Do you really know?

Side, stomach or back; what kind of sleeper are you? Some people say that our sleeping position reflects what kind of person we are. ..

While we can’t really comment on how much truth there is to that, we can say for sure that it has an impact on sleep quality and consequently our mood in the morning. Let’s take a few minutes to talk about our personal favourites.

Well I usually sleep on my back with my arms over my head! Is that good or bad? What about stomach sleeping? What about the snor...

What are the warning signs of a toxic friendship?

Today is World Friendship Day, a chance to reflect on how important friends are in our lives. Generally speaking, having friends is a positive thing which brings us moments of fun and joy. But toxic friendships can exist too and in such cases, the relationship can be more of a burden than anything else, for one of the people involved at least! Let’s talk about some of the red flags that can help you identify them.

First things first, why is it called a toxic fr...

Coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the world, with an average of 98 million cups consumed in the UK every day, according to the British Coffee Association.

In moderation, there are plenty of benefits to be gained from drinking coffee, but there can also be some negative side effects, in particular due to its caffeine content. Decaf is an alternative, but is it really healthier? Our bodies don’t all process caffeine in the same way. It also depends on our sleep quality and the dose of caffeine.

What effects can caffeine have on...

We can all picture someone. A friend who once meant a lot. The person you could call anytime, the one you’d lose track of time with. Maybe they’re still in your life.

Or maybe they’re not. And if they aren’t… does that automatically mean something went wrong? Friendships aren’t fixed, they shift and change, just like we do.

How long does it actually take to become friends? So where does this seven-year idea come from? So what happens after seven years? But should we take these numbers literally? In under 3 minutes, we...

What are the latest advances in lung cancer treatment?

In April 2022, findings from the large scale CheckMate 816 clinical trial were presented to the American Association for Cancer Research. The trial looked into the effectiveness of immunotherapy drug Nivolumab, combined with chemotherapy to treat lung cancer patients. The findings were promising, showing that this particular treatment combination can delay the progression or return of cancer. 

How common is lung cancer and how does it start? What are the most prominent treatment options? Should we expect this treatment to become used widely?  ⁠⁠In under 3 minutes, we answer your qu...

How did Internet Explorer go out of fashion? 

On 15th June 2022, American internet giant Microsoft cut off Internet Explorer, its long standing web browser. At the end of the 1990s and through to the 2000s, it set the standard when it came to browsers. In 2004 it had a usage share of as high as 95%, a figure which was under 1% by the time it closed, according to Irish traffic analysis website StatCounter.

How did its decline come around? Why did people start using other browsers?  ⁠In under 3 minutes, we answer your...

We’re only a quarter of the way through 2023, and already we’ve seen a number of unexpected images go viral. Examples include Pope Francis wearing a white Balenciaga puffer jacket, Donald Trump being arrested at the foot of the Trump Tower in New York, and Barack Obama and Angela Merkel sharing an ice cream on the beach. 

So what do these viral images all have in common? Well of course they weren’t real! They were all generated by AI apps, which as you may know are now able to create images based on text prompts in a ma...

If you go back to early social media days, it was somewhat rare. But nowadays the practice of sadfishing is widespread, among celebs, influencer wannabes and average Joes alike.

Since the advent of social media, we’ve gotten used to seeing highlight reels of people’s lives on our newsfeeds. But in recent years, people have been more and more willing to share posts about moments of sadness, rather than acting like everything’s perfect all the time. More authentic, or simply another veiled form of attention seeking and like hunting? The practice has been labelled sadfishing.

...

Polish-American man Leo Gerstenzang is credited with inventing the humble cotton bud in the 1920s, an item which has since gone on to be used for many different purposes, having originally been thought up as a baby hygiene product.Yougov research from 2019 found that 62% of Brits use cotton buds to clean their ears, and 22% of us only use them for that purpose. That’s particularly true for men, given women are more likely to use them for touching up nail polish mistakes, or applying make up. 

But you may well have heard warnings that cotton buds can be...

This kind of one-way relationship is generally between a fan and a public figure or fictional character. It’s about the feeling of familiarity or even friendship we feel for a celeb without ever actually having had any direct interaction with them.

Most of the time of course, said celeb doesn’t even know we exist. After all, depending on their stature, they may have millions of fans, but there’s only one of them! 

It’s a very modern-day phenomenon, isn’t it? Are parasocial relationships problematic? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

To li...

Do I have generalised anxiety disorder?

Generalised anxiety disorder is a psychological condition, which affects around 3% of all people, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. But it seems to affect certain groups disproportionately. For example, women are twice as likely to be affected as men. Furthermore, less than half of people with GAD receive treatment.

What are the symptoms I should be looking out for? What’s the best way to go about seeking treatment?  ⁠In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions !⁠

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

According to a Jama Dermotology study of 3,316 American women in 2016, 83.8% reported removing at least some of their pubic hair.

The most common hair removal methods are waxing, shaving and lasering. Over half of the respondents cited hygiene reasons for doing so, but in reality there may be health risks associated with the practice.

How did female pubic hair get to be out of fashion? What are the actual functions of pubic hair? Are there any other risks?  In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions !

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

Masturbation tends to be somewhat of a taboo topic in society, often down to religious or spiritual beliefs. 

You’ve probably also heard some of the common myths about it leading to blindness, erectile dysfunction or infertility. Needless to say, these are false. And the air of shame around masturbation need not be there, as it’s perfectly natural and in fact there are several health benefits. 

What are some of these benefits then? Does masturbating affect men and women differently? Is there a ‘good’ or ‘bad’ way to masturbate? ⁠In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions !⁠<...

Sometimes there’s a very thin line between friendship and love. You spend time with someone, you’ve got things in common, you make each other laugh.Things can easily get blurry. Imagine you’ve recently met someone and really hit it off; you’re at each other’s places all the time, maybe you’ve even kissed once or twice on a night out. Maybe it’s gone further than that.

A Define the Relationship conversation or DTR for short, is a useful, if sometimes awkward chat that many people have when in a blossoming relationship. Without having...

Back in 2010, Japanese writer Mari Kondo changed how we think about organisation and decluttering with her bestseller The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up. Behind the book’s grand title is a simple premise: anything that doesn’t bring you joy should be thrown away. 

Since then, a new and somewhat similar trend caught on in the late 2010s: death cleaning. It’s mainly designed for people entering the final stages of their life, and making sure they don’t overboard before passing away. People started talking about death cleaning in 2018, when Stockholm-based artist and widow Margareta Magnusson...

We all yawn regularly, without giving it much thought most of the time. Harvard Health Publishing says that people yawn between 5 and 20 times per day on average. Indeed, it’s a completely involuntary reflex which sets in very early on in our existence, as fetuses in our mother’s womb.

Yawning mobilizes the respiratory, face and neck muscles, and is often associated with a feeling of relaxation and well-being. Nevertheless, it’s often perceived as something we do when we’re bored or tired. As a result, it can be considered impolite to yawn when someone else is talki...

Petrol prices have been on the rise of late, in particular since the US-Israel war with Iran began. It feels like every time you need to fill up, a little extra has been added on to the cost.

Naturally, a lot of people are looking for ways to consume less without necessarily giving up their car completely. And the good news is there are a few simple and effective tricks that can help you lower the bill.

Is that really true that driving slower saves money? What about repairing my car? How can I find...

From 27th August to 4th September 2023, Burning Man is set to return to the Black Rock Desert in Nevada for the first time since 2019, with an authorised population of 87,000 people.

This event sees artists, creators and community-makers gather to celebrate self-expression. Every August, a temporary real city is set up to accommodate the festival. It actually becomes one of the most populated cities in Nevada during the event. Festivities end with a huge bonfire, where a large wooden effigy is burned, hence the name. 

How did the event come to be? What happens during the ev...

Smartphones only really entered our lives within the last 10 to 15 years, but they’ve since become indispensable. And it can even be hard to put them down when nighttime falls. According to Reviews.org, 60% of Americans sleep with their phone at night. How about you?

You may think that having your phone next to you in bed is harmless, or even helpful. But did you know that sleeping with your phone can actually have negative effects on your health and well-being?

Don’t mobile phones emit dangerous waves ? Do they also disturb sleep ? Are there any p...

Today, we're going to talk about a condition that affects millions of people around the world, but is rarely discussed openly. It's called shy bladder syndrome, or paruresis, and it's a type of social anxiety disorder that makes it difficult or impossible to pee in public restrooms or with people nearby.

This happens when people are psychologically blocked, which tightens the sphincters - muscles that control the opening and closing of the bladder outlet. It refers to both a minor passing discomfort and an extreme situation that literally prevents a person from relieving themselves when not alone...

In early 2023, dating site Eharmony released findings from a survey of over 1000 singletons. The research found that on average they spent 55 minutes per day logged in to the dating app, with six conversations on the go at the same time. Despite that, as many as 70% of those surveyed felt heavy dating app usage had a negative impact on their mental health.

Spending so much energy on dating can get overwhelming, but fear not. I'm here to tell you about a solution which could help you take back control of your love life: the zero date. The idea...

Although it is quite usual to find insects in markets in both Africa and Asia it is rather more unusual for people in the West to eat them.

However, with increased awareness of animal welfare and environmental concerns around eating meat people are beginning to think more seriously about insects as food rather than something to be swatted. The problem is that a lot of people find eating bugs pretty off putting, but now scientists have discovered that mealworms, traditionally used as pet food or as bait for fishing, have a rather meat-like flavour when cooked with...

According to the American National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, around 9% of the US population are affected by an eating disorder. We’ve all heard of anorexia, bulimia and binge eating, which are among the most commonly diagnosed. But there is also orthorexia.

It’s called orthorexia, coming from the Latin words “orthos”, meaning correct and “orexis”, meaning appetite. American doctor Steven Bratman coined the term in 1997. To put it simply, orthorexia is a need to eat healthy at all costs, to the extent that it becomes an obsession. Those affected start cutting out certain foods comple...

The announcement of the  sad news of the Queen’s passing, like all of the events following her death, followed strict protocol. The Prime Minister was informed using a pre-arranged code  “London Bridge is down”. And somewhere, deep in the gardens of Buckinham palace, the royal beekeeper informed the royal bees.

That’s right the beekeeper, John Chapple, who’s been the Queen’s beekeeper for 15 years and takes care of up to a million bees, personally went to each hive in both Buckingham palace and Clarence house,  to let them know that the queen was dead. Interviewed for...

Ah, the gentle rumble of a washing machine spinning in the middle of the night… practical  but is it really saving you money?

In the UK, many households are on time-of-use tariffs like Economy 7. It’s often seen as a smart choice, but in reality, whether it pays off depends entirely on your routine.

In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

To listen to the latest episodes, click here:

How does doom spending stop us from saving money?

Are budget food brands really worth the savings they offer?

Wha...

Leaving food out for the birds seems like a harmless and even generous idea, but research by the British Trust for Ornithology is showing that bird feeders might be doing more harm than good.

Between 2008 and 2018, chaffinch numbers dropped by 29 per cent in the UK, while 67 per cent of the country's greenfinches were lost, the study reveals.

How do bird feeders spread this disease? How can I keep using my bird feeder safely? Are there other ways to support birdlife in your garden? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

To listen to...

Binge drinking is defined as consuming 5 or more drinks for a man, or 4 or more drinks for a woman, in about 2 hours, and the UK has a rather notorious reputation for drinking to excess, especially when abroad.

But according to a 2022 survey from Drinkaware, 26 % so nearly a third of 16 to 24-year-olds in the UK are now completely teetotal, meaning they do not drink at all. Add to this that 29% of pub visits and 37% of restaurant visits are also alcohol free. While the non-alcoholic beverage market has grown over 506 % since 2015 and it is pretty clear that sobriety or a...

Barbie has quite the impressive CV. She has had over 150 careers including fashion editor, surgeon and astronaut - enough to inspire any young fan. But what she has career-wise, she lacks when it comes to inclusivity.

Barbie is usually blond, perfect and impossibly proportioned - there is a reason Margo Robbie is playing her in the latest Barbie film. But this is finally going to change: Barbie is becoming more inclusive. Mattel is launching a new ‘Fashonista line’ which will include barbies with various disabilities, making it the most inclusive Barbie line to date.

What does a...

You’ve probably already walked by a stranger spreadeagled on the ground. Chances are that if you saw several people already offering assistance, you carried on walking by. That’s due to what is known as the bystander effect.

The bystander effect is a psychosocial phenomenon which typically crops up in emergency situations. It shows that the more other people are already intervening to help, the less likely we are to do so ourselves. On the other hand, the likelihood of stepping in increases when you’re the only person present.

How does psychology explain this p...

In any given week in England, 3 in 100 people are suffering from depression, according to a NatCen Social Research study published in 2014. Depression can affect anyone, regardless of age or social class.

Everybody experiences different moods. You might find yourself feeling happy during the day, sad at times, or even just okay. Those with mood disorders experience these same emotions, but for longer periods of time and with higher intensity, to the extent that it can affect their daily lives. Depression is an example of a mood disorder.

What’s the difference between feeling down and bei...

We’ve talked about the rise of masculinism in the past on Do You Really Know and today’s subject is linked to the kind of traditional narratives that misogynistic men like to support. 

You know the type of views I mean: men are supposed to be strong, authoritative and physically imposing. Women, on the other hand, are expected to be gentle, compliant and ideally, not too independent.

Since when do people choose their partners based on their exercise regime? How do pilates girls feel about being objectified in such a creepy way? In under 3 minut...

Diarrhea is a common ailment that affects many of us, from time to time. While it’s often the subject of off-colour jokes, in reality it’s the number two cause of death in children under five years old, after pneumonia. It accounts for over 500,000 child deaths each year according to the World Health Organisation, making it a major public health issue.

The majority of these cases are recorded in the developing world, due to a lack of safe drinking water. That isn’t so likely to be a problem in the Western world, but still, if your d...

The strange experience of deja vu sometimes lasts just a matter of milliseconds. Nonetheless it can still catch you off guard and be pretty unsettling. Deja vu means “already seen” in French.

It refers to the sense of having already seen or experienced something you’re confronted with, even though you know that you have never actually seen it before. For example, you visit a new city for the first time in your life, but at a precise moment you get the feeling like you’ve walked down a certain street in the past. According to Psychology Today, it...

After "quiet quitting" and "conscious quitting", here’s yet another new phenomenon related to the world of work that’s growing in popularity. “Acting your wage” involves putting in a certain amount of work, that’s in proportion to your salary.

In other words, no going above and beyond; no extra hours and no unattainable goals. And no additional responsibilities outside of your job description, unless your wage goes up first.

Where does the movement come from? Why are people resorting to "Acting their wage"? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions !

To listen to the...

The prostate is a male organ that's situated right above the bladder, in front of the rectum. It's a small gland the size of a chestnut that plays a fundamental role in the reproductive system. It produces the protastic fluids that ensure the maturation and survival of sperm.

The prostate is also an incredibly erogenous zone, though it's not often explored amongst heterosexual men. Psychoanalyst and sex therapist Alain Héril for Slate said that: "The simulation of this gland over the course of a prostatic massage provokes a very particular pleasure. This massage can be done u...

According to data from Finder.com, the average Brit now spends 4 hours and 14 minutes using their smartphone each day. It’s hardly surprising; smartphone use has grown consistently over the last 15 years, to the extent that the devices have become almost like an extension of our arms and hands. 

Given we tend to hold our phones out in front of us when using them, our heads bow down in quite an unnatural position to look at the screen. And doing so for extended periods can cause posture problems, which is what American chiropractor Dr Dean Fishman realised bac...

It’s no surprise, especially if you tend to reach for your card instead of cash. But if you sometimes spend without thinking, your card may be part of the reason.

A 2025 meta-analysis found that people consistently spend more when paying by card than with cash. Unlike a single study, it combines results from multiple studies to give a more reliable picture. Here, it draws on 71 studies across 17 countries, with more than 11,000 participants, making the conclusion particularly solid.

Does contactless payment make things even worse? How can you stay in control of your spending? In un...

Today we're going to talk about a cognitive bias that causes people to believe, often mistakenly, that they are less likely to experience negative events and more likely to experience positive events than others. Estimates suggest that 80% of us display what’s known as the optimism bias.

For example, we might think that we are less likely to get sick, lose our job, or have a car accident than the average person. We might also think that we are more likely to live longer, be successful, or win the lottery than others.

Why do we ha...

I’m sure you can imagine a few scenarios in which you might have resisted the need to pee in the past. It may have been due to the toilets being unclean or closed. Sometimes, a little more privacy would be appreciated, especially at work, for example.

There are a number of factors which influence the number of times we pee over the course of a day. These include age, bladder size, the weather, any medication we’re taking, what we drink and the amount we drink for example. Pregnant women also tend to pee more often. On a...

2022 marked the driest summer in nearly 30 years according to the UK government. And authorities felt the need to bring in a hosepipe ban across Kent and Sussex, which came into effect from 26th June.

Back in April, a National Drought Group spokesperson said that Britain won’t be able to “rely on the weather alone” to sustain water levels, and that preparations were being made to reduce the drought risk. It was also suggested that households should focus on saving water to help the efforts. An additional benefit when doing so is that it could help you save m...