Do you really know?

In Japan, cleanliness is cultural and synonymous with well-being. That’s down in no small part to the influence of Shintoism, the country's oldest religion. While the number of believers has been steadily decreasing for some time, Shinto philosophy and culture are still widely practised. Cleanliness is seen not just as a physical state but also a spiritual one, as it is closely tied to the respect...

Some expired food products are easy to identify, due to an unpleasant smell, mould, swollen packaging or abnormal colour for example. But others show no visible changes in texture, colour, or smell. In such cases, you might well ask yourself if the item is still safe to consume. To begin with, it's important to note that some products don’t expire, as long as they’re stored in the right conditions...

Musculoskeletal disorders, like back pain and arthritis, are recognized as occupational diseases in Western countries which have a large office workforce. The UK’s Health and Safety Executive lists some of the causes of these disorders as repetitive work, particularly using the same hand or arm action, carrying out a task for a long time and working with display screen equipment. Pain or stiffness...

It’s a scene that plays out in millions of homes across the world every day. There’s a sense of anticipation as the lights go out, only for the room to be lit up by candles as a friend or family member brings in a yummy-looking birthday cake. Guests start singing more or less in unison, more in less in tune, depending on how much alcohol has been consumed, and the birthday girl or boy politely wai...

According to a 2016 WHO study, 25% of the global population is likely to develop a mental disorder during their lifetime. But of course there are certain habits that we can adopt to diminish that risk, or treat the situation. These include getting counselling, regular physical activity and a proper sleep routine. Another beneficial habit is journaling, or "therapeutic writing”, as it’s also known....

Plant milks have been all the rage for a number of years now, and they’re gradually taking up more and more space on supermarket shelves, to the detriment of animal milks. In 2020, British shoppers spent £100m more on plant milks compared to the previous year, according to research from Mintel. That was a rise of over 30%, demonstrating their growing popularity. They are considered a viable altern...

These days, with the internet and social media, we’re exposed to fake news more than ever, misleading or false information presented as fact, sometimes to influence opinion or create confusion. Sometimes it’s easy to spot… but not always. And it gets even trickier when it comes from someone we like or trust, like an influencer. With their reach and visibility, they can spread this kind of content,...

Meditation is often sighted as a great way to relax, reduce stress and help us focus, but it can be difficult for lots of people to do in the traditional sense. However, meditation can be achieved without ever sitting down cross legged and focusing on your breathing. “The whole idea with mindfulness is training your brain, you can do this just as well by being intentionally mindful throughout the...

Depersonalization, a dissociative psychological syndrome, can be incredibly destabilising. It often takes years for sufferers to identify it. Characterised by altered self-perception, individuals may feel dead, detached, or anaesthetised. They might not recognize themselves in the mirror and struggle to distinguish between reality and a dream. According to Stanford University School of Medicine, t...

You’ve probably heard of jetlag, the feeling of fatigue and disorientation that occurs when you travel across different time zones, but did you know that you can experience a similar phenomenon without leaving your home?  It’s called social jetlag and is caused by changing your sleep patterns. It happens when you change your sleep schedule on the weekends to fit your social life. Why is social jet...

I don’t know about you but for me not having to set an alarm on a Saturday or Sunday morning is really one of life’s simple pleasures. With my packed work schedule and family life, I often don’t end up getting as much sleep as I need during the week. So it’s really tempting to try to catch up on that sleep debt over the weekend. But then I heard about these studies that have shown that weekend lie...

Did you know that each of us has a truly unique body odour, which is influenced by a mix of genetic, hormonal, age-related, environmental, and lifestyle factor? And your diet plays a role in shaping your natural scent. Some foods have their own noticeably strong odours, like garlic or onions for example, and can in turn cause us to sweat more. The same goes for spices and chili, which makes sense...

No one's proud of being unfaithful, but what if some people’s cheating was actually caused by genetics, rather than selfishness? That might sound like a convenient excuse, but actually there could be some scientific basis behind it. In 2022 researchers at the University of Queensland in Australia analysed the DNA of over 7,300 twins aged between 18 and 49, all of whom had been in relationships for...

If just thinking of spiders is enough to make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck, or you jump any time you see one, the chances are you suffer from arachnophobia. It affects up to 15% of people according to the Cleveland Clinic, making it one of the most common phobias out there. As it turns out, human fear of spiders may well be down to evolution. Researchers from Germany, Austria and Sw...

We usually sneeze to protect ourselves from irritants such as pollen, dust, or chemicals. But there are some people who consistently sneeze when they look at the sun. In fact, this affects from 10 to 35% of us when we move from being in the shade to bright light, according to PBS.org. If it happens to you, perhaps you’ve been wondering if it’s an allergy to sunlight, but actually it isn’t. The rea...

Not getting a good night’s sleep can certainly leave you feeling grumpy and groggy, but can it also make you selfish? Sleep experts at the University of California, Berkeley certainly seem to think so, and apparently even losing just one hour of sleep is enough to make you less generous towards others and that includes friends and family.  The team conducted a number experiments which were publish...

You know how sometimes you might indulge in a bit too much junk food, or maybe the kids aren’t acing their tests, or perhaps you’re navigating the single life? Hold up—before you start to worry, there’s a seemingly scientific explanation for all of it, and it points to one place: our brains. Neuroscience has become the go-to for decoding life’s issues, spanning medicine, economics, politics, and e...

You may remember we talked about whether or not opposites attract in a recent episode of Do You Really Know. As it turns out, more often than not, couples tend to share a lot of characteristics, and it’s relatively rare for them to be substantially different. When you think about it, it kind of makes sense. After all, it's often easier to be in a relationship and share your life with someone who s...

Our planet is full of blue things. The sea, the sky. Blueberries, bluebirds, bluebells. If English is your only language, it’s probably inconceivable to you that a language could exist without a word for blue. After all, it's one of the three primary colours according to traditional colour theory. And yet in reality not every language in the world does have a specific word for blue. You see, in so...

If you're aged between 30 and 40, you're part of Generation Y, also known as the ‘millennials’ You may have already said to yourself that the next generation, Gen Z, look much older than their age. Millennials grew up amid the rise of the wellness industry and numerous public health campaigns that promoted healthy living, think about the messaging around eating five fruits and vegetables a day, st...

It's back to school! DYRK is dedicating a special week to sport. Because moving and doing regular physical activity is important for our physical and mental health! Listen again to our episodes about sport! Muscle dysmorphia, also known as bigorexia or reverse anorexia, is an obsession with bulking up by working out. It’s caused by a person’s belief that their body is too skinny or lacking in musc...

According to a 2014 study by the Pew Research Center, people in wealthier countries are happier on average, but only up to a point. Even in so-called "emerging" countries like Indonesia, Pakistan and Turkey, there was a correlation between rising wealth levels and the percentage of happy people. Interestingly though, in well-off nations, people don't necessarily attribute their happiness directly...

We've all experienced those gut feelings, hunches, or flashes of insight that seem to come from nowhere. But what exactly is intuition, and can it be explained? Even though scientists haven't yet unraveled all of its secrets, intuition isn’t as mysterious as we might think. One expert definition of intuition says that it is: "the universal ability to grasp information in a non-conventional way, ou...

Digital sobriety is all about reducing the ecological footprint of our daily digital lifestyles. That’s right, using your cell phone, PC or connected refrigerator all contributes to pollution. And it’s on the rise. The transition to digital technology is often presented as being a positive evolution, especially with regards to reducing household energy consumption. But current practices are contri...

It's pretty common these days to have to tackle several things at once, like responding to an email while on a work call. Our constant pursuit of productivity leads us to mix various activities simultaneously, whether it's at work, home, or even at school for kids. This blending of at least two tasks at the same time is commonly known as multitasking. When you focus on something that you’re doing...