Do you really know?

What is Pancake Day? Thanks for asking! Feeling hungry? It’s Pancake Day tomorrow, which means you’ve still got time to choose your favourite toppings! Pancake Day is also known as Shrove Tuesday, which marks the day before the start of Lent on the Christian calendar. The date changes every year, as it depends on when Easter falls.     So how did a religious date get to be known as Pancake Day?  ...

What is an antiviral mask? Thanks for asking! Since the turn of the year, the threat of new coronavirus variants has emerged. As a result, many are questioning how effective different types of face covering are against these more contagious strains. The World Health Organisation has stressed that cloth masks still work just as well, because the mode of transmission is the same, despite the mutatio...

What is the Gamestop short squeeze? Thanks for asking! You may have seen headlines about it in recent weeks, and it’s certainly one of the financial stories of the year so far. The Gamestop short squeeze saw Wall Street tremble at least temporarily due to the actions of amateur traders from Reddit. And this battle is perhaps just the start of a long war. To understand the short squeeze, let’s go b...

What is a coup d’etat? Thanks for asking! Just last week, Myanmar underwent its fourth coup d’état in 63 years, ten years after becoming a democracy. Although no blood was spilled, several members of the ruling National League for Democracy Party were placed under house arrest by the military. That includes Aung San Suu Kyi, the elected State Counsellor. The Tatmadaw military declared a year-long...

What is Diogenes Syndrome? Thanks for asking! Diogenes Syndrome is a behavioural disorder which mainly affects older adults. It’s also known as senile squalor syndrome, which is perhaps a more evocative name for what it entails. It happens when people neglect to take care of themselves, leading to poor personal hygiene and an extremely dirty or messy home. The unsanitary conditions in which these...

What is the sixth dose? Thanks for asking! From the outset, each vial of the Pfizer and BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine was supposed to contain five doses. But it has since emerged that a sixth dose can in fact be extracted from each vial. So, is this extra dose a welcome surprise which will allow vaccination programmes to move forward more quickly? Let’s go back to Germany at the end of December 2020....

What is sensory processing sensitivity? Thanks for asking! “Why are you being so sensitive?” “Stop overreacting”. It’s common to hear people criticise others for being highly sensitive, but it actually often isn’t a choice.  Sensory processing sensitivity, or SPS, is a personality trait which describes how individuals’ levels of sensitivity vary when reacting to physical, social and emotional stim...

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

What is ASMR? Thanks for asking! ASMR is short for autonomous sensory meridian response. It refers to the pleasant tingling sensations some people feel when triggered by certain sensory stimuli. These sensations tend to begin on the scalp and work their way down throughout the body, bringing on a state of relaxation.  In the 2010s, ASMR was popularised to such an extent that there are thousands of...

What is VOC202012/01? Thanks for asking!   It might seem like a random series of letters and numbers, but bear with us and you’ll soon understand. VOC202012/01 is the name of the so-called UK coronavirus variant, one of several which are causing concern at the moment. Since first being detected in South-East England, it has started spreading all across the world.   How far back does this strain ac...

What is Wikipedia? Thanks for asking! On January 15th 2021, Wikipedia turned 20 years old, believe it or not.  Wow, thanks for making me feel old!   OK so everybody already knows what Wikipedia is, but let’s look closer at its history, how it works and the limits of this collaborative, volunteer-produced internet encyclopedia. Nowadays, Wikipedia has over 55 million articles in over 300 different...

What is Parler? Thanks for asking! Since the start of the year, a previously little known social network has been making international headlines. Despite having just 1 million users in July 2020, Parler was the most downloaded app on the US App Store in November, right after the Presidential election. By then, it had reached 10 million users, a figure which rose to 15 million by January 2021. Parl...

What is Signal? Thanks for asking! Maybe you’re among the millions of new users to have recently downloaded messaging app Signal. Just like Whatsapp or Messenger, Signal is a free-to-use messaging app which can be used on smartphone or desktop computers. Unlike its competitors though, Signal is independent and prides itself on being the most secure messaging app around.  The first version of the S...

