Do you really know?

Getting older frightens a lot of people and for some it even becomes an obsession. American multimillionaire and biohacker Bryan Johnson is perhaps the most prominent example from this day and age. 

Now of course some aspects of ageing, including our genes, are totally beyond our control. But still, our everyday behaviour can influence our healthspan, which is the number of years we remain in good health. Three habits in particular are associated with a greater risk of age-related illness and premature death.

What are these habits? Is lack of sleep a factor? In under 3 m...

Beauty standards are always shifting. Back in the '60s through the '90s, especially in the West, the ideal body for women was all about being slim, think long, lean silhouettes and flat bottoms.

But by the late '90s and especially in the 2010s, that completely flipped. Celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Nicki Minaj helped usher in a new trend, one that celebrates curves, especially a fuller derriere.

To achieve this look, some people turn to cosmetic surgery. And there’s one procedure in particular that’s become famous, and notorious: the BBL.

When we talk about the Holocaust, most of us immediately think of death camps like Auschwitz or Dachau, chilling symbols of the Nazis’ “Final Solution”. But before they reached that level of industrialised brutality, the Nazis explored other ways to remove Jews from Europe. One plan, both absurd and terrifying, was to send all Jews to the distant island of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean.

How on earth did the Germans come up with that idea? What happened for the plan to take off in 1940? Why didn’t it happen then? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions...

We've all experienced those gut feelings, hunches, or flashes of insight that seem to come from nowhere. But what exactly is intuition, and can it be explained?

Even though scientists haven't yet unraveled all of its secrets, intuition isn’t as mysterious as we might think. One expert definition of intuition says that it is: "the universal ability to grasp information in a non-conventional way, outside of a rational and reasoned process.” It’s the kind of intimate knowledge of reality that doesn't rely on knowledge, reflection, or logic.

Are there different types of intuition? Does e...

According to the World happiness report, of the 137 countries they include, the UK has fallen to 19th position. This follows a steady decline over the past few years although they are happier than Lithuania in 20th position and France in 21st position. As ever Finland has continued its winning streak and stays at number one just above New Zealand. 

The report combines both subjective well-being assessments and objective indicators. Respondents rate their own current lives on a scale from 0 to 10. They ask people to imagine a ladder with the best possible life for them being a 10 and t...

Microwork is paid work which usually involves short and repetitive tasks carried out on a smartphone or computer. It could be identifying objects shown in an image, watching videos, labelling data, translating short sentences or recording one’s voice for example.

It can also be charging electric scooters or taking photos of products for an app. It’s as simple as registering on a platform which acts as the middle man between workers and companies. Amazon Mechanical Turk is an example of one such platform.

That sounds simple enough; what is life like as a micr...

Figures from Cancer Research UK show that there are an average of nearly 57,000 new breast cancer cases detected each year in the country. It’s the most common form of cancer, accounting for 15% of all cases.

While the vast majority of breast cancer cases are in women, there are actually around 370 diagnoses in men each year too. That’s right; men also have breast tissue around the nipples, so are also potentially susceptible. As we near the end of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, let’s take a moment to discuss the phenomenon and raise awareness, to make sure a...

Girl Dinner is a TikTok phenomena though you would be hard pressed to find any recipes as it is more of a style of eating than anything specific.

It’s a term used to describe a meal that consists of random snacks or leftovers, for example, you might have some cheese and crackers, a handful of grapes, a glass of wine and a few pickles for your ‘girl dinner’. Or maybe you just have some popcorn and a diet soda. Or maybe you just go to bed without eating anything at all. That’s also girl dinner.

Wh...

Ever since the 1960s, the minimalist movement has been captivating art and interior design enthusiasts. It’s all about simplicity, emphasising a return to the essentials, and encouraging us to let go of our attachment to material things as far as possible. 

If you tend to struggle with clutter in your home environment, the 12-12-12 method may just be able to help you counter that problem. It was created by Joshua Becker of Becoming Minimalist and it’s really gained a lot of attention online since, with many people saying it helped them transform their home into...

Muscle pain generally occurs after an intense sports session. "They are due either to unusual muscular work, or to an increase in the intensity of a workout, or to the resumption of a sporting activity after a break". According to Sports coach William Chanconie. In fact, muscle soreness results from micro-lesions in the muscle fibres and signals that the muscle has been damaged. 

When you feel pain going up the stairs after a long session at the gym, it's simply a sign that you've worked muscles that were weak to begin with, under-used, or that you've done a...

The differences between girls’ and boys’ clothes can start surprisingly early even before adolescence.

