Do you really know?

The trend of workplace presenteeism has increased in recent years, especially during the COVID-19 crisis. A September 2020 report by RAND Europe suggests that presenteeism is mainly driven by stress, suboptimal mental health, lack of sleep and poor financial well-being, which have all intensified during the pandemic. Presenteeism is the practice of being present at one's place of work for more hou...

It’s not news that if you don't get a good nights sleep you will probably not be your best the next day, but while you are snoozing, particularly in deep sleep, your brain is not just powered down, it is busy cleaning out the days toxins, almost like it is ‘washing your brain’ and getting it ready for the next day.   “Sleep is not just a state where things turn off. Sleep is a very active state fo...

In recent years, gluten-free diets have become more and more popular. No doubt you’ve seen “Free From” aisles in your local supermarket, and you can also get gluten-free items in health food shops or online. Some people have no choice but to adopt such a diet, because they have coeliac disease, a lifelong autoimmune condition which causes their body to attack its own tissue when gluten is consumed...

The UK’s Online Safety Bill has been in the pipeline for a number of years now, and is currently being considered by the House of Lords. The proposed bill has caused a lot of controversy due to its broad ambitions and a perceived threat to people’s privacy. But it’s been welcomed in some quarters, and in particular by children’s charities like the NSPCC, who say that it’s needed to tackle grooming...

We all know what it feels like to get pins and needles. It usually happens when we’ve been in the same position for too long, sleeping on one of our arms for example. Bad posture when seated can make this more likely to happen. It’s a slightly uncomfortable feeling of numbness and tingling, as if someone was raking your skin repeatedly with small pointed objects. That’s where the name “pins and ne...

Permafrost is ground that remains frozen for two years or more. It’s made up of soil, rocks and sand, and held together by ice. In some places, this ground layer formed over 100,000 years ago, and can reach several miles in depth. Around 24% of land in the Northern Hemisphere has permafrost underneath it, according to the US National Snow and Ice Data Center. It’s mostly found in Arctic countries,...

Right from primary school age, we tell children that if another boy or girl has teased them, it’s “because they like them”. And playful teasing happens a lot in dating well into adulthood. If it’s ever happened to you, you might have laughed along out of fear of appearing oversensitive. But really it’s a form of verbal abuse, which is often used intentionally to manipulate another person’s emotion...

It’s more common than we tend to admit. Some children grow up with parents who are critical, emotionally distant, or unable to empathize. In that kind of environment, attachment bonds don’t always form smoothly. Children may internalize the idea that they don’t deserve affection and that makes it harder to give it back. Add in repeated abandonment, breakups, violence, or addiction, and some childr...

Back in 2015, 10,000 participants at Newcastle University’s Numbers Festival were asked what their favourite number was. Perhaps unsurprisingly, 12.6% of them answered the number seven, making it the most popular number of them all. Some said they didn't know why they chose seven, but as you know, the number tends to have positive connotations and is associated with luck in particular. That’s espe...

A comfy mattress, be it firm or soft, and a good pillow are all essential for a good night’s sleep but increasingly people are also buying weighted blankets to help them relax. A weighted blanket is exactly what it sounds like, a blanket that is heavier than your usual duvet. They are normally filled with either plastic pellets or glass beads and their extra weight is designed to provide a light p...

Climate refugees, or climate migrants, are people forced away from their homes due to sudden or gradual alterations in their natural environment. We’re talking about sea-level rise, extreme weather events, drought and water scarcity for example. They are also referred to as displaced people. According to a report by the European Commission on Migration, each year, an average of 30 million people a...

According to research published in The BMJ in 2002, around 40% of people experience some age-associated memory impairment after reaching 65. Thankfully only 1% of those affected will then go on to have dementia each year. But still, it’s important to be aware of how effective your memory is, whatever your age. An impairment can be a sign of cognitive decline, which becomes more likely the older we...

Because moving and doing regular physical activity is important for our physical and mental health! Listen again to our episodes about sport! After an intense and sweaty workout, the first thing most of us want to do is jump into the shower to relax our muscles and wash off the sweat. However, that’s not actually the best idea. Showering too soon after a workout can have harmful effects on our hea...