What is bardcore? Thanks for asking! Prithee, a maiden doth serenade from afar! What enchanting melody be this? Fear not, Shakira didn’t rip-off a medieval musician when she brought out Hips Don’t Lie in 2005. What you’re listening to was created by medieval minstrels of the 21st century. You might call them bards, as they enjoy creating medieval covers of modern-day hits. This kind of music has b...

What is compersion? Thanks for asking! You won’t find the term compersion in the dictionary, but it could be defined as the pleasure derived from seeing someone else experience happiness and joy. It’s often associated with polyamory and non-monogamous relationships, having been coined by the Keristan polyamorous community in 1970s California.   So are you saying I should be happy if my partner lov...

What is Inauguration Day? Thanks for asking! Today is Inauguration Day, and Joe Biden is to be sworn in as the 46th President of the United States, following his victory in November’s election. Inauguration Day is perhaps the ultimate public display of American democracy, marking a peaceful transition from one president to the next. There’s been nothing peaceful about the events of recent weeks in...

What is Blue Monday? Thanks for asking!   Sorry to start the week with bad news but today is Blue Monday, often cited as the most depressing day of the year. Blue Monday has existed since 2005, and is based on an equation which takes into account various factors. However, its detractors criticise the idea as pseudoscience and say it is driven by money.    Why does Blue Monday occur in January?   S...

What are bionic soldiers? Thanks for asking! Bionic soldiers have been making headlines since early December, when a French military ethics committee approved the development of technological upgrades for members of the country’s armed forces. Less than a week prior to that announcement, the US Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe raised concerns about China’s military technology plans...

What is induced lactation? Thanks for asking! Induced lactation refers to the production of breast milk in non-gestational parents. That’s right, a woman who hasn’t ever been pregnant can still breastfeed their child using this method. Sounds complicated? Well it is, but it’s not impossible, and it can allow adoptive or surrogate mothers to breastfeed if they desire.  The benefits of breastfeeding...

What is a Bullshit job? Thanks for asking! Back in 2013, anthropology professor David Graeber penned an essay in radical magazine Strike, criticising the proliferation of what he called Bullshit jobs. Despite having a higher social status compared to careers in teaching or nursing for example, these positions are effectively pointless. Even those paid to occupy them often struggle to justify their...

What is Pornhub? Thanks for asking! With over 3 billion visits per month, it’s the 10th most popular website worldwide. Don’t act all innocent; if you have an internet connection, it’s almost certain you have at least heard of PornHub.  It’s perhaps the world’s most popular porn site but it has been making headlines for controversial reasons in the last month. Reports have surfaced, accusing PornH...

What are tiny forests? Thanks for asking! Over the last few years, citizens have been planting tiny forests in towns and country settings. There are now over 2,000 across the world, all inspired by the Miyawaki method and designed to help prevent the collapse of biodiversity.  Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki was born in 1928. While studying seeds and natural forests, he observed that the vast maj...

What is hygge? Thanks for asking! Picture this: you’re indoors, in front of a warm fireplace, with a plaid rug over your legs, sipping a cup of tea or cocoa while watching a film. Or you could be relaxing with a candlelit bath, soothing music and a book in your hands. Well, you might not realise it, but you’re experiencing a typical hygge moment.  Wait a minute, what language are we talking about...

What are New Year’s Resolutions? Thanks for asking! Well here we are in 2021. Many are glad to see the back of 2020, now looking forward optimistically to the future thanks to global developments like the arrival of Covid-19 vaccines and Joe Biden entering the White House.  The turn of the year also means it’s time to come up with New Year’s resolutions. Setting ourselves objectives for the whole...

What is breaking? Thanks for asking! In early December, the IOC officially announced it was adding breaking to the list of Olympic sports for the Paris 2024 Games. First and foremost, breaking is a form of art which was pioneered in the 1970s by members of the New York hip-hop movement. Oh right, you’re talking about breakdancing! Well yes, but the term breakdancing was actually invented by the me...