Do you really know?

Voluntourism is the practice of volunteering one’s labour to a charitable cause in a developing country, in return for a soul-cleansing, perspective-changing, CV-bolstering experience. Perhaps a bit cynical? But with good reason.  Whilst it could be a mutually beneficial redistribution of wealth from the developed world to the developing, voluntourism harbours a dark and exploitative underwor...

According to a study published in the Journal of Thoracic Disease in 2015, 10% of all people are affected by obstructive sleep apnea. That figure rises for some population groups, like men, over-50s and overweight people.  It’s actually a mechanical disorder, rather than an illness. When we go to sleep, our muscles relax; that's totally normal. But when it comes to people affected by apnea, t...

Reaching carbon net zero by 2050 is one of the main objectives in the struggle against global warming. It’s also part of the Green New Deal the EU agreed upon in 2019. Since the start of 2022, many figures in agriculture have been pushing for a carbon farming policy which would see farmers rewarded for their efforts in sequestering carbon. It’s about using agricultural fields to store CO2 in the g...

To understand where white spots come from, we must first explain how nail growth works. If you’ve ever had white spots on your nails before, you may have been dismissively told that it's down to a lack of calcium or zinc. Basically, some mineral-deficiency. But this popular belief doesn’t really have any basis in fact. According to Healthline, nails grow an average of 3 millimeters per month. Thei...

If you drink alcohol, the chances are at some point you’ve had to deal with a nasty hangover, due to drinking too much. The associated headache, nausea, fatigue and other symptoms can make it a real challenge to get through the day after a night out.  There’s actually a scientific term for the unpleasant symptoms that come with a hangover; it’s veisalgia. According to Ted.com, between 3...

It’s been two years since we last discussed the Amazon on Do You Really Know, and even in that time, the outlook for the world’s largest tropical rainforest has worsened significantly. A report called “Amazonia against the Clock” was released in September, warning that the rainforest could reach a point of no return as soon as 2025. A study published in Nature Climate Change journal in March 2022...

Just like with body shaming or slut shaming, mom shaming is another example of how women are often subjected to disproportionate criticism, and made to feel guilty about their choices, in this case specifically about parenting methods. The term refers to how mothers are criticised or even humiliated, for the way they bring up their children and fulfil their role as a mother. Such comments often co...

In past episodes of Do You Really Know, we’ve talked about a number of Scandinavian lifestyle trends, like death cleaning and hygge for example. Both of those are inspired by similar sentiments; to do with feeling good in surroundings that aren’t overflowing with useless items. And yet, in recent months, we’ve been hearing more and more about a home decor trend that’s the complete opposite. Maxima...

Cellulite is a regular source of insecurity among women. That’s been especially true since women’s magazines came along, pretty much labelling it public enemy number one. In our collective minds, it’s become inextricably linked to being overweight or having gone through pregnancy. In reality, cellulite is the result of a number of factors, and hormonal changes in particular. The first thing to kno...

American psychiatrist Stephen B. Karpman coined this social model of human interaction in 1968. It describes the roles that we take on in unbalanced social relations. Relations which lead us to take one of three roles within Karpman’s triangle. These are three roles in Karpman's triangle. These are the victim, the persecutor and the saviour. And the role we take on unconsciously leads someone else...

When it comes to expressions about skin, the English language is not lacking. For example, we can be thick or thin skinned, or have someone under our skin. To show indifference, we say “it’s no skin off” our noses, and when we get excited we “jump out of” our skin.  The sheer number of different idioms reflects the deep links the skin has with our brains. Sometimes these links are visible and...

The cost of living crisis has seen food prices increase by as much as 65% according to the Office for National Statistics meaning that the average British household spends an extra £600 pounds a year on food. But considering that there is also about 4.5 million tonnes of food waste annually the possibility of reducing wasted food as well as bills has never been more needed. Reducing your bill...

On 29th October 2022, 20,000 people were celebrating Halloween in the Itaewon neighbourhood of Seoul in South Korea. One particularly narrow street became very overcrowded, and a huge crush ensued, leading to the deaths of 153 people, with many more injured. A month later, we still don’t know exactly what caused the crush.  One of the theories out there is that a rumour spread in the crowd, l...

Christmas festivities are coming and often go hand in hand with overindulgence, in the form of large servings of roast dinner, yummy pudding and alcohol consumption. That can result in heartburn, a condition which despite the terrifying sounding name, is usually relatively harmless.  It’s a burning sensation felt in the chest, behind the breastbone, which explains where the name comes from. B...

Surprising as it may seem, balance is more important than you might think. In September of 2022 the British Journal of Sports Medicine published the results of a ten year study which involved more than 1,700 middle-aged participants. They concluded that not being able to balance was associated with an almost twofold increase in risk of death.  Volunteers were asked to stand on one leg with th...

National Grid has warned of potential blackouts in the UK this winter, due to gas shortages. If it does happen, it would be the first time the country has seen controlled blackouts since the 1970s. The government has its Electricity Supply Emergency Code in place in case we end up in such a situation. The government plan sees rolling blackouts, with areas split into 18 different load blocks, each...

No doubt you’ve realised that some types of food have a boosting effect, like eggs, oats and avocado for example. That’s because they contain tyrosine, an amino acid which is a precursor to dopamine, making them an ideal breakfast option. At the other end of the scale, some foods are better suited for preparing our bodies to go to sleep, by bringing on certain chemical reactions. In terms of what...

Have you noticed more of your friends talking about their star signs of late? Maybe they try to guess the sign of people they meet, or come out with unexpected references to “Mercury in retrograde” or “Saturn return” over dinner. Maybe you’re into it yourself; and you have an app which sends you horoscope notifications all day long. It wasn’t so long ago that most people would just read horoscopes...

In our increasingly urbanised world, it’s important to make time for reconnecting with nature. The latest study to grab our attention in this area was conducted by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health and published in December 2022. It looked into the so-called 3-30-300 rule, which was theorised by Spanish forest researcher Cecil Konijnendijk in 2021.  It's made up of three criteria, whi...

All week long, we’re looking into 10 new terms and concepts that are certain to be on everyone’s lips in 2023! Despite the fact that we’re in 2023, there’s still a certain squeamishness when it comes to discussions about menstruation, including in the workplace. But that might be about to change in Europe, due to a measure that was recently approved by the lower house of Spain’s parliament... In m...

All week long we're looking at the 10 words that will be on everyone's lips in 2023. Every year, linguists at Oxford University choose a Word of the Year and in 2022, they allowed the public to vote on the winner for the first time. The 340,000 English speakers who voted were given three choices: metaverse, the #IStandWith hashtag and, drumroll please, the eventual runaway winner…Goblin Mode. The...

Everyone has their own expectations when it comes to summer holidays. Regardless, you don't necessarily have to travel far to have a good time. At least, that's what 31% of British people think, according to research from TripAdvisor. That’s the proportion of people who plan to holiday exclusively in the UK this year. But for others, going on holiday is all about turning dreams of exotic destinati...

May 29th was Spring Bank Holiday in UK. Going on holiday is cool, but not always within reach for everyone. It requires time, as you may need to get your leave request approved by your employer, and money. In recent years, a new kind of holiday has been catching on: the staycation. It generally refers to a trip which doesn’t require any overnight accommodation. The idea comes from the United State...

For a number of years now, we’ve been hearing that the future of transport is electric, in particular due to the impact of fossil fuels on global warming. But there are a number of drawbacks, including cost, battery life, battery recycling, charging time which mean some people are reluctant to get on board. There are also fears that the switch to electric vehicles won’t be quick enough to meet env...

All week long, we’re looking into 10 new terms and concepts that are certain to be on everyone’s lips in 2023! In December 2022, New York magazine ran a cover which got a lot of attention. It featured the heads of a number of Hollywood celebs like Lily-Rose Depp, Ben Platt, Dakota Johnson and Zoe Kravitz, all edited onto babies’ bodies. In the centre of the page the bright pink headline read: “She...