Do you really know?

What is pinkwashing? Pinkwashing is a practice used to appear LGBT-friendly for political or business gains. The choice of such a strategy by states and companies is motivated by a desire to have a modern, progressive image. Whereas in reality they are sometimes hiding practices that aren’t at all respectful towards sexual minorities. The term pinkwashing was created in the early 2000s to critique...

What is phage therapy? Phage therapy refers to the use of bacteriophages to treat bacterial infections. While it has been used scarcely in the Western world in recent decades, some doctors and researchers see a need for it in the future, to combat antibiotic resistance among bacteria. In 1917, French-Canadian microbiologist Félix d’Hérellee discovered phage therapy. Bacteriophages, or phages for s...

What is Generation Z? The term Generation Z refers to people born from around the end of the 1990s onwards. Like all generations, the group has its own supposed defining characteristics. Members of Generation Z are often labelled as hyper-digital, super idealist and even depressed. But what’s the scientific basis for all of this? The term Generation Z originated in 2012 from an online contest orga...

What is foie gras? Foie gras is a French delicacy often eating during the holiday season. The words foie gras literally translate to “fatty liver”, due to the way it is made. Ducks and geese are deliberately fattened for several days in order to produce foie gras. Animal rights groups are strongly in favour of banning foie gras production, a step which has been taken in several countries.  The fat...

What is gamification in the workplace? Human beings love playing games. They stimulate our hormones, our brains and our emotions. Now, games wouldn’t necessarily be the first thing you’d associate with your job. But some managers are using gamification to help their employees feel more satisfied at work. In turn, they are often more efficient.  So gamification in the workplace means using games to...

What is the keto diet? The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-carb diet which allegedly helps weight loss and fighting diseases such as diabetes, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s and cancer. This diet is growing in popularity, but not without its risks.  The keto diet was invented in the United States in 1920 to combat certain forms of epilepsy in children. Other treatments came along, pushing it to the backg...

What is endometriosis? Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory condition which affects one in ten women. The main symptom is pelvic pain, which can be more intense during menstruation. Although it affects a relatively high proportion of women, the condition is commonly misdiagnosed. Each month, the womb lining thickens as part of the menstrual cycle. This is to prepare the womb to host a foetus in...

What are skin-whitening creams? Believe it or not, the market for skin-whitening creams is rapidly expanding. Many people are using these products to obtain whiter skin, despite health authorities warning about how dangerous they can be. Skin-whitening creams actually work by removing the surface layers of skin, or reducing the body’s production of melanin, the pigment which gives skin its colour....

What are bed bugs ? Bed bugs are insects that feed exclusively on blood. They often live on furniture or bedding and bite humans during the night. Eliminating bed bugs from one’s home can prove to be very difficult. And the problem is getting worse as these modern-day vampires are becoming more and more common across the world. The most common kind of bed bug is the Cimex Lectularius species. They...

What is HAARP ? The acronym HAARP stands for High Frequency Auroral Research Program. It’s an American research project dedicated to analysing the ionosphere. HAARP is funded by the American armed forces, and has been the target of conspiracy theorists since the 1990s. They believe the program is responsible for natural disasters and mind-controlling radio waves. The ionmmm osphere is a layer of t...

What is greenwashing ? Greenwashing is a marketing practice used by corporations to convince consumers that their business is environmentally friendly. Of course the aim is really to sell more products. Consumers may be convinced they are acting in an environmentally responsible way. While in reality brands are often hiding practices that are not at all helpful to the planet. The term greenwashing...

What is female genital mutilation ? Female genital mutilation (or FGM) is an operation whereby some or all of the external female genitalia are removed, for traditional reasons. Procedures vary across the world, but most commonly the clitoris and labia are cut off using a blade. FGM is illegal in many countries, but still common across the world. In 2016, Unicef estimated that at least 200 million...

What is sharenting ? Sharenting is a portmanteau word, made up of “sharing” and “parenting”. It’s used to refer to parents who share photos and videos of their kids on social media. Harmless, you might think, and the practice is becoming more and more common. However, it’s still an area which requires a level of caution. It all starts with a Facebook post around the time of the first ultrasound, a...

What is the No Bra movement ? For women, wearing a bra to support their breasts may seem vital from puberty onwards. However, it’s claimed that bras may in fact be useless or even dangerous, which has led some to promote the No Bra movement. It has been linked to feminism, and isn’t universally accepted or popular.  Bras were invented at the end of the 19th century, gradually replacing corsets and...

What is mental load ? Mental load, or emotional labour, is a sociological concept often relating to the daily management of a household. Research has shown that within traditional families, the strain of mental load is more often than not taken on by women. It’s become a feminist issue due to this imbalance. Early discussions relating to mental load date back to the 1980s. Sociologists noted how w...

What is lyme disease ? Lyme disease is a vector-borne disease, which means it’s spread by an intermediary. It’s actually the most common of all  vector-borne diseases in the northern hemisphere. In the case of lyme disease, the intermediary is an insect called a tick. While ticks are very small, the consequences of the disease are potentially very serious. The number of infections is on the rise a...

What is polyamory ? Polyamory means having romantic or sexual relationships with more than one partner. It differs from the traditional model where two partners have an exclusive relationship and are faithful to one another. However, an important criteria is that all partners involved give their consent to these open relationships. It’s like swinging? Not really. Although the lifestyle does includ...

What are loot boxes ? Creating video games doesn’t come cheap, and neither does it bring in a whole lot of revenue. At least that’s what game publishers would have you believe. They’re constantly looking for new ways to increase their profits in the long run. Loot boxes are just one example of that. They are virtual items which have been causing a lot of debate in recent years. The controversy rea...

What are GMOs ? The acronym GMO stands for genetically modified organism. Basically, a GMO is any living thing which has had its genetic material altered by humans. The term is most commonly used talking about crops which are genetically modified in order to be more resistant to pesticides or to improve food quality. Practically speaking, it does increase yield and prevent pests from damaging crop...

What are e-cigarettes ? An e-cigarette is a vaporizer that simulates smoking without tobacco consumption. A product like this could therefore help smokers to quit. The use of electronic cigarettes is on the rise, while tobacco sales are dropping. But before we get carried away about wiping out tobacco, we should remember that e-cigarettes are not totally risk-free. Smoking an e-cigarette is also k...

What is body positivity ? Body positivity has taken over social media in the last few years. The movement is based on the relationship we have with our bodies, encouraging us to achieve self-acceptance. The drive took off in 1996 thanks to two American women. Elizabeth Scott, a psychotherapist, was contacted by Connie Sobczak, who was victim to an eating disorder at the time. In honour of her dead...

What is begpacking ? Begpacking is a portmanteau word, combining the words ‘begging’ and ‘backpacking’. It essentially means begging in order to fund a journey, and the practice has come in for criticism from many quarters.  Begpackers are mainly young Westerners travelling around the world, particularly in Asia. Some offer hugs or play music in exchange for money. Others simply sit in the street...

What is accelerationism ? Accelerationism is a radical school of thought, seeking to bring about a postcapitalist society. Accelerationists believe that this aim can be achieved by pushing capitalism past its limits, mainly through technological advances. Contemporary accelerationists include Nick Srnicek and Alex Williams, who created their accelerationist manifesto in 2013. This publication gene...