Today I Learned

Gaming has often been associated with myths and stereotypes like fostering laziness, promoting violence, and leading to social isolation. Our listener Jon, an avid gamer in his 60s, wants to challenge these assumptions. Can gaming actually improve our memory, spatial awareness, and alertness? In this episode of Today I Learned, we debunk these myths and explore the nuanced impacts of gaming on our...

Do you love using emojis to convey the emotions behind your words but find that not everyone actually gets what you’re trying to say? Why do people interpret emojis differently? On this episode of Today I Learned, linguistic student, Grace Tan, presents these questions to us. So we dive into the world of emojis to find out how they’ve evolved as a language and whether the miscommunications are wor...

In this episode, we explore a question from Nicole Cheok, a parent, who wants the answer to a perennial parenting question: how can we support our children and give them tremendous amounts of love and support… without raising someone who’s spoiled? Tan Cheng Yi, an educational psychologist, gives her take, as we field questions from listeners as well. Image Credit: japansainlook, Shutterstock See...

Whether you're a columnist for a newspaper, a film critic, a nonfiction writer or just enjoy writing casually, improving your creative writing skills is essential for achieving success. So, how do you do it? Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why do we take turns when talking to one another? On the surface, it seems quite basic. Of course, we shouldn’t be talking over each other. But did you know that this seemingly basic thing we do every single day in all our conversations requires tremendous precision? Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Imagine pursuing a romantic interest while harbouring deep-seated insecurities or fear of intimacy, leading to self-sabotaging behaviours such as overanalyzing, pushing or creating unnecessary drama in the relationship. This is an example of self-sabotaging. But why do people self-sabotage? Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hope is that feeling of wanting something to happen or to be true. It is the spark that keeps us going through tough times. But what is the deeper importance of hope? We speak to Dr Eugene Tee, Associate Professor in Psychology. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour Day is celebrated on the 1st of May every year. But why do we observe Labour Day? What is its history?  We speak to Audi Ali, who’s a labour rights activist and a writer for Jentayu. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Imagine this. Your partner seems a bit distant or quiet for a day or two. Instead of considering that your partner might be stressed or busy, your immediate thought is "They're probably cheating on me! Our relationship is doomed, and I'll never find love again!" That’s called catastrophizing. But what exactly is it and how do we overcome it? Image Credit: metamorworks, Shutterstock See omnystudio....

It is becoming increasingly common for us to receive a call from an unknown number telling us that we have a package stuck somewhere or a WhatsApp message offering the best salaries and investment plans. You engage, go down the rabbit hole and then lose tens of thousands of ringgit, as they turned out to be scams.  But how do scams work and how do we spot a scam? See omnystudio.com/listener f...

Think of the scene from Harry Potter where Harry makes Ron think that he has spiked his drink with the liquid luck potion. Ron then goes on to play the best game of Quidditch he’s ever played, only for Harry to later reveal that he didn’t actually put anything in Ron’s drink. Ron played well because he thought his drink contained the liquid luck potion.  This is called The Placebo Effect. But...

It is estimated that there are more than 7000 languages in the world. Some languages are going extinct, some are growing in popularity, some are spoken in many regions around the world, and some are considered more niche. So, how are languages formed and how do they evolve and travel? Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bank Negara Malaysia, or BNM, is the central bank of Malaysia. We often hear about its pivotal role in Malaysia's economy, in monitoring and perhaps even managing currency exchange rates and OPRs. But what exactly is Bank Negara Malaysia? What are its powers and limitations? Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia has been listed as the 5th happiest country (or 5th best mental well-being) in the world according to a report by the Global Mind Project. But are we really doing that well? We spoke to Dr Eugene Tee about the difference between happiness and well-being, why Malaysia ranked so highly and more. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Revenge bedtime procrastination" is when people decide to sacrifice sleep to enjoy leisure time or time to themselves. But what are the root causes of revenge bedtime procrastination and how is it different from excitedly staying up to binge-watch a TV series you’re currently addicted to? Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're often told that striving for perfection is the key to success. But is it? Or is it detrimental to one’s wellbeing? What’s the difference between perfectionism and healthy striving? We speak to Sandy Clarke, licensed counsellor. Image credits: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did you know that words can change how we feel? The framing of language can influence the way we think and feel about certain events. So, how exactly does language shape emotions? Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Relationships are about connecting with others, supporting one another, and caring for one another. But did you know that to maintain healthy relationships, you must first love yourself? So, why is self-love important for healthy relationships? Image credit: Shutterstock Inc See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Picture this: You and someone named Bob live in the same neighbourhood and go to the same school. But you never noticed each other. One day, you and Bob become friends. And since then, you notice Bob everywhere – when you’re walking to school, when he’s jogging around the park and when he’s eating at the nearby Kopitiam. He hasn’t changed his routine and neither have you – it’s just that you’re no...

Every now and again, whenever there’s news about the ringgit becoming weaker, there will also be subsequent debates on whether our Overnight Policy Rate (OPR) should be adjusted. But what exactly is OPR? Image credit: Shutterstock Inc. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Personality tests are incredibly popular. Whether it’s in-depth ones like the Myers Briggs Type Indicator tests or silly ones on Facebook, many of us enjoy taking these tests, so much so that some people even display the result of their personality tests on their dating profiles. But are personality tests accurate? And what do they tell us? Image credit: Shutterstock Ai See omnystudio.com/listener...

Every great writer has a distinctive voice. Whether it’s bestselling authors like Stephen King, screenwriters like Aaron Sorkin or Quentin Tarantino or even film critics like Baradwaj Rangan or the late Roger Ebert, all have unique voices that can be instantly recognised just by reading a few paragraphs or pages. So, how does a writer develop their voice? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in...

It’s the season of new year new me. So it’s only natural that people have big and lofty goals on transforming yourself. But how can people set realistic goals for personal growth and contentment in the new year? We speak to Sandy Clarke, Licensed Counsellor. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Beyond being a communication tool, language is also an important fabric of personal identity, cultural identity and national identity. Language encapsulates history, values, and diverse expressions that could bind communities in a collective identity. So, in a country with multiple languages, ethnicities, and religions, how can language serve as a unifying force? We discuss with Dr Surinderpal Kau...

Imagine living your whole life believing that human beings are inherently good. Imagine being very confident in your belief. What if one day you come across an article/research discussing how human beings are inherently selfish and evil? How would that make you feel? We’ve all experienced that uncomfortable feeling when we come across information that contradicts our existing beliefs. It’s called...