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PODCAST

Do you really know?

You’ve heard about it, but do you really know it? In 3 minutes, we help you understand the true meaning behind the trends, concepts and acronyms that are making headlines. After listening, you will really know for sure.

education

All Episodes

4:57

How much sleep should I get each night?

Do you really know? ·

2025/10/04

We spend over a third of our lives sleeping. It allows our mind and body to recharge, which is vital for a number of reasons. It helps our immune system to ward off diseases, and the brain to function properly. And yet as many as 16 million adults in the UK suffer from sleepless nights, according to estimates from the Office for National Statistics. You may have noticed that your own optimal sleep duration is different from that of other people you know well, like family members or friends. But

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4:48

How should I organise my fridge?

Do you really know? ·

2025/10/04

You might be the kind of person that meticulously fills your fridge with your groceries ensuring that every item is in the correct spot or perhaps you just shove them in wherever there is space but there is actual science behind how to best fill your fridge to keep things fresh and avoid waste. But everything you thought you knew may no longer be valid as the UK food authority has just updated its advice on a number of foodstuffs and where they should be stored so it might be time to refresh your

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4:46

What are the craziest beauty ‘standards’ in history?

Do you really know? ·

2025/10/03

In French, when someone is beautiful, you can say they’re ‘canon’. The word itself means a general law, rule, princely or criteria by which something is judged, but when it comes to beauty it is simply means model that we elevate to the level of perfection. Except that this model has changed a lot over the centuries and across cultures. Those who are considered “canons” today would have been considered ugly in another era. And some of the beauty standards of the past would probably look

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4:55

Should I be cleaning my belly button?

Do you really know? ·

2025/10/03

We talked about omplaphobia in a recent episode of Do You Really Know, which is the fear of belly buttons. Well the subject of today’s episode may make for awkward listening for anyone affected by that phobia. That’s right; we’re talking about belly buttons again. Now, be honest: when was the last time you washed your belly button in the shower? It’s commonly overlooked, but surprisingly it’s actually one of the dirtiest parts of the human body. That’s because it accumulates dead skin cells,

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5:17

How often should I shower?

Do you really know? ·

2025/10/03

Whether it's for the sake of comfort or maintaining good hygiene, many of us opt for taking a shower on a daily basis. Studies have shown it's the most popular shower frequency. Some swear by the virtues of a refreshing morning shower while others like theirs in the evening when winding down and getting ready for bed. But in actual fact, our bodies are pretty adept at self-cleaning. For instance, dead skin cells shed completely naturally! If you're someone who showers more than once a day, you may

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5:37

What is climate optimism?

Do you really know? ·

2025/10/02

We’ve talked about eco-anxiety before on Do You Really Know, and it’s real. A survey published in the Lancet in December 2021 found that 75% of young people thought the future was frightening. But others are preaching a more positive outlook, with cautious climate optimism looking set to be a trend in 2023. While our fears around the climate crisis are justified and useful, if they paralyse us out of doing anything, those feelings of hopelessness are inevitable. Psychologists call it “learned

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4:39

Is it dangerous to drink too much water?

Do you really know? ·

2025/10/02

All our organs contain water, even our bones. In total, more than half of our body is made up of it, or 45 litres for a person weighing 65 kg. The water we drink is needed to eliminate waste: 3 litres disappear every day via urine, perspiration and breathing. It also helps maintain our body temperature at around 37 degrees and is essential for digestion. The recommended daily intake of water is around 6, 25cl glasses of water a day, in other words about 1.5 litres. For some of us, this rhythm

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5:14

What does vaping do to the body?

Do you really know? ·

2025/10/02

Vaping has become increasingly popular in recent years, especially among young people. A 2022 report from Action on Smoking and Health found that an estimated 4.3 million people vape in Great Britain, a figure that is massively up from 800,000 a decade ago. It’s often touted as a safer alternative to smoking, but have you ever wondered what it actually does to your body? Or whether it comes with its own set of risks. Let’s look into the facts on the matter. What do the liquids in e-cigarette

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5:08

Could unfaithfulness be caused by genetics?

Do you really know? ·

2025/10/01

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 several years. What were the study’s results then? Are some people simply programmed to cheat

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4:28

How should you get ready for your first mammogram?

Do you really know? ·

2025/10/01

The thought of taking a mammogram is often scary for women, but it’s a highly important medical exam, and one we should bear in mind in the context of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Like with any type of cancer, the earlier breast cancer is detected, the better the patient’s chances of recovery. And a mammogram can detect abnormalities that are too difficult to spot by only sight and touch. Why are mammograms recommended for women over the age of 50? Can women with breast implants or small breasts

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5:18

What is the Oosouji method of house cleaning?

Do you really know? ·

2025/10/01

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 and reverence shown to Shinto gods. Following this line of thinking, many Japanese people engage in

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4:50

Do I need to take vitamin D supplements?

Do you really know? ·

2025/09/30

Vitamin D is known as the ‘sunshine vitamin’, and it’s not for nothing. Our bodies make it from cholesterol when exposed to sunlight. The sun’s ultraviolet B rays hit cholesterol in the skin cells, providing the energy needed for vitamin D synthesis to occur. Naturally, during autumn and winter, there’s less sunlight and government advice suggests that everyone should consider taking Vitamin D supplements during these seasons. In fact, most people are Vitamin D-deficient regardless of the season

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4:27

Why do we jump when we get scared?

Do you really know? ·

2025/09/30

Whether you’re watching a horror film, or exposed to a sudden loud noise, all of us have jumped at some point when scared. The body’s response to getting startled is all too familiar: tense muscles, a racing heartbeat and a twitching neck, among others. But there’s still a lot of mystery behind the phenomenon. Jolting is actually a natural and adaptive defensive response that helps our bodies avoid what it perceives as an immediate threat. How often it happens and how intense the response is

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5:20

Why should you be happy to see spiders in your home?

Do you really know? ·

2025/09/30

What's your relationship with spiders like? Some people are pretty terrified of them, and for many their first reaction is to grab something to squash them with. Most likely, encountering spiders at home is a regular occurrence, and they're actually more beneficial than you might think. Aren’t they dangerous though? What are the benefits of having spiders in my home then? Why do they come into my house? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click

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4:47

How does buckwheat improve your health?

Do you really know? ·

2025/09/29

Most people know buckwheat as the flour used for pancakes or blinis. But it’s actually so much more than that! Even though it’s often used as a wheat alternative, buckwheat isn’t a cereal at all. It’s a flowering plant, and its seeds can be prepared in a ton of different ways. Plus, it’s got a whole load of nutritional benefits. Why is it good for you then? Does buckwheat have any other advantages over wheat? How can I get buckwheat into my diet then? In under 3 minutes, we answer your

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5:25

How often should I cut my hair?

Do you really know? ·

2025/09/29

For some, a trip to the hairdresser feels like a chore, while for others, it’s a refreshing boost. Either way, getting regular haircuts isn’t just a matter of appearance; it’s key to maintaining healthy hair and encouraging natural renewal. Cutting your hair doesn’t make it grow faster, as some people would have you believe, but it does make it stronger. Hair tends to wear out and thin, especially at the ends, due to friction from clothing. Getting a regular trim will prevent that and allow your

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4:25

Does stress really cause grey hair?

Do you really know? ·

2025/09/29

We’ve all heard the saying, "This is giving me grey hair!" But is there any truth to it? Actually, yes. Several scientific studies confirm that stress can speed up the process of hair turning white. One such study, published in the journal Nature in 2020, involved Harvard scientists who used mice to explore how stress affects hair pigmentation. What did they find? Is there any way to reverse this? What’s the takeaway? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes,

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4:59

How can I improve my posture in the office?

Do you really know? ·

2025/09/28

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 in the muscles, tendons, nerves, back, wrists or neck can appear little by little when certain office

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5:15

Why should you pee after having sex?

Do you really know? ·

2025/09/28

I don’t know about your love life, but let’s be honest; for most people having sex doesn’t work out as smoothly as what you see in the movies. Not only is the act itself idealised, but so is what comes after. On screen, you tend to see couples snuggling and drifting off in each other's arms, all cosy and serene. But what movies tend to skip over is the part where you have to slip out of bed with your legs pressed together, and waddle like a penguin to the bathroom to pee and wash up. OK, it might

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4:39

Have you ever looked in the mirror and not recognized...

Do you really know? ·

2025/09/28

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, this rare phenomenon affects only 2% of the global population. This unsettling experience leads to

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3,270 results

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