Do you really know?

What is Tinder? Thanks for asking! Since launching in the US in 2012, there’s no doubting Tinder has certainly revolutionized dating and relationships. According to Business of Apps, it has over 75 million monthly active users, making it the most used dating app worldwide. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Tinder, it’s just like any online dating platform in that you enter your personal de...

What is sportswashing? Thanks for asking!  Look out Premier League clubs, a new big boy is in town! That’s right, following approval of their acquisition by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Newcastle United has all of a sudden become one of the richest clubs in the world! While the Toon Army are celebrating their club’s new found wealth and dreaming of trophies to come in the future, other o...

What is Polexit? Thanks for asking! With Brexit finally having become a reality earlier this year, could other countries follow suit and leave the EU? Well the prospect of a similar Polexit isn’t outside the realms of possibility according to some observers.  To understand why the term is on everyone’s lips, you need to look back at what happened in Poland on October 7th. The country’s constitutio...

What is Generation Alpha? Thanks for asking! After Generation X, Generation Y (also known as the Millennials) and Gen-Z, where do you go next? Well back to the start of the alphabet as it turns out, albeit a different one! That’s right; Generation Alpha takes its name from the first letter of the Greek alphabet, and it’s the unofficial name for the successors of Gen Z. The term came from a survey...

What were the Troubles? Thanks for asking! The British government is stepping up its pressure on Brussels and demanding "significant changes" in the protocol governing post-Brexit customs arrangements specific to Northern Ireland. It’s been 23 years since the Good Friday peace agreement put an end to The Troubles, a decades-long period of violence which saw 3,500 people die. Nevertheless, in recen...

Who is Harlan Coben? Thanks for asking! His name might not be as familiar as that of Stephen King, but that hasn’t stopped novelist Harlan Coben achieving unrivalled success in his field, at least when it comes to book sales. After all, we’re talking 75 million copies of his 32 books printed and sold in over 40 countries worldwide. In his home country, the US, he has won pretty much every award ou...

What is plogging? Thanks for asking! We’ve covered several Scandinavian wellness trends in the past and here’s one which is good for both the body and soul. Plogging is a mash-up of the Swedish term “plocka upp”, which means picking up, and the English word “jogging”. So what are we picking up while jogging? Does it actually burn that many calories? How can I get started then? In under 3 minutes,...

What are the Pandora Papers? Thanks for asking! On October 3rd, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists began publishing leaked documents exposing the hidden assets of some of the world’s richest and most powerful people.  Five years after the Panama Papers revelations, the latest investigation, carried out over two years, represents the biggest ever leak of offshore data, showin...

What is degrowth? Thanks for asking!   Degrowth advocates believe that if we continue prioritising economic growth, political, environmental and geopolitical crises will only increase in number. It’s a form of opposition to consumerist society, all about the importance of the collective over the individual, and planet Earth over the human race. Where does the term come from? What are the arguments...

What is conversion therapy? Thanks for asking! In the midst of the scandal surrounding pedocriminality within the Catholic Church, conversion therapies have been voted to be banned in France on October 5, 2021. Conversion therapy, also known as homotherapy, is a pseudoscientific practice that seeks to convert homosexuals to heterosexuality, or at least encourage them to be abstinent. Largely pushe...

What is coolsculpting? Thanks for asking!  Just a couple of weeks ago, 90s catwalk star Linda Evangelista shared an emotional post on Instagram. The model revealed she had left the public eye for the last five years to hide the disastrous results of a coolsculpting procedure.  She has decided to sue Zeltiq Aesthetics, the company who markets CoolSculpting, for $50M, arguing the botched treatment h...

What is a bore-out? Thanks for asking! Hearing the term will likely make you think of another kind of psycho-social condition related to the world of work; that of a burnout. Well bore-outs are perhaps less well-known than their workaholic cousin, but they are actually much more common.  A Forbes article from January 2020 suggested that between 43% and 53% of employees are bored of their job. What...

Who is James Bond? Thanks for asking! Since its original planned release in March 2020, the 25th James Bond film has been pushed back over and over again. But good things come to those who wait as they say, and No Time To Die finally opened in cinemas around the UK last week. More than 60 years after the first 007 film was produced, any new instalment is still a major event in the cinematic calend...

