Do you really know?

What is the insider-outsider theory? The insider-outsider theory is a New Keynesian economic model which developed in the 1980s, explaining certain disparities in the job market. Insiders are those who already have a job in a company, most of the time a permanent contract and having undergone expensive training. Meanwhile, outsiders are those with unstable jobs or unemployed. The theory considers...

How can I get the most out of daytime napping? Studies have repeatedly shown that human sleep quality is deteriorating year after year, for a number of reasons, including workaholic lifestyles and rising global temperatures. Daytime napping shouldn't be seen as a replacement for insufficient nighttime sleep, but there are a number of health benefits nevertheless. It’s actually pretty natural for o...

Why do we love hate-watching certain films and series? Matchmaking reality TV show Love Island is a guilty pleasure for many of us, and it’s back on TV screens for the summer. The latest group of contestants have entered the villa, aiming to couple up and take home the £50,000 main prize. Love Island is a typical example of a show that people love to hate-watch. The practice has become more and mo...

How did Better Call Saul nearly become a sitcom? It’s somewhat of an event in the world of series. The five-episode final season of Better Call Saul was released earlier this week on Netflix. If you’re anything like us, you’ve been closely following the moral dilemmas of nice guy Jimmy McGill as he turns into shady lawyer Saul Goodman. So if you haven’t already binged your way through the final ep...

What is the Big Quit? Remember our episode on #QuitMyJob, about thousands of Americans publicly quitting their jobs on TikTok? Since then, the phenomenon has continued gaining momentum in the United States under a new name: the Great Resignation, or the Big Quit. According to a report published by the US Department of Labour on October 13, 2021, this August alone saw 4.3 million resignations natio...

How can the unisex condom improve my sex life? It was widely expected that the condom industry would thrive throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, but to many people’s surprise, it actually struggled. Malaysian world number one Karex actually lost 50% of its stock value. And talking of Malaysia, the country has seen a remarkable development in the field of gynecology, with Dr John Tang Ing Chinh creati...

What is citizen science, the concept opening up research to the general public? Also known as community science, citizen science is the active participation of amateurs or non-professional scientists in research. In recent years, it’s grown in a number of fields, becoming bigger and more networked thanks to new technologies and connectivity. It’s a link between professional researchers and volunte...

What is OPEC? The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries is an international cartel currently made up of thirteen member states. Over the years, it has played an important role in the global economy, coordinating the petroleum policies of its members. But right now, its influence is waning, due in no small part to the Covid-19 pandemic. OPEC was created in 1960 in Baghdad. At the time,...

What are the benefits of slow sex? We all know that having sex is a great form of stress relief. It releases pleasure hormones, like endorphins and oxytocin, also reinforcing the cardiovascular and immune systems. But slow sex may be a way of further enhancing pleasure and allowing you to fully savor the multi-sensory experience that is good sex. It doesn’t have to be a race to the finish line! Ho...

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 combinat...

What is Roe vs Wade, the ruling that guaranteed American women abortion rights?   In late June 2022, the US Supreme Court controversially overturned the landmark Roe vs Wade decision which for decades protected women’s freedom to have an abortion anywhere in the country. Five of the six conservative judges sitting on the supreme court voted in favour of the reversal, ensuring a majority. US Presid...

Could tourism quotas help preserve endangered local environments? The summer holiday period is upon us, but when planning our holidays it’s worth bearing in mind that overtourism has become a real nuisance. As tourists, it’s not exactly fun being in a highly overcrowded area, but it’s even worse for the natural environment. Could tourism quotas be one way of addressing the problems? In mid-June 20...

On July 8, we celebrate National Video Game Day. What is the Gamestop short squeeze? You may have seen headlines about it in recent weeks, and it’s certainly one of the financial stories of the year so far. The Gamestop short squeeze saw Wall Street tremble at least temporarily due to the actions of amateur traders from Reddit. And this battle is perhaps just the start of a long war. To understand...

Is bikini waxing harmful for your health? Swimsuit season is here and many women will be making sure they’re body hair is groomed in good time before jetting off for a beach holiday. And it’s not just in summer time either. 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 waxin...

Why will it be years before Ukraine could join the EU? On 23rd June 2022, the European Union’s 27 member states agreed to award the countries of Ukraine and Moldova official EU candidate status.  The decision was taken relatively quickly, with Ukraine and Moldova having submitted their formal applications on 28th February and 3rd March respectively, within a week of Russia having launched its mili...

What is Islamism? A spate of terrorist attacks have been carried out across Europe in recent weeks, most notably in France and Austria. Political leaders have attributed the violence to Islamists, calling for a united front in battling this form of radicalism. Nevertheless, use of the term “Islamism” is somewhat controversial. It’s important to make the distinction between the religion Islam itsel...

Why is Elvis known as the King? Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis Presley biopic hit UK cinemas on 24nd June 2022, starring Austin Butler as the King of rock and roll himself, and Tom Hanks as his controversial manager Colonel Tom Parker. Let’s look back at how Elvis became a global superstar from the 1950s through to the late 70s. Elvis Presley earned his reputation as the King for a seemingly endless list of...

What is enbyphobia? This term first appeared in LGBT+ circles; if you’re wondering what an “enby” is, just say it slower: N - B, which stands for non-binary. So it refers to a phobia of non-binary people, which is also sometimes called exorsexism. If you think back to our episode about non-binary gender identity, you’ll remember it means people who do not feel exclusively male or female. For examp...

How have Pride Parades evolved over the last 50 years?    In cities across the world, Pride Parades take place in late June and early July, with the London 2022 event set for today. They bring together thousands of people and give visibility to the LGBTQ+ struggle. These events have consistently grown and spread to new places after first taking place in June 1970. They’re also known as pride march...

Is the menopause still a taboo subject? The menopause is the period in a woman’s life when she stops ovulating and having periods, due to lower hormone levels in the body. Despite the fact that it can last 10 years or more and all women go through it, the topic has long been something of a taboo and even seen as an illness. Western medicine only really started paying attention to it in the 18th ce...

What is the Taliban offensive? The Taliban’s offensive against the Afghan government, which began back in May, accelerated dramatically in the last 10 days, leading to the group taking complete control of the country. As of August 13th, the Islamist military group only held 132 of Afghanistan’s 398 districts, according to BBC research. But three days later, capital city Kabul had fallen and the fi...

What is shrinkflation, the sneaky tactic manufacturers are hiding from consumers?  Marketing technique shrinkflation is becoming more and more common in large retail stores, in particular down to the ongoing war in Ukraine. It sees manufacturers quietly reducing the size of their products, but maintaining prices at the same level. Shrinkflation is often a result of an increase in raw material pric...

You’ve heard about it, but do you really know it? In 3 minutes, we help you understand the true meaning behind the trends, concepts and acronyms that are making headlines. After listening, you will really know for sure. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How can we choose the right sunscreen product? July is nearly upon us, which means it’s summer holiday time for many of you. Whether you’re going on a beach holiday, city break or camping trip, the chances are you’ll be soaking up the sun’s rays. Of course sunshine activates vitamin D production in the body, which has numerous benefits like protecting us from disease and improving mental health. B...

What is the global minimum tax? At the end of last week, finance ministers from the G7 countries met in London and formally endorsed a global minimum corporate tax rate. Going forward, companies will have to pay a minimum of 15% tax on their profits. The framework is part of an effort to stop multinationals, and in particular the GAFA companies Google, Amazon, Facebook and Apple, from profit-shift...