Do you really know?

What is Blue Monday? Thanks for asking!   Sorry to start the week with bad news but today is Blue Monday, often cited as the most depressing day of the year. Blue Monday has existed since 2005, and is based on an equation which takes into account various factors. However, its detractors criticise the idea as pseudoscience and say it is driven by money.    Why does Blue Monday occur in January?   S...

What are bionic soldiers? Thanks for asking! Bionic soldiers have been making headlines since early December, when a French military ethics committee approved the development of technological upgrades for members of the country’s armed forces. Less than a week prior to that announcement, the US Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe raised concerns about China’s military technology plans...

What is induced lactation? Thanks for asking! Induced lactation refers to the production of breast milk in non-gestational parents. That’s right, a woman who hasn’t ever been pregnant can still breastfeed their child using this method. Sounds complicated? Well it is, but it’s not impossible, and it can allow adoptive or surrogate mothers to breastfeed if they desire.  The benefits of breastfeeding...

What is a Bullshit job? Thanks for asking! Back in 2013, anthropology professor David Graeber penned an essay in radical magazine Strike, criticising the proliferation of what he called Bullshit jobs. Despite having a higher social status compared to careers in teaching or nursing for example, these positions are effectively pointless. Even those paid to occupy them often struggle to justify their...

What is Pornhub? Thanks for asking! With over 3 billion visits per month, it’s the 10th most popular website worldwide. Don’t act all innocent; if you have an internet connection, it’s almost certain you have at least heard of PornHub.  It’s perhaps the world’s most popular porn site but it has been making headlines for controversial reasons in the last month. Reports have surfaced, accusing PornH...

What are tiny forests? Thanks for asking! Over the last few years, citizens have been planting tiny forests in towns and country settings. There are now over 2,000 across the world, all inspired by the Miyawaki method and designed to help prevent the collapse of biodiversity.  Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki was born in 1928. While studying seeds and natural forests, he observed that the vast maj...

What is hygge? Thanks for asking! Picture this: you’re indoors, in front of a warm fireplace, with a plaid rug over your legs, sipping a cup of tea or cocoa while watching a film. Or you could be relaxing with a candlelit bath, soothing music and a book in your hands. Well, you might not realise it, but you’re experiencing a typical hygge moment.  Wait a minute, what language are we talking about...

What are New Year’s Resolutions? Thanks for asking! Well here we are in 2021. Many are glad to see the back of 2020, now looking forward optimistically to the future thanks to global developments like the arrival of Covid-19 vaccines and Joe Biden entering the White House.  The turn of the year also means it’s time to come up with New Year’s resolutions. Setting ourselves objectives for the whole...

What is breaking? Thanks for asking! In early December, the IOC officially announced it was adding breaking to the list of Olympic sports for the Paris 2024 Games. First and foremost, breaking is a form of art which was pioneered in the 1970s by members of the New York hip-hop movement. Oh right, you’re talking about breakdancing! Well yes, but the term breakdancing was actually invented by the me...

What is the cosmic calendar? Thanks for asking! OK, so you’re looking for a new calendar on which to mark family birthdays, Covid-19 dependent holiday plans and dentist appointments in 2021. Well, sorry the cosmic calendar won’t be of much use to you. It’s totally different to the Gregorian or Islamic calendars, which measure individual days. The cosmic calendar is actually a method of scaling dow...

What is an immunity passport? Thanks for asking! After testing and vaccination in 2020, the immunity passport is likely to be one of next year’s Covid-19 hot topics. Apps on our smartphones will be able to show whether we have been tested or vaccinated. The upside? It could lead to the reopening of international travel, meaning we’ll be able to go on holiday again as a result, and access other fre...

What is vlogmas? Thanks for asking! Well, there you have it, Christmas 2020 has come and gone faster than you can say “socially distanced celebrations! Some influencers will nevertheless be relieved to take some time off, after a full month of Vlogmas.  The idea is to post a video per day from December 1st through to Christmas, like an Advent calendar. Sometimes this practice can extend through to...

