a free-to-use messaging app which can be used on smartphone or desktop computers. Unlike its competitors though, Signal is independent and prides itself on being the most secure messaging app around. The first version of the Signal app launched in 2015, created by American entrepreneur Moxie Marlinspike. But it was only at the start of 2021 that Signal really took off. And ironically, its new found success is largely down to competitor Whatsapp. For years now many of us have been using Whatsapp to call friends across the globe, without racking up a massive phone bill. Its group functions allow friends, family and colleagues to share media. Ah yes the famous family Whatsapp group that I’ve had on mute for about two years now! Anyway, all was going well for Whatsapp and its 2 billion users until the start of 2021. One day, parent company Facebook, announced that its terms of use were changing. A new mandatory privacy policy would see some information shared with Facebook and Instagram, in order to serve targeted advertising. Facebook did its best to reassure Whatsapp users that this would only affect messages to business or enterprise accounts. The deadline for accepting the new policy has also now been pushed back by three months. But the damage has been done, and many fear that Facebook could seek to access their private messages and photos. A tweet from Elon Musk, who recently became the richest person in the world, added flames to the fire. The post to his millions of followers simply read “Use Signal”. Whistleblower and former NSA contractor Edward Snowden has also backed Signal, expressly stating it is more secure than Whatsapp. So what does Signal have that Whatsapp doesn’t? In what way is it independent? Who does Signal belong to? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: What is compersion? What is Inauguration Day? What is Blue Monday? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is bardcore? Thanks for asking! Prithee, a maiden doth serenade from afar! What enchanting melody be this? Fear not, Shakira didn’t rip-off a medieval musician when she brought out Hips Don’t Lie in 2005. What you’re listening to was created by medieval minstrels of the 21st century. You might call them bards, as they enjoy creating medieval covers of modern-day hits. This kind of music has been baptised bardcore, or tavernwave. Another crazy internet phenomenon! Where on earth did bardcore come from? Modern musicians have been exploring Middle Age music styles and instruments for a number of years. But the bardcore boom is relatively recent, dating back to April 2020. Most of the world’s population was locked indoors, hiding from Covid-19, the modern-day equivalent of the Black Death. 27-year-old Cornelius Link from Germany became perhaps the first ever Bardcore composer. The web developer made the most of his time in lockdown by creating a medieval remake of electronic dance track Astronomia, best known from its use in the coffin dance meme. Inspired by Link’s work, a number of dedicated Youtube channels sprung up in a short space of time, all posting medieval covers. Some put their sounds together using audio software, while others actually record themselves playing contemporary instruments like the lute, pipe, harp or tambourine. Let’s take another listen.When we looked, this cover of Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance already had 6.5 million views in just 7 months! Not bad huh?! Why do I feel like the words are different? How similar is the bardcore style to real Medieval music? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: What is compersion? What is Inauguration Day? What is Blue Monday? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is compersion? Thanks for asking! You won’t find the term compersion in the dictionary, but it could be defined as the pleasure derived from seeing someone else experience happiness and joy. It’s often associated with polyamory and non-monogamous relationships, having been coined by the Keristan polyamorous community in 1970s California. So are you saying I should be happy if my partner loves someone else? Compersion is all about being happy for someone else, even when their positive experience isn’t related to us. In a relationship, you could see it as the opposite of jealousy and possessiveness. Compulsory monogamy is a social mandate which suggests that having multiple partners at the same time is immoral. We are traditionally raised to view dating in this way, which can lead to an expectation of jealousy and feelings of ownership over our partners. That’s not to say that polyamory is for everyone, but some couples have taken the conscious decision to move away from the status quo when they feel it’s not working for them. Society teaches us that we’re supposed to satisfy all of our partner’s needs and vice versa but often that’s simply an unrealistic expectation. How do people go about cultivating compersion in polyamorous relationships? Can compersion exist outside of polyamory? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: What is Inauguration Day? What is Blue Monday? What are bionic soldiers? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is Inauguration Day? Thanks for asking! Today is Inauguration Day, and Joe Biden is to be sworn in as the 46th President of the United States, following his victory in November’s election. Inauguration Day is perhaps the ultimate public display of American democracy, marking a peaceful transition from one president to the next. There’s been nothing peaceful about the events of recent weeks in the United States! Traditionally, the outgoing President escorts the President-elect from the White House to the Capitol on Inauguration Day. But it came to the surprise of no-one when Donald Trump announced he wouldn’t be attending Biden’s inauguration. Trump has adamantly contested the election result and repeatedly refused to concede. He then became the first US President to be impeached a second time, for his role in inciting the storming of the Capitol exactly two weeks ago. All fifty states are on alert, prepared for armed pro-Trump marches and possible violent outbreaks. More than 20,000 National Guard troops are to be deployed in Washington DC. Tell me more about the historical traditions of Inauguration Day! In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen the last episodes, you can click here: What is Blue Monday? What are bionic soldiers? What is induced lactation? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is Blue Monday? Thanks for asking! Sorry to start the week with bad news but today is Blue Monday, often cited as the most depressing day of the year. Blue Monday has existed since 2005, and is based on an equation which takes into account various factors. However, its detractors criticise the idea as pseudoscience and say it is driven by money. Why does Blue Monday occur in January? Since the first Blue Monday equation was devised by psychologist Cliff Arnall, there have been a few different variants, but there are common elements to each. Of course you’ve got the winter weather, which explains why Blue Monday isn’t a phenomenon in the southern Hemisphere, where January is a summer month. Blue Monday is also not well known in the United States, as it usually clashes with Martin Luther King Day. Furthermore, people are often indebted in January, after overspending at Christmas time, and there’s still over a week to wait until payday. The joy of the holiday season has passed and many of us have already failed to stick to our New Year’s resolutions. Black Friday, Super Saturday, Blue Monday - why do I get the feeling this is just another marketing thing? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen the last episodes, you can click here: What is induced lactation? What is a Bullshit job? What is Pornhub? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What are bionic soldiers? Thanks for asking! Bionic soldiers have been making headlines since early December, when a French military ethics committee approved the development of technological upgrades for members of the country’s armed forces. Less than a week prior to that announcement, the US Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe raised concerns about China’s military technology plans. Writing an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal, he accused Beijing of “developing soldiers with biologically enhanced capabilities”, with the ultimate aim being to “dominate the US and the rest of the planet economically, militarily and technologically.” And the United States government has also invested heavily itself in developing new generation military technology. In 2016, it spent millions to create an implant allowing the human brain to communicate with computers. This all sounds like something out of science fiction! Are we going to see cyborgs on the battlefield soon? It’s true that the idea of enhancing a human's physical or cognitive abilities through the use of technology was long restricted to sci-fi. Films like Universal Soldier and Robocop are perfect examples. But recent discussions around bionic soldiers have made such developments seem closer to becoming reality. French defence minister Florence Parly insisted that there were currently no plans to develop bionic soldiers, but the ethics committee ruling does mean it would be allowed in the future. Using a superhero analogy, Parly said the country’s intention would be to have armoured fighters like Iron Man, rather than genetic mutants like Spiderman. What kind of enhancements would bionic soldiers have compared to regular humans? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen the last episodes, you can click here: What is induced lactation? What is a Bullshit job? What is Pornhub? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is induced lactation? Thanks for asking! Induced lactation refers to the production of breast milk in non-gestational parents. That’s right, a woman who hasn’t ever been pregnant can still breastfeed their child using this method. Sounds complicated? Well it is, but it’s not impossible, and it can allow adoptive or surrogate mothers to breastfeed if they desire. The benefits of breastfeeding for a baby’s wellbeing and development are well documented, in addition to the emotional bond the physical connection can create. Quite simply, breast milk is seen as the best food for a baby, so it’s understandably an option that many families would wish to explore. In 2019, a collection of photos showing a same-sex married couple breastfeeding their twins together went viral. Kelly Pfeiffer had carried the babies, while her wife Jaclyn induced lactation. What’s the science behind induced lactation then? Human breast tissue contains small clusters of alveoli, whether you’re a woman or a man. These hollow cavities are lined with cells which secrete milk. But it’s actually the hormone prolactin, produced by the pituitary gland in the brain, which stimulates the mammary glands and is mainly responsible for lactation. Interestingly, prolactin is present in the bodies of both women and men. Outside of pregnancy, women have around a third more prolactin in their bodies compared to men. During a pregnancy, this rises to 10 times more. This spike is what causes the breasts to swell and breast milk to be produced. In the case of induced lactation, hormone therapy and herbs may be used to simulate the effects of pregnancy, with close medical supervision of course. It’s also possible to produce milk through mechanical stimulation only. Devices like breast pumps and feeding tubes can assist. The process produces low volumes of milk to start with, but studies have shown the milk is just as good for a baby as that of biological mothers. Women planning to induce lactation should reach out to their healthcare provider as early as possible before their baby arrives. What about men? Could they also lactate and breastfeed? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen the last episodes, you can click here: What is a Bullshit job? What is Pornhub? What are tiny forests? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is a Bullshit job? Thanks for asking! Back in 2013, anthropology professor David Graeber penned an essay in radical magazine Strike, criticising the proliferation of what he called Bullshit jobs. Despite having a higher social status compared to careers in teaching or nursing for example, these positions are effectively pointless. Even those paid to occupy them often struggle to justify their existence. And yet teachers and nurses are less well paid despite offering a more meaningful contribution to society. Well yes, there’s a reason they’ve been called “essential workers” during the Covid-19 pandemic, isn’t there? That’s right, and in fact the last year has seen some high-profile instances of bullshit work. Think of the UK consulting firms that as of October 2020 had been paid a combined £175m to advise the government on its response to the pandemic. This use of public money has come under strong scrutiny, especially due to the poor results achieved. One example was the £560,000 contract awarded to McKinsey & Company to define the “vision, purpose and narrative” of the country’s testing programme. What was the impact of Graeber’s essay? Do you have some examples of these BS jobs then? So what’s the solution to the bullshit jobs problem? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen the last episodes, you can click here: What is Pornhub? What are tiny forests? What is hygge? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is Pornhub? Thanks for asking! With over 3 billion visits per month, it’s the 10th most popular website worldwide. Don’t act all innocent; if you have an internet connection, it’s almost certain you have at least heard of PornHub. It’s perhaps the world’s most popular porn site but it has been making headlines for controversial reasons in the last month. Reports have surfaced, accusing PornHub of hosting illegal content, such as videos of non-consensual sex and child abuse. How did PornHub get to be so successful? The site was launched in Montreal in 2007 and has grown explosively ever since, being bought out by MindGeek in 2010. Each year, a combined 6 million videos are uploaded to the platform by pros and amateur members of the PornHub community. In 2019, PornHub recorded over 40 billion visits in a single year. For comparison’s sake, that’s more annual traffic than either Amazon or Netflix. Analytics site Similarweb estimates the average time on site at 8 minutes and 53 seconds. It sounds like everything is going swimmingly at PornHub then! Until December 4th 2020... In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen the last episodes, you can click here: What is hygge? What are New Year's Resolutions? What is breaking? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What are tiny forests? Thanks for asking! Over the last few years, citizens have been planting tiny forests in towns and country settings. There are now over 2,000 across the world, all inspired by the Miyawaki method and designed to help prevent the collapse of biodiversity. Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki was born in 1928. While studying seeds and natural forests, he observed that the vast majority of Japanese forests were made by humans. Trees had been planted according to the quality of their wood, in order to build buildings or houses. The problem was that these trees weren’t the most resistant or efficient against global warming. Don’t we already have a lot of forests in Europe? You’re right in so far as forests cover 182 million hectares or 43% of the total land area in the continent. The figure for the UK is comparatively low, at just 3.21 million hectares and 13% of land area. The thing is most of this land is accounted for by monoculture forests, which are only home to one type of tree. As explained by non-profit organisation Project Drawdown, many were created “with purely economic motives and little regard for the long-term well-being of the land, environment, or surrounding communities.” The resulting lack of plant biodiversity in turn has a negative impact on animal biodiversity, and can cause diseases to spread more easily. Let’s get back to Miyawaki. Tell me more about how his method works. What is the environmental benefit of all this? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen the last episodes, you can click here: What is hygge? What are New Year's Resolutions? What is breaking? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is hygge? Thanks for asking! Picture this: you’re indoors, in front of a warm fireplace, with a plaid rug over your legs, sipping a cup of tea or cocoa while watching a film. Or you could be relaxing with a candlelit bath, soothing music and a book in your hands. Well, you might not realise it, but you’re experiencing a typical hygge moment. Wait a minute, what language are we talking about here? The word is derived from a 16th century Norwegian term for wellbeing, and can’t be literally translated to English. Hygge is generally described as a concept of cosiness and conviviality, which is a way of life for Danes in particular. It’s a highly flexible word, which can be used as a noun, verb or adjective. It’s omnipresent and has an endless amount of compound forms, such as hyggebusker. That’s a comfortable pair of sweatpants you secretly love but would never wear in public. When did hygge get to be so popular? Is this kind of cosiness really that specific to Scandinavia? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen the last episodes, you can click here: What is breaking? What is the cosmic calendar? What is an immunity passport? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What are New Year’s Resolutions? Thanks for asking! Well here we are in 2021. Many are glad to see the back of 2020, now looking forward optimistically to the future thanks to global developments like the arrival of Covid-19 vaccines and Joe Biden entering the White House. The turn of the year also means it’s time to come up with New Year’s resolutions. Setting ourselves objectives for the whole year is always a big ask, and not everyone is able to keep theirs for various reasons. When were New Year’s resolutions actually invented? Nowadays, New Year’s resolutions are primarily a Western custom, but their origins actually go back to Mesopotamia in the 3rd century BC. The Babylonians would celebrate the twelve-day Akitu festival to commemorate the New Year. They would pledge their loyalty to the king and promise to pay back any debts they owed. The idea was that the gods would look favourably on them in the year ahead. In Roman times, new year’s resolutions were linked to two-faced god Janus, who was believed to look both backwards at the previous year and forward into the future. The Romans made sacrifices to Janus and promised their good behaviour for the new year. In this day and age however, New Year’s resolutions are mostly secular and tend to focus on self-improvement. What are the most popular New Year’s resolutions? And does anyone actually keep their resolutions? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen the last episodes, you can click here: What is breaking? What is the cosmic calendar? What is an immunity passport? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is breaking? Thanks for asking! In early December, the IOC officially announced it was adding breaking to the list of Olympic sports for the Paris 2024 Games. First and foremost, breaking is a form of art which was pioneered in the 1970s by members of the New York hip-hop movement. Oh right, you’re talking about breakdancing! Well yes, but the term breakdancing was actually invented by the media. This form of urban dance was originally known as “breaking”, as any self-respecting Bboy or Bgirl will tell you. Those are the terms for male or female practitioners. So why is it called breaking? How did breaking make it into the Olympics then? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen the last episodes, you can click here: What is an immunity passport? What is vlogmas? What is a black hole? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is the cosmic calendar? Thanks for asking! OK, so you’re looking for a new calendar on which to mark family birthdays, Covid-19 dependent holiday plans and dentist appointments in 2021. Well, sorry the cosmic calendar won’t be of much use to you. It’s totally different to the Gregorian or Islamic calendars, which measure individual days. The cosmic calendar is actually a method of scaling down the entire 13.8 billion year history of the universe, to match a 365-day year. Everything is in chronological order, so one can visualise cosmic evolution, the evolution of life, the relatively short evolution of humans and the even shorter period since history began. In 1977 astrophysicist Carl Sagan published an essay called The Dragon of Eden, in which featured the first cosmic calendar. OK, so how does it work? Us humans are accustomed to measuring time in seconds, minutes and hours. Sagan’s concept helps us to have a better idea of the chronology of the universe. Each day in the cosmic calendar represents 37.8 million years of “real” time, while even a single second is equivalent to 438 years. The calendar visualisation starts off with the Big Bang at midnight on January 1st, with the universe expanding, cooling and gravitating since. The present day is shown at the very end of the cosmic calendar year, on December 31st. You can follow the cosmic evolution of the universe, such as the forming of the first stars and galaxies in early January. Believe it or not, our Milky Way Galaxy only forms on May 11th, with the Sun and Earth appearing in September. Dinosaurs show up at Christmas time, but are then extinct five days later. The first sight of “anatomically modern humans”, also known as homosapiens, is only five minutes before the end of the year. Meanwhile recorded history, based on written records, only covers the final 10 seconds. Well consider my mind blown! All those years of human history are just a flicker of time really... In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen the last episodes, you can click here: What is vlogmas? What is a black hole? What is Western Sahara? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is an immunity passport? Thanks for asking! After testing and vaccination in 2020, the immunity passport is likely to be one of next year’s Covid-19 hot topics. Apps on our smartphones will be able to show whether we have been tested or vaccinated. The upside? It could lead to the reopening of international travel, meaning we’ll be able to go on holiday again as a result, and access other freedoms. Big Brother’s watching us - It all sounds a bit creepy to me! Well the idea of a vaccination card as an entry mechanism is actually far from new. Over a century ago, certain American schools required students and teachers alike to show evidence of their smallpox vaccination. A more recent example is the yellow card, a travel document created by the World Health Organisation in the 1960s. It’s used to prove whether a person has been vaccinated for yellow fever. I’m guessing the 21st century version must come in the form of an app? Has there been any opposition to the idea of immunity passports? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen the last episodes, you can click here: What is vlogmas? What is a black hole? What is Western Sahara? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is vlogmas? Thanks for asking! Well, there you have it, Christmas 2020 has come and gone faster than you can say “socially distanced celebrations! Some influencers will nevertheless be relieved to take some time off, after a full month of Vlogmas. The idea is to post a video per day from December 1st through to Christmas, like an Advent calendar. Sometimes this practice can extend through to the New Year. So if you love vlogs and love Christmas too, well this is perfect for you. Beauty and lifestyle Youtuber Ingrid Nilsen is credited with creating the tradition back in 2011, when she was known as Missglamorazzi. At the time, daily vlogging was relatively rare and the project was a spur-of-the-moment thing. Since then however Vlogmas has become a real phenomenon, with online content and searches growing year-on-year. What’s the idea then - festive-themed vlogs? Since Vlogmas first appeared, December has become an important month for influencers. It’s like a marathon for vloggers, in particular for lifestyle Youtubers. Every day is a new immersion into the influencer’s daily life, more or less around the theme of Christmas, taking in activities like buying and putting up decorations, last-minute shopping and of course unwrapping gifts. Some posts get hundreds of thousands of views and a simple search for “Vlogmas” on Youtube yields a seemingly endless number of results. It sure sounds like a lot of work during the holiday season! What’s in it for the influencers themselves then? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen the last episodes, you can click here: What is a black hole? What is Western Sahara? What is Furoshiki? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is a black hole? Thanks for asking! The 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to three scientists for their breakthroughs in understanding one of the Milky Way’s darkest secrets: the black hole. The winners were British physicist Sir Roger Penrose, American astronomer Andrea Ghez and German astrophysicist Reinhard Genzel. The closest black hole to Planet Earth is situated 1011 light years away and it’s believed one exists in every galaxy. Black holes generally form when a large star collapses in upon itself. As you may have guessed, black holes don’t emit any light and are therefore invisible in space. Their pulling force is so strong that nothing can escape, not even light. If black holes are invisible, how can we even be sure they exist? Black holes are indeed invisible, but astronomers have come up with ways to locate them. They have had to closely observe material and stars around black holes, which allows them to better understand the characteristics and behaviour of the black holes themselves, like their size and mass. There are actually three main types of black hole: primordial, stellar and supermassive. Evidence suggests that all large galaxies have a supermassive black hole at their centre. Scientists were able to detect the supermassive Sagittarius A* black hole in our galaxy by noticing that stars were orbiting around something that couldn’t be seen. Their presence in other galaxies has been revealed by high-energy jets of material, which can be emitted when a black hole consumes a star for example. How can black holes be so powerful that they can even trap light? Are you saying we’ve never been able to look directly at a black hole? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen the last episodes, you can click here: What is low tech? What is gender dysphoria? What is The Cartel Project? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is Western Sahara? Thanks for asking! On December 10th, US President Donald Trump recognised Morocco’s sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara region. The announcement came as a surprise, and has significant consequences, such as the normalization of relations between Morocco and Israel. Following the UAE, Bahrain and Sudan, Morocco is the fourth Arab League country to recognise Israel in recent months. Situated in the North-west of Africa, the region of Western Sahara has a surface area of over 100,000m₂. It is one of the world’s most sparsely populated territories, consisting mainly of desert flatlands. It can be found to the south of Morocco, the north of Mauritania, and also shares a border with Algeria. The region has been contested for several decades now, and is one of the world’s last remaining major non-self-governing territories. So who does the Western Sahara region actually belong to then? Well, it was actually a Spanish colony from the late 19th century through to 1975. A self-determination referendum was due to take place that year, but Morocco expressed its opposition, having continually claimed the territory since the 1950s. Following the Spanish withdrawal, Morocco annexed two-thirds of Western Sahara. It would go on to gradually secure control of around 80% of the territory, including all major cities and natural resources, which it continues to administrate. The remaining 20%, the self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, is controlled by the Polisario Front. This group is an indigenous independence movement which was founded in 1973, and has the support of Algeria. What has caused the situation to escalate in recent months? Could this fighting have any impact on the US-brokered deal? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen the last episodes, you can click here: What is low tech? What is gender dysphoria? What is The Cartel Project? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is Furoshiki? Thanks for asking! In case you haven’t noticed, it’s Christmas Eve today, which means it’s time for the annual custom of last-minute gift wrapping. If you’re feeling creative, here’s an eco-friendly technique which dates back to 8th century Japan: Furoshiki wrapping. Furoshiki is the art of wrapping objects in fabric, which was first used by Japanese nobles to protect valuable objects. The word literally translates as “bath spread”, as people carried their clothes in such fabrics when going to public baths. When sewing machines were invented, the practice became more and more common, for transporting shopping items or food. Until plastic bags came along in the 20th century, that is. Is Furoshiki another victim of those damn plastic bags then? That seemed to be the case, but increasing awareness of environmental issues has seen a furoshiki revival since the turn of the century. The Japanese Minister for the Environment has been promoting it officially for some time now, even publishing a guide on various wrapping techniques such as the Otsukai Tsutsumi, Katake futuro and Yotsu Musubi. Great, I just wish I understood Japanese! In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen the last episodes, you can click here: What is low tech? What is gender dysphoria? What is The Cartel Project? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What are the Christmas Blues? Thanks for asking! Ho, ho, ho, Christmas time is here! For many people, the holiday season brings to mind decorations, gifts, and happy moments spent in good company. But that’s not the case for everybody, and we would all do well to remember that. Some people find Christmas a difficult moment to live through, which causes sadness known as the Christmas blues. Who are these people who don’t love Christmas then? Well, there are actually several different types of Christmas blues that people experience. Firstly, you’ve got people who simply don’t like Christmas or find the period particularly joyful. Everyone has their own reasons, but it’s often linked to the apparent obligation of celebrating Christmas with false cheer. Some feel forced to see family members they don’t get on with, just because it’s a tradition that comes around once a year. And that can bring negative thoughts and feelings to the surface. Others feel excluded and lonely during the holiday season, especially if they don’t have family around. It can be difficult to come to terms with being on your own, when everyone else is gathering with several generations of family around the dinner table. Christmas Blues are also caused by the build up to the big day, which can be stressful for financial reasons. It’s no secret that Christmas goes hand-in-hand with gift giving. Many people are already struggling to make ends meet each month during the current economic downturn. So the pressure to spend extra money on presents can lead to feelings of shame about financial hardship. So how can we help those feeling the Christmas blues, and avoid suffering from it ourselves? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen the last episodes, you can click here: What is low tech? What is gender dysphoria? What is The Cartel Project? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is low tech? Thanks for asking! In the struggle against climate change, politicians are getting behind technological innovation. But some experts believe that, rather than high-tech, we should instead be banking on the simple, robust and reparable solutions offered by low tech. The all-powerful nature of high-tech has been called into question for decades, with regular controversies and debates on subjects like robots, satellites or artificial intelligence. As far back as the 1970s, author Ivan Illich published “Tools for Conviviality” about the proper use of technology, in which he argued that society should “give people tools that guarantee their right to work with independent efficiency”. In this day and age, tools are overwhelmingly controlled by specialists. For example, very few of us know how to build or repair a smartphone, car or washing machine. Isn’t the awesome thing about technology that it’s guaranteed to become more and more complex? Well not everyone agrees with that. Experts have warned that renewable energies, nanotechnologies and biotechnologies all use up scarce resources, which are complex and difficult to recycle. The idea behind low tech is effectively to do more, better, with less. From a technical point of view, a low tech object should be durable, robust and reparable or recyclable. It should also consume little in the way of raw materials and energy. So designers are coming up with low-tech houses, cars, agriculture and even computers. But remember that renewable materials don’t last forever. It would be foolish to think we can maintain current production levels with different techniques. So before figuring out how to optimise production techniques, we need to accept that producing less is a necessity. OK so we’re talking about people who want us to go back to the stone age basically! In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen the last episodes, you can click here: What is The Cartel Project? What is an mRNA vaccine? What is Fast Fashion? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices