Do you really know?

You’ve no doubt heard that certain foods can increase desire, or even improve sexual performance. Oysters, ginger, chocolate and strawberries are just a few examples of foods that supposedly have that magical effect. They’re labelled aphrodisiacs, a word which comes from the name of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love. There are very few scientific studies out there to back that belief up. In peo...

When it comes to expressions about skin, the English language is not lacking. For example, we can be thick or thin skinned, or have someone under our skin. To show indifference, we say “it’s no skin off” our noses, and when we get excited we “jump out of” our skin.  The sheer number of different idioms reflects the deep links the skin has with our brains. Sometimes these links are visible and give...

You may know Hugh Jackman as the star of X-Men, The Greatest Showman, and Les Misérables, but did you know that he has a secret to success that involves working less, not more? That’s right, Hugh Jackman follows the 85% rule, an unofficial guide to life that says we should try hard at things, but not too hard. In other words, we should aim to work at 85% of our capacity, rather than 100%. But why...

The condition we’re going to talk about today is pretty rare. It affects around 1% of women, but it can really disrupt the lives of those who suffer from it. Persistent genital arousal disorder, or PGAD for short, was officially identified by the medical community back in 2001, when Sandra Leiblum and Sharon Nathan published an article about it in The Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy. At the tim...

It may be a little taboo to talk about it, but there are a lot of people out there who, for a variety of reasons, don’t have as much sex as they would like, or arguably need. And there’s actually a form of therapy out there which is specifically designed to help people become more comfortable with sex and intimacy. The idea of sex surrogacy started catching on in Europe in the 2000s, and these day...

Let’s be honest; who among us doesn’t daydream about having saving money effortlessly? The new year period is often synonymous with ambitious resolutions, but let's face it: they can be tough to stick to, especially when it comes to money.  The hard part isn’t only having enough money coming in to set some aside; being organised enough to do is also a challenge. So let’s introduce a simple and qui...

A small chocolate bar. A tablespoon of honey. A hummingbird. Those are a few different things that weigh around 21g. And you can add the human soul to that list, according to the 21 grams experiment from the early 20th century. That’s right; while there’s no scientific evidence that the soul even exists, a theory emerged not only suggesting that it does, but also putting its weight at the figure o...

If you drink alcohol, the chances are that on occasion you’ve overdone it and drunk way more than you planned to. Or maybe you decided to let yourself have a big night out, even though you know you’d have to deal with a pounding headache the next morning. Well, to make things worse, that hangover often comes hand in hand with overwhelming feelings of shame and regret about what you might have said...

A lazy girl job is an easy, enjoyable and well-paid job that doesn’t require much passion or effort, and leaves you with plenty of time to live your life outside of work. It might sound too good to be true but some TikTokers have been posting videos of themselves bragging about their lazy girl jobs, such as working from home, answering emails, or doing administrative tasks and the hashtag #lazygir...

According to UK government data, a total of 6.5 billion passenger journeys were completed using public transport vehicles like buses, trains and tram systems, in the year to March 2023.  Packed platforms, overcrowded carriages and uncertain schedules are just some of the issues public transport commuters have to deal with on a regular basis, not to mention the occasional strike. Being crammed into...

The last week or so has seen temperatures reach around 20° in the south of England, and you can expect to see similar temperatures for the next month or so as we head into summer. Whenever the weather warms up, there’s always a temptation to try to mask any odours or stains that are coming from our sweaty bodies, but it’s worth bearing in mind that sweating is actually a crucial bodily function. D...

Social media has been part of our daily digital lives for nearly two decades now, and while there are plenty of positives associated with it, there’s also an undeniably dark side. Recent years have brought to light the sometimes traumatic work experience of social media moderators who have to review content that’s flagged as potentially harmful or offensive. Back in 2018, German directors Hans Blo...

How our brains work during dreams is as fascinating as it is mysterious. Dreams can be hard to predict, and sometimes of course we end up having nightmares. Wouldn’t it be nice to have some control over what happens in our dreams? Well, as it turns out it may actually be possible to some extent. Well controlling dreams fully is a bit of a stretch. But according to neuroscience researchers from the...