In 2022, a German data journalist and her team analysed more than 20,000 items of clothing for children under ten, sold by major online retailers. They found that, on average, girls’ clothes were six centimetres shorter than boys’  and much more likely to be close-fitting.

But why, when young children’s bodies are so similar? And can that really have an impact? So, what can parents do? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

To listen to the latest episodes, click here:

Paracetamol, a staple in UK households, is widely available over the counter and commonly used to alleviate headaches, toothaches, joint pain, flu symptoms, menstrual pain, and fever. In the UK, paracetamol is one of the most frequently used painkillers.

The British Medical Journal reports that from April 2022 to March 2023, 16 million prescriptions for paracetamol were dispensed in England alone. Additionally, an estimated 6,300 tonnes of paracetamol are sold annually in the UK, equating to about 70 tablets per person each year. 

What happens after ingestion? How can you recognize an overdose? What should you do in case of a...

Starchy foods should actually be part of every meal. They come in three groups: cereal-based foods like bread, rice and pasta; pulses and legumes like lentils, beans, and chickpeas; and of course, potatoes.

However, some members of this food group have a notoriously high glycemic index. 

What is a glycemic index? So does this mean we should avoid starchy foods? Is cooling the only way to lower the GI of starchy foods?In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

To listen to the latest episodes, click here:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Which foods should I avoid after their expi...

Single women in your late 20s or early 30s, has anyone ever suggested that you absolutely must find a partner or you’ll end up being a “cat lady”? What an annoying, not to mention ignorant, stereotype, right?

It might be tempting to explain all that to the person saying it, but do they really deserve your attention? Let’s talk about where the cat lady character actually comes from.

Isn’t there a ‘crazy cat lady’ on The Simpsons? Why is it a cat rather than any other animal like a lizard for example? In under 3 min...

It's pretty common these days to have to tackle several things at once, like responding to an email while on a work call. Our constant pursuit of productivity leads us to mix various activities simultaneously, whether it's at work, home, or even at school for kids.

This blending of at least two tasks at the same time is commonly known as multitasking. When you focus on something that you’re doing or creating, the frontal lobes of both halves of your brain communicate. But trying to pull off two things at once shows that things operate differently.

Whether it’s reading, journaling, enjoying breakfast, or scrolling through social media, these are just a few activities people indulge in while lounging in bed. For some, this has evolved into an art form, popularized by a viral TikTok trend known as “bed rotting.” This habit embodies a laid-back attitude, where productivity and responsibilities are momentarily cast aside in favor of a few minutes or hours of procrastination.

Eleanor McGlinchey, a sleep psychologist at Manhattan Therapy Collective and Associate Professor of Psychology at Fairleigh Dickinson University, suggests that spending time in bed before starting the day can provid...

Lemon water is a popular drink that many celebrities and wellness gurus swear by. But is it really as good as they claim? Or is it just another fad that has no scientific basis?

Lemon water has been linked to several health benefits, such as hydration. Drinking enough water is essential for your overall health, as it helps prevent dehydration, which can cause fatigue, headaches, dry skin, and constipation. Also lemon’s contain vitamin C which is an antioxidant that helps protect your cells from free radicals, which are molecules that can cause inflammation and disease.

...

Slipping into sleepwear is an essential part of most people’s nighttime routine. We often do it when we’re winding down from a busy day, and it means it’s time to relax and get ready for sleep. 

Whether you sleep in pyjamas, a nightgown, a t-shirt, or nothing at all, the goal is to avoid being too hot or too cold. You need to feel comfortable in loose-fitting clothes that don't constrict your body. That’s because sleepwear that is too tight can restrict blood circulation and cause numbness or tingling. Synthetic materials, wool, and lace can...

Everyone has lied at least once in their life. But did you know that we lie at least once a day? This surprising conclusion comes from an American study published in 1996.

The reasons behind our lies are quite intriguing. Often, we lie to protect the people we care about, this is known as a “white lie.” But that’s not the whole story. According to neuropsychologist and researcher Sylvie Chokron, lying is an incredibly complex cognitive process. When we lie, we activate multiple brain regions, including those responsible for language, creativity, memory, and self-control.

Have we to be...

You may well have been told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so you shouldn’t skip it. But did you know that prior to the industrial revolution, all people would eat for breakfast was leftovers from the previous day, typically meat and eggs. Even then that was only if they were hungry. Otherwise they wouldn’t eat at all.

These days, a typical breakfast in the Western world is something sweet, like a bowl of cereal, toast with jam or a pastry. Habits really began to change after the industrial revolution, which saw...

