Do you really know?

The start of any school year is always an emotionally charged time, whether you’re a child or an adult. But as a parent that excitement can quickly turn into stress and anxiety when money is tight.  In July 2024, retail marketing consultancy Gekko reported that UK parents were set to shell out an average of £452.40 per child on back-to-school supplies, which combined adds up to a whopping £2.3 bil...

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 sta...

It may come as a surprise, but for some, summer isn’t always a time for rest and recharging. Quite the opposite, in fact. This phenomenon, known as “mid-year crisis” or “summer burnout,” is a type of seasonal depression that occurs during the summer months. According to The Guardian newspaper, symptoms include drowsiness, lack of appetite, decreased libido and energy, and a general feeling of bein...

Much like your fingerprints, your body odour is totally unique to you. It varies from person to person based on the chemical makeup of their sweat, which, believe it or not, is actually odourless on its own. Sweat only starts to smell when it comes into contact with bacteria on our skin. Our distinct scent depends not just on this skin microbiome but also on factors like sex, age, genetics, and ho...

Deafness is known for being an invisible disability, which can lead to exclusion and loneliness. According to a Human Rights Watch article from 2019, 70 million deaf people across the world use sign language to communicate. Well sign singers take that one step further, by adapting song lyrics into sign language for the deaf and hard of hearing. In addition to making entertainment more accessible t...

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, l...

You might have seen this term on TikTok, Instagram or Pinterest, but do you really know what it means? ‘A Tomato Girl Summer’ is a retro trend inspired by Mediterranean living rather than actual tomatoes. It's about projecting the style and lifestyle of the region, wearing clothes that are comfortable and colourful, eating fresh and seasonal food, exploring new places, and having fun. What is the...

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...

May 29th was Spring Bank Holiday in UK. Going on holiday is cool, but not always within reach for everyone. It requires time, as you may need to get your leave request approved by your employer, and money. In recent years, a new kind of holiday has been catching on: the staycation. It generally refers to a trip which doesn’t require any overnight accommodation. The idea comes from the United State...

It's often said that drinking water while eating can make the stomach swell, causing bloating. But in reality, there are no studies to back that up. Similarly, drinking or avoiding drinking while eating also has no impact on the effectiveness of digestive juices or on any supposed difficulty in secreting them and therefore on digestion. We know that that water helps soften food boluses being diges...

Perhaps you've already experienced that awkward feeling on a first date when you don't really know what to say to each other. Having a drink or going to a restaurant are great activities, but they don't always add much to the conversation. So, if you run out of questions you are often just left staring into each other's eyes and hoping for an opportunity to arise so that you might make a quick get...

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...

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 cons...

If you’ve ever had a “conversation” with Siri, Google Assistant or Alexa, you may well have been using a domotics system, without necessarily knowing what that means. The term refers to the use of robotic technology and electronic systems for controlling home appliances and devices. It’s also known as home automation, or simply a “smart home”. And indeed the use of smart home devices has really ta...

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, ou...

According to comparison website Finder.com, UK residents plan to spend an average of over £2100 on holidays abroad in the year 2023. Spending abroad has bounced back to pre-pandemic levels, having plummeted in 2020 and 2021, when travel restrictions were in place. Still, while many of us are making up for lost time when it comes to holidays, there’s also the small matter of a cost of living crisis...

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 minute...

During summer holidays, many of us experience the discomfort of motion sickness while travelling by car, coach, plane, or boat. motion sickness is Also known as kinetosis and it’s particularly common in children but can also affect a lot of adults. According to the US government’s Medline Plus portal, one in three people are prone to it. Symptoms include paleness, cold sweats, dizziness, a feeling...

In past episodes of Do You Really Know, we’ve talked about the best holiday destinations in the UK and abroad, as well as how to find the most budget-friendly options. Today though, we’re going to talk about security.  The idea of visiting many countries all over the world is enticing, but it's important to remember that some destinations are significantly more dangerous than others. Rather than m...

In the last few weeks, a thick and foul-smelling foam known as mucilage has appeared in the Marmara Sea on Turkey’s northwestern coast. It’s been unofficially dubbed sea snot by observers, which might sound like a name invented on a school playground. But there’s nothing funny about the environmental impact of this outbreak, which is a result of global warming and pollution. How does this sea snot...

Whether you're lounging on a beach, exploring a new city, or simply taking a break from your daily routine, finding ways to calm your mind while on holiday is really important for our mental and physical health. We often promise ourselves we’re going to disconnect from day one, but it's not as simple as that.  After all, when we’re at work our brains are constantly processing information, making d...

Money can buy a lot, but can it buy happiness? This is a question that philosophers, economists, scientists and storytellers have puzzled over for some time; and if it can, then does more money make you even happier?  According to Prof Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, director at the University of Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre there is a definite link between money and happiness, especially at the bottom...

If you're not up to date with your vaccinations, it might just be time to schedule an appointment with your doctor! When it comes to the diseases we’re going to be talking about today, you could be forgiven for thinking they were a thing of the past, consigned to history.  But believe it or not, some of them are making a comeback in the 21st century. Their resurgence can be partly explained by a f...

Ever since social media came along, dating trends have evolved constantly. They tend to reflect changes in society too. In previous episodes of Do You Really Know, we’ve talked about dawn dating, sneating and ghosting for example. There are so many different terms out there, and not all of them are positive. Here’s another one you may have heard of recently, in particular if you’re single and use...

The world of cinema is full of films and sagas which leave their mark on a generation, sometimes becoming cult films. And another phenomenon is becoming more and more common: that of the spin off. Spin-off films involve the creation of a new work based on the original, focusing on the story of a secondary character. There are a number of reasons why directors and screenwriters have chosen to carry...