Do you really know?

What is survivalism? This social movement is all about proactively preparing for a wide range of emergencies. You could call it a pessimistic outlook, thinking it’s necessary to prepare for the worst. But there are more and more survivalists out there, with profiles and political views that vary radically. Survivalism first emerged in 1960s America, when against the backdrop of the Cold War, and t...

What is Swedish neutrality? Sweden’s neutrality policy is well-known in the field of international relations. It has allowed the country to go over two centuries without being at war. That makes it the nation which has had the longest period of peace. So Sweden isn’t part of any military alliance, and doesn’t take sides when wars break out. Other European countries like Austria and Switzerland als...

What is conversion therapy? Boris Johnson's UK government on March 31, 2022 dropped its ban on conversion therapies, which claim to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity. In the midst of the scandal surrounding pedocriminality within the Catholic Church, conversion therapies have been voted to be banned in France on October 5, 2021. Conversion therapy, also known as homotherapy,...

What is the Blue Marble? It’s been fifty years since humans last went to the moon, as part of the Apollo 17 space mission. The mission also brought one of the world’s most iconic and widely reproduced photographs, the Blue Marble. It was taken by one of the crew members using a Hasselblad Data Camera on 7th December 1972 capturing Planet Earth from over 25,000 miles away. How did it get the name?...

What is the Ukrainian International Legion? Since the invasion of Ukraine began on 24th February 2022, governments have been reluctant to send troops into the warzone, despite expressing outrage at Russian aggression. Nevertheless, media reports have shed light on the thousands of foreign citizens, mostly men, leaving worried families behind to travel to Ukraine. On the ground, they’re fighting, p...

Who is Sonic? As fast and cocky as ever before, Sonic is set to return to cinema screens this week with the release of Sonic 2. We all know that the small blue hedgehog originally started out as a video game star. So just how did the face of Japanese game studio SEGA end up becoming such a major figure in pop culture? Tell me about Sonic the Hedgehog’s beginnings. How was he created? Was the first...

What is sign singing? Deafness is known for being an invisible disability, which can lead to exclusion and loneliness. According to a Human Rights Watch article from 2019, 70 million deaf people across the world use sign language to communicate. Well sign singers take that one step further, by adapting song lyrics into sign language for the deaf and hard of hearing. How do sign singers translate m...

What is temporary protection? According to United Nations estimates from just over a week ago, more than 10 million Ukrainians have fled their homes since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022. 3.4 million of them have left Ukraine, with 90% being women and children given that all men under 60 are required to stay and defend their country. It’s been described as the “fastest growing r...

What are the Minsk Agreements? The main aim of the 2014 and 2015 Minsk Agreements was to prevent war in Europe, but they were repeatedly breached over the years, and eventually became obsolete when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Fighting broke out in Ukraine’s Donbas region in early 2014, opposing pro-Russian separatists and the Ukrainian army. How did the Agreements come to be signed? W...

Who is Alexei Navalny? Alexei Navalny was sentenced on Tuesday 22 March 2022 to an additional nine years in prison after being found guilty of fraud and contempt of court. In late March 2021, Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny began a hunger strike in his prison cell. A few weeks later he was transferred to a prison hospital, with his allies declaring he was “close to dying”. Thousands of pr...

What is an oil shock? The day Russian forces invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the price of crude oil surged over the $100 a barrel mark for the first time since 2014. Soon, economic sanctions would be announced against Russia, with buyers shunning exports from the world’s third largest oil producing country. For over a century, oil has been both a fuel and a barometer for the world economy. But i...

What is Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome? According to the World Health Organisation, harmful use of alcohol accounts for 3 million deaths each year. Indeed, it’s the third leading cause of preventable death, and causes a large burden for societies across the world. Of course regular alcohol consumption doesn’t always kill, but it can lead to other health problems, including neurological disorders. Wer...

What is myopia? According to a 2019 study from the Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science journal, almost 60% of all humans will have some form of myopia by 2050. That means as many as 5 billion people will be short-sighted, unable to clearly see objects more than 5 yards away. And that’s not at all; already one in three people suffer from myopia, a figure which rises to nearly 50% in some...

