Do you really know?

Over on TikTok, the #idontchaseiattract hashtag is nearing in on 20,000 publications at the time of recording. It really took off in late 2023, especially after Kendall Jenner said the following in an interview with Enews.  Behind the simple statement are young women advocating that with enough belief, you can manifest whatever you want in life. You might have also heard of "Lucky girl syndrome" a...

From claims that AIDS was engineered to shrink the global population, to the insistence that the Earth must be flat because otherwise the oceans would spill over, to the idea that Michael Jackson is secretly alive, conspiracy theories are everywhere. A study by Arcom, the French media regulator, found that 60% of people in France believe at least one of them. We might be tempted to ignore these st...

When it comes to cold weather we're not all in the same boat. Some of us can cope with low temperatures, while others are super sensitive, especially on their hands and feet. For some people extremities can become numb, painful, change colour or even develop into frostbite.  Usually, when it's cold, vasoconstriction helps to protect us against low temperatures, by prioritising blood flow to vital...

While it remains a complex phenomenon, the female orgasm is becoming a focus of more and more medical studies. Back in 2016, French sociomedical researcher Odile Fillod created the first ever 3D model of a clitoris, changing the way we think about female pleasure. And since then, we've learned a fair amount more about the different possible types of orgasm that a woman can have. We often talk abou...

Let's face it, we’re so accustomed to seeing those little pop-up windows when landing on a website that we barely pay any attention to them anymore. Cookies have become ubiquitous, and whether it’s out of convenience or sheer habit, we tend to accept them without much thought. But those innocuous-seeming cookies actually harbour a wealth of information about us. The UK’s Information Commissioner’s...

For a number of years now, the innovative field of femtech has been revolutionising how we approach healthcare for women. Technology already touches just about every aspect of our lives, and healthcare is no exception. Now femtech focuses specifically on addressing various aspects of women's health, from contraception to diseases that predominantly affect women. It may have Initially been overlook...

When you reach a certain age, it often feels as though everything is in decline: your body, your memory, your energy.  But what if getting older didn’t have to be a purely downward slope? Research has shown that that idea may in fact be a misconception. That’s right: your intellectual peak may end up coming much later than you expect. Surly our most significant intellectual performances happen whe...

We’ve talked about love and relationships in a number of previous episodes of Do You Really Know. You may remember we’ve discussed the secrets to a long-lasting relationship, and the triangular theory of love for example. But despite lovey dovey representations of romance in films, a lot of people say that love doesn’t last forever. Some people say it’s limited to three years max for example. So w...

The Tesla “We, Robot” event in October 2024 saw Elon Musk unveil the company’s Robotaxi, a fully autonomous car which he said passengers would soon be able to fall asleep in, and wake up at their destination. And all for a price tag of under $30,000! Critics quickly pointed out that Musk has often made ambitious claims about his company’s new technology in the past, which didn’t quite end up turni...

We often assume that fresh is best, but the reality is more complicated. It all depends on how vegetables are stored, how long they’ve been in transit, and even how they’re cooked. While fresh vegetables are packed with nutrients right after harvest, they can lose a significant amount of vitamins and minerals by the time they reach your plate. According to a 2023 study on UK consumer habits, nearl...

If you were a WWE fan in the 2000s, a mere mention of the name Dave Bautista is likely to get you feeling all nostalgic. During his wrestling career, Bautista became well known for his muscular build. And even after quitting the WWE, he stayed in the spotlight, going into acting and being recognised as the “best wrestler-turned-actor” out there, according to the likes of ScreenRant, AVclub.com and...

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing was only created in the late 20th century, but it’s since established itself as a popular and increasingly used form of therapy. EMDR is especially recommended for children and adults dealing with trauma from physical or psychological violence, such as sexual abuse. It was discovered relatively recently in 1987, but that doesn’t mean it’s an alternativ...

