Do you really know?

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,...

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...