What is nuclear deterrence? Three days after his army invaded Ukraine, Russian president Vladimir Putin announced he was raising his country’s military nuclear deterrence threat level. He justified the move by citing the economic sanctions placed on Russia by the West, as well as what he called “aggressive statements” from NATO.  Isn’t the idea of deterrence forces a contradiction? Which countries...

What is the Wagner Group? In late February 2022, The Times revealed that members of Russian paramilitary Wagner Group had been sent to Ukrainian capital Kyiv with the mission of assassinating president Volodymyr Zelensky. Indeed, Zelensky himself claimed that he was the number one target during a speech on 25th February, just a day after the Russian invasion had begun. The Times said 400 private m...

What is the Azov Battalion? You’ve more than likely seen images of these Ukrainian fighters on social media since the Russian invasion began in late February. They can be recognised by their tattoos and Nazi emblems on their uniforms. The battalion takes its name from the Sea of Azov which is bounded by Ukraine and Russia. The neo-Nazi group are battling at the heart of the Ukrainian army, which h...

What is Wikileaks? On December 10th, a UK court ruled that Wikileaks founder Julian Assange could be extradited to the United States. The Australian is currently being held on remand in Belmarsh Prison for breaching the terms of his bail, but he also faces long-standing espionnage charges from the US. Those relate to the publication of secret documents on US army activity in Afghanistan, over a de...

What is Crimea? Crimea is a peninsula which belongs to Ukraine and lies on the Black Sea. It has a population of over 2 million people and its surface area is comparable to that of Belgium at over 10,000 square miles. To the east, it is separated from the Russian Tamar Peninsula by the Kerch Strait. According to a 2014 census carried out by Russia, 59% of Crimeans identify as Russian, compared to...

What is Truth Social? On February 22nd, Trump Media & Technology Group launched its own social network called Truth Social, with the platform having first been announced in October 2021. Former US president Donald Trump is hoping it will be a springboard for his 2024 election campaign. Why did Trump launch his own social network then? Is Truth Social really an open platform for users to say what t...

Who is Andy Warhol? Ryan Murphy, the creator behind hit series such as Glee and American Horror Story, has now tackled a legendary figure of pop culture through his latest project. Docuseries The Andy Warhol Diaries went live on Netflix on the 9th of March. Viewers can explore the fascinating story of American artist Andy Warhol, a man who was certainly a leading figure in pop art, and is credited...

What is NATO? The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation is an international alliance between Western countries. It was created in 1949, just a few years after the end of World War II, bringing together 12 member states from Europe and North America. The founding treaty, also known as the Washington Treaty, is a political and military agreement to jointly protect the land and population of member stat...

Who is Batman?   The Batman hit UK cinemas on March 4th, the latest in a long line of big screen appearances for the Dark Knight. The franchise has proved hugely successful. But you may be surprised to know that Batman nearly didn’t survive his early years as a comic book character. How was Batman created? Are we saying Batman used violence? How did publishers get around the issue? In under 3 minu...

What is the Kintsugi philosophy? In Japanese, the word Kintsugi means golden repair. It’s a technique of repairing broken pottery using lacquer mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum. The art of Kintsugi dates back to the 16th century and it’s a true ode to imperfection and fragility. It encourages us to handle objects with care, but also to accept breakage and repair as part of their histo...

To celebrate International Women's Day, which falls on March 8th, Bababam is replaying Do You Really Know episodes which look at the struggle against inequalities between women and men. All week long, refresh your knowledge about ideas and concepts which promote female empowerment. What is sex work? Sex work is basically a term used for any practices involving a sexual service, whether physical or...

To celebrate International Women's Day, which falls on March 8th, Bababam is playing Do You Really Know episodes which look at the struggle against inequalities between women and men. All week long, discover ideas and concepts which promote female empowerment. What is menorrhagia? Menstruation is still somewhat of a taboo, even in 2022. We often resort to euphemisms when referring to it, like talk...