Do you really know?

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 c...

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...

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...

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 drough...

Have you ever had a song stuck in your head for hours or even days? One that pops up randomly and repeats itself over and over again? Let’s take a moment to explore what earworms are, what they have in common, what causes them, and how they can affect our health. An earworm is a catchy tune that invades your brain and refuses to leave. The term actually comes from the German word ohrwurm. Accordin...

Until recently when confronted with arranging a funeral there has been a choice between burial or cremation. However, in parts of the US, Canada and soon the UK a third choice can be possible.  Aquamation or as it is known technically “alkaline hydrolysis” is an alternative to traditional burials. The body of the deceased is placed in a pressurised stainless steel vessel and immersed in a mixture...

During the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic, many of us managed to avoid getting infected by following social distancing and hand hygiene guidelines. But the virus caught up with most people sooner or later, even those who were particularly cautious.   And yet there are some people out there who have still never had Covid, three and a half years since it emerged. Scientists believe some of th...

The subject of today’s episode is something that’s happened to many of us. You meet someone special, start spending a lot of time together and gradually fall in love. You go out for romantic dinners, you order takeout and watch Netflix on the couch. You’re so caught up feeling happy and comfortable with your partner, that you don't worry too much about your appearance. Research has suggested that...

Public urination has long been a nuisance in the United Kingdom, as it is in many other countries. But it’s really gotten worse in the last few years, and that’s down to the Covid-19 crisis in particular. British authorities decided to close public toilets for hygiene reasons. And that’s actually exacerbated a longer-term trend, which has seen around 50% of public toilets closed in the last decade...

Overstimulating, bad for heart health, a source of stress; coffee is often described in ways that make it sound like it’s not great for your health. But in reality, it mostly comes down to how much you drink. It’s true that drinking an excessive amount of coffee can cause sleep problems, a racing heart and anxiety. But when consumed in moderation, it actually has some benefits. What are those bene...

Back in 2013, American reality TV show The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills featured a scene that would unexpectedly go viral nearly a decade later. The scene showed a phone conversation between former model Yolanda Hadid and her daughter Gigi. Hadid junior said she felt sick because she hadn’t eaten all day, and her mother’s advice in response was to “eat two almonds”. It might have seemed innocu...

According to USA Today, the word “hangry” entered the Oxford English Dictionary in 2018. It’s a portmanteau term which combines the words “hungry” and “angry”. While it might sound a little silly or light-hearted, there’s evidence to suggest that getting grumpy is a pretty common reaction to feeling hungry.  The scientific reasons aren’t completely clear. But it kind of makes sense when you consid...

For our 1000th episode we thought we would bring you a special edition with a focus on the number 1000 and since we have a French and a English podcast then what better subject than about learning 1000 words in a new language.  According to some experts, 1000 words is the magic number that can help you achieve a basic communicative level in any language. With 1000 words, you can understand most of...

As of 1st July 2023, UK energy regulator Ofgem brought the energy price cap down to £2,074, a significant fall from the previous price guarantee of £2,500 that was introduced by the government in October 2022. Prices had soared mostly due to an increase in wholesale energy costs caused by the war in Ukraine. Bear in mind the price cap is based on an estimate for a dual fuel household paying by dir...

Just like vegetables, fruit is essential in a healthy and balanced diet. Ever since the UK government’s campaign in 2003, we’ve all known that we’re supposed to get our “five a day”. And a lot of fruit tends to be pretty sweet, especially when ripe. That’s because fruit contains sugar, and more specifically a large amount of fructose with little glucose. The problem with fructose is that it easily...

The “no-wash” movement is a trend that involves washing clothes and hair less often, or not at all, for environmental, economic, or practical reasons. Some followers of this movement claim that frequent laundering is unnecessary for maintaining clean, odor-free clothing. They also argue that washing less can save water, energy, money, and time doing chores. However, not everyone is convinced by th...

The Danish toy brand Lego may be celebrating its 91th anniversary in 2023, but it’s showing no signs of slowing down! An average of 31 billion bricks are sold each year around the world, and the company appeals to a wide range of people.  Back in 1932, in the small Danish town of Billund, carpenter Ole Kirk Christiansen decided to expand his business by building small wooden toys. A couple of year...

If you like to take a short nap during the day you might be doing your brain a favor. According to a study published in the journal Sleep Health in June of 2023, people who have a genetic predisposition to napping regularly have larger brain volumes than those who don’t. This suggests that napping may protect against brain shrinkage, which occurs faster in people with cognitive problems and neurod...

You’ve probably heard of a sweet tooth, the term for people who love sugary foods and desserts. But you might be less familiar with a salt tooth. In other words a  preference for salty foods, such as crisps, olives, cheese and other salty things.  According to a study presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions meeting in 2016, there is a genetic basis for your salt cravings....

If you’re the kind of person that plans ahead, you’ve probably already got your summer holidays booked months ahead of time. Nevertheless, holidays are always pricey, with Europeans spending an average budget of €1600 over the last 3 years according to Statista. For those of us who are lucky enough to be able to travel, let’s not take it for granted. It’s a privilege, which some people unfortunate...

With the warmer weather that summer brings, it’s especially important to be aware of the best techniques for freezing food before it goes bad. This ensures food safety and minimises waste. Furthermore, proper freezing techniques help preserve the taste, texture, and nutritional value of the food. You might think it’s as simple as bunging something in the freezer and leaving it there for as long as...

When our skin is cut or damaged, the body immediately starts its healing process to close the wound and limit any risk of infection. It’s a wonderful and fascinating process, but nevertheless scars still remain on the skin afterwards. They can be unsightly and visible too, depending on their location, leading to self-consciousness. There are several stages, with the first being hemostasis. Immedia...

Bloody hell, shit, bugger… there, I said it. You’ve probably been told that swearing reflects a poor vocabulary or bad manners. But that assumption doesn’t really hold up. Several studies suggest that people who use more profanity don’t just score higher on IQ tests, they also tend to have a broader vocabulary overall. So why would swearing be linked to intelligence? And can being rude actually be...

Perfectionism is the tendency to set excessively high and unrealistic standards for oneself and others, and to evaluate one’s worth based on the ability to meet those standards. Perfectionists are not satisfied with anything less than flawless results, and they often fear failure, criticism, or disappointment but constantly striving for perfection can have serious consequences.  How does perfectio...

Mother’s Day is celebrated in many countries around the world, but not always on the same date. For some it’s observed on the second Sunday of May, for others it  falls on the fourth Sunday of Lent but it can also be on the first Sunday of May; the last Sunday of May or even the first Sunday in June. Well, that’s because Mother’s Day has different origins and meanings in different cultures and reg...