Do you really know?

Imagine yourself tucked snugly under the covers in your bed, anticipating a blissfully restful night's sleep when all of a sudden, you're jolted awake by your partner! And as it turns out, they’ve done that because you were chattering away in your sleep, disturbing their peace and quiet. Now, being rudely awakened in the dead of night is bad enough, but adding the embarrassment of talking in your...

Restless sleep, a hollow feeling inside and the sting of heartbreak; most of us have been through that kind of ordeal at least once in our lives. Let’s be honest: when it comes to your career and work life, a breakup doesn’t exactly bring out the best in your productivity. And at work, you can’t always afford to be distracted. Earlier in 2024, a Filipino lawmaker proposed an unexpected solution: a...

Whether it’s making a wish over a birthday cake, waiting for lottery results, or opening an email following a job interview, it's pretty common to cross your fingers. It’s a way of communicating that we’re hoping luck swings in our favor and our wishes come true. Often, you don’t even need to physically cross your fingers; simply saying "Fingers crossed” is enough to get the message across. But th...

You’ve probably seen ads online promising easy money—“Make up to £300 a day using just your phone! Join me and change your life” It sounds tempting but here's the catch, most of the time, these claims are a scam designed to pull you into a pyramid scheme, afterall if making money online were that easy, we’d all be doing it. Pyramid schemes often masquerade as legitimate Multi-Level Marketing (MLM)...

If you have ever slept with a cat or a dog, you know how cozy it can be. Whether they are at the foot of the bed or on the duvet, pets can make you feel safe and comforted like a plush toy. According to the UK Pet Food Manufacturers Association, 62% of households in the country own a pet, including 13 million dogs and 12 million cats. But are there health risks when you share your bed with a furry...

You might or might not be surprised to learn that warm weather naturally enhances the libido. According to a 2022 survey by the Kinsey Institute, 60% of Americans report that spring is the season when they most want to get under the duvet with their partner.  It all comes down to hormones. Light and warmth naturally stimulates our serotonin production, a mood-enhancing chemical. Additionally, it a...

The X platform formerly known as Twitter has often been in the spotlight for the wrong reasons since Elon Musk acquired it in 2022. But recent months have perhaps seen it hit a concerning new low, in terms of seediness at least. Users realised that Grok, X’s in-built AI, could be used to generate nude images of a person, based on an original image of them wearing clothes. How long has this Grok to...

For 30 years, male sperm counts have been declining all around the world, particularly in Western countries. It’s been demonstrated over and over again by scientific studies.  Indeed, research published by Oxford Academic in the Human Reproduction Update journal in 2017 looked at nearly 200 studies on the matter. It found that sperm counts in North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand had pl...

Intermittent fasting (IF) isn’t just a diet; it’s a pattern of eating. It’s not about what you eat, but when. The idea is simple: you cycle between periods of eating and fasting. Popular methods include the 16/8 method, this involves fasting for 16 hours each day and eating all meals within an 8-hour window. On the 5:2 diet you eat normally for 5 days of the week and restricting calories to about...

After over three decades of relentless searching, the Golden Owl was finally found on October 3, 2024. This €150,000 treasure was hidden back in 1993 by writer Régis Hauser, who took on the pseudonym Max Valentin to publish ‘Sur la trace de la chouette d'or’  ("On the Trail of the Golden Owl"). The book has 11 riddles, each one a clue to the owl’s secret location, setting off what would become the...

We're all aware that scammers are getting more meticulous day by day. Iit used to be our grandparents who were the primary targets of their schemes, but nowadays, even the most tech-savvy of us can fall prey to their tricks! At Do You Really Know, we aim to keep you informed about all the latest types of scam, so you can understand how they work and protect yourself. Today, we're tackling the issu...

So long rain and dreary skies, hello buds and sunshine! Spring typically injects a fresh dose of energy into our lives, as the arrival of warmer days sparks a desire to get out, start new projects, focus on ourselves, and embrace a healthier lifestyle.  What better way to clean your mind than by making sure you've got a clean, organised space to live in! Spring-cleaning offers the perfect opportun...