What is reproductive health? Thanks for asking!  September 26, 2021, was World Contraception Day. The event was first held in 2007 by ten international family-planning organizations to raise awareness about contraception and help each new generation of adults make informed decisions until every pregnancy in the world is a planned one.  In other words, it promotes what is known as sexual and reprod...

What are LGBT-free zones? Thanks for asking! Monday September 27th, three Polish regions scrap anti-LGBT resolutions. The European Parliament declared the E.U. to be an LGBTIQ Freedom zone. That was in reaction to the increasing number of LGBT-free zones in Poland, which have been making headlines for the last two years. Poland has gained a reputation as the worst EU country for LGBT rights. If we...

What is Lagom? Thanks for asking! The Swedish term lagom is one of those words that doesn’t have an exact equivalent in English, yet it has caught on as a wellness trend. If you had to translate it, you’d probably go with something like “just the right amount” or “according to common sense.” It’s kind of similar to the expression “less is more” in intention, used as a contrast to the idea that mor...

Who are Oasis? Thanks for asking!     On August 10th 1996, Oasis drew over 250,000 fans to their gigs on two consecutive nights at Knebworth Park. Much like the band, these record-breaking concerts would end up gaining legendary status.   And just a week ago, a dedicated Oasis Knebworth 1996 documentary premiered in UK cinemas, making it the perfect opportunity to talk about one of the country’s m...

What is the Aukus alliance? Thanks for asking!   On September 16th, Australia announced it had signed a strategic pact with the United States and United Kingdom. The aim is to ensure stability in the Indo-Pacific, which consists of several important seaways between India, Japan and Australia. The ocean region is a hub for global trade and energy supply. The recent pact was named AUKUS, to include...

What is the Britney Spears conservatorship case? Thanks for asking! Ardent fans and onlookers alike have probably noticed the diva’s disappearance from major social media platforms, including Instagram. Before deactivating her accounts, Britney assured her followers on Twitter she was just taking a break to celebrate her engagement and promised to be back soon.  However, there seems to be more to...

What is the baby bust? Thanks for asking! The United Kingdom is facing a particularly low birth rate recorded. The phenomenon could have significant long-term economic consequences, a British think tank warned on Monday 20 September 2021. You’ve almost certainly heard of the baby boom, which saw birth rates soar in many countries following the end of the Second World War. Well, we’re currently exp...

What is mucosal immunity? Thanks for asking!  It was announced last week that Covid booster vaccines would soon be available to millions of people across the UK, including all over 50s and other people with underlying health conditions.   In the meantime, new ways to combat the virus are emerging, specifically that of an nasal spray vaccine designed to boost mucosal immunity. Regular listeners may...

What are Butler Cafés? Thanks for asking! In recent months, an interesting trend has been catching on in China. An increasing number of women are paying for male companionship in establishments known as butler cafés. According to Chinese media outlet The Sixth Tone, butler cafés are enjoying impressive success. They’ve been springing up all over big cities for a few months. Review sites list dozen...

What is last chance tourism? Thanks for asking!   Last chance tourism is a travel trend whereby tourists increasingly seek to experience the world’s most endangered sites before they vanish or are irrevocably transformed, according to the definition given by the Current Issues in Tourism magazine. Last chance tourism is also sometimes referred to as doomsday tourism. The term was first coined in t...

What is toxic positivity? Thanks for asking! “Good vibes only”, “everything happens for a reason”, “When life gives you lemons.”...You’ve almost certainly been told these mantras at some point in your life, whether in a professional or personal context.  Toxic positivity is a belief that people should maintain a positive mindset no matter how difficult their situation is. Though they might seem co...

What is 5G? Thanks for asking! On Tuesday 14 September, Apple presented its new iPhone 13. With the 5G, the American company has boosted its iPhone sales. 5G is the fifth and newest generation of mobile connectivity. Its commercial rollout has already begun, with the four major US carriers having begun deployment in 2019. The GSMA estimates that 5G will account for 20% of all global connections by...