Do you really know?

The world of cinema is full of films and sagas which leave their mark on a generation, sometimes becoming cult films. And another phenomenon is becoming more and more common: that of the spin off.  Spin-off films involve the creation of a new work based on the original, focusing on the story of a secondary character. There are a number of reasons why directors and screenwriters have chosen to carr...

Also known as woodcraft, bushcraft culture is somewhere between a hobby and a philosophy. It’s a minimalist approach to surviving in nature, without disturbing it. It’s the use and practice of certain skills in a natural environment, like a forest.  Many bushcraft skills were common throughout the history of humanity, but aren’t so necessary in the towns and cities where most people live in this d...

The year’s biggest climate event is underway, with a number of challenges making it difficult for countries to deal with ever-increasing global warming. 2022 has seen a number of severe weather disasters, and issues like energy costs, food insecurity and debt aren’t making things easier. What’s more, there’s tension in the air as Egypt hosts COP 27. The 2022 edition of the UN’s climate summit brin...

The average British household usually puts on their central heating by October 24, according to British Gas. But this year, thanks to soaring energy costs, and a mild winter it may well be later. Turning down your heating can have real savings. The Energy Saving Trust calculates that turning your thermostat down from 20c to 19c should cut your energy bill by around 10 per cent. But as well as savi...

These pulsing headaches are known for affecting quality of life in a high number of people. They’re one of the most common disorders in the world, with the WHO suggesting at least 1 in 7 people have migraines across the world. If you’re lucky enough not to get migraines, don't underestimate how debilitating they can be for some people. They’re far from being simple headaches. Migraine symptoms can...

Cellulite is a regular source of insecurity among women. That’s been especially true since women’s magazines came along, pretty much labelling it public enemy number one. In our collective minds, it’s become inextricably linked to being overweight or having gone through pregnancy. In reality, cellulite is the result of a number of factors, and hormonal changes in particular. The first thing to kno...

In past episodes of Do You Really Know, we’ve talked about a number of Scandinavian lifestyle trends, like death cleaning and hygge for example. Both of those are inspired by similar sentiments; to do with feeling good in surroundings that aren’t overflowing with useless items. And yet, in recent months, we’ve been hearing more and more about a home decor trend that’s the complete opposite. Maxima...

“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 comforting and well-intentioned, experts have s...

To this day, consumption of wireless data just keeps on growing as we use the internet more and more every year. Now it might be difficult to comprehend but we could eventually get to a point where WiFi simply can’t cope with that ever-growing demand for data. The radio-frequency space that wifi relies on is gradually getting saturated, which could lead to something called spectrum crunch. That wo...

Of all the involuntary spasms the human body has, hiccuping is one of the most peculiar. Sure, it’s funny at first, and in particular if it’s happening to someone else rather than you. But it quickly gets annoying if it doesn’t go away! There are two things to note when you have the hiccups. First, your respiratory muscles, and the diaphragm in particular, contract suddenly and push out air from w...

Getting babies to sleep is big business, and a major source of stress for parents. There are many theories and methods: rock them, sing, let them cry it out. But now science has come to the rescue and we can finally put this question to bed. Hopefully.    According to a study published in September 2022 in Current Biology, “approximately 20%–30% of infants cry excessively and exhibit sleep difficu...

The Suez Canal is 120 miles long, with 12% of global trade passing through. It is over 200 metres wide and 23 metres deep. It connects the Red Sea and Mediterranean Sea, starting at Port Said and ending at Suez Port. It’s by far the most direct shipping route between Asia and Europe. Prior to its existence, vessels had to travel around the south of Africa. 19,000 ships passed through the waterway...

Natural disasters lead to damaged property, loss of life, psychological trauma, displaced individuals and families, among other consequences. According to the World Meteorological Organisation, the number of natural disasters has increased five times since 1970. Researchers from all over the whole world have dedicated their careers to studying natural disasters. And they all agree on one thing. Th...