November is synonymous with Black Friday, great deals but what cost? Over consumption is endangering our already fragile planet. Is it time to change our ways? This week Do You Really Know is highlighting concepts and initiatives about reducing our consumption. If you thought Britney Spears shaving her head in 2007 marked the end of the flared jeans era, think again. In 2022, youngsters are huntin...

Mugging is a form of robbery that involves violence or the threat of violence against a person in a public place. It’s also known as street robbery or personal robbery. However, would-be muggers have been foiled by a recent covert police operation in London which aimed at reducing street theft.  Brave officers posed as potential victims by wearing expensive luxury watches to tempt thieves and hang...

Promo codes, sponsored hauls, paid partnerships… If it feels like your feed has turned into a nonstop ad break, you’re not imagining it. And plenty of people are over it. According to a study by the Harvard Business Review, 61% of users say they no longer trust influencers’ recommendations. That’s a serious credibility problem. Why are we growing more skeptical of influencers? Can influencers win...

The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic is still palpable, with repercussions stretching across various facets like the economy, education, and health. These sectors took a severe hit due to the virus and the ensuing lockdowns.  On a more personal level, our mental well-being has faced significant challenges. According to the World Health Organistion, the world saw a 25% increase in the prevalence of...

It’s common knowledge that autumn often sees people put on weight. But if you’re looking to shed a few pounds, there are some foods you can rely on to boost metabolism and thereby improve calorie burning. That’s because they increase thermogenesis, which is the production of heat in the body. That in turn stimulants our metabolism, forcing the body to use energy from its fat reserves. There are th...

Have you ever had the eerie feeling that you’re being spied on by your smartphone? You know: you're having dinner with a friend, chatting about how your aging computer is on its last legs, struggling with an old battery and making work a hassle. You’ve decided it’s time to replace it by getting a new one. Lo and behold, the next day, while casually surfing the internet, you're bombarded with ads f...

According to the government, air pollution is the “largest environmental risk to public health”, and accounts for between 28,000 and 36,000 deaths each year. But did you know that the air you breathe might be impacting not only your physical health but also your mental well-being? It's the largest environmental risk to public health because harmful pollutants like fine particulate matter, ammonia...

Have you ever noticed how your eyelids tend to start twitching at the end of a long day, or when you haven’t got enough sleep the previous night? Well, first of all there’s no need to panic, it’s actually a benign phenomenon. It’s known as benign fasciculation syndrome, or myokymia. But still there are some things you can do about it. What can be done to avoid this? What if the problem persists ov...

Humans are the only creatures on Earth that shed tears. Whether it's tears of joy, laughter, anger, pain, sadness, or fatigue, the emotions that bring about crying are diverse. You might be familiar with these emotional triggers, but have you ever wondered about the physiological explanations behind them? Let's start by categorising tears into three types. There are "basal" tears that maintain a c...

If you’ve been to a climate demonstration in recent times, you may have noticed placards with a series of blue and red coloured stripes. Kind of like a barcode but in colour, with the shades varying from very light to very dark. You may have even seen them at political or sporting events, in the media, or on the cover of Greta Thunberg’s The Climate Book. This set of graphics are known as warming...

We've all been there - it's late, you're exhausted, but sleep just won't come. You toss and turn, check the clock every few minutes, and the longer you're awake, the more anxious you feel about how little rest you're going to get. Morning comes, and even though you're barely functioning, you drag yourself out of bed, grab a coffee, and stumble through the day in a fog. And it’s not just your imagi...

If you’re a fan of sitcoms, no doubt you've seen episodes in which the characters were celebrating Saint Patrick's Day. It's a big deal in the UK and Ireland of course, as well as across the pond in North America. Each year in the build up to March 17th, bars and pubs, especially Irish ones, deck themselves out in green and shamrocks. But before it became an excuse to sink a few pints of Guinness...

Ever had that moment when you're relishing a juicy fig, and someone drops the bomb that you might be chowing down on a wasp? Surprising as it sounds, it's true. Fig wasps do their thing by pollinating figs from the inside, but unfortunately, they sometimes get stuck in there! Now, bear in mind, these wasps are tiny, at around 1 to 2 mm tiny, so you won't notice them when you take a bite. But, let'...