Do you really know?

What is the Halo Effect? The Halo Effect is a form of cognitive bias, whereby we base our overall opinion of a person on a single characteristic. It’s most often a positive characteristic, hence the name - it’s as if we see the person as having a halo. The Halo Effect was named in 1920 by American psychologist Edward Thorndike. He carried out an experiment among commanding officers in the military...

What is a power nap? A power nap is a short sleep which is long enough to give an energy boost, but not so long that you enter deep sleep. The term was coined by American social psychologist James Maas, a professor at Cornell University. Science shows that power naps could be of benefit to employees in the workplace, where efficiency is key. Sometimes, a power nap lasts just a few seconds, in whic...

What is Deep Learning? Deep learning is a machine learning method based on artificial intelligence. With deep learning, machines are able to learn by themselves. That differs from programming, where they simply execute predetermined rules. Deep learning relies on artificial neural networks inspired by the human brain. These networks are made up of tens or hundreds of layers of neurons, each receiv...

What is a pension fund? A pension fund is a retirement scheme created by a company or public employer in order to save money for its employees. Belonging to a pension fund may be compulsory or optional. Employees make contributions to the fund, as do employers most of the time.  When an employee retires, they can choose to receive a lump sum right away, or a series of regular payments throughout t...

What is 5G? 5G is the fifth and newest generation of mobile connectivity. Its commercial rollout has already begun, with the four major US carriers having begun deployment in 2019. The GSMA estimates that 5G will account for 20% of all global connections by 2025. What’s more, this technological advance is at the heart of many economic and geopolitical issues. But associations and researchers have...

What is blue light? Blue light is a type of high-energy visible light, with a wavelength between 400 and 450 nanometers. It is emitted by many sources of light, from the Sun to LED screens. Scientists have issued warnings about the dangerous nature of blue light. All the same, it’s not certain that the “night mode” on our devices is any better for our eyes. In recent decades, the general public’s...

What is the Green New Deal? The Green New Deal is a proposed package of legislation in the United States, designed to tackle climate change. It was introduced by Democrats and could revolutionise the American economy, if it is ever put into practice. If the name “Green New Deal” sounds familiar, it’s likely because it refers to President Roosevelt’s New Deal of the 1930s. That consisted of a serie...

What is Stendhal syndrome? Stendhal’s syndrome is a rare and unusual psychological disorder. It’s a psychosomatic condition whereby certain people suffer from a rapid heartbeat, fainting or even hallucinations, when exposed to objects or works of art of great beauty. The condition takes its name from a famous French writer who experienced a similar state of intense emotion upon visiting Rome, Napl...

What is solastalgia? Solastalgia is the distress we feel when our local environment is transformed, mainly due to climate change. These transformations can have an effect on people’s mental health. So are we all doomed to suffer from solastalgia as the earth’s temperature rises? Climate change is so omnipresent in our daily lives, that it can create a certain anxiety. For some people, this gets so...

What is computer vision syndrome? From our smartphone screens first thing in the morning to an evening spent in front of the TV, electronic visual displays are an inescapable part of our daily routines. In the middle, many have a 9 to 5 job sat in front of a desktop, not to mention checking social media or playing games to speed up the daily commute. Computer vision syndrome refers to eye strain c...

What is berberine? Berberine is a natural alkaloid, which means it’s an active compound of plant origin. It’s found in a lot of dietary supplements due to its supposed benefits against certain diseases. Basically, berberine is often seen as medicinal, without really having the status. Like any medicine, it can have harmful side effects. Berberine can be found in the roots and bark of berberis plan...

What is conversion therapy? Conversion therapy, also known as homotherapy, is a pseudoscientific practice that seeks to convert homosexuals to heterosexuality, or at least encourage them to be abstinent. Largely pushed by religious groups, this kind of therapy is still growing in Europe and America. The practices are not only ineffective, but can also be dangerous. Conversion therapy first appeare...

What is digital sobriety? Digital sobriety is all about reducing the ecological footprint of our daily digital lifestyles. That’s right, using your cell phone, PC or connected refrigerator all contributes to pollution. And it’s on the rise. The transition to digital technology is often presented as being a positive evolution, especially with regards to reducing household energy consumption. But cu...

What is slashing? Don’t worry, there’s nothing barbaric about this kind of slashing. In fact, the origin comes from the forward slash symbol we all use on our keyboards.   Slashers are those who go from one job or career to another. The term was coined in 2007 by Marci Alboher, author of One Person/Multiple Careers. It is used to describe people who have 2 or 3 jobs at the same time. For example,...

What is batch cooking? Batch cooking is a technique of preparing meals in large quantities, to be stored for consumption over several days. Generally done during one extended weekend session, batch cookers can then spend less time on food preparation over the course of the week.  There’s nothing ground-breaking in the idea, but it is coming back into fashion. For the unenlightened, batch cooking i...

What is aquaponics? OK, from the start I can tell you aquaponics isn’t related to aquabike, aquagym or any other Sunday morning aquatic activities. So forget about ponies in the swimming pool, please! Aquaponics is a revolutionary system of production combining aquaculture and hydroponics. Essentially that means fish are raised and plants are cultivated in the same symbiotic environment. It’s a 10...

What is serotonin? Serotonin is a neurotransmitter which is widely associated with feelings of happiness and well-being, although it does have other wide-ranging biological functions. It’s a molecule produced in order to regulate communication among other neurons in our brains.  To feel happy, our brains rely on a wide range of similar hormones, including serotonin. Other examples are endorphins,...

What is Google Stadia? Stadia is the name of the cloud gaming service launched by Google in late 2019. The American tech company observed the high levels of pollution generated by video game consoles and computers. That could be due to the production process or regular use by gamers.  They decided to launch Stadia, allowing users to play on their TV, smartphone or computer without the need for any...

What is the Mozart Effect? What if listening to 10 minutes of Mozart could increase your IQ? That’s exactly what Frances Raucher and her Californian research team suggested back in 1993. The theory spread like wildfire around the world, leading to much speculation about the so-called Mozart Effect. The myth comes from the publication of an experiment in American scientific journal Nature. The stud...

What is freeganism? Freeganism is a portmanteau word made up of the words “free” and “veganism”. As you may already know, vegans reject animal abuse. They avoid consuming products which are derived from, or have been tested on, animals. Meanwhile, freegans choose an alternative lifestyle which limits their participation in the conventional economy. Where possible, they avoid buying things in favou...

What is carbon footprint? A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases emitted by the energy and raw material consumption of a person, organisation or event. It is measured in the volume of CO2 emitted. Per capita emissions in the USA are estimated at around 16 tons per year. That includes CO2 produced directly by an individual’s household, and emissions created by products they cons...

What is zetetic? Zetetic is the practice of giving a scientific explanation to apparently paranormal activity. In other words, zetetic is the art of skepticism and doubt, a tool for critical thinking, which researchers and popularizers use to bring reason into public debates. The word zetetic comes from the Greek “zetein”, which means to look for. Humans have an inherent need to look for reasons a...

What is biomass? Biomass is organic matter, mainly coming from plants or animals, used for energy production. European governments consider biomass to be the world’s main source of renewable energy. But some NGOs have refused to agree that biomass is green energy. Biomass may sound like the latest futuristic invention that biological engineers have come up with. But really, humans have been using...

What is cyberbullying? Cyberbullying is the practice of repeatedly insulting or threatening a person online. Anyone can become a victim of cyberbullying, but it does tend to be children and teenagers who are most often subjected to it. In the worst cases, it can have serious consequences, with a number of suicides attributed to cyberbullying in recent years.   For some kids, school has always been...

What is juice jacking? Juice jacking is a type of cyber attack which involves hacking a smartphone or tablet through a public USB charging point. Imagine, it’s the middle of a fine day, the sun is shining and you’re looking forward to a spot of lunch. All of a sudden, shock horror your smartphone shows 3% battery.  Disaster, totally ruins your day right?! How are you going to find your way around,...