Do you really know?

Using an ATM, paying for petrol or shopping at a retail store are pretty routine things that many of us do on a frequent basis. But it’s important to be aware of the often invisible threat posed by a criminal practice called skimming, which sees fraudsters clone bank cards.  Across the pond in the US, data analytics firm Fico reported a 96% increase in debit card skimming in 2023, and recent month...

Many of us have a ritual of falling asleep to our favorite tunes or a comforting podcast. It’s no surprise we find solace in this routine; after all, music is known to dial down blood pressure and heart rate, ease anxiety, and reduce cortisol levels. The benefits don’t stop there – music can also boost oxytocin production and sweep away those pesky negative thoughts, setting the stage for a peacef...

No doubt at some point in your life you’ve skipped a meal, whether it was to save money, lose weight or just because you were too damn busy with work. Maybe you even do it on a regular basis, without really knowing whether it’s good or bad for you. Skipping meals makes us more likely to snack afterwards, eating food items which are often high in fat and sugar. Another risk is that you compensate b...

The "cuffing season" refers to that time of year—typically from October through February—when people are more likely to pair up. It’s not about finding "the one" for life, but rather seeking temporary companionship to get through the colder months. In essence, it’s a way of finding some warmth and connection to help navigate the winter chill. A study published in Perception and covered by Slate ex...

Like a lot of things, the concept of white privilege comes from the USA. It means that simply being white gives a person additional benefits or rights compared to those of other skin colours. The notion has increasingly been brought into the spotlight in recent years by movements like Black Lives Matter, who campaign for greater racial equality all over the world. White privilege is now a commonly...

We’ve already talked about narcissistic abusers in a previous episode of Do You Really Know? Let’s refresh your memory: narcissistic abusers, or NAs for short, are people with manipulative tendencies, who inflict a range of toxic behaviours on their target and position themselves as victims. Now NA-victim relationships don’t always exist solely between two individuals. There can be one or more add...

There’s certainly been a lot of progress in breaking down gender roles since the turn of the century, but still traditional expectations persist in the heteronormative dating world. Ladies, have you wondered how many texts it's acceptable to send a guy in a day, or whether using a heart emoji is too much? Gentlemen, do you feel pressure to make the first move, asking a girl out and then initiating...

The butterfly effect is the idea that a small change in one part of the world can have huge consequences in another. It is often used as a metaphor for how our actions can shape the future in unpredictable ways. The term was coined by the American mathematician and meteorologist Edward Lorenz, who was studying the behavior of weather systems. He discovered that even tiny variations in the initial...

Not being able to fall asleep at night can be incredibly frustrating. You’re tossing and turning, exhausted but unable to drift off. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone—millions of people struggle with insomnia, making it difficult to get through the next day. While medication is an option, experts often recommend non-drug approaches as the most effective solutions. Light therapy, weighted b...

How do you react when a piece of food you’re eating falls to the floor? Some people would throw it away in disgust, while others would still eat it, perhaps after rinsing it under water or blowing on it. Of course, there’s those that abide by the five second rule. That’s the popular belief that suggests any food is still fit for consumption as long as it hasn’t been on the floor for longer than fi...

In this age of responsible and measured consumption, we’re tending to turn more and more towards products with a long lifespan and a good guarantee. In fact, you’ve probably already seen this on a cast-iron saucepan, a bicycle or even household appliances, promising a lifetime guarantee. But the terms and conditions of this promise are not always very clear. Therefore, it’s important to understand...

It’s not uncommon to hear ringing, buzzing, humming or hissing sounds that can’t be heard by anyone else. The medical term for these symptoms is tinnitus. The sounds may affect both ears, or just one. If you’re lucky, they’re a temporary or intermittent problem, but for some people they can be more severe, affecting their daily lives.  2019 figures from the British Tinnitus Association suggested t...

You’re most likely familiar with the concept of Dry January, which started out in the UK in 2013 and has since become hugely popular. It involves not consuming a single drop of alcohol for the whole month of January. In 2022, record participation numbers were recorded, with over 130,000 people signing up with Alcohol Change to take part. On average, British people drink 9.8 litres of pure alcohol...

Avoiding weight gain is just so difficult sometimes, isn’t it? It’s not enough to eat only healthy foods, you also have to combine those healthy foods in the right way.  That’s because when we eat different types of foods together, they interact with each other in our digestive system. Depending on their characteristics, some foods get digested faster than others. What can happen to our bodies if...

Smartphones only really entered our lives within the last 10 to 15 years, but they’ve since become indispensable. And it can even be hard to put them down when nighttime falls. According to Reviews.org, 60% of Americans sleep with their phone at night. How about you? You may think that having your phone next to you in bed is harmless, or even helpful. But did you know that sleeping with your phone...

Within an ecosystem there are many different species, and it can be difficult for conservationists to come up with specific strategies to protect every single one of them. That’s why some have started focusing on umbrella species, because of the benefits that protecting them has for other co-occurring species. It’s as if they’re putting an umbrella over the entire surrounding ecosystem. They help...

Do you remember how as a kid, it would always seem like an eternity waiting for Christmas or your birthday to come around? But having reached adulthood, it seems like the years just fly by. It’s a funny thing, but as we get older, time simply seems to go by quicker. Of course in reality the passage of time doesn’t change at all. But it’s been established that our perception of time passing is alte...

Over the years, many surveys have looked into what time of day people say they most enjoy having sex, but the findings have varied drastically. For instance, one run by CBD brand Naturecan in 2023 found that the most satisfying time was 7:30 a.m., with two-thirds of the Brits surveyed preferring morning sex to night-time sex. But more recently, lingerie brand Pour Moi pinpointed 10:09pm on Saturda...

As we embrace resolutions and light up the skies with fireworks, it's time to mark the arrival of the New Year! All of us on the Do You Really Know team, hoping you soaked in the holiday vibes and send you our warm wishes for a splendid 2024. Today, planet Earth has set off on another full orbit around the sun, a journey which will span 365 days until we hit the reset button again next year. And t...

It’s not uncommon for rhinoviruses to resurface during the spring and autumn seasons. They’re the main cause of the common cold. At the same time, spring also brings increased pollen circulation, leading to hay fever symptoms which are very similar to those of a viral cold. Having a blocked nose can be particularly bothersome, what with having to blow your nose every two minutes, sneezing, having...

In the 2020s, we’re living in an era where there's never been more different ways to find a new partner. For a start, just think of all the dating apps out there, of every kind imaginable. Combined, they’re used by over 11 million people in the UK, according to Statista. Even hobby apps like Strava and Goodreads have become a common way of finding someone to date!  How do you explain that then? Ar...

As date night options go, the cinema is a timeless classic which can be both fun and romantic. Even in the age of “Netflix and chill”, there’s an appeal to the immersive experience you can only get watching a film on the big screen. So if you’re wondering what to do this Valentine’s Day, why not book a cinema visit? You may not be having a conversation, but you can interpret body language. If it’s...

Do you ever feel like time is slipping through your fingers? That you had several hours to complete one or two simple tasks, but you didn't notice the clock ticking away? The problem might stem from poor time management or a tendency to procrastinate. It could also result from an inability to isolate yourself from sources of distraction. Let’s delve into a productivity strategy that could potentia...

In late March 2024, french actor Pierre Niney took to TikTok to reveal his newest love affair—not with a co-star, but with an adorable miniature donkey he’s recently adopted. The allure of miniature animals is multifaceted. For starters, social media is awash with their antics, sparking a growing fascination with owning one. Moreover, these videos suggest that you can enjoy the perks of farm life...

If you wake up feeling rough after a night of heavy drinking, it's likely your liver couldn't handle all that alcohol, and your body couldn't flush it out completely. That's when you get stuck with classic hangover symptoms, like nausea, a pounding headache and perhaps even a bout of diarrhoea. Apart from chugging water to rehydrate, figuring out what to eat to get back on your feet can be a bit t...