Water footprint matters because scientists have calculated that the climate crisis makes drought 20 times more likely, while the UN predicts that demand for fresh water will exceed supply by 40% by 2030. 

You might think that you only use water when you drink, cook, wash, or flush the loo, but actually, you use much more water than that. According to Water UK, the average person in the UK uses 142 litres per day. That’s the amount of water that is needed to produce the food, clothes, and other products that you consume.

How can you reduce your water...

There are plenty of common misconceptions out there about love: that opposites attract or that you should feel butterflies in your stomach immediately, for example.

Another one is that women always fall in love first, and films often reinforce that last stereotype, portraying women as hopeless romantics while men, on the other hand, tend to do their best to avoid commitment.

Are you saying it’s actually a myth that women fall in love first then ? What did the researchers say was behind those differences? How long does it actually take to fall in love th...

According to the British Coffee Association, we drink around 98 million cups of coffee per day in the UK. That’s around one and a half cups for every single person in the country! It’s said that drinking coffee in the evening or even late afternoon has a negative impact on sleep quality, but a lot of people do so anyway.

Coffee contains various molecules, such as antioxidants and caffeine, which has a psychostimulant effect and is therefore behind the links to disrupting sleep. Our bodies don’t all metabolise caffeine in the same way though; that varies...

Society’s beauty standards constantly evolve, and sometimes in surprising ways. The terms "rodent man" and "hot rodent man" have gone viral on TikTok, racking up millions of views. 

And the roots of those terms are pretty literal - they refer to men whose facial features are reminiscent of rodents like mice, rats or hamsters. I know, it might not seem like the most flattering of comparisons to start with, but it seems like rodent men are genuinely becoming the latest kind of sex symbol.

What does a "rodent man" look like then? Where did the...

Some theories in evolutionary psychology propose that men are better at spatial navigation than women due to evolutionary factors. In prehistoric times, men, as hunters, traversed long distances, while women stayed closer to the home.  

This difference supposedly led to natural selection favouring genes in men associated with better spatial navigation skills. However, these theories have been widely challenged, in particular by British philosopher Cordelia Fine. Back in 2010 she published a book entitled Delusions of Gender: How Our Minds, Society, and Neurosexism Create Difference.

Why has the misconception around spatial navigation persisted? Does education have any...

Being overweight is a stigma. While around 13% of the world’s population are obese, they are largely absent from the public limelight and often find themselves the target of mockery or discrimination. Overweight people are humiliated and ostracised throughout their lives, having to put up with regular criticisms about their lifestyle and appearance. This is what’s known as fatphobia, a form of discrimination which can have a harmful effect on those on the receiving end. 

Fatphobia is often left out of discussions on the struggle against different forms of discrimination.

But why are overweight peopl...

According to the American Academy of Sleep medicine, 50% to 85% of adults experience occasional nightmares, with 2% to 8% of people having nightmares that cause sleep problems.

No one likes having nightmares, do they? These vivid, distressing bad dreams often cause us to jolt awake, heart pounding, in fear or anxiety. They can feature threatening scenarios, monsters, or deeply unsettling experiences.

How exactly do nightmares work? What is the purpose of nightmares? What should you do when nightmares become recurring? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

To listen to the last episodes, you can click...

How our brains work during dreams is as fascinating as it is mysterious. Dreams can be hard to predict, and sometimes of course we end up having nightmares. Wouldn’t it be nice to have some control over what happens in our dreams? Well, as it turns out it may actually be possible to some extent.

Well controlling dreams fully is a bit of a stretch. But according to neuroscience researchers from the universities of Freiburg and Tübingen in Germany, simply listening to an audiobook just before falling asleep is enough to have a significant impact on...

Stealth wealth or quiet luxury as it is sometimes known is the practice of concealing one's wealth or not flaunting one's money or possessions, but rather keeping them private and discreet. It’s the kind of luxury that keeps a low profile and doesn't try to stand out with big logos or loud statement pieces.

But that does not mean people don’t know you are wealthy, at least some people do. Look at the successful show ‘Succession’ where the uber rich wear logo-free, exquisitely tailored clothes that fool no one as to their price tag.

Why do...

Have you ever noticed a man explaining something to a woman in a supremely confident way which suggests he absolutely knows more than her about the subject? Well, there’s a term for that, which is mansplaining.

A recent thread on parenting forum Mumsnet invited women to share their worst examples of mansplaining. Among them were patronising explanations of the offside rule, a gas man telling a qualified engineer to wait for her partner to get home so he could tell him how to fix the boiler rather than her and a male doctor telling a pregnant wo...

