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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

4:43

What is Blue Monday?

Do you really know? ·

2026/01/19

Sorry to end the week with bad news but tomorrow, January 16th, is Blue Monday, often cited as the most depressing day of the year. Blue Monday has existed since 2005, and is based on an equation which takes into account various factors. However, its detractors criticise the idea as pseudoscience and say it is driven by money. Since the first Blue Monday equation was devised by psychologist Cliff Arnall, there have been a few different variants, but there are common elements to each. Of course

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4:32

Are smoothies actually good for you?

Do you really know? ·

2026/01/19

Smoothies can be seen pretty prominently in organic food stores and supermarkets during the summer. They’ve been a popular choice for years now and come with a reputation for being healthy too. Many people believe that they’re a convenient way of consuming fruit and vegetables, and that they’re also effective at preventing snacking between meals. What’s the difference between a smoothie and fruit juice? Are smoothies healthier than fruit juice? Can you drink smoothies every day? In under 3

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4:45

Which colours go well together according to science?

Do you really know? ·

2026/01/19

It's often said that colour preferences are simply a matter of personal taste, but actually some have been backed up by science, especially in the field of art history. For the last two centuries, it has been customary in art and design to come up with colour combinations based on what is known the colour wheel. It’s a visual representation of the spectrum of colors, organized in a circular format. This wheel divides colours into primary: red, blue, and yellow, secondary: green, orange, and purple,

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4:59

What are the best ways to reuse my household waste?

Do you really know? ·

2026/01/18

November is synonymous with Black Friday, great deals but what cost? Over consumption is endangering our already fragile planet. Is it time to change our ways? This week Do You Really Know is highlighting concepts and initiatives about reducing our consumption. All week long we’ll be discussing anticonsumerist trends as an alternative to Black Friday. Zero waste is a good example of one that has become very popular in recent years. The practice helps reduce consumption of non-recyclables but it’s

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4:59

Could the 42% rule help me have a better work-life...

Do you really know? ·

2026/01/18

More and more people across the world are struggling with burnout. According to a Future Forum survey of over 10,000 workers from February 2023, as many as 42% of workers experience it, an all-time high. When signs of exhaustion emerge, the ideal solution is, of course, total rest, but it's often a luxury that few can afford. An alternative for preventing burnout is what's known as the "42% rule." The rule was introduced in 2019 in a book authored by two identical twins from the USA: Amelia and

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5:21

What is the Smurfette Principle?

Do you really know? ·

2026/01/18

Does that ring a bell? How many of you spent hours in front of the Smurfs as children? We’re sure you remember the smiley little girl with blond hair, a white dress and high heels. In case your memory has faded, in the wonderful world of the Smurfs, Smurfette is created by the evil wizard Gargamel to sow discord! How curious that the role of agitator is reserved for a female character... Add to that the fact that the Smurfville population is exclusively male, until the arrival of the lone

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4:38

Does olive oil really make you fat?

Do you really know? ·

2026/01/17

Olive oil, a cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet, boasts a rich composition of essential fatty acids, vitamins A, D, E, and K, along with polyphenols. These antioxidants are celebrated for their role in decelerating cellular ageing. Fatty acids, a pivotal component of lipids, include some that our bodies cannot produce, underscoring the necessity of sourcing them from our diets. Predominantly composed of omega-9, olive oil’s monounsaturated fatty acids are linked to a diminished risk of

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4:26

What is auto-brewery syndrome?

Do you really know? ·

2026/01/17

Imagine being drunk, without having drunk a single drop of alcohol, it seems completely implausible, and yet for some is a reality. South-West media shared the story of a motorist who appeared in court in Bruges in 2022 after being found to have too much alcohol in his blood twice in the same year. The man, in his forties, was eventually acquitted, proving that the tests were not the result of a night of drinking, but rather of auto-brewery syndrome. Self-brewing syndrome, also known as intestinal

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5:07

Which conspiracy theories were actually true?

Do you really know? ·

2026/01/17

The origins of Covid-19 still remain somewhat hazy, over three-and-a-half years since the virus began spreading across the world. That has led to a number of prominent conspiracy theories, with 25% of people in the UK believing that Covid was definitely or probably a hoax. That finding was part of an April 2023 survey by Savanta for King’s College London and the BBC. It also established that belief in other conspiracy theories is relatively high too, like the idea that the cost of living crisis is

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5:12

How can I stop micro-awakenings from disrupting my...

Do you really know? ·

2026/01/16

According to a Direct Line Group study from 2022, over 70% of UK adults don’t get the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep per night. Nighttime micro-awakenings are a common contributing problem. For many of us, they happen four to six times per night without us even noticing. And they usually just mark the end of a sleep cycle. But they’re more common in some people, and can be down to various factors like anxiety, mental hyperactivity, asthma, acid reflux, or arthritis. The effects of caffeine, tea,

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4:11

What Is Orthosomnia, this new sleep disorder?

Do you really know? ·

2026/01/16

Nearly one in three adults in the UK experiences symptoms of insomnia. On average, adults in the UK get about 7.6 hours of sleep per night. In recent years, the popularity of gadgets designed to track and improve sleep has surged. However, this growing focus on achieving perfect sleep has given rise to a new issue: orthosomnia. Smartwatches, fitness trackers, and more advanced gadgets like connected sleep masks or mattress sensors track sleep patterns and stages, such as REM and deep sleep

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5:20

Why do friend breakups hurt so much?

Do you really know? ·

2026/01/16

We all know that getting over romantic relationships can take time, sometimes weeks, months or years. Many poems, songs and film scenes have been dedicated to expressing the pain of dealing with such situations. But friendship heartbreaks don’t tend to get so much attention, even though they can hurt as much, or even more! Well one of the main things is that there’s a template for ending a romantic relationship. It’s a rite of passage really. But that simply doesn’t exist when it comes to

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5:39

Can our bodies really catch up on lost sleep?

Do you really know? ·

2026/01/15

We talk about sleep needs a lot on Do You Really Know, so regular listeners will be well aware that we need 7-9 hours each day, and that not getting enough can lead to negative health impacts.Regardless of who you are, when you get less than seven hours of sleep, you start accumulating what’s known as sleep debt or sleep deficit. The Sleep Foundation defines it as: “the difference between the amount of sleep someone needs and the amount they actually get.” What can I do in the short term if I

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5:04

How can I avoid always feeling hungry?

Do you really know? ·

2026/01/15

The feeling of hunger can be difficult to explain sometimes, especially if you feel like you've eaten as much as you usually do. As a result, we often end up either snacking or putting up with a rumbling tummy for hours on end. Even if we manage to resist snacking, the risk is that when it gets to meal time we end up eating twice as much as usual! Feelings of hunger can also lead to a drop in energy or concentration problems. A number of factors can explain not feeling full after eating. One is not

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4:41

Can jellyfish offer the key to immortality?

Do you really know? ·

2026/01/15

Throughout history people have been keen to find the answer to immortality. It's now commonly accepted that eternal life is not possible. Yet, somewhere deep in the ocean, a tiny fingernail-sized creature nicknamed the “immortal jellyfish” might be able to cast new light on the human aging process. A new study published in August 2022 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows the results from a team of researchers who have mapped the jellyfish’s genetic code to find the secret to

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4:45

Could insects replace meat?

Do you really know? ·

2026/01/14

Although it is quite usual to find insects in markets in both Africa and Asia it is rather more unusual for people in the West to eat them.However, with increased awareness of animal welfare and environmental concerns around eating meat people are beginning to think more seriously about insects as food rather than something to be swatted. The problem is that a lot of people find eating bugs pretty off putting, but now scientists have discovered that mealworms, traditionally used as pet food or as

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4:35

Do aphrodisiacs really work?

Do you really know? ·

2026/01/14

You’ve no doubt heard that certain foods can increase desire, or even improve sexual performance. Oysters, ginger, chocolate and strawberries are just a few examples of foods that supposedly have that magical effect. They’re labelled aphrodisiacs, a word which comes from the name of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love. There are very few scientific studies out there to back that belief up. In people who have blood circulation issues, some foods can have the same effect as Viagra, which relaxes

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5:07

Are women really more emotional than men?

Do you really know? ·

2026/01/14

"Irrational”, “overdramatic”, “hysterical”, “sensitive” - if you’re a woman you have most likely been described using one of these words or similar in the past. That’s because there’s a common belief that women are more emotional than men, which still persists to this day. It can sometimes be framed in a positive way, saying that women show more empathy. But all too often it’s used as a weapon to dismiss what a woman is saying. Is there any scientific basis to such assumptions? What were the

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4:44

Why is physical contact important for our health?

Do you really know? ·

2026/01/13

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 give away our feelings, when we blush, go pale or get goosebumps. The same can be said for stress too, in

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5:31

Why are some people constantly sexually aroused?

Do you really know? ·

2026/01/13

The condition we’re going to talk about today is pretty rare. It affects around 1% of women, but it can really disrupt the lives of those who suffer from it. Persistent genital arousal disorder, or PGAD for short, was officially identified by the medical community back in 2001, when Sandra Leiblum and Sharon Nathan published an article about it in The Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy. At the time, they called it persistent genital arousal syndrome, and identified five specific criteria for

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