As summer approaches, a lot of people are hitting the gym with the goal of slimming down. Maybe you’re aiming to shed a few pounds and show off a toned figure at the beach. Naturally, the first reflex is often to hop on a treadmill or lift some weights.  But here’s the thing: while exercise is great for you, it’s not always the most effective way to lose weight. To lose fat, you have to burn more...

Seven minutes, a freight elevator, and an angle grinder, that’s all a small team of robbers needed to steal jewelry from the Louvre’s Apollo Gallery on October 19, 2025. And this isn’t unprecedented: in 1911, the Mona Lisa was stolen by a museum employee and only resurfaced two years later. Faced with that kind of risk, some museums now quietly display reproductions instead of originals. Is this c...

For generations, the idea of marrying your first love, living happily ever after, and having lots of kids was considered the ultimate dream. But for Gen Z and younger generations, that vision is shifting. New ways of "making a family" are emerging—like living long-term with friends, co-parenting without being romantically involved, and even entering into a lavender marriage. A lavender marriage is...

The question asked in the title of today’s episode might seem a little strange. After all, we all sit the same way on the toilet, right? Straight up with our knees at a 90-degree angle. But in fact that might not be the best for our digestive system.  Stomach doctors, also known as gastroenterologists, suggest that this position can actually make it harder to go. And that’s not the only reason why...

According to estimations from the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals charity, UK households are home to around 11 million pet cats. Cats have long been an integral part of human culture, and that has given rise to certain beliefs and superstitions. That’s particularly true when it comes to black cats, who have been associated with bad luck and misfortune for centuries. The association between bl...

What is rewilding? Over the history of life on planet Earth, there have been five mass extinction events, due to changing sea temperatures, volcano eruptions and the asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs. And now experts fear a sixth mass extinction is underway, this time directly linked to human activity. According to a study published in Biological Review in January 2022, 10% of the plane...

Positive thinking is the attitude of seeing the bright side of things and expecting the best possible outcome. It doesn’t mean ignoring reality or denying problems, but rather approaching them with optimism and confidence. Positive thinking can help you cope with stress, improve your mood, boost your self-esteem, and even enhance your physical and mental health. According to a study that followed...

What are subliminals? If you listen to some people out there, they’ll tell you you can improve your self-esteem, change your eye colour, or become a mermaid simply by viewing or listening to certain clips on Youtube. Sounds far-fetched right? Well, the idea is based on subliminal messaging, so let’s discuss how realistic it is. It’s important to distinguish between audio and visual subliminals. Th...

What is poverty porn? Poverty porn is a provocative term of criticism which looks at how poor people and their living situations are portrayed in films, on television or on social media. Despite the film’s massive success, there were debates about whether it was poverty porn. Some suggested director Danny Boyle created it for a white audience looking for images of deprivation in a faraway setting....

Whether you’re the one being left or the one doing the leaving, a breakup always presents certain challenges. It’s pretty common to try to learn from the relationship that’s ended, in order to move forwards in a positive way. And those takeaways can help us gain perspective and avoid making the same mistakes in the future.  But when that kind of rumination becomes excessive and persists with time,...

All week long, we’re looking into 10 new terms and concepts that are certain to be on everyone’s lips in 2023! It’s nearly 11 months since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, and the war has reached somewhat of a stalemate. Many observers expected a swift Russian victory, no doubt including Vladimir Putin himself, but Ukrainian resistance proved fierce. Over the summer, Ukraine launched a cou...

Have you ever seen perfumes advertised as containing pheromones and therefore increasing your sexual attractiveness or libido? Sounds too good to be true, right? According to Healthline.com, pheromones are "chemical substances that are secreted outside of the body in fluids like urine and sweat." The portal explains that they’re produced by a wide range of animals and plants, but that it’s still n...

To celebrate International Women's Day, which falls on March 8th, Bababam is replaying Do You Really Know episodes which look at the struggle against inequalities between women and men. All week long, refresh your knowledge about ideas and concepts which promote female empowerment. What is the postpartum period? Many people wrongly assume that all women immediately find their feet after having a b...