Boring Stories To Fall Asleep

Friendships are unique. Some begin in childhood and last for many years. What influence do these relationships have on the mental health of young people? How have they changed with the advent of social networks?

You may be like many others, feeling guilty about buying trainers made in China, bananas from Costa Rica or a smartphone assembled in the worst possible conditions, but without really knowing how to do things differently. Whether it's what we eat, where we live, or where the clothes we wear come from, we realise that the most basic things in our lives are beyond our control. By discovering the...

Between stress and people, it's anything but true love. According to the WHO, 85% of us would prefer to be free of this ‘disease of the 21st century’. However, research tells us that it is not stress that makes us ill, but the way we manage it. We might even need more of it, as long as it's good stress! That would then awaken our superpowers...

For some, children are frail creatures incapable of understanding the world. For others, they are our superiors, because they have mastered things that adults have long forgotten. Regardless of how you look at it, the differences are real. So what is the truth of the matter? Are children beings apart? And how can we understand them better?

Why do so many world maps place Europe at the centre? Why not Australia? And why is the north always at the top? Maps may not be as neutral as you might think.

Pain has a bad reputation, and we go to great lengths to avoid it: from painkillers to general self-care. It has even been said that our society rejects not only physical pain, but social pain as well.

Religious faith is in decline in Europe, and yet 70% of human beings in the world believe in the existence of one or many deities. Do human beings need God? Are we homo religious rather than homo sapiens?

Have you ever wondered how Venice, a city built on water, became one of the most powerful and wealthy cities in history? In this episode, we uncover the extraordinary story of Venice, from its humble beginnings as a refuge for Roman citizens fleeing the Huns, to its rise as a medieval engineering marvel. Discover how the Venetians transformed a muddy lagoon into a thriving metropolis with no roads...

The  Eiffel Tower  (/ˈaɪfəl/  EYE-fəl ; French:  Tour Eiffel  [tuʁ ɛfɛl]) is a wrought-iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower from 1887 to 1889.

Using archive and expert interviews, this episode explores the fascinating evolution of sewers and the flush toilet. From ancient rudimentary sewer systems dating back to 2600 BC to high-tech Japanese toilets of the digital age, the show charts the key events in the history of sewers and toilets, whilst also focussing on how modern approaches to sanitation vary across the globe.

There was a time when one earner could support an entire family. However, due to escalating costs in the 1970s, it became necessary for wives to enter the workforce. By the 1990s, even two incomes were insufficient, leading families to abandon savings. By the 2000s, with both partners working and no savings, families began borrowing well beyond their means to cope with inflation.

We spend a third of our lives sleeping. But do we really need those eight hours of sleep a day? Does that leave us feeling great and in a good mood? Or could we spread our hours of sleep throughout the day so that two or three hours would be enough?

Tardigrades  (/ˈtɑːrdɪɡreɪdz/), known colloquially as  water bears  or  moss piglets , are a phylum of eight-legged segmented micro-animals. They were first described by the German zoologist Johann August Ephraim Goeze in 1773, who called them  Kleiner Wasserbär  'little water bear'. In 1776, the Italian biologist Lazzaro Spallanzani named them  Tardigrada , which means 'slow walker&#3...

Life in North Korea still holds many secrets. How do people live in this country that is cut off from the rest of the world? We take you on a fascinating tour de force through gyms, riding clubs, water parks, schools, and sports academies.

Archaeologists unearth ancient tombs and embark on underwater expeditions. The search brings us to Ancient Egypt, to Attila, the King of the Huns, and to the infamous Bermuda Triangle. Spanning everything – from historical figures to lost relics and modern urban legends. How much truth is there to them?

According to Australian sustainability researcher Xuemei Bai, "urban life must save the planet!" Climate economist Gernot Wagner says suburbs are "climate killers," with CO2 emissions two to three times higher than cities or rural areas. Over two-thirds of the world's population is predicted to live in cities by 2050. While urban measures like building renovations or electr...

The history of tax returns is also the story of how the state slowly became more centralised and more controlling. From historical documents to the most contemporary and computerised forms, this is the history of income tax returns (and tax evasion).

Tidying, clearing out, decluttering: social media is awash with advice on how to simplify or improve your life by living with less things. Minimalists want to cut down on worldly possessions and even people, getting rid of toxic people in their lives. But does minimalism make them happier?

The  Roman Empire  ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Romans conquered most of this during the Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of effective sole rule in 27 BC. The western empire collapsed in 476 AD, but the eastern empire lasted until the fall of Constantinople in 1453.

How do you get a healthy, restful night's sleep?

We use the word work every day. In the morning, we think about a dream that's been working on us. We work on our emotions at the shrink's and of course we go to work every day to pay the rent. But sometimes when we're at work and spending hours in long, pointless meetings, we feel that we haven't had time to really work. So what are we talking about? Everyone understands the word ‘...

The history of the passport, from its ancient use as a simple passage permit to its evolution into an instrument of state control and identity definition. We analyse how the passport reflects the interplay between power, migration and border control, highlighting inequalities in global freedom of movement and its relevance today, including in relation to issues such as immigration and social exclu...

Jane Eyre  (/ɛər/  AIR ; originally published as  Jane Eyre: An Autobiography ) is a novel by the English writer Charlotte Brontë. It was published under her pen name "Currer Bell" on 19 October 1847 by Smith, Elder & Co. of London. The first American edition was published the following year by Harper & Brothers of New York. Jane Eyre  is a bildungsroman that follows the experien...

The book starts with comparing the two main ways to influence human behaviour: manipulation and inspiration. Sinek argues that inspiration is the more powerful and sustainable of the two. The book primarily discusses the significance of leadership and purpose to succeed in life and business. Sinek highlights the importance of taking the risk and going against the status-quo to find solutions to gl...

The  French invasion of Russia , also known as the  Russian campaign  (French:  Campagne de Russie ), the  Second Polish War , and in Russia as the  Patriotic War of 1812  (Russian: Оте́чественная война́ 1812 го́да, romanized:  Otéchestvennaya voyná 1812 góda ), was initiated by Napoleon with the aim of compelling the Russian Empire to comply with the continental blockade of the United Kingdom. Wi...