Do you really know?

What is social distancing? Boris Johnson is accused of attending parties during periods of confinement. The head of the British government rejected on Wednesday 26 January 2022 the idea of leaving office despite the controversy that has followed over the failure of him and his cabinet to comply with the health restrictions that he himself had enacted. Listen to the episode again to understand ever...

What is frugal innovation? For the last 200 years, the capitalist model has been based on maximising profits, with the motto being to use more and more resources to create more and more products. But now more than ever before, many of us have realised that the planet’s resources are limited and quickly running out, or already used up in some cases. Such observations should in theory gradually weak...

What is popcorn?   It’s not the most widely celebrated date on the calendar, but National Popcorn Day falls on January 19th each year. Popcorn actually got some rare negative press recently, with France temporarily banning drinks and snacks from cinemas to protect against the spread of Covid-19. Let’s take a few minutes to honour this iconic snack, which has become for many an essential part of go...

Who is Gaspard Ulliel? On January 19th, French actor Gaspard Ulliel tragically died following a skiing accident in the Alps, aged just 37. Let’s make this episode a tribute to the angel-faced actor with a trademark scar who shone brightly in 28 films. How did he get into acting? Which films made Ulliel so popular? How would you summarise his career? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To...

What is Havana Syndrome? For over five years now, a mysterious illness has been hitting US intelligence officers stationed in various overseas locations. Symptoms include migraines, tinnitus, vision problems and dizziness. As of mid-September 2021, over 200 cases had been recorded, which would seem far too many to be a coincidence. The US Department of State has referred to “unexplained health inc...

What is the Door to Hell? At 230 metres in diameter and 100 feet deep, it’s fair to describe the Darvaza Gas crater in Turkmenistan as colossal. This geological marvel is nicknamed the Door to Hell, and it's not the dimensions alone that make it unique. The crater has been spurting flames for half a century now, burning continuously ever since its formation in 1971. It’s actually become the Centra...

Who is Guillermo Del Toro? On January 21st, Nightmare Alley, the new psychological thriller from Guillermo del Toro, hit UK cinemas. Let’s pay tribute to a truly extraordinary director, novelist, producer, and screenwriter. Believe it or not, the Mexican hadn't released a single film since 2017 before Nightmare Alley. That was The Shape of Water, which won Best Picture and Best Director awards at...

What is the Mozart Effect? 27 January is the anniversary of Mozart's birth. 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. Let’s cut to the chase, does it actually work? But...

Who is Molière? A week ago on January 15th 2022, France celebrated the 400th anniversary of one of its most renowned writers. To this day, Molière remains as central to French culture as Shakespeare to the English-speaking world.  All year long, the Comedie Française theatre is set to stage all his classics and some lesser known works too. Let’s discuss why Molière is considered the nation's most...

Who is Boba Fett? The Book of Boba Fett, Disney Plus’ all-new live-action series, was released at the end of December 2021. It tells the story of the Galaxy’s most notorious bounty hunter. But how did an initially minor character wind up getting his own dedicated show? Well, Boba Fett is actually a cult figure of the Star Wars franchise. Why is the character so popular? He certainly sounds like an...

What is an anocracy? Let’s think back to January 6th 2021, when the U.S. Capitol was invaded by radical pro-Trump activists. Of course since then, Donald Trump has left the White House. But, with hindsight, how should we remember his mandate and this event in particular?  Political scientist Baraba F. Walter recently looked into the US's current instability and went as far as describing it as an a...

What is the James Webb Telescope? In today’s episode, we’re gonna talk about the most powerful telescope ever sent into space. The James Webb telescope was designed by NASA, in collaboration with the European and Canadian Space Agencies. It was deployed on January 8th after taking off from Kourou, French Guiana, on Christmas Day. Its next step is to reach its final orbit, located 1.5 kilometres aw...

What is ableism? Social science research is becoming more and more fruitful. As a result, an almost endless list of terms are emerging, like 'white privilege' or 'ageism’, which we have already covered in past episodes of Do You Really Know? These studies often share the same objective and that is to shine a light on social phenomena we tend to dismiss, calling out persisting discrimination. The w...

What are climate refugees? The consequences of climate change are some of the primary drivers behind global human migration. According to a report by the European Commission on Migration, each year, an average of 30 million people are displaced due to environmental degradation.  Climate refugees, or climate migrants, are people forced away from their homes due to sudden or gradual alterations in t...

"Do you really know?" is Bababam's daily podcast, which helps you understand the words, acronyms, and concepts that are making the news every day. From January 3th to 17th, discover the 15 words that will mark 2022. From the new phenomenon of "space tourism" to the virtual world of "Metaverse" and, of course, the expression "wokeism", (re)discover these words that will be in the news in 2022. What...

"Do you really know?" is Bababam's daily podcast, which helps you understand the words, acronyms, and concepts that are making the news every day. From January 3th to 17th, discover the 15 words that will mark 2022. From the new phenomenon of "space tourism" to the virtual world of "Metaverse" and, of course, the expression "wokeism", (re)discover these words that will be in the news in 2022. What...

What is ageism? Whether it’s advertising, films, TV series or even literature, it seems like all female characters are young, with smooth radiant skin and not a wrinkle in sight! You’d think women over 40 simply don’t exist! Or at least, it’s rare to see them in leading roles. In recent months, several actresses have gone on record saying they feel judged for having grown older. For example, Andie...

"Do you really know?" is Bababam's daily podcast, which helps you understand the words, acronyms, and concepts that are making the news every day. From January 3th to 17th, discover the 15 words that will mark 2022. From the new phenomenon of "space tourism" to the virtual world of "Metaverse" and, of course, the expression "wokeism", (re)discover these words that will be in the news in 2022. What...

What is the single currency? This month marks the 20th anniversary of the Euro, possibly the most significant achievement of the European Project. Indeed, it was back in January 2002 that euro coins and banknotes were introduced, and the biggest cash changeover in history took place across 12 EU countries. But how could having a single currency really ensure peace? What have we learned over the la...

"Do you really know?" is Bababam's daily podcast, which helps you understand the words, acronyms, and concepts that are making the news every day. From January 3th to 17th, discover the 15 words that will mark 2022. From the new phenomenon of "space tourism" to the virtual world of "Metaverse" and, of course, the expression "wokeism", (re)discover these words that will be in the news in 2022. What...

What is Scream?   With the fifth episode of Scream hitting cinemas this Friday, let’s discuss a saga that revolutionised the world of horror films. That’s right, it’s now been over 25 years since Wes Craven released the original Scream film back in 1996, reviving the slasher movie. The latest addition to the series, directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, is simply called Scream, alth...

What is Harry Potter? Harry Potter fans were delighted to see their heroes reunited in the recent Return to Hogwarts special. Cast members like Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint addressed rumours and anecdotes relating to the wizarding saga, all the while recalling behind-the-scenes memories. In that spirit, let’s discuss some of the lesser known facts around the Harry Potter franchis...

"Do you really know?" is Bababam's daily podcast, which helps you understand the words, acronyms, and concepts that are making the news every day. From January 3th to 17th, discover the 15 words that will mark 2022. From the new phenomenon of "space tourism" to the virtual world of "Metaverse" and, of course, the expression "wokeism", (re)discover these words that will be in the news in 2022. What...

What is the EU Presidency? On New Year’s Day 2022, France took over presidency of the Council of the European Union for a period of six months. A shortened version of the title for this responsibility is EU Presidency. Wait a minute, what is the Council of the European Union again? How come France is president for now then? What does France have on its agenda for its 2022 presidency? In under 3 mi...

"Do you really know?" is Bababam's daily podcast, which helps you understand the words, acronyms, and concepts that are making the news every day. From January 3th to 17th, discover the 15 words that will mark 2022. From the new phenomenon of "space tourism" to the virtual world of "Metaverse" and, of course, the expression "wokeism", (re)discover these words that will be in the news in 2022. What...