We chat with family, colleagues and strangers almost without noticing.

But as our lives become more digital, we can now go hours, sometimes even days,  without having a proper conversation. And that may matter more than we think.

Do we really talk less than we used to? But why are we talking less? Does talking less actually affect our brains? Is talking good for our mental health? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

To listen to the latest episodes, click here:

What 5 foods can improve brain performance?

What d...

In 2021, American multi-millionaire Bryan Johnson began his Project Blueprint. Then 43, his stated aim was to restore his body and organs to the state of an eighteen-year-old.

To do this, he follows an extreme fitness program and a strict diet, and takes a whole host of medicines and supplements, not to mention undergoing an organ operation every year. All of this costs around $2M per year. His team of doctors say that the results are promising, but other medical experts are more skeptical. 

Haven't we always wanted to slow down the ageing process? How does reverse a...

Regular listeners will be familiar with a number of Scandinavian lifestyle trends by now, given we’ve discussed the likes of Denmark’s hygge, Sweden’s lagom and Norway’s friluftsliv on the show in the past. Today, we’re going to talk about a custom from Finland which has gained international recognition in recent years.

Kalsarikännit is made up of two Finnish words: “kalsari", which means "underwear" and "kännit", which means "getting drunk’. An odd combination, you might be thinking. Put them together and what do you get? The term actually refers to the tradition of get...

What do chicken nuggets, margarine and instant noodles all have in common? Well, they may look tasty, but they’re loaded with sugar, salt, fat and chemicals that strip away their nutritional value. That’s due to the heavy processing that goes into making them, which sees them completely transformed from the original raw ingredients. 

And they’re increasingly ever present on our shelves and in our stomachs. In 2022, the National Institute for Health and Care Research found that ultra-processed foods made up almost two-thirds of Britain’s school meals. Furthermore, the British Medical Journal has reported that ultr...

"There are way easier places to work, but nobody ever changed the world on 40 hours a week." That’s exactly what Elon Musk tweeted in November 2018, as part of a call for new talent to join his companies. The post went viral, leading to a lot of people critiquing Musk's take on work and merit. Despite the criticism he faced, a lot of people, and followers of hustle culture in particular, stood firmly behind him.

Hustle culture essentially glorifies putting in excessive effort at work, often at the expense of health and personal relationships. In this mindset, our...

Flat Earthers believe that the Earth is not spherical, but rather a flat disc and the Sun and the Moon are also flat discs that circle above the Earth. According to them the edges of the world are surrounded by a wall of ice, which is what we know as Antarctica. And as for the pictures of the Earth from space - they are all fake, part of a huge conspiracy to hide the truth.

The earliest cultures that believed in a flat Earth were the ancient Egyptians, Babylonians, and Greeks. They had different models that depicted t...

Imagine somebody spending months gaining your trust, only to eventually trick you into handing over your life savings. Well that’s the basic principle behind a scam commonly called “pig-butchering”. 

The name refers to gradually “fattening up” a victim’s confidence before taking as much money as possible. Law enforcement organisations prefer the term romance-baiting investment fraud, which is less potentially demeaning to victims.

How do these scams work then? Why might it look to a victim as though they’re making money? When does the “butchering” part happen? How can I protect myself then? In under 3 minutes...

The 21st century has seen true crime stories surge in popularity, dominating bookshelves and TV schedules. Documentaries like Making A Murderer and podcasts like Serial, which investigate real-life crimes, have become smash hits, attracting millions of viewers and downloads. Over in the US, a 2022 YouGov poll revealed that half of Americans enjoy true crime content, with one in three consuming it weekly.

True crime is a unique genre, and distinct from detective fiction or thrillers due to its non-fictional nature. To comprehend the modern fascination with true crime, you have to venture back in time. The roots...

Whether it’s making a wish over a birthday cake, waiting for lottery results, or opening an email following a job interview, it's pretty common to cross your fingers. It’s a way of communicating that we’re hoping luck swings in our favor and our wishes come true. Often, you don’t even need to physically cross your fingers; simply saying "Fingers crossed” is enough to get the message across. But the roots of this tradition go way back.

In the Middle Ages, folks crossed their fingers to ward off the Devil, mimicking the famous exorcism phrase "Va...

Currently there are many people that just feel they cannot get onto the property ladder, but is buying your own home really the best way to invest your money? Well, there are many benefits to owning your home, such as the stability and peace of mind that it can bring you. You can’t be evicted by a landlord, you can decorate and furnish it as you want, and you can enjoy the social and psychological benefits of having a place to call your own.

Another benefit is you can save money. When interest rates are low, and...