Whether it’s out of necessity or for enjoyment, lubricant helps a lot of people in their sex lives. According to The Cleveland Clinic: “Around 17% of people assigned female at birth (AFAB) age 18 to 50 report problems with vaginal dryness during sex, even before menopause takes place.” And that figure increases to 50% after menopause. There are a number of factors that can contribute to insufficie...

Think back to the story of Peter Pan, and more specifically the character of Wendy Darling, Peter’s friend who accompanies him to Neverland. She’s the eldest and most mature of the Darling siblings, and acts as a mother figure to Peter too. You could definitely describe her as caring, nurturing, responsible and self-sacrificing. Well those may sound like totally positive characteristics, but there...

Perfume is a luxury product worn by people all around the world, but fragrances are not without health risks. Perfumes use a mix of chemicals, some are natural, such as essential oils from plants, but many of them are synthetic, meaning they are created in a laboratory. The problem is that the perfume industry is not very transparent about what goes into their products. They can hide hundreds of i...

According to Whatsapp, over 7 billion voice notes are sent on the app every day. A lot of the time, they offer a more personal touch and clearer explanations than text messages. But not everyone is a fan.  Tech journalist Victoria Turk published an article on the Huffington Post in 2019 under the headline “Can We All Agree That WhatsApp Voice Notes Are Terrible?”, while in 2023 Women’s Health Mag...

Despite its many benefits, sex can also bring on a bit of stress at times. You feel like you have to fit into a certain mould. Have sex often enough, but not too much or you might seem overly fixated. Don't lose your virginity too early, but don't wait too long either. Even sexual performance is expected to meet certain standards. Ultimately, sex, which is supposed to be one of the most intimate a...

Using an ATM, paying for petrol or shopping at a retail store are pretty routine things that many of us do on a frequent basis. But it’s important to be aware of the often invisible threat posed by a criminal practice called skimming, which sees fraudsters clone bank cards.  Across the pond in the US, data analytics firm Fico reported a 96% increase in debit card skimming in 2023, and recent month...

Many of us have a ritual of falling asleep to our favorite tunes or a comforting podcast. It’s no surprise we find solace in this routine; after all, music is known to dial down blood pressure and heart rate, ease anxiety, and reduce cortisol levels. The benefits don’t stop there – music can also boost oxytocin production and sweep away those pesky negative thoughts, setting the stage for a peacef...

No doubt at some point in your life you’ve skipped a meal, whether it was to save money, lose weight or just because you were too damn busy with work. Maybe you even do it on a regular basis, without really knowing whether it’s good or bad for you. Skipping meals makes us more likely to snack afterwards, eating food items which are often high in fat and sugar. Another risk is that you compensate b...

The "cuffing season" refers to that time of year—typically from October through February—when people are more likely to pair up. It’s not about finding "the one" for life, but rather seeking temporary companionship to get through the colder months. In essence, it’s a way of finding some warmth and connection to help navigate the winter chill. A study published in Perception and covered by Slate ex...

Like a lot of things, the concept of white privilege comes from the USA. It means that simply being white gives a person additional benefits or rights compared to those of other skin colours. The notion has increasingly been brought into the spotlight in recent years by movements like Black Lives Matter, who campaign for greater racial equality all over the world. White privilege is now a commonly...

We’ve already talked about narcissistic abusers in a previous episode of Do You Really Know? Let’s refresh your memory: narcissistic abusers, or NAs for short, are people with manipulative tendencies, who inflict a range of toxic behaviours on their target and position themselves as victims. Now NA-victim relationships don’t always exist solely between two individuals. There can be one or more add...

There’s certainly been a lot of progress in breaking down gender roles since the turn of the century, but still traditional expectations persist in the heteronormative dating world. Ladies, have you wondered how many texts it's acceptable to send a guy in a day, or whether using a heart emoji is too much? Gentlemen, do you feel pressure to make the first move, asking a girl out and then initiating...