You may remember hearing about ancient Greek hero Ulysses in school lessons. He’s the central character in Homer’s Odyssey. As legend goes, after fighting for a decade in the Trojan war, Ulysses wandered the world for another 10 years to get back home to his wife and son. On his enforced travels, Ulysses suffered danger, adversity and loneliness throughout. Spanish psychiatrist Joseba Achotegui sa...

The Koh-i-noor is a diamond set in the crown which was made especially for the Queen mother’s  coronation in 1937.  It would traditionally be worn by Camilla, the new Queen consort, on the coronation of King Charles on the 6th of May 2023. However, the diamond, or rather how the diamond came to be gleaming out from a British crown is steeped in controversy. A spokesman for the Indian prime ministe...

The US midterm elections are held this Tuesday, 8th of November 2022. There have been many reports of political misinformation on social media in what's looking to be a contenious election. Listen to our rerun episode about Truth Social, the social media created by former president Donald Trump. On February 22nd, Trump Media & Technology Group launched its own social network called Truth Social, w...

American psychiatrist Stephen B. Karpman coined this social model of human interaction in 1968. It describes the roles that we take on in unbalanced social relations. Relations which lead us to take one of three roles within Karpman’s triangle. These are three roles in Karpman's triangle. These are the victim, the persecutor and the saviour. And the role we take on unconsciously leads someone else...

If you’re asking yourself whether cracking your knuckles is a bad thing, we'll take it as a given that you do crack your knuckles. You’ve probably also been told at some point that doing so will give you arthritis, most likely by someone already annoyed at you doing it! So, just how seriously should you be taking the know-it-alls? As you’re probably aware, many people find the noise pretty off-put...

The Japanese concept of Ikigai roughly translates as “reason for being”, like . The “Iki” part means life, while “gai” refers to value or worth. So it effectively means finding a purpose to life and the things we spend our time doing.  This philosophy dates back to the 12th century, but has been gaining in popularity among Westerners in recent years. That’s in particular thanks to the 2017 release...

The strange experience of deja vu sometimes lasts just a matter of milliseconds. Nonetheless it can still catch you off guard and be pretty unsettling. Deja vu means “already seen” in French. It refers to the sense of having already seen or experienced something you’re confronted with, even though you know that you have never actually seen it before. For example, you visit a new city for the first...

Following a bitter and highly divisive campaign, marked by fake news and attacks between the two leading candidates, Brazil has a new president. Well, maybe “new” isn’t exactly the right word. Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva already served two terms as president from 2003 to 2010. Now the man once referred to as “the most popular politician in the world” by Barack Obama has made a sensational comeback,...

Remember, remember the 5th of November. Gunpowder treason and plot. On the 5th November there are fireworks displays all over England. In some places they still have a bonfire and will burn a guy on it. Listen to our episode to find out who this guy represents. This is an effigy of a human named after Guy Fawkes who, in the early hours of the 5th of November 1605, was arrested for the Gunpowder Pl...

What are you most attracted to when looking for someone to date? Social status? A sense of humour? Good looks? Those are all positive traits for sure, but for sapioseuxals there’s one quality which trumps all others, and that’s intelligence. The word comes from the Latin word “sapien”, which means wise. Sapiosexuals don’t fall in love at first sight or even through an emotional spark. Rather, they...

It’s been two years since we last discussed the Amazon on Do You Really Know, and even in that time, the outlook for the world’s largest tropical rainforest has worsened significantly. A report called “Amazonia against the Clock” was released in September, warning that the rainforest could reach a point of no return as soon as 2025. A study published in Nature Climate Change journal in March 2022...

Picture this. You’re in a fine art museum, admiring some of the greatest masterpieces of all time, and all of a sudden someone throws a can of soup over one of them. Sounds pretty surreal, right? Well that’s exactly the scene that visitors to London’s National Gallery found themselves confronted with on 14th October 2022. So what happened? Two young women threw tomato soup over Van Gogh’s Sunflowe...