What is a black hole? Thanks for asking! The 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to three scientists for their breakthroughs in understanding one of the Milky Way’s darkest secrets: the black hole. The winners were British physicist Sir Roger Penrose, American astronomer Andrea Ghez and German astrophysicist Reinhard Genzel.  The closest black hole to Planet Earth is situated 1011 light years...

What is Western Sahara? Thanks for asking!   On December 10th, US President Donald Trump recognised Morocco’s sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara region. The announcement came as a surprise, and has significant consequences, such as the normalization of relations between Morocco and Israel. Following the UAE, Bahrain and Sudan, Morocco is the fourth Arab League country to recognise Israel...

What is Furoshiki? Thanks for asking! In case you haven’t noticed, it’s Christmas Eve today, which means it’s time for the annual custom of last-minute gift wrapping. If you’re feeling creative, here’s an eco-friendly technique which dates back to 8th century Japan: Furoshiki wrapping. Furoshiki is the art of wrapping objects in fabric, which was first used by Japanese nobles to protect valuable o...

What are the Christmas Blues? Thanks for asking! Ho, ho, ho, Christmas time is here! For many people, the holiday season brings to mind decorations, gifts, and happy moments spent in good company.  But that’s not the case for everybody, and we would all do well to remember that. Some people find Christmas a difficult moment to live through, which causes sadness known as the Christmas blues. Who ar...

What is low tech? Thanks for asking! In the struggle against climate change, politicians are getting behind technological innovation. But some experts believe that, rather than high-tech, we should instead be banking on the simple, robust and reparable solutions offered by low tech. The all-powerful nature of high-tech has been called into question for decades, with regular controversies and debat...

What is gender dysphoria? Thanks for asking!    Gender dysphoria describes the unease that people can feel when there is a mismatch between their biological sex and gender identity. So for example a person with male genitals and facial hair might not identify as a man. This unease can cause depression and anxiety in some cases, and have a real impact on a person’s daily life. How is this label dif...

What is The Cartel Project? Thanks for asking!   In early December, the Forbidden Stories consortium unveiled The Cartel Project, which continues and publishes the work of other journalists who are victims of threats, prison sentences or murder. It takes its name from the work of Mexican journalist Regina Martinez, who was killed in 2012 while investigating links between drug cartels and politicia...

What is an mRNA vaccine? Thanks for asking! The first two COVID-19 vaccines to pass clinical trials have a significant point in common. They are both mRNA vaccines, and in fact, it will be the very first time vaccines of this kind have been made available to the public. Patients in the UK already started being vaccinated a week ago, but some observers are concerned by the unknown characteristics o...

What is Fast Fashion? Thanks for asking! Fast fashion is to fashion what fast food is to dining. That is to say a poor-quality imitation, which everybody criticises but still nevertheless consumes! Adopted by many clothing brands, this strategy consists of regularly bringing out new collections and offering low-price items. Customers are therefore encouraged to buy new clothes almost constantly. ...

What is microwork? Thanks for asking! Microwork is paid work which usually involves short and repetitive tasks carried out on a smartphone or computer. It could be identifying objects shown in an image, watching videos, labelling data, translating short sentences or recording one’s voice for example. Charging electric scooters or taking photos of products for an app could also be considered microw...

What is retrospective contact tracing? Thanks for asking! Vaccine is the word on everyone’s lips right now when talking about COVID-19. While making a vaccine available is of course important, it’s not the only option for countries continuing the long struggle against the virus.  Another tactic, used successfully in Asia, but so far to a far smaller extent in Europe, is retrospective contact traci...

What is the Iranian nuclear program? Thanks for asking!   On November 27th, nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was shot dead a few miles away from Iranian capital city Tehran. Iran has accused Israel of being behind the assassination, using a remote-controlled weapon with the help of an exiled opposition group. Taking out Fakhrizadeh is seen as a direct attack on the Iranian nuclear program, whi...

What is cultured meat? Thanks for asking! The world’s ever-growing human population is eating meat in greater quantities than ever before. Yet at the same time, we’re also increasingly conscious of the environmental impact, as well as ethical issues around animal slaughter.  So imagine if you could eat meat without any animals being harmed, and with 96% less greenhouse gas emissions! Well, that is...