We all know about the physical consequences of having an unbalanced diet, and one that includes a lot of junk food in particular. In the short term eating lots of it can lead a person to put on weight and see their blood pressure increase, while it can also potentially lead to long-term conditions like diabetes or heart disease. But studies are increasingly clear on the fact that junk food can als...

Have you ever felt tiny when contemplating the vast, 14-billion-year-old universe? Maybe you’ve wondered, “Is there another form of intelligence out there, pondering the same questions I am?” This thought often leads to another: “If the universe is infinite, there must be other forms of life! So why don’t we have any proof?”  Congratulations, you’ve just stumbled upon the Fermi Paradox! What is th...

If your partner is constantly snoring, hogging the blanket, or tossing and turning every five minutes, and you're finding it increasingly challenging to share a bed, know that you're not alone. A 2017 study revealed that while 50% of those surveyed claim to sleep as a couple, 41% prefer solo slumber, and 54% feel sleep-deprived. There are some tricks to make co-sleeping more manageable. First off,...

Whether it's a reflex, a craving, or a belief in its necessity, people often find themselves snacking more in winter, or opting for heartier meals than usual. And it's been backed up by scientific studies. For example, a 2006 Massachusetts study found that we eat an average of 86 more calories per day in winter. And While it's true that colder temperatures make us burn more calories, the differenc...

“Good manners and bad breath get you nowhere”, sang Elvis Costello in his 1981 hit New Lace Sleeves. And it’s true that halitosis, the scientific term for bad breath, can become a real source of shame and embarrassment when you realise or suspect you have it.  What’s more, brushing your teeth properly twice a day won’t necessarily stop it from happening to you. And neither will the chewing gum, mi...

According to the World Health Organisation, harmful use of alcohol accounts for 3 million deaths each year. Indeed, it’s the third leading cause of preventable death, and causes a large burden for societies across the world. Of course regular alcohol consumption doesn’t always kill, but it can lead to other health problems, including neurological disorders. Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome is one such...

You might not be familiar with the term ‘kinkeeping’, but the chances are you’ve benefited from it at some point in your life, in particular as a child but also in adulthood if you’re a man. It refers to the household or family tasks that are subconsciously assigned to women due to their gender. Of course, it’s pretty much equivalent to unpaid labour, and a lot of the time is taken for granted, go...

"There are way easier places to work, but nobody ever changed the world on 40 hours a week." That’s exactly what Elon Musk tweeted in November 2018, as part of a call for new talent to join his companies. The post went viral, leading to a lot of people critiquing Musk's take on work and merit. Despite the criticism he faced, a lot of people, and followers of hustle culture in particular, stood fir...

The perineum is a group of muscles that works like a hammock, stretching from the pubic bone to the tailbone. To pinpoint its location, try coughing; you’ll feel a downward pressure in your lower abdomen.   It provides support for your internal organs, like the rectum and bladder, and for women, the vagina and uterus. It also absorbs physical impact. For example, when you run, the increased abdomi...

The chances are that at some point you’ve scoured the internet in an attempt to figure out why you’re feeling sick. Maybe you go to Dr Google as a matter of habit any time you’re in discomfort or pain. Indeed, back in 2019, Google Heatlh Vice President David Feinberg told the Telegraph that 7% of all Google searches related to health, adding up to an incredible 70,000 every minute. But there are d...

This annual celebration of love and passion needs no introduction. Among those who partake in Valentine's Day, you’ve got those who go all out every year, never failing to honour the occasion and make sure everyone knows about it. Then there are others who prefer a quiet romantic night in with their partner. At the other end of the scale, some people sulk instead, telling anyone who’ll listen just...

Love is without doubt one of the most fascinating and elusive topics in human psychology. You might have wondered at some point just what it is that makes romantic relationships work, and whether there are objective criteria that help.  As we delve into the realm of human emotions and relationships, let’s discuss the Triangular Theory of Love. It was proposed by American psychologist Robert Sternb...