Do you really know?

What is male contraception? We’ve all heard of the pill and the coil for women, but did you know that male contraceptives also exist? The obvious examples are condoms and the withdrawal method, but new solutions are being developed in the form of gels, shots and even thermal underwear. Many have tried and failed in the past, with no such products yet achieving commercial success. The ideal situation would be to have a form of male birth control that’s safe, effective and reversible. Of course, there are also vasectomies for those who are looking for something more permanent. As you may know, a vasectomy is a surgical procedure which consists of sealing off the tubes which carry sperm. Male pills have already been developed. They basically rely on hormonal modifications, in the same way as female contraceptive pills. By suppressing two types of male hormones called FSH and LH, a decrease in testosterone production and sperm count is brought about. But it’s a hard sell to some guys, who feel anything that affects their male hormones will make them less of a man. Pharmaceutical companies are looking to find other ways of making sperm less mobile, and therefore less likely to fertilize an egg. They have tried gels which can be injected into the penis or the vas deferens ducts, preventing sperm from leaving a man’s body. It’s even been speculated that something as simple as a nasal spray or a pill could be used just before sex, with an immediate effect that lasts up to two days. Finally, thermal underwear can be used to raise the temperature in a man’s testicles, which has the effect of reducing sperm production. While this is all very interesting, some tests have shown unwanted side effects and the methods aren’t yet ready for large-scale production. News stories spring up every now and then promising a male pill within a few years, but nothing has been able to fit the bill. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is OK Boomer? OK Boomer is an internet-born phrase which surfaced in 2019 to highlight the generational gap between certain people of different ages. It pits baby-boomers up against the millennials and members of gen-Z. It all started as a viral meme on social media, which teens used to dismiss criticism of their generation, most often by so-called boomers. In the eyes of many young people, the treatment they were getting from older generations was condescending, and they needed to retaliate. One particular clip on TikTok has been viewed millions of times, featuring a white-bearded man talking about the millennials and gen-Z having Peter Pan Syndrome. The phrase got mainstream media attention towards the end of the year, when a 25-year old New Zealand MP called Chloe Swarbrick used it in parliament. The Green Party representative was heckled by another MP while speaking about the country’s short-term politics on climate change. Some feel it’s a pejorative form of ageism, as those who use it are effectively saying all people of a certain age are not worth listening to. Others see it as a way for the snowflake generations to cut short a debate, not being able to take any criticism. In reality, it’s not that simple. Many younger people see it as fair game, after regularly having their views dismissed on serious subjects like climate change. In a way, OK Boomer is aimed at a mindset, rather than everybody born in a certain period of time. But there is definitely a sense that previous generations have created a mess which millennials and Generation Z are now having to deal with. Inequality is constantly rising and there’s a global climate crisis. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is cruelty free? Cruelty free is a label for products which don’t cause harm to animals. This kind of guarantee is designed to reassure consumers who refuse to buy products which are tested on animals. It’s most often used to describe cosmetics, but can also apply to a wide range of other household and pet products. There are many cruelty free labels around, but the main premise is generally the same: No end product or ingredient comes from or has been tested on animals. Suppliers have to prove they do not carry out animal testing and brands must agree to random testing. Cruelty-free shopping had become popular by the 1990s, but the concept was sometimes misleading and confusing. Brands were designing their own logos to certify their products as cruelty-free, according to their own definition of the term. Animal protection groups were excluded and clearly this important issue needed addressing by independent organisations. Among the many different labels seen today, two of the most strict are The Leaping Bunny Program from Cruelty Free International and Beauty Without Bunnies by PETA. Both feature extensive online databases on cruelty-free companies. Visitors can search by country, by product type and whether the company tests on animals or not. PETA require a company’s CEO to sign a statement of assurance guaranteeing they and their suppliers will never carry out any form of animal testing. If you’re wondering which cosmetics brands are cruelty-free, Lush is one of the safest options out there. The international company has had a no animal testing policy in place since it was first created. Others include Urban Decay, Too Faced and The Body Shop. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is...no, who is Alan Smithee? Alan Smithee is perhaps Hollywood’s least talented director! Let me explain… It’s not uncommon for directors to disown their projects by using a pseudonym. Most often, they are not satisfied with the movie, or feel that it does not represent their creative vision. This is often due to pressure and interference from producers or movie studios, preventing the director from keeping control of the project. Alan Smithee is one of the most used pseudonyms, as well as a few similar variants like Adam Smithee. Until the 1960s, when making a movie went badly, the director was always heavily criticised, no matter the nature of the problems. On the other hand, when a movie achieved recognition and received an award, the producer was the one to take the acclaim. That was because producers were the ones to always approve the final cut. Only in 1968 did the Director’s Guild of America change its rules to allow for directors to be credited under a pseudonym. That was specifically for the release of a movie called Death of a Gunfighter. During filming, the lead actor Richard Wildmark arranged for a change of director to finish the project. But neither director wished to be credited, as they felt Wildmark had been calling the shots all along. The DGA held a hearing and its panel agreed that neither director’s creative vision was represented. They found a compromise, and credited the movie to Alan Smithee. In fairness, the pseudonym had many fooled. Esteemed film critic Roger Ebert wrote in a Chicago Sun Times review that "Director Allen Smithee, a name I'm not familiar with, allows his story to unfold naturally." See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is the Blob? The blob is a nickname for Physarum Polycephalum, a slime mold that can detect and digest food, move around and procreate. It’s ultra-resistant and has capacities for learning and transmitting information. While it had been largely ignored for a very long time, the blob and its distinctive features have been getting a lot of attention of late. That’s largely thanks to a public unveiling in late 2019, at the city zoo in Paris, France. Scientists in the French zoo grew the blob in a petri dish, before grafting it onto tree bark when it was large enough in size. The Blob nickname is inspired by the 1958 movie of the same name. In the movie, a gooey alien lifeform lands on planet Earth and begins consuming everything in its path, all the while growing bigger and bigger. In reality, the Blob has been present on Earth for between 500 million and 1 billion years. But humans were unaware of it for a long time and confused it for lichen or mushrooms. The blob looks most like a mushroom, but it’s not a fungus. It produces pigments, but it’s not a plant. Finally it moves and feeds itself, but it’s not an animal either. The blob is a single-celled organism, which can be classed as a protist. That’s basically a scientific term for something that can’t be described as a fungus, plant or animal. With over 720 sex chromosome combinations, they procreate at great ease, dividing from their core and growing exponentially. A blob measuring nearly half a square mile has already been seen in the USA. There are thousands of different kinds of blob, of all colours. It is most often yellow, but can also be found in other shades like red, pink and white. Some live on land, some in water. The blob moves around using its network of veins, but it’s not the fastest of organisms. It’s average speed varies from 1 to 4 centimetres per hour. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is a digital detox? A digital detox is a period of time when a person chooses to limit their use of computers and mobile devices. The aim is to reduce the stress that can be generated by technology and spend time concentrating on real-world social interactions instead. Digital detoxes are certainly in vogue - even the major internet companies are promoting it, despite the obvious role they play in facilitating our online habits. The term Digital Detox was added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2011. Since then, smartphones have become ubiquitous and 28% adult Americans admit to being online “almost constantly”, according to the Pew Research Center. Sometimes it gets close to addiction territory. And that’s why detox courses have been created, to get away from the internet and the smartphone. These camps originated in the United States, and were brought over to Europe in the 2010s. Dedicated coaches are employed to help cell phone addicts put their devices down. This doesn’t happen in hospitals or institutions, but rather in tourist establishments like luxury hotels or country guesthouses. The packages include relaxation treatments like massages, meditation and yoga. Costwise, you’re looking at around 300 - 500 dollars for a single night. So that’s the cushy version for office managers who overuse technology. In China, on the other hand, young digital addicts are locked up in camps where they have to follow military training. In recent years, there has been a push towards promoting digital wellbeing. Apple, for example, has added options to its iPhone devices to reduce distractions and improve concentration. You can also set up weekly reports to find out how much time you spend on your various apps. Once past a set limit, access is automatically blocked. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What are hikikomori? A hikikomori is a reclusive person who withdraws from society and lives in their own home all the time. This isolation phenomenon is mainly recognised in Japan, where it’s believed there are over one million hikikomori. Local authorities are concerned about what may happen to these people, as well as their increasing numbers. The word hikikomori literally means “pulling inward” or “being confined”. Meanwhile, the Japanese government defines a hikikomori as a person who has remained isolated for over 6 months. That means they haven’t attended school or work, and have refused to leave their home or family home. In that time, they also haven’t had any real social interaction outside of their family circle. Despite being social recluses, hikikomori don’t necessarily have any mental health issues and they are rarely suicidal. Each individual has their own story. People may become hikikomori due to retirement, sickness, financial difficulties or family pressure. Sociologist Teppei Sekimizu explains that Japanese society has a tendency towards collectivism. A person’s perceived worth is often based on their ability to conform to the rules of collective life. Hikikomoris don’t fit in and this leads to their acute social withdrawal. porte de prison When this particular demographic was baptised as hikikomori in the 1990s, it mainly concerned young people who were unable to find work. Since then, it’s become more common among middle-aged people, with their numbers now matching their younger counterparts. Among hikikomori who are over 40, more than half have been isolated for over five years, and nearly 20% for 20 years or more. Some live with their parents who may be in their 70s or 80s. Others live alone and end up becoming kodokushi. That means a person who dies alone and remains undiscovered, potentially for months or years. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What are GINKs? The acronym GINKs stands for “Green Inclinations - No Kids”, referring to those who consciously decide to forego having children for environmental reasons. It’s inspired by the term DINKs of the 1980s, which meant “Double Income - No Kids”. Whereas childless couples have often been accused of being selfish in the past, GINKs choose not to form a family out of a sense of eco-responsibility. It’s not all that common to come across couples who openly identify as GINKs, but it is a growing trend and many are proud of their choice. GINKs believe that many environmental issues are caused by the earth’s overpopulation. Indeed it’s likely our planet’s resources can’t provide for the needs of an infinite number of humans. So with a world population approaching 8 billion, some believe it’s time to slow down birth rates. Having a child contributes greatly to greenhouse gas emissions, especially in developed countries where an individual’s energy consumption is high. So there’s an environmental argument for a couple limiting the number of children they have, or not having any at all. But there’s more to it than just that. GINKs believe that the choice to lead a child-free life should be respected just as much as having kids. Many women get fed up with being told about their biological clock, or some kind of natural urge to have children which they are supposed to feel. They’re often asked “what are you waiting for?” by friends or family. Why shouldn’t they be able to reject this so-called duty, without feeling ashamed. Environmental journalist Lisa Hymas was one of the first women to call herself a GINK, back in 2010. She highlighted additional benefits to being child-free, such as greater financial freedom, increased leisure time and greater energy to invest in a career, friendships or romantic partnerships. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is revenge porn? Revenge porn is the intentional sharing of private sexual content, without the consent of the person in that content. It could be explicit text messages, photos or videos, for example. Revenge porn hasn’t been around forever; it has grown with, and been facilitated by, the internet, smartphones and social media. The humiliation and harassment that comes with it can cause severe emotional distress. Both adults and minors are at risk, with younger people often unaware of the dangers posed by internet trolls, cyberbullies and vengeful exes. While it is a relatively recent phenomenon, many countries and regions have brought in legislation against revenge porn. That currently includes all but 4 states in America, despite there being no federal law on the matter. The issue of consent is key here. The person in the photos or videos might well have initially shared the content of their own free will. That’s common between romantic or sexual partners these days. But they almost certainly didn’t agree to the images being shared more widely, which is where it turns into revenge porn. Some have claimed that the term revenge porn is a misnomer, because it suggests the victim did something to provoke the abuse. The most common scenario is a female victim, with the perpetrator being an ex-boyfriend, retaliating out of bitterness at how their relationship ended. But revenge porn is often more about power and intimidation than revenge. We have seen hackers famously obtain intimate photos of celebrities and then leak them on the internet to make a name for themselves. And some offenders simply get a kick out of feeling victims are under their control. They may try to use blackmail for financial gain or to receive more explicit images from the victim. This is known as sextortion. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is a sedentary lifestyle? A sedentary lifestyle is one which involves little or no physical activity. It’s one of the major global health issues of the 21st century, as it is an underlying cause of death, disease and disability. It’s estimated that each year over 300,000 premature deaths are caused by obesity and sedentary lifestyles, just in the United States. Screen time spent in front of a computer or TV is often a good indicator of how inactive a person is. When we sit down, our muscles don’t perform the important contractions our bodies need to clear glucose and fats from our blood. This in turn increases the risk of diabetes or heart problems. Generally speaking, you can consider yourself having a sedentary lifestyle if you sit for 7 hours a day or longer. In fact, those who sit for more than 11 hours a day have a 40% higher risk of premature death than those who sit for fewer than 4 hours per day. So simply remaining seated for too long can be a matter of life and death! Humans are increasingly inactive from an early age. A National Household Travel Study found that 54% of children aged 5 - 17 were driven to school in a private vehicle in 2017. Meanwhile, an additional 33% travelled by school bus. You can do the math, that only leaves a small percentage who walk or take public transportation. All the while, American children are averaging 3 hours of screen time per day, which puts them at a greater risk of obesity. On weekends, that figure can rise to between 5 and 7 hours. Staying seated for too long is bad for many health indicators, in the long term too. So it’s better to start off on the front foot. Our cardiorespiratory capacity is at its highest at the end of our teenage years. It then begins to decline from the age of 35. Therefore being fitter from an early age will reduce risks when you get older. Nowadays, inactivity is a bigger killer than tobacco, as it affects a far greater number of people. Having a sedentary lifestyle increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases, obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is CBD? CBD is short for Cannabidiol, which is one of the chemical components found in cannabis. Not being psychoactive, CBD is legal in many countries. But it’s also claimed that CBD has several health benefits. That’s why demand has been growing around the world for a few years now. Cannabis is illegal in most countries, mainly because it contains the psychoactive chemical Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC for short. But cannabis also contains CBD, which has an almost identical structure to THC, just without causing a high. Furthermore, the greater the quantity of CBD in cannabis, the lower the effect of THC on the brain. That’s because it doesn’t directly trigger the cannabinoid receptors found in our bodies. So CBD is allowed in a lot of places, and it’s been federally legal in the United States since 2018. However, many states have restrictions on which CBD products are allowed. Because there are almost endless possibilities when it comes to potential derived products. We’re talking vape kits, oils, sweets, creams, toothpastes, shampoos and even pet products. The enthusiasm for CBD products is such that expected market growth in the US is 700%. In Europe, dedicated stores are popping up across many major cities. And the clientele age ranges anywhere from 30 to 80 years old. It’s claimed that CBD has a range of medicinal and relaxing benefits. It’s classed as an anti-inflammatory agent, which means it could have a painkilling effect for sufferers of Crohn’s disease. It could also be used to treat psychosis, anxiety or epilepsy. All the same, scientific research is lacking and doctors have a hard time saying what dose of CBD would have positive effects. While that remains blurred, brands and stores are pushing CBD hard, promoting claims about its benefits in all forms, and selling more and more. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is a narcissistic pervert? It seems like we hear about narcissistic perverts pretty often these days. They are charming manipulators who often turn their partners’ or families’ lives into hell. So, are we all surrounded by narcissistic perverts? The term has its origins in psychoanalysis. It was coined in the 1980s and began to get more attention at the start of the 21st century. Narcissus was a mythical figure from ancient Greek times, known for his pride and beauty. He met his demise when gazing into his own reflection in a pool of water. He became so entranced that he ended up drowning without realising what was happening. Narcissistic perverts are characterised as having a negative self-image. They lie to and belittle others in order to increase their own self-esteem. They act like they are better than others, need to be admired and are conscious of their manipulation skills, all the while feeling no empathy when seeing others suffer. More often than not, narcissistic perverts are male. They may cause harm to their romantic partner, but it could also be a work colleague, friend or family member. The causes of this behaviour haven’t been identified, but psychologists believe an overprotected childhood, with high expectations, may be a cause. On the other hand, narcissistic perverts could also have been abused or neglected as children. There’s no need to overreact and fear encountering narcissistic perverts everywhere. The description has become prominent in popular psychology, often discussed in the media. It was also one of the most searched terms on Google in 2019. Nevertheless, they’re not hanging out on every street corner. The term is also not formally recognised in psychiatry, so there are no official figures on how many narcissistic perverts are really out there. But the similar sounding narcissistic personality disorder only affects between 0.5 and 1% of the general population. We might be too quick to label people, when they display one or more character traits which are synonymous with this disorder. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is Flygskam? Flygskam is a Swedish neologism, which literally translates into English as “flight shame”. Confronted with the high level of pollution generated by this form of transport, more and more people are ashamed of travelling by plane. Some are even going as far as boycotting it as a means of transport, a trend which is of course of concern to airlines and plane manufacturers. The word originated in Sweden in 2017, but really entered the mainstream in the English-speaking world a couple of years later. That was largely due to the growing fame and speeches of Greta Thunberg. This shame of travelling by air comes from growing awareness of environmental issues. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates that aviation is responsible for 3.5% of global climate change. They estimate that figure could grow to 5 - 15% by 2050, if action isn’t taken to cut emissions. It’s the wealthy who contribute the most towards air pollution. According to a study by non profit organization The International Council on Clean Transportation, 12% of the American population account for two-thirds of total flights out of the USA. These frequent flyers average 6 or more return journeys per year. Of course, that means they are also responsible for two thirds of the resulting greenhouse gas emissions. Some governments have taken action already, by bringing taxes on kerosene, one of the main aviation fuels. In the European Union, kerosene is currently exempt from taxation but activists are campaigning to revoke that agreement. In the meantime, another solution is to not take the plane at all, opting for shorter-distance journeys which can be made by train. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is Asperger Syndrome? Asperger Syndrome is an autism spectrum disorder, characterised by difficulties in social interactions and restricted interests. Asperger’s is often diagnosed late, which is why associations run campaigns to increase awareness. International Asperger’s Day is celebrated every year on the 18th of February, to educate the general public and highlight the challenges faced by those with Asperger’s. People living with Asperger Syndrome can have a hard time building friendships or romantic relationships, due to the difficulties they have understanding social conventions. They also have repetitive behaviour and very specific interests. The syndrome was named after Austrian paediatrician Hans Asperger. As a child, Asperger himself had trouble finding friends and was talented in language. Years later he observed similar traits among child patients in his clinic and published a paper on the findings. Asperger Syndrome came into mainstream consciousness in the 1980s and was added to the umbrella diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder in 2013. Asperger Syndrome is a form of autism, but autism itself is characterised by some intellectual deficit or language learning impairment. That’s not the case with Asperger’s. In fact, people with the syndrome tend to use a relatively sophisticated level of language. They may however struggle to understand metaphors or irony, usually taking things at face value and being very direct. The lives of those with Asperger’s are complicated due to physical clumsiness, as well as hypersensitivity to noise, light and odours. More generally, they can have trouble recognising their own emotions and the emotions of others. They can’t always interpret forms of non-verbal communication like gestures and facial expressions. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is the Halo Effect? The Halo Effect is a form of cognitive bias, whereby we base our overall opinion of a person on a single characteristic. It’s most often a positive characteristic, hence the name - it’s as if we see the person as having a halo. The Halo Effect was named in 1920 by American psychologist Edward Thorndike. He carried out an experiment among commanding officers in the military. They had to evaluate their soldiers on a number of physical characteristics and personality traits. The officers tended to associate superior physique with superior intellect, loyalty and leadership. On the other hand, when their perception created a negative aura around a soldier, they could only see negative characteristics. This is known as the “reverse halo effect”, or “horns effect”. Our brains find it hard to accept anything that contradicts our first impression of another person. That rings true even when we are presented with evidence to the contrary. That’s because our minds actively look for information to confirm pre-existing beliefs. The Halo Effect can lead to forms of appearance discrimination in many domains. In the professional world, a physically attractive job hunter may be seen as more intelligent and competent than other candidates, even if it’s not really the case. If a recruiter notices a positive trait in the candidate, they tend to pay less attention to their flaws. The candidate would then have a higher chance of being recruited for a skilled job, as well as greater salary expectations. Being tall is also beneficial in terms of earning more money. According to one study, we earn 300$ more per year for every extra centimetre in height. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is a power nap? A power nap is a short sleep which is long enough to give an energy boost, but not so long that you enter deep sleep. The term was coined by American social psychologist James Maas, a professor at Cornell University. Science shows that power naps could be of benefit to employees in the workplace, where efficiency is key. Sometimes, a power nap lasts just a few seconds, in which case it’s referred to as a microsleep. Dali would do it in a seated position, holding a spoon between his fingers. When he started to fall asleep, his grip on the spoon would loosen and the sound of the spoon hitting the floor would of course wake him up immediately. Microsleeps can be experienced in front of our computers, or in public transport, when we are woken by our heads nodding. Power naps supplement regular sleep, in order to maximise its benefits for the body. That’s especially true for those who don’t get enough sleep at night time. The ideal length of a power nap is 15 to 20 minutes. This allows the body enough time to enter a light sleep stage and remain there for at least 2 minutes. It also helps us to feel in good shape for a whole afternoon. Nevertheless, be careful not to go over 30 minutes when napping. Otherwise you may enter a deep sleep phase. That can result in feeling groggy and disoriented when waking up, basically more tired than before starting the nap and wiping out its benefits. For many years, scientists have been studying the benefits of sleep, in the form of both naps and longer length. Tests have been run on a wide range of cognitive processes, generally showing naps to be as beneficial as a full night’s sleep for some memory-related tasks. Other studies have shown the possible impact of napping on our health, in particular reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is Deep Learning? Deep learning is a machine learning method based on artificial intelligence. With deep learning, machines are able to learn by themselves. That differs from programming, where they simply execute predetermined rules. Deep learning relies on artificial neural networks inspired by the human brain. These networks are made up of tens or hundreds of layers of neurons, each receiving and interpreting information from the preceding layer. Deep learning is based on these algorithms, as well as image recognition and robotic vision. The higher the number of neurons, the deeper the network. The system learns to recognise letters and words in text, or faces in photos, which it can then identify. Let’s imagine we want to use a neural network to recognise photos in which at least one cat is present. In order to identify cats in the images, the algorithm needs to be able to distinguish different types of cat, and to recognise the cat no matter what angle the picture is taken from. To do this, the neural network has to be trained. It has to compile a selection of images to practice deep learning. This would be made up of thousands of examples of different cats, mixed with images of objects which are not cats. These images are then converted into data and transferred onto the network. The artificial neurons assign a weight to each different element. The final layer of neurons reassembles all the information to determine if it is indeed a cat or not. The neural network then compares this response to correct answers given by humans. If the answers match, the network remembers this success and will reuse it later in order to recognise cats. If wrong, the network also notes the error and adjusts the weight on the various neurons to correct it. The process repeats thousands of times until the network is able to recognise a cat in an image without fail. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is a pension fund? A pension fund is a retirement scheme created by a company or public employer in order to save money for its employees. Belonging to a pension fund may be compulsory or optional. Employees make contributions to the fund, as do employers most of the time. When an employee retires, they can choose to receive a lump sum right away, or a series of regular payments throughout their retirement, like an annuity. That’s how a funded pension scheme works, because the plan has enough assets to pay retirees for the foreseeable future. On the other hand, with unfunded plans, payments are made directly from contributions and no capital is accumulated. The pension fund system first developed in Scotland, with the creation of the “Scottish Widows” scheme in 1815. That insured widows of Scottish soldiers killed during the Napoleonic wars with France. Nowadays, pension funds are particularly common in the United States, but the largest pension fund in the world is Japan’s Government Pension Investment Fund. It was created in 1954 and now manages assets of $1.4 trillion. Pension plans rely on asset management companies to look after the contributions they receive. These companies, generally banks, insurers or specialists, aim to maintain the capital held in the fund and make a profit. American global investment management corporation BlackRock is the number one in the world, with over $7 trillion in assets managed as of the end of 2019. Their activities are strictly regulated. Each country has its own prudential standards. All capital collected must be divided between a number of asset classes. The primary law governing pension plans in the USA is the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. Some funds are defined benefit pension plans, whereby the pension payment or lump sum is guaranteed. But these are getting rarer and rarer, giving way to defined contribution schemes. This means only the contributions collected are guaranteed. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is 5G? 5G is the fifth and newest generation of mobile connectivity. Its commercial rollout has already begun, with the four major US carriers having begun deployment in 2019. The GSMA estimates that 5G will account for 20% of all global connections by 2025. What’s more, this technological advance is at the heart of many economic and geopolitical issues. But associations and researchers have also warned on the potential risks 5G represents to health and the environment. Supporters of 5G have made big promises. Compared to 4G, the technology should allow for connection speeds which are 10 to 100 times faster, with minimal latency. These connection speeds are perfect for playing the most demanding of online games and streaming series in the highest quality available without any loading. Above and beyond that, 5G marks a further step in the development of “Smart cities”, in which all kinds of connected objects communicate between one another. One of the main technologies standing to benefit from 5G is the driverless car. It’s anticipated that the reaction time of self-driving cars will improve to 1 millisecond thanks to 5G, making them smarter and safer. That’s why this new generation is presented by governments as being a major strategic industrial development. On the other hand, associations have warned about risks of insomnia, infertility and even cancer. The World Health Organisation does indeed class electromagnetic waves as a possible cause of cancers. Experts have responded by saying that 5G waves have a length of around 3.5 GHZ, thus smaller than 4G waves. Therefore, they couldn’t cause cell damage, but may still be harmful to skin, eyes, eardrums, nerve endings and blood circulation. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is blue light? Blue light is a type of high-energy visible light, with a wavelength between 400 and 450 nanometers. It is emitted by many sources of light, from the Sun to LED screens. Scientists have issued warnings about the dangerous nature of blue light. All the same, it’s not certain that the “night mode” on our devices is any better for our eyes. In recent decades, the general public’s exposure to blue light has massively increased. This is due to LED screens being much more present in society, in artificial lights, as well as smartphone, tablet and computer screens. According to scientists, blue light can be dangerous. It can lead to impaired version, and is allegedly a risk factor for cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. Furthermore, being exposed to blue light in the evening or at night can disturb our circadian rhythm. Past studies have suggested that it suppresses melatonin, a hormone which affects sleep. To sum up, the more we are exposed to blue light, the more our sleep quality is affected. Since the risks associated with blue light were discovered, smartphone and PC manufacturers have developed “night modes” for their devices. When activated, displays automatically shift to an orange-yellow tint from a certain time in the evening through to sunrise. But a study published in December 2019 showed that night mode may not actually be better than blue light, and could even be worse. Researchers at the University of Manchester carried out experiments on mice. They found that blue light was less disruptive to their sleep, compared to yellow light of the same brightness. This may be because “cold” colours, such as blue, are closer to the colour of natural nighttime light. Whereas on the other hand, it’s more natural to look at warmer colours during the day. Our body clocks rely on shades of light to determine whether it’s time to sleep or be awake. Blue light may therefore disturb sleep less than night mode, which uses daytime colours. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is the Green New Deal? The Green New Deal is a proposed package of legislation in the United States, designed to tackle climate change. It was introduced by Democrats and could revolutionise the American economy, if it is ever put into practice. If the name “Green New Deal” sounds familiar, it’s likely because it refers to President Roosevelt’s New Deal of the 1930s. That consisted of a series of public works programs and financial reforms, aiming to revive the economy in response to the Great Depression of 1929. This important moment in American history is indeed inspiring the left wing, who wish to implement a Green New Deal. They believe that global economic and environmental crises are both caused by a system which is at breaking point. And that if governments do nothing to combat this, we could be on our way to disaster. The proposals call for a 10-year mobilisation to drastically reduce carbon emissions in the USA. Firstly, fossil fuels (gas, carbon and petrol) would be abandoned and workers would be trained to perform new jobs in a post-ecological transition society. Massive investments in transport, agriculture and energy would be required to make them cleaner. Meanwhile, polluting energies would no longer be subsidized under the Green New Deal. By 2030, 100% of the USA’s electricity would be sourced from renewable and zero-emissions power. To address social justice, the government would have a duty to provide job training to those who previously worked in fossil fuel industries. One of the leading figures behind the Green New Deal is Democrat congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. She first made history by being the youngest ever woman to be elected to Congress in 2018, and has made a name as a real media phenomenon. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is Stendhal syndrome? Stendhal’s syndrome is a rare and unusual psychological disorder. It’s a psychosomatic condition whereby certain people suffer from a rapid heartbeat, fainting or even hallucinations, when exposed to objects or works of art of great beauty. The condition takes its name from a famous French writer who experienced a similar state of intense emotion upon visiting Rome, Naples and Florence. Stendhal wrote about his visit to Florence’s Santa Croce Basilica in a book entitled Naples and Florence: A journey from Milan to Reggio. Here’s how he described the phenomenon: “I was in a sort of ecstasy, from the idea of being in Florence, close to the great men whose tombs I had seen. Absorbed in the contemplation of sublime beauty...I reached the point where one encounters celestial sensations ... Everything spoke so vividly to my soul...I had palpitations of the heart...Life was drained from me. I walked with the fear of falling”. Although there are historical records of others fainting in the presence of Florentine art, the syndrome was only actually named in 1979 by Italian psychiatrist Graziella Magherini. While Stendhal Syndrome is not recognised as a psychiatric disorder, it’s now commonly used to describe a physical reaction to the beauty of the natural world or art masterpieces. Working at the Santa Maria Nuova hospital in Florence, Magherini observed more than 100 cases where patients had severe emotional responses to art. These were mainly tourists, including many Americans. In 1989, she released a book named “The Stendhal Syndrome”, in which she told her story. The cases were divided into three types, based on the symptoms of their anxiety or psychotic episodes. The most common profile was a single woman, under the age of 40, travelling alone. Symptoms described in the book included dizzy spells, a loss of sense of identity, rapid heartbeat and hallucinations. Generally speaking, patients recovered after leaving the city of Florence. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is solastalgia? Solastalgia is the distress we feel when our local environment is transformed, mainly due to climate change. These transformations can have an effect on people’s mental health. So are we all doomed to suffer from solastalgia as the earth’s temperature rises? Climate change is so omnipresent in our daily lives, that it can create a certain anxiety. For some people, this gets so intense that they become depressed, like Greta Thunberg after watching a documentary on polar bears. All over the world, climate-related anxiety is increasing. There are several terms to describe this. We talk about eco-anxiety with regards to the feeling we have that everything makes us think about climate change problems. And eco-paralysis when we feel helpless to do anything to prevent environmental issues. Meanwhile, the term solastalgia is a portmanteau of the words “solace” and “nostalgia”. It was created in 2003 by philosopher Glenn Albrecht, while he was working at the University of Newcastle in Australia. Albrecht himself describes solastalgia as “a type of homesickness or melancholia that you feel when you’re at home and your home environment is changing around you in ways that you feel are profoundly negative. Unlike eco-anxiety or eco-paralysis, which are more general and look to the future, solastalgia is about the here and now. It is linked to the hardship of losing one’s environment or habitat. The most obvious victims are those whose landscape has been hit by some kind of natural disaster. One example would be refugees returning to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. A report from the American psychology Association found that up to 40% of natural disaster victims suffer PTSD, anxiety and suicidal thoughts. Of course, solastalgia doesn’t affect everybody equally. Wealthier individuals and families are more easily able to relocate or rebuild their homes, compared to poorer households. Other examples include Canadian Inuit communities coping with rising temperatures and Ghanaian subsistence farmers having to deal with changes in rainfall patterns. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is computer vision syndrome? From our smartphone screens first thing in the morning to an evening spent in front of the TV, electronic visual displays are an inescapable part of our daily routines. In the middle, many have a 9 to 5 job sat in front of a desktop, not to mention checking social media or playing games to speed up the daily commute. Computer vision syndrome refers to eye strain caused by overuse of electronic screens. The whole eye is affected by this strain, leading to symptoms like headaches, back and neck pains, blurred vision and the inability to focus. Those who spend their whole working day in front of a computer screen are most likely to suffer from computer vision syndrome. Looking into a screen all day long requires a great deal of concentration, which means we blink a lot less than we need to. The eye therefore becomes dry, affecting the conjunctiva and cornea. Our eyes move constantly, which explains how they become tired and vision can be blurred. However, there’s not enough scientific perspective and detailed research to really understand the impact of this screen consumption on our overall health and eyes in particular. Visual system development in children is long and sensitive. The quality of a child’s visual experience is critical in this process. Neuroplasticity is most active in children under the age of 6. It then gradually decreases until 10 - 12 years old. So parents should limit children’s exposure to electronic screen between those ages, while vision is developing. One golden rule is the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break to look at something 20 feet away. This gives our eyes a well-deserved break to remoisten and helps reduce symptoms. Another tip is to remember to blink, which we are supposed to do 12 times per minute on average. In front of a computer screen, however, we only blink 5 times a minute, which brings on the eye drying effect. You can treat the discomfort with eye drops or simply by forcing yourself to blink. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is berberine? Berberine is a natural alkaloid, which means it’s an active compound of plant origin. It’s found in a lot of dietary supplements due to its supposed benefits against certain diseases. Basically, berberine is often seen as medicinal, without really having the status. Like any medicine, it can have harmful side effects. Berberine can be found in the roots and bark of berberis plants, like barberry, Chinese coptis or goldenseals. It’s used in Chinese medicine to treat stomach infections like bacterial diarrhea. Berberine is getting more attention in the USA, partly due to its neuroprotective qualities and even more so its effect on blood sugar levels. It could reduce blood sugar and cholesterol, making it of interest to those suffering from diabetes. Dpctors aren't yet prescribing berberine, as there’s not enough research out there to justify it being a treatment on its own. But it’s pretty easy to find berberine in dietary supplements. It has a real pharmacological effect on our cardiovascular, nervous and immune systems, not to mention metabolism. The standard dose for an adult is 1500mg per day, broken down into three equal doses. Research suggests this amount can be equally as effective as other pharmaceutical drugs in treating type 2 diabetes. Like any medicine, berberine can have side effects like low blood sugar or fat levels. It can also cause uterine contractions and interfere with other medicines. Taking berberine when undergoing cancer treatment could make the treatment itself less effective. That’s exactly what certain European countries have done. Slovenia, Sweden, Greece have all banned the sale of dietary supplements containing berberine. Meanwhile, Belgium and Poland recommend a maximum dose of 10mg per day. It’s not recommended for women to consume berberine during pregnancy or lactation. The same goes for children and teenagers, while people with diabetes or heart problems should always get medical advice before taking berberine. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is conversion therapy? Conversion therapy, also known as homotherapy, is a pseudoscientific practice that seeks to convert homosexuals to heterosexuality, or at least encourage them to be abstinent. Largely pushed by religious groups, this kind of therapy is still growing in Europe and America. The practices are not only ineffective, but can also be dangerous. Conversion therapy first appeared in 1950s North America. Sexologists would treat homosexuality like a neurological disorder. So gay people underwent treatments like lobotomies or electric shocks with the aim of changing their sexual orientation. In the 1970s, it was finally recognised that homosexuality was not a psychiatric problem. And only in 1992 did the World Health Organization take it off its list of mental illnesses! That said, conversion therapy has continued to exist, and is commonplace in countries like the USA or Poland. Sessions are often run by religious movements, and especially Catholic ones, who consider that being gay is a sexual deviance or the work of the devil. These groups offer courses with varying degrees of forcefulness. There could be talking groups, some kind of bootcamp filled with rituals, so-called healing prayers, or exorcisms. All this pseudotherapy does is make gay people feel guilty, causing self-hatred and pushing them towards alcoholism, depression or even suicide. That’s why some countries are trying to put an end to these practices. It’s already the case in Brazil, China and Malta, where measures have been taken against conversion therapy. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is digital sobriety? Digital sobriety is all about reducing the ecological footprint of our daily digital lifestyles. That’s right, using your cell phone, PC or connected refrigerator all contributes to pollution. And it’s on the rise. The transition to digital technology is often presented as being a positive evolution, especially with regards to reducing household energy consumption. But current practices are contributing to global warming, according to think tank “The Shift Project”. In their 2018 report, researchers highlighted the negative impact of digital technologies, which are consuming 9% more energy every year. Developed countries are the main culprits. The average American owns 10 connected devices and consumes 140 gigabytes of data per month. Compare that with the average Indian, who owns a single digital device and consumes just 2 gigs of data. There are several different ways that taking photos or watching Youtube videos can contribute to pollution. A large part of the pollution is due to the manufacturing process of digital devices, especially smartphones. That accelerates the extraction of certain polluting metals and emits greenhouse gases in high quantities. Even if you forget the production process, web browsing requires a large amount of energy. You’ve got our devices which constantly need charging and you’ve got the servers on which all the data is stored. Digital consumption now contributes more to global warming than the entire aviation industry. Video streaming, one of our favourite pastimes, uses up 80% of the world’s bandwidth. Without needing to go back to the Stone Age, some experts have talked up the benefits of “digital sobriety”. The term was coined in 2008 by Green IT. We can reduce our video consumption by using a lower definition, or by not sharing our entire weekend in Instagram stories or the family Whatsapp group. Other tips include keeping email inboxes clean, turning off wifi routers at night and opting for a wifi connection where possible. That’s because 4G creates 23 times more pollution than wifi! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is slashing? Don’t worry, there’s nothing barbaric about this kind of slashing. In fact, the origin comes from the forward slash symbol we all use on our keyboards. Slashers are those who go from one job or career to another. The term was coined in 2007 by Marci Alboher, author of One Person/Multiple Careers. It is used to describe people who have 2 or 3 jobs at the same time. For example, a school cleaner who babysits in the evening. Or someone who waits tables during the daytime and DJs at a nightclub. The US Census Bureau found that around 13 million Americans had more than one job in the year 2013. Their report looked at individuals holding up to seven different positions within a 12-month period. To start with, employees tended to become slashers by necessity. Unsatisfied with their salary, they would look to supplement it with a second income. But nowadays, more and more people are choosing to take on a second or even third job for other reasons. College graduates entering the employment market are free to build their own custom-made careers, filled with slashes. Younger generations like the millennials or Generation Z are keen to challenge established customs and practices within companies. Check out our episode on Generation Z to find out more! Where older generations spent the entirety of their career with a single employer, under 35s nowadays prefer to vary their experiences. Slashing generates mixed feelings among the working population. 64% of 18 - 24 year olds see it as a future standard. Meanwhile, 38% of others see an uncertain future ahead, with 30% expecting their professional stress to increase in the coming years. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is batch cooking? Batch cooking is a technique of preparing meals in large quantities, to be stored for consumption over several days. Generally done during one extended weekend session, batch cookers can then spend less time on food preparation over the course of the week. There’s nothing ground-breaking in the idea, but it is coming back into fashion. For the unenlightened, batch cooking isn’t just about preparing a massive dish to eat 3 days in a row. It’s more about blending ingredients. You can cook basic ingredients like cereals, vegetables and meat with a neutral flavor. Then each day, you add spices and condiments, maybe cook the dish for a few minutes and get your final product. Never having to wonder what you’ll be eating for dinner can be liberating. A Sunday afternoon spent batch cooking also means an opportunity for quality family time. Everyone can come up with seasonal suggestions for the week’s meals and new recipes or variations to try out. Once the menus have been planned out, it’s off to the store to stock up on ingredients. Batch cooking also helps reduce food waste and make savings by only buying the required quantities. Depending on your personal situation, a couple of hours spent batch cooking can mean family fun, whereby recipes are passed down to children. It could be a shared activity with your roommate. Or if on your own, you can stick some music on or catch up on the latest podcast episodes. What better way to spend a Sunday?! Batch cooking doesn’t leave a whole lot of room for improvisation. But you don’t have to stick to the plan religiously if it means depriving yourself of pleasures. You can always take the remaining food to work for lunch the following day. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is aquaponics? OK, from the start I can tell you aquaponics isn’t related to aquabike, aquagym or any other Sunday morning aquatic activities. So forget about ponies in the swimming pool, please! Aquaponics is a revolutionary system of production combining aquaculture and hydroponics. Essentially that means fish are raised and plants are cultivated in the same symbiotic environment. It’s a 100% eco-friendly environment where everything is reused and nothing is lost! In this day and age, one in three fish come from aquaculture which effectively means they are farmed. In aquaponic systems, food is given to the fish being raised, who then produce ammonia through their excretions. Bacteria have an essential role to play in aquaponics, by breaking down ammonia and urea from the dirty water into nitrates. The water is then pumped into a container acting as a hydroponic subsystem, where the plants can benefit for nourishment. With all potentially harmful substances having been removed, the purified water is then pumped back into the rearing tanks, without presenting any danger to the fish. The containers simply play the role of a filter, in a totally virtuous ecosystem. It’s organic, natural and sustainable! Aquaponic systems are raised to an accessible height, meaning you can do gardening at home without hurting your back. They pretty much manage themselves too! The only water loss you get in aquaponics is from absorption by plants and evaporation. There’s no waste either as you can use sludge from the filtering process to fertilise your land plants. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is serotonin? Serotonin is a neurotransmitter which is widely associated with feelings of happiness and well-being, although it does have other wide-ranging biological functions. It’s a molecule produced in order to regulate communication among other neurons in our brains. To feel happy, our brains rely on a wide range of similar hormones, including serotonin. Other examples are endorphins, which are like a natural form of morphine, and oxytocin, which is the hormone linked to affection and security. The interesting thing about serotonin and other wellbeing hormones is that we are able to stimulate their production by controlling our lifestyle, hygiene and food consumption. Nutrition is one of the keys to achieving serotonin nirvana. Banana-based smoothies, for example, are rich in vitamin B, magnesium and tryptophan, while avocado based ones are rich in stress-reducing tyrosine. You can also sprinkle pumpkin, chia and sesame seeds on your salad for a boost in zinc and Omega 3. So long live sardines, bluefin tuna and halibut, all rich in essential fatty acids, which the body isn’t able to produce on its own. These help raise serotonin and melatonin levels. And don’t forget tryptophan, an amino acid which is a precursor to serotonin. It’s present in chicken, fish and legumes like split peas, lentils and dried beans. Fermented ingredients also do wonders for our intestines, which are like a “second brain” lined with neurotransmitters, as outlined by Dr Michael Gershon in his book of the same name. We’re talking the likes of pickles, fermented cabbage and yoghurt, which can have a positive effect if eaten three times a week. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is Google Stadia? Stadia is the name of the cloud gaming service launched by Google in late 2019. The American tech company observed the high levels of pollution generated by video game consoles and computers. That could be due to the production process or regular use by gamers. They decided to launch Stadia, allowing users to play on their TV, smartphone or computer without the need for any additional hardware. With cloud gaming, you just need to click on a link to set up a game from whatever connected device you’re using. In simple terms, the launch of Stadia aims to provide a viable alternative to PC gaming. Gamers have become accustomed to obtaining powerful PCs and consoles. The constant evolution of gaming graphics means many feel the need to regularly change equipment in order to keep up. With Stadia, image processing is handled in real time by Google data centers, so the computer simply receives the video stream. Gamers can therefore play high-quality games on a low-quality device, at least in theory! Google isn’t really known as a big player in gaming, so the company has to be commercially aggressive in order to make its mark. That’s exactly the aim of the Founders’ Pack, which includes a limited edition blue Stadia controller, a Chromecast Ultra, the game Destiny 2 and a free 3-month subscription to Stadia Pro, all for 130$. There are two regular subscription options, the first of which is Stadia Pro. For around 10$ a month, you get access to a limited selection of games. The second option, Stadia Base, is totally free. But image resolution is limited to 1080p while Stadia Pro subscribers get to play in 4K. Players also have to pay for every individual game they want to play. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is the Mozart Effect? What if listening to 10 minutes of Mozart could increase your IQ? That’s exactly what Frances Raucher and her Californian research team suggested back in 1993. The theory spread like wildfire around the world, leading to much speculation about the so-called Mozart Effect. The myth comes from the publication of an experiment in American scientific journal Nature. The study required participants to listen to The Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major, K 448 by Mozart. After just 10 minutes, they were better able to solve spatial intelligence tasks which are part of IQ testing. These findings made headlines all over the globe. Soon Mozart was being played to everyone from pregnant women to newborns babies and rats. Some American states made it compulsory for kindergartens and nurseries to play Mozart to children on a daily basis. Needless to say, the market for Mozart audio products exploded. But controversy followed as a number of subsequent studies contradicted Rauscher’s findings. A team in the University of Vienna’s psychology department looked at around 3,000 cases across 40 studies. The team’s leader, Jakob Pietschnig, stated that “there is no proof of the Mozart effect”, while reminding everyone that the 1993 study was only carried out on a very small sample size of 36 students. The reality is whether you’re listening to Mozart, Michael Jackson, Beyonce or Eminem, there’s no real difference. Music we enjoy improves our cognitive faculties because it stimulates increases in our mood and arousal. Rauscher herself actually later disclaimed the idea that listening to Mozart could somehow make a person smarter. She referred to this as a misconception, underlining that the effect was limited to spatial-temporal tasks involving mental imagery and temporal ordering. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is freeganism? Freeganism is a portmanteau word made up of the words “free” and “veganism”. As you may already know, vegans reject animal abuse. They avoid consuming products which are derived from, or have been tested on, animals. Meanwhile, freegans choose an alternative lifestyle which limits their participation in the conventional economy. Where possible, they avoid buying things in favour of recovering food from other sources. The basis for this anticonsumerist ideology is that primary needs such as eating, sleeping or having a place to live should be freely available to all. Freeganism’s ethics also extend to environmental values linked to responsibility and sustainability. A person may become freegan due to their personal convictions, or by necessity. In any case, the practice opposes overconsumption by recovering food surplus from households and businesses, from trash cans, dumpsters and other waste receptacles. Freeganism is often associated with “dumpster diving”, a practice which basically means searching through dumpsters, containers and waste storage locations to find food which is still suitable to eat. Those who do it consider the health risk to be low and some even say it boosts the immune system. Depending on the type of food, and the place where it is recovered, the risk is acceptable. If it’s in a public location, there’s no legal problem at all as waste is considered as not belonging to anyone. Therefore it can in theory belong to anyone and everyone. However, some food chains take a negative view towards freeganism for fear of getting a bad reputation or on management orders. Some supermarkets destroy their waste on-site or spray bleach on it to combat freeganism. Recovering food can therefore sometimes be problematic. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is carbon footprint? A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases emitted by the energy and raw material consumption of a person, organisation or event. It is measured in the volume of CO2 emitted. Per capita emissions in the USA are estimated at around 16 tons per year. That includes CO2 produced directly by an individual’s household, and emissions created by products they consume. The rough split is 70/30 between the two. Carbon footprint is measured based on an index called global warming potential. It’s defined by scientists at the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and allows researchers around the world to base their work on the same frame of reference. Calculating carbon footprint allows us to understand the impact of a product, service or organisation on the planet. The higher the figure, the worse the impact is and the greater the need to reduce it. It’s mainly down to this that the index has become more popular across the world. Carbon offset schemes allow individuals and companies to invest in environmental projects to counter their own carbon footprint. For example, a household which invests in a reforestation program which reduces carbon emissions by 16 tons, would have offset its entire carbon footprint for a year. In 2019, the UN announced that over 60 countries have committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2050. That requires reducing emissions through a range of measures. The carbon footprint index does however have some limits. It doesn’t take into account waste production, water pollution, land pollution or the depletion of natural resources for example. It’s certainly a useful indicator, but there are other measures for environmental impact which are more far-ranging. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is zetetic? Zetetic is the practice of giving a scientific explanation to apparently paranormal activity. In other words, zetetic is the art of skepticism and doubt, a tool for critical thinking, which researchers and popularizers use to bring reason into public debates. The word zetetic comes from the Greek “zetein”, which means to look for. Humans have an inherent need to look for reasons and explanations about the world they live in. However, the human brain is not always smart enough to uncover the truth. Our perceptions and intuitions are often incorrect, which is what we know as cognitive bias. This is where zetetic has an important role to play. It’s a tool that can be used by any individual trying to understand and describe reality. As far back as the ancient Greek era, Plato was lecturing about Socratic questioning, which looked to identify contradictions in a line of reasoning. But zetetic in the modern term isn’t simply about philosophical posturing. Rather, it’s a tool for critical thinking. Use of the term grew first among American researchers in the 1970s, then in France, where it was given a framework by professor Henri Broch. He defined zetetic as a “method of scientific investigation into so-called paranormal events.” Broch wrote a lot about paranormal activity and pseudosciences, theories which are often disguised as science. We’re talking about astrology, homeopathy, UFOs and other myths. Broch oversaw the International Zetetic Challenge, which offered a large cash prize to anyone who could scientifically prove paranormal activity. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is biomass? Biomass is organic matter, mainly coming from plants or animals, used for energy production. European governments consider biomass to be the world’s main source of renewable energy. But some NGOs have refused to agree that biomass is green energy. Biomass may sound like the latest futuristic invention that biological engineers have come up with. But really, humans have been using biomass since the prehistoric ages, for example burning wood to cook food or heat homes. It’s only in recent decades that industrialised countries abandoned biomass energy in favour of fossil fuels. The problem is that current consumption rates would see us run out of petrol in 50 years. In 100 years, we could also run out of gas, carbon and uranium. So, governments have started taking an interest in biomass again. The burning of wood accounts for a portion of biomass energy and it is encouraged in several countries. But biomass energy can also come from biogas, the mixture of gases produced by the breakdown of organic matter, mainly from our waste. Biomass centers have been created to collect methane from fermentation in order to produce steam and electricity. The Energy Information Administration reported that biomass fuels provided about 5% of total primary energy use in the United States for the year 2017. Those figures should increase as researchers are investing heavily in ways to use biomass for more fuel. The United Nations do indeed believe that biomass is a renewable energy source. However, there are debates about its use, as it is not necessarily totally clean. For example, burning wood is still one of the main sources of fine particle pollution. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is cyberbullying? Cyberbullying is the practice of repeatedly insulting or threatening a person online. Anyone can become a victim of cyberbullying, but it does tend to be children and teenagers who are most often subjected to it. In the worst cases, it can have serious consequences, with a number of suicides attributed to cyberbullying in recent years. For some kids, school has always been synonymous with harassment, often for simply being different. For example, they could be targeted due to their religion, gender identity, nationality, or disability. So when the school bell rang to mark the end of the school day, kids could at least find peace at home. The problem for victims is that since the 2000s and the advent of social media, harassment is no longer limited to the playground. Everybody is online all the time, whether it be on Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter or Facebook. Cyberbullying can take the form of creating fake profiles, spreading rumors, sending insulting messages, or sharing photos in private and public groups. In the digital age, a message can reach thousands of people within a matter of seconds. The social and psychological consequences of cyberbullying are potentially terrible. The self-esteem of young victims can take a real hit, with several high-profile cases of suicide. In 2012, Amanda Todd was just 17 years old when she ended her life. Shortly before committing suicide, the Canadian published a Youtube video explaining how she had been a victim of bullying for years. Todd used post its to explain just what a horrible impact the ordeal had had on her life. NGO Ditch the Label published a report claiming one in 10 bullying victims ends up attempting suicide. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is juice jacking? Juice jacking is a type of cyber attack which involves hacking a smartphone or tablet through a public USB charging point. Imagine, it’s the middle of a fine day, the sun is shining and you’re looking forward to a spot of lunch. All of a sudden, shock horror your smartphone shows 3% battery. Disaster, totally ruins your day right?! How are you going to find your way around, reply to emails, meet up with friends in the evening? Fear not, technology has a solution for everything. Just find a charging point to connect your cell phone via USB. ambiance gare These are more and more common in public places like stations, malls, restaurants and public transport. Well, it might not actually be the best idea to connect to the first USB port you come across. In November 2019, the LA district attorney actually warned travelers against using public charging points, saying they “may contain dangerous malware”. Hackers are known for being resourceful people; they use a few different techniques to hack cell phones. Some install malware directly in the charging point. Others have developed clone charging points, which infect devices wih viruses, or steal personal data like bank details, emails and photos. Juice jacking is not totally new. As far back as 2011, the Defcon hacker convention was trying to raise public awareness of this kind of cyber attack. Event organisers set up informational juice jacking kiosks, which displayed warnings any time a visitor plugged their device into the charging point. The first such kiosk changed its display from “Free charging station” to “You should not trust public charging stations with your devices”. In 2012 the NSA issued a warning to its employees about juice jacking. But the general public is relatively unaware of the risks of USB charging points. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is pinkwashing? Pinkwashing is a practice used to appear LGBT-friendly for political or business gains. The choice of such a strategy by states and companies is motivated by a desire to have a modern, progressive image. Whereas in reality they are sometimes hiding practices that aren’t at all respectful towards sexual minorities. The term pinkwashing was created in the early 2000s to critique companies taking advantage of breast cancer campaigns to improve their image. Soon, use of the term spread to also apply to communications strategies by brands or institutions wanting to appear gay-friendly. One of the most flagrant and criticised examples of pinkwashing came from the Israeli government. It launched a “Brand Israel” campaign to paint the country as being modern and relevant. The Tel Aviv tourism board even invested $90 million in branding itself as an “international gay vacation destination”. Brands are also turning to pinkwashing more and more. Many would see it as a good thing if institutions want to be inclusive to LGBTQ people, rather than rejecting them. But students and associations are critical of the supposed double standards behind pinkwashing. For example, homophobic attitudes are prominent in Israel outside of Tel Aviv. As explained by professor Sarah Schulman writing in the New York Times, many believe the pinkwashing campaign is just a smokescreen. They claim the aim is to manipulate the country’s international image, and conceal human rights violations in neighbouring Palestine. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is phage therapy? Phage therapy refers to the use of bacteriophages to treat bacterial infections. While it has been used scarcely in the Western world in recent decades, some doctors and researchers see a need for it in the future, to combat antibiotic resistance among bacteria. In 1917, French-Canadian microbiologist Félix d’Hérellee discovered phage therapy. Bacteriophages, or phages for short, are actually viruses which are extremely common in the biosphere. They’re able to kill bacteria by invading them and multiplying within them. Phage therapy can be used to treat basic wounds, as well as different kinds of bacterial infection, like bone infection, respiratory infections and MRSA. Instead of using antibiotics, which destroy all bacteria they come across, specific strains or cocktails of phages are used for each patient. At the time antibiotics were created, public authorities considered them more simple and effective than phages. To such an extent that phages were gradually forgotten and even destroyed in many countries. But in the 21st century, certain bacteria have become resistant to antibiotics, which is a major health issue. Researchers have renewed their interest in phages and are looking at their potential uses to fight otherwise incurable diseases. Some countries actually already use phage therapy, most notably in Georgia. Sick patients from around the world are spending thousands of dollars to travel to Tblisi, the country’s capital. They then spend several weeks undergoing treatment at the Eliava Institute. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is Generation Z? The term Generation Z refers to people born from around the end of the 1990s onwards. Like all generations, the group has its own supposed defining characteristics. Members of Generation Z are often labelled as hyper-digital, super idealist and even depressed. But what’s the scientific basis for all of this? The term Generation Z originated in 2012 from an online contest organised by the daily newspaper USA Today. OK, so it’s not the most original name, with Generation Z following on directly from Generation Y, also known as the millennials. They in turn followed on from Generation X. When people first started talking about Generation Z, some saw 1995 as a would-be cut-off date. Others preferred to go with the year 2000. In the end, the Pew Research Center, an American think tank, came up with 1st January 1997 as a start date. Of course, the date is somewhat arbitrary. Researchers justify the date saying people born from then on have a different perception of the world. For example, they don’t have any memory of 9/11, but have always lived in a world that’s afraid of terrorism. They didn’t witness the creation of new technologies first-hand, but use electronic devices from an early age. According to The Economist, members of Generation Z are more educated, open-minded and militant, but also more stressed than preceding generations. Above all, they are generally criticised when arriving in the workplace. Too mollycoddled, oversensitive, smartphone-dependent, asocial, unaccepting of a hierarchy. In other words, a headache for a lot of companies. But along with that comes opportunities too. Generation Z are also the next big group of consumers. So it’s better for companies to learn to understand them! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is foie gras? Foie gras is a French delicacy often eating during the holiday season. The words foie gras literally translate to “fatty liver”, due to the way it is made. Ducks and geese are deliberately fattened for several days in order to produce foie gras. Animal rights groups are strongly in favour of banning foie gras production, a step which has been taken in several countries. The fattening process is known as “gavage”, and has its roots in ancient Egypt, where similar techniques were used to fatten animals. Foie gras spread to ancient Greece and Rome. Over time, Jews migrating to western and central Europe brought the tradition with them. Foie gras gradually became part of French cultural heritage, a status which is even protected by law. In the 1980s, production became industrialized and it became more and more popular among families at Christmas time. Nowadays, geese and mulard ducks are used to produce foie gras. The animals are force-fed large quantities of corn for around 12 days and then slaughtered. The fattening process is carried out by inserting a 10-inch tube into the birds’ throats. Their livers accumulate so much fat, they swell up to several times their normal size. This condition is a disease known as hepatic steatosis. Every year, animal rights groups around the world criticise foie gras producers. They cite findings from researchers which show that the force-feeding process is unnecessarily harmful. Organs surrounding the liver are often squashed, while the animals often also suffer from fatigue and diarrhoea. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is gamification in the workplace? Human beings love playing games. They stimulate our hormones, our brains and our emotions. Now, games wouldn’t necessarily be the first thing you’d associate with your job. But some managers are using gamification to help their employees feel more satisfied at work. In turn, they are often more efficient. So gamification in the workplace means using games to motivate or train employees. The idea is in fact not totally new. In 1920s Soviet Russia, engineers would organise competitions between workers in order to improve their productivity and cultural level. In the 80s and 90s, when fulfilment at work became a hot topic in society, gamification really took off. It’s now common to see workplaces with foosball tables and slides, as companies aim to instill a sense of fun in the environment. The term gamification comes from the word “game”, meaning game elements or principles are used in a non-game context. After all, games are structured by rules, which are part and parcel of worklife. Amazon are one example of an American company using gamification in their warehouses. Screens are installed next to workers’ stations, displaying video games. Every time a worker retrieves or stores a product, that physical action is translated into a virtual action on the screen. For example, it could be a car progressing around a virtual track. Workers can win badges and prizes by having high productivity levels. Clearly, gamification is intended to make tasks less tedious, in order to create a greater tempo and better mood in the work environment. And it appears that productivity is generally improved as a result. With video games all the rage among younger generations, could gamification in the workplace have a bright future ahead? Some purists think mixing work and play takes away too much of the traditional pleasure element. In the age of gamification at work, the game is no longer simply played for its own sake, but for financial reasons. It can even be seen as manipulation, because the true purpose of the game is somewhat hidden. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is the keto diet? The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-carb diet which allegedly helps weight loss and fighting diseases such as diabetes, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s and cancer. This diet is growing in popularity, but not without its risks. The keto diet was invented in the United States in 1920 to combat certain forms of epilepsy in children. Other treatments came along, pushing it to the background until interest picked up again. You can find dozens of books and Youtube videos on the subject. The idea is simple enough. Fats, proteins and carbohydrates are the macronutrients that make up the major part of our diets. With the keto diet, you drastically reduce the amount of one of those three groups. Carbs are more or less banned. To make up for that, you consume fats in larger quantities, as much as 90% of your daily energy intake. So say goodbye to cakes, cereals and bananas; hello to butter, meat, avocado and vegetable oils. The keto diet works like this. The lack of carbohydrates makes your liver work, converting fats into fatty acids and ketone bodies. These ketone bodies replace carbs as your body’s main energy source, and your body starts burning fat. It’s a pretty difficult diet to follow - you really have to be disciplined. But the short term results seem to be there. You can easily lose 5 - 10 pounds in a few weeks. Followers talk about the advantages the diet can have for preventing Alzheimer’s. It can also stop tumors from growing as they basically feed off glucose. However, scientists are adamant that no solid research backs up these claims. Some nutritionists have pointed to undesirable effects such as nausea, constipation, fatigue and vitamin or mineral deficiency. In the long term, the keto diet could increase your risk of cardiovascular diseases or kidney stones. And don’t even get me started on the excessive animal fats in the diet. They can bring on conditions like fatty liver disease or hypercholesterolemia. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is endometriosis? Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory condition which affects one in ten women. The main symptom is pelvic pain, which can be more intense during menstruation. Although it affects a relatively high proportion of women, the condition is commonly misdiagnosed. Each month, the womb lining thickens as part of the menstrual cycle. This is to prepare the womb to host a foetus in case of pregnancy. If no fertilization takes place, the lining detaches and is discharged from the body along with blood. Endometriosis is sometimes described as retrograde menstruation. Instead of leaving the body through the vagina, cells flow in the opposite direction up through the fallopian tubes. It can reach the organs of the pelvis, such as the ovaries, bladder and colon. The cuts and cysts caused can be very painful. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What are skin-whitening creams? Believe it or not, the market for skin-whitening creams is rapidly expanding. Many people are using these products to obtain whiter skin, despite health authorities warning about how dangerous they can be. Skin-whitening creams actually work by removing the surface layers of skin, or reducing the body’s production of melanin, the pigment which gives skin its colour. When their use is prescribed and supervised by a dermatologist, these creams can be useful in treating melasma, a skin condition where brown or grey patches develop on a person’s face. But these products have now gone way beyond their intended medical use. In 2019, the United Kingdom’s Local Government Association said that skin-whitening creams should be “avoided at all costs”. Nevertheless, it’s estimated this industry will grow to be worth over $25bn by 2024! The popularity of skin-whitening creams is partly down to a form of discrimination known as colorism. What that means is the lighter a person’s skin, the more privileged they are in society. Fashion and lifestyle magazines generally feature white people much more prominently than those of other ethnic backgrounds. On their covers and pages, white skin is sold as being a standard of beauty. Meanwhile, photographs of models are often retouched to make their skin look lighter. As you can imagine, colorism is leading millions of people to turn to skin whitening products, in order to change their appearance. It’s happening in many parts of the world, from Europe to Africa, to India. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What are bed bugs ? Bed bugs are insects that feed exclusively on blood. They often live on furniture or bedding and bite humans during the night. Eliminating bed bugs from one’s home can prove to be very difficult. And the problem is getting worse as these modern-day vampires are becoming more and more common across the world. The most common kind of bed bug is the Cimex Lectularius species. They measure around a quarter of an inch in length, have a flat oval-shaped body and are of a reddish-brown colour. Getting bitten by a bed bug isn’t painful, but the bites can become very itchy. Bed bugs have been around feeding on human blood since ancient times. They were particularly abundant during World War II, until a potent insecticide called DDT came along. DDT nearly wiped out bed bugs in many countries, but they have made an unwelcome comeback in the 21st century. Bed bugs are back with a vengeance, and have been known to invade entire neighborhoods across the United States and Europe. Bed bugs have almost certainly become more resistant to pesticides. At the same time, the most potent and dangerous pesticides have gradually been banned. The constant increase in global tourism has also had a role to play in the spread of bed bugs around the world. Bed bugs can just as easily set up home in hotels, hospitals, buses and subway trains. The issue is not just an issue of cleanliness or dirtiness; anyone can be contaminated. Bed bugs don’t usually cause any significant health problems. But an infestation in your household can quickly become a nightmare. It is extremely difficult to totally get rid of these insects. They lurk inside mattresses, walls and many other places where they are hard to find. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is HAARP ? The acronym HAARP stands for High Frequency Auroral Research Program. It’s an American research project dedicated to analysing the ionosphere. HAARP is funded by the American armed forces, and has been the target of conspiracy theorists since the 1990s. They believe the program is responsible for natural disasters and mind-controlling radio waves. The ionmmm osphere is a layer of the Earth’s upper atmosphere, from around 37 miles to 620 miles in altitude. Its characteristics are complex and varied due to solar activity. It is of interest to scientists studying the atmosphere, as well as armed forces, as it plays an important role in radio wave propagation. So the US army decided to finance the HAARP research program, in order to study the ionosphere, and more specifically the geomagnetic storms which occur inside it. Work on the facility began in 1993 in Alaska. The state was chosen because auroras occur frequently, and because it’s far away from wave interference caused by human activity. Such as electronics and lights for example. HAARP uses a high-frequency radio transmitter to temporarily excite precise parts of the atmosphere. The transmitter has 180 antennas and a total of 3.6 MW in transmitter power. In total, up to 300 million dollars were invested in the program. But the army decided to abandon it in 2014, as it was becoming too expensive to make equipment meet anti-pollution standards. The University of Alaska then took over the program, as well as all the conspiracy theories that come with it. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is greenwashing ? Greenwashing is a marketing practice used by corporations to convince consumers that their business is environmentally friendly. Of course the aim is really to sell more products. Consumers may be convinced they are acting in an environmentally responsible way. While in reality brands are often hiding practices that are not at all helpful to the planet. The term greenwashing first appeared at the start of the 1990s, around about the time mainstream Western society was becoming more aware of environmental issues. As soon as some kind of trend would appear, advertisers were lying in wait to capitalize. By the 2000s, ads using environmental claims were everywhere. Greenwashing is often very visually apparent. A product’s packaging might change, or it could be the communication about the product. For example, the colour green is used more; you see more flowers, trees or animals. Sometimes brands are more explicit in boasting about their environmental performance. And in a way that a lot of people would see as being inappropriate. Their products, whether it be anything from cars to detergents, can turn out to actually be harmful. In those cases, it’s borderline false advertising. In America, the Federal Trade Commission had to update its “Green Guides” in 2012, cracking down on greenwashing. Now brands have started using subtler tactics, making detection more difficult. Coffee is a perfect example and many authors have criticised this kind of greenwashing. One of the world’s best known coffee brands has managed to engineer a luxury image for itself, and also sell itself as being environmentally friendly. The reality is totally different however. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices