Do you really know?

Latest Episodes:

What is eco-anxiety? Aug 16, 2026

Show notes

The UN’s COP26 summit is due to start this Sunday, and it’s pretty clear to most of us that climate change is the most serious threat to our health. Of course it’s a physical threat, especially to the vulnerable, due to extreme weather events like heatwaves, storms and fires, which are increasingly frequent and intense.

But we mustn’t neglect the mental impact, as fear of the future is eating away at the minds of many. Indeed, climate-related disasters and environmental catastrophes are causing a lot of confusion and worry about the future of the planet.

Is it really that widespread? What’s the best way to manage feelings of eco-anxiety? ⁠⁠In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!⁠⁠

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

To listen to the last episodes, you can click here:

⁠Could brain dumping help you manage your anxiety?⁠

⁠Why are so many people suffering from AI anxiety?⁠

⁠Do anti-anxiety patches really work?⁠

First Broadcast: november 2021

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What are Fan Tokens? Aug 16, 2026

Show notes

What are Fan Tokens? Thanks for asking!

Even if you’re not a football fan, you can’t have missed the news of Lionel Messi’s recent transfer to Paris Saint Germain in mid-August. But you may not have heard details of the star’s €30M sign-on package at PSG, a significant proportion of which was paid in the club’s Fan Token cryptocurrency.

The move led to a spike in PSG trading, with the token value more than doubling from one week to the next.

Where can you buy fan tokens? And what’s the point? Why do football clubs need more money anyway? ⁠In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!⁠

To listen to the last episodes, you can click here:

⁠What is terraforming?⁠

⁠What is a deepfake?⁠

⁠What is empty nest syndrome?⁠

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

First Broadcast: 8/9/2021

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is mucosal immunity? Aug 15, 2026

Show notes

What is mucosal immunity? Thanks for asking!

It was announced last week that Covid booster vaccines would soon be available to millions of people across the UK, including all over 50s and other people with underlying health conditions.

In the meantime, new ways to combat the virus are emerging, specifically that of an nasal spray vaccine designed to boost mucosal immunity. Regular listeners may recall our recent episode on this kind of vaccine. The latest developments this month saw a team of French researchers present promising results from preliminary clinical trials on mice and hamsters.

How is mucosal immunity different to what’s generated by traditional vaccines then? Are you saying we won’t ever reach herd immunity with the existing vaccines? ⁠In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!⁠

To listen to the last episodes, you can click here:

⁠What are Butler Cafés?⁠

⁠What is last chance tourism?⁠

⁠What is toxic positivity?⁠

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

See ⁠acast.com/privacy⁠ for privacy and opt-out information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Which of Asimov's predictions have come true? Aug 15, 2026

Show notes

Speculative science fiction really is a genre of its own. Some people love it, others find it pointless, but you can’t deny the mental gymnastics involved in imagining the future of our societies, especially when some of those predictions turn out to be right.

In that field, there are a few writers who stand out above the rest: George Orwell, Aldous Huxley, and, perhaps most famously, Isaac Asimov.

Who exactly was Isaac Asimov? Did he predict a future full of robots then? What about space?To listen to the last episodes, you can click here:

⁠What is future faking?⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Will the meat of the future be printed in 3D?⁠

⁠Why do we see faces in inanimate objects?⁠

A Bababam Originals podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

First Broadcast: 15/10/2025

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What are sonic weapons? Aug 15, 2026

Show notes

In June it emerged that Greek police had acquired two long range acoustic devices, designed to discourage migrants from approaching the country's border with Turkey. At the size of a small TV, the cannons don’t look particularly threatening, but are capable of emitting powerful sound waves as loud as a jet plane.

An LRAD is an example of a sonic weapon, which is an umbrella term used to cover the many different types of acoustic harassment devices. They emit a particularly audible sound in a precise direction, making it very unpleasant for those who get close. The use of LRADs has been a source of controversy in a number of scenarios. In addition to the pain and disorientation caused, their alert feature has been reported to cause lasting hearing damage.

In what other scenarios are sonic weapons used? Is there anything peaceful protesters can do to protect themselves? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

To listen to the last episodes, you can click here:

⁠Is binge drinking over in the UK?⁠

⁠How can I improve my posture in the office?⁠

⁠Do I need to take vitamin D supplements?⁠

A Bababam Originals podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How can I have a healthier relationship with my smartphone? Aug 14, 2026

Show notes

For a number of years now, our smartphones have played a central role in many aspects of our lives, from work to personal relationships to entertainment. There’s a close and sometimes addictive connection.

Just think of doomscrolling for example, which is a phenomenon we’ve discussed in the past on Do You Really Know. It’s a form of behaviour which sees us compulsively scrolling through depressing content on social media platforms like Instagram or TikTok. It can easily end up draining us, leaving us feeling unfulfilled and possibly leading to anxiety or exhaustion.

How can I recognise if I’m addicted to my smartphone? What about at other times of the day? What’s the best way to get started? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

To listen to the last episodes, you can click here:

⁠⁠How much do surrogate mothers get paid?⁠⁠

⁠⁠What is the Barnum effect?⁠⁠

⁠⁠How to spot, prevent and treat heatstroke ?⁠⁠

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

First broadcast: 12/1/2024

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Does the law of attraction really work? Aug 14, 2026

Show notes

Over on TikTok, the #idontchaseiattract hashtag is nearing in on 20,000 publications at the time of recording. It really took off in late 2023, especially after Kendall Jenner said the following in an interview with Enews.

Behind the simple statement are young women advocating that with enough belief, you can manifest whatever you want in life. You might have also heard of "Lucky girl syndrome" and "manifesting," which have also gone viral on Tiktok in the past, and are based on similar principles. And these trendy ideas are essentially a modern spin on an age-old principle: the law of attraction, which gained popularity in the early 2000s within the realm of personal development.

How exactly did the "law of attraction" come about then? Is there any scientific basis to these ideas? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

To listen to the last episodes, you can click here:

⁠⁠Why do some men get ill after they orgasm?⁠⁠

⁠⁠Is nostalgia good or bad for us?⁠⁠

⁠⁠How can the unisex condom improve my sex life?⁠⁠

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

First Broadcast: 25/2/2024

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What are the best ways to reuse my household waste? Aug 14, 2026

Show notes

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 also plain common sense. Let’s look at some simple ways to recycle waste at home and also save some cash while you’re at it.

What about composting fruits and vegetables? What about food that has already gone bad? What about waste that isn't organic? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

To listen to the latest episodes, click here:

⁠⁠What is premium mediocre - the illusion of luxury?⁠⁠

⁠⁠What is Gross National Happiness, a potential alternative to GDP?⁠⁠

⁠⁠Why are my ears ringing?⁠⁠

A Bababam Originals podcast, written and produced by Joseph Chance.

First Broadcast: 23/11/2022

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is shaving too often bad for you? Aug 13, 2026

Show notes

There’s a lot of popular ideas out there about body hair removal. Shave too much and the hair becomes thicker. Wax, and it will gradually start thinning out. It can be hard to know who or what to believe. Both women and men increasingly spend a lot of their time and money removing body hair, even though it acts as a barrier to bacteria, and sexually transmitted diseases in the case of pubic hair.

Shaving with a razor, using an electric epilator and waxing all have their own pros and cons. But let’s take a moment to consider the rarely discussed topic of whether any of them pose health risks. Shaving for example is perhaps the most popular hair removal method due to how quick, easy and cheap it is. Using a razor is actually quite harsh on the skin though, and tends to dry it out in the long run. Depilatory creams are a gentler alternative, but they also contain certain hair-softening chemicals which can irritate the skin or worse, trigger an allergic reaction.

Are there any risks associated with waxing? It is said that bikini waxing can be particularly harmful. Is that true? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

To listen to the last episodes, you can click here:

⁠⁠Why is sugar bad for our memory?⁠⁠

⁠⁠Does the law of attraction really work?⁠⁠

⁠⁠How can I stay trendy buying only second hand clothes?⁠⁠

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

First Broadcast: 28/2/2024

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why are we having children later and later? Aug 13, 2026

Show notes

According to the Office for National Statistics, the number of births in the UK continues to fall. Experts are even talking about a “baby bust”, the opposite of the “baby boom”, to describe these statistics, which have reached the lowest level since records began in 1938. One explanation for this could be that people are having children later than previous generations, leaving them with a reduced fertility window.

In 2020, the Office for National Statistics notes that the average age at which women become mothers is 30, compared with 26 in 1975. In addition to this, the latest ONS birth data, released in 2020, reveals that 28% of women have their first child after the age of 30 and 5% after the age of 40.

Can you run into problems if you want to get pregnant after the age of 30? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

To listen to the last episodes, you can click here:

⁠Could intentional lazy parenting foster your child's independence?⁠

⁠What causes tocophobia, the fear of pregnancy and childbirth?⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Why do children have imaginary friends?⁠

A podcast written and realised by Amber Minogue.

First Broadcast: 27/2/2023

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices