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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

5:10

Why is the BRICS bloc expanding?

Do you really know? ·

2025/09/11

During the 15th annual BRICS summit in Johannesburg in 2023, the South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that 6 new member countries would be joining the bloc in 2024. Historically composed by Brazil, Russia, India and China, the BRICS countries control a significant amount of natural resources, making it a key actor in the world. They started to organize summits as an intergovernmental organisation in 2009 and the annual summits have taken place ever since. But if they are already so

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5:02

Which foods mustn't you put in the microwave?

Do you really know? ·

2025/09/10

The microwave first emerged in the 1950s and has since become a common fixture in kitchens worldwide. 2018 data from Statista showed that 93% of UK household now own a microwave, with that figure also being over 90% in the United States according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Love it or hate it; you can’t deny that it’s hard to beat the microwave for convenience when it comes to quickly reheating food. It operates using the principle of electromagnetic wave radiation, by agitating the

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5:26

Are micro naps actually effective?

Do you really know? ·

2025/09/10

After lunch, many of us get that familiar afternoon slump, an overwhelming urge to just doze off for a little while.And on weekends or during holidays, it’s easy enough to sneak in a short nap. But at work, it’s another story. Firstly, it simply wouldn’t be practical in a lot of work environments, and even if it was, would you really dare to go for a kip in the middle of the work day? You might be afraid of incurring the wrath of your boss, or giving your colleagues the impression that you’re a

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5:05

What is climate shadow, the newest way to measure...

Do you really know? ·

2025/09/10

The idea of carbon footprint dates back to the early 2000s and ironically was introduced by oil giant BP. But recently, a new concept was created: the climate change shadow. It's a relatively recent addition to the ever growing list of terms relating to climate change. American writer Emma Pattee introduced the idea of the climate shadow in a blog post for Mic.com in December 2021, as a more comprehensive metric for each person’s impact on the climate crisis. What exactly contributes to my

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5:38

What advantages does pretty privilege give attractive...

Do you really know? ·

2025/09/09

Of course, as the old saying goes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but even as children we all kind of realise who’s seen as physically attractive and who isn’t, don’t we? Let’s take a moment to consider that the global beauty industry was worth $430bn in 2022, according to a report from McKinsey. That was up from $300 bn in 2015, with projections suggesting the $500bn mark would be reached by 2025. If people are spending all that money on skincare, fragrance, makeup and haircare, it must

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5:28

How did Ozempic get so popular?

Do you really know? ·

2025/09/09

Today we’re talking about a diabetes medicine which has gained a reputation for leading to weight loss. Ozempic became popular among Hollywood celebrities for its appetite-suppressing properties. Elon Musk has tweeted about it three times, giving it part of the credit for his having lost 30lb in late 2022. Over on Tiktok, users have also been singing Ozempic’s praises for a while now, with the hashtag having reached 1.3 bn views at the time of recording this episode. How does it work exactly

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4:56

What are plant milks?

Do you really know? ·

2025/09/09

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 alternative for people who are allergic or intolerant to lactose. They often have a sweet taste, making them

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4:29

What do masculinists mean by a "soyboy"?

Do you really know? ·

2025/09/08

At first glance, it’s a jab at men who don’t eat meat, especially those who drink soy milk. But pretty quickly, it took on a political edge. Today, it’s used by masculinists, men who advocate for male superiority or dominance and far-right circles to mock men they see as too sensitive, too progressive, too… woke. In other words: not manly enough. What does the term really mean? Any real-life examples? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click

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5:27

What is the soft evening concept from Tiktok?

Do you really know? ·

2025/09/08

Do you ever feel frustrated about work dominating your life? Maybe in your free time, you try to make up for that by enjoying yourself and having a busy social life. You go to the cinema, fit in a workout and so on. But these activities sometimes end up putting more pressure on you than the pleasure you get out of them. What if I told you you could have a thoroughly satisfying evening, without it needing to be productive at all? Over on Tiktok, a concept called “soft evenings” has emerged to

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4:49

How can I overcome my fear of speaking in public?

Do you really know? ·

2025/09/08

According to a study conducted by the Statistic Brain Research Institute in 2016, 74% of the global population feels uncomfortable speaking in front of an audience. That might be an oral exam at school, a presentation at work, or even making a toast at a birthday party for example. The symptoms are often the same: sweaty palms, shortness of breath and a racing heart. You may feel like you’re frozen! The level of anxiety can range from light nervousness to total panic. And it’s not always easy to

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5:41

What is the best time of year to find work?

Do you really know? ·

2025/09/07

The SeptemberSurge hashtag has accrued 12.9M views on the platform at the time of recording. The trend suggests that September is the ideal time to find a job. You worked for hours on perfecting your CV and cover letter. You've already applied for ten different jobs at ten different companies. But despite having all the right credentials, you’re just not hearing back from anyone. Maybe the problem isn’t actually what’s on your CV, but when you’re applying for a job. Why is that? Are there periods

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4:38

What is microwork?

Do you really know? ·

2025/09/07

Microwork is paid work which usually involves short and repetitive tasks carried out on a smartphone or computer. It could be identifying objects shown in an image, watching videos, labelling data, translating short sentences or recording one’s voice for example. It can also be charging electric scooters or taking photos of products for an app. It’s as simple as registering on a platform which acts as the middle man between workers and companies. Amazon Mechanical Turk is an example of one such

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4:45

Why is the UK not as happy as it used to be?

Do you really know? ·

2025/09/07

According to the World happiness report, of the 137 countries they include, the UK has fallen to 19th position. This follows a steady decline over the past few years although they are happier than Lithuania in 20th position and France in 21st position. As ever Finland has continued its winning streak and stays at number one just above New Zealand. The report combines both subjective well-being assessments and objective indicators. Respondents rate their own current lives on a scale from 0 to 10

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5:21

Is it bad to drink coffee after 4pm?

Do you really know? ·

2025/09/06

According to the British Coffee Association, we drink around 98 million cups of coffee per day in the UK. That’s around one and a half cups for every single person in the country! It’s said that drinking coffee in the evening or even late afternoon has a negative impact on sleep quality, but a lot of people do so anyway. Coffee contains various molecules, such as antioxidants and caffeine, which has a psychostimulant effect and is therefore behind the links to disrupting sleep. Our bodies don’t all

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5:25

What is future faking?

Do you really know? ·

2025/09/06

“I can’t wait for us to get married;” “Let’s travel the world together;” “We’re going to have two kids and buy that apartment across the street” When you’re in a romantic relationship, it can be genuinely heartwarming to hear your partner paint a vibrant picture of days ahead. But what about if it happens much earlier than you expected - say on your second or third date? Usually at that stage, you're still figuring each other out, so beware - it could be a sign of what’s known as future faking. Of

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5:03

Do you know about home design maximalism?

Do you really know? ·

2025/09/06

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. Maximalism is making a comeback! The signs have been there at furniture shows, such as the 2022 Milan

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5:04

How can I cope with post holiday blues?

Do you really know? ·

2025/09/05

We've all been there, haven't we? That moment when a holiday comes to a close and the reality of everyday life sets in. The post-holiday blues, that feeling of melancholy after returning from a relaxing escape, can cast a shadow on our moods.According to a 2017 articles from Mirror.co.uk, 57% of Brits are affected. Many of you may be experiencing these blues right now, so today we’re exploring just how to beat the slump. Post-holiday blues might be an unwelcome visitor, but they don't have to

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4:55

What are happy hormones?

Do you really know? ·

2025/09/05

A recent scientific brief from the World Health Organisation, explained that anxiety and depression had increased by 25% worldwide over the first year of the Covid 19 pandemic. The massive rise was mostly down to social isolation and multiple stress factors like fear of infection and financial worries. It’s important to know that we can actually control our mood to some extent. It’s possible to boost our so-called happy hormones in natural ways, by opting for specific foods, activities and

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5:13

What do I need to know before getting laser eye surgery?

Do you really know? ·

2025/09/05

Shortsightedness or myopia affects long distance vision, preventing people from seeing objects over a few yards away. You may remember we covered the subject on Do You Really Know? a while back and that it has been labelled an epidemic due to ever increasing prevalence worldwide. It’s estimated that a third of all people suffer from myopia, and the World Health Organisation has suggested that half of all human beings in the world will be shortsighted by 2050, with excessive screen use and a lack of

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4:48

Can you improve your relationship by learning your...

Do you really know? ·

2025/09/04

Gary Chapman is the author of The Five Love Languages, a book first published in 1992 that outlines how people express and experience love. He argues that romantic miscommunications come about due to people expressing love to one another using different “languages”, and therefore struggle to understand one another.But, if you understand your own love language, you can ask for what you need and be in tune to the needs of your partner. According to Chapman, the different ways people can communicate

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3,221 results

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