Do you really know?

What is an IPA ? India Pale Ales stand out through their golden to amber colours, distinct bitterness and fruitiness. Why such characteristics? Well, it’s all down to hops actually, which are used in greater quantities when brewing IPAs. The name is actually a little misleading, in that it doesn't mean that the beer was brewed in India at all. Rather it refers to the fact that in the 18th century,...

Who is Guillermo Del Toro? On January 21st, Nightmare Alley, the new psychological thriller from Guillermo del Toro, hit UK cinemas. Let’s pay tribute to a truly extraordinary director, novelist, producer, and screenwriter. Believe it or not, the Mexican hadn't released a single film since 2017 before Nightmare Alley. That was The Shape of Water, which won Best Picture and Best Director awards at...

What is Naruto ? This award-winning manga series first appeared in magazine form in 1999, published in the weekly Shonen Jump. A total of 72 volumes would be published over the next 15 years, selling a combined 250 million copies and making Naruto the fourth best selling manga of all time. But the franchise also quickly expanded from 2002 onwards, to include two animated series, with over 700 epis...

What is Lego? Danish toy brand Lego may be celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2022, 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. While children love to play with it, adults tend to collect it. How did Lego start out ? How did Lego stay so strong over the years? What about Lego's e...

What is the Rubik’s Cube ? Whether you find it infuriating or stimulating, you'll almost certainly recognise a Rubik's Cube as soon as you see it. The multicoloured, six-sided brainteaser has been among the most popular toys in the world for decades now, with over 350 million units sold as of 2019 according to Business Insider. Who invented the Rubik’s Cube ? There can't have been that much fuss a...

What is the fertility cliff? The ability of a woman to get pregnant and give birth doesn’t last forever. 35 has traditionally been seen as a fertility cliff, a kind of cut-off point after which it becomes much more difficult to have a child. Women in their early 30s and even late 20s often feel under pressure from their families or society, like they are losing a race against their biological cloc...

What is a sex fast? Most often when we talk about a fast, we’re referring to going without food for a period of time, perhaps for religious reasons. But the same concept can apply to sex too. That’s right, the trend of sex fasts has been getting a lot of attention in the last couple of months. That’s largely down to Kourtney Kardashian, who has been one of the method’s main advocates. The star tol...

What is Housing First ? The Housing First policy was thought out to combat homelessness. It emerged in the 1990s, first trialled by New York not-for-profit organisation Pathways to Housing. After the turn of the century, it picked up further momentum, gradually going on to become part of government policy in the United States and then elsewhere. It has also been championed by the European Commissi...

What is Extinction Rebellion ? This environmental movement was created in England just a few years ago in October 2018, but quickly spread all across the world. Extinction Rebellion’s aim is to compel governments to take action against global warming and environmental collapse. It’s earned a reputation as a radical organisation, due to its disobedience and disruption tactics. But only using non-vi...

Today, the Cannes Film Festival begins. For this occasion, we wanted to talk about the perfect snack to eat while watching a film. What is popcorn ? It’s not the most widely celebrated date on the calendar, but National Popcorn Day falls on January 19th each year.  Popcorn actually got some rare negative press recently, with France temporarily banning drinks and snacks from cinemas to protect agai...

What is Dawson’s Creek ? If you were born in the 80s or 90s, the chances are you could be answering this question instead of me! Dawson’s Creek was a huge cult hit among millennials. It was pretty much the ultimate 90s teen series. It tells the lives of Dawson, Jen, Pacey and Joey, four teens living in the fictional town of Capeside. They were played by James Vanderbeck, Michelle Williams, Joshua...

Who is Andy Warhol? Ryan Murphy, the creator behind hit series such as Glee and American Horror Story, has now tackled a legendary figure of pop culture through his latest project. Docuseries The Andy Warhol Diaries went live on Netflix on the 9th of March. Viewers can explore the fascinating story of American artist Andy Warhol, a man who was certainly a leading figure in pop art, and is credited...

What is a bioregion ? All over the world, our administrative regions tend to have exclusive competencies, like running schools, public transport, professional training, economic development, fund management and land planning. Areas are defined by political boundaries, rather than the ecological system where they’re situated. But in recent years, an environmental alternative has slowly been gaining...

What is fluxus ? There are artistic movements which we’ve all heard of at least once, whether it be at school, in a museum or watching a cultural show on TV. But at the same time, it can be difficult to define them, and that’s why we’re here to help. Today we’re going to shed light on a 1960s anti-art movement known as fluxus. What anti-art is ? And how does that relate to the fluxus movement ? So...

What is mirror work ? It’s not easy to learn to love yourself and have good self-esteem. But here’s the good news: it is possible to work at it. That’s the main premise behind positive psychology and personal development at least. One particular new thought method from the United States has gained a significant following; it’s known as mirror work. Who invented mirror work then ? And what does the...

On April 25th, Elon Musk struck a deal to buy Twitter for $44 billion. What is Starlink? While the Space Race makes us think back to the 20th century, some billionaires are dreaming of ruling space in 2020. In particular Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, who’s planning to send tens of thousands of satellites into orbit in coming years. The name of the project is Starlink and the goal is to deliver high...

What is Dugnad? Norway has placed 8th in the recently released 2021 edition of the World Happiness Report. In preceding years, the country had ranked fifth and third in the annual publication from the UN’s Sustainable Development Solutions Network. Along with Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Switzerland and the Netherlands, this country of 5 million people is well-known for its quality of life. Furtherm...

What is de-extinction? The process of de-extinction is all about bringing extinct species back to life. It became known in the 2010s, thanks to an ambitious plan from American geneticist George Church, who dreamed of resurrecting the woolly mammoth, an animal which has been extinct for 3700 years. Fast forward to the 2020s and Church’s bioscience startup Colossal is now eding closer towards making...

What is negationism? Historical negationism refers to the practice of manipulating historical records to deny that certain events happened, or distort the narrative around them. The term is relatively recent, having been coined by French historian Henry Rousso in 1987, relating to Holocaust Denial. Six million Jews were murdered by the Nazi regime during the Second World War. Holocaust denial is c...

What are happy hormones? A recent scientific brief from the World Health Organisation, explained that anxiety and depression had increased by 25% worldwide over the first year of the Covid 19 pandemic. The massive rise was mostly down to social isolation and multiple stress factors like fear of infection and financial worries. It’s important to know that we can actually control our mood to some ex...

From 2nd to 8th May 2022, it's time to unplug for the annual Screen Free Week celebration. All around the world, people are encouraged to limit their screen time and turn their devices off in favour of other activities. Do You Really Know is rerunning a series of episodes dedicated to the digital world and its impact on our lives. What is a sedentary lifestyle? A sedentary lifestyle is one which i...

What is erectile dysfunction? As many as six in ten men have experienced erection problems over the course of their life. And that proportion has been on the rise in the last fifteen years, according to a study released by IFOP in April 2019. It’s also known as impotence, and is a big health taboo among men. Erectile dysfunction is often linked to cardiovascular risk factors, so it’s important to...

From 2nd to 8th May 2022, it's time to unplug for the annual Screen Free Week celebration. All around the world, people are encouraged to limit their screen time and turn their devices off in favour of other activities. Do You Really Know is rerunning a series of episodes dedicated to the digital world and its impact on our lives. What is CryptoParty? The internet has become a massive part of our...

Who are Arcade Fire?   We, the new album from Arcade Fire, was released today, 6th May 2022. Let’s take the opportunity to talk about the renowned Canadian indie rock band. Their story may have started out as a family affair, when the band formed in Montreal in the early 2000s. But with time, they worked their way up to gaining international recognition as one of the best bands in the world. What...

From 2nd to 8th May 2022, it's time to unplug for the annual Screen Free Week celebration. All around the world, people are encouraged to limit their screen time and turn their devices off in favour of other activities. Do You Really Know is rerunning a series of episodes dedicated to the digital world and its impact on our lives. What is computer vision syndrome? From our smartphone screens first...