Do you really know?

Latest Episodes:

What do you get better at with age? Nov 02, 2023

Show notes

You might think that ageing is all about decline and deterioration, but that’s not the whole story. In fact, there are many aspects of life that improve as we grow older, such as happiness, wisdom, relationships, and even some cognitive skills. “Our societal narrative is not based on science – it’s based entirely on prejudice.

Contrary to popular myth, we never stop learning or growing new brain connections.” says Daniel Levitin, professor of neuroscience at McGill University, who sought to challenge people's ideas on ageing in his book ‘The Changing Mind’.

What are some of the things that get better in your 40s? And later in life? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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

What is chromophobia?

Why do we enjoy being scared?

What are the UK’s most haunted places to visit?

A podcast written and realised by Amber Minogue.

In partnership with upday UK.

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

Are our phones really eavesdropping on us? Nov 01, 2023

Show notes

Have you ever had the eerie feeling that you’re being spied on by your smartphone? You know: you're having dinner with a friend, chatting about how your aging computer is on its last legs, struggling with an old battery and making work a hassle. You’ve decided it’s time to replace it by getting a new one. Lo and behold, the next day, while casually surfing the internet, you're bombarded with ads for shiny new computers, even though you never actually searched for them online.

No need to worry, you're not under surveillance by FBI agents. Apple did admit a few years back that it was listening to iPhone users, but only after the voice assistant was activated. According to American cybersecurity expert Daniel Markuson: "Applications installed on your smartphone are eavesdropping on background noise, including conversations, to collect more information about you. Later on, the data gathered is shared with other devices."

But is it just Apple that's doing this? And why would they do this? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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

What are the UK’s most haunted places to visit?

Why do we enjoy being scared?

What is chromophobia?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

In partnership with upday UK.

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

Is it best sleeping in total darkness? Nov 01, 2023

Show notes

Almost all kids are afraid of the dark, and sometimes that fear even lingers into adulthood. It's a shame really because, contrary to what you might think, darkness is actually not our enemy but a friend when it comes to drifting off to dreamland.

Being exposed to light at night can have negative consequences on person’s health in the long-term. That’s according to a study by researchers at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in the United States. They published their findings in 2022, having discovered a correlation between exposure to light while sleeping and conditions like obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes.

What's the link between light and disease? How can I ensure I’m not at risk from light exposure at night? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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

What is chromophobia?

Why do we jump when we get scared?

Why does not getting enough sleep make you selfish?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

In partnership with upday UK.

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

What are the UK’s most haunted places to visit? Oct 31, 2023

Show notes

Whether you’re a believer or a skeptic, you can’t deny that there’s something intriguing about the paranormal. And the UK has plenty of spooky spots to choose from, with a long and bloody history of wars, executions, murders and mysteries. So grab your flashlight and your courage, and join me as we discover some of the most haunted places in the UK.

Let’s start with one of the most famous haunted locations in London: the Tower of London. This ancient fortress has been the scene of many gruesome events, from beheadings and torture to imprisonment and fire.

Where are some places in England? And what about Scotland? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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

What is chromophobia?

Why do we jump when we get scared?

Why does not getting enough sleep make you selfish?

A podcast written and realised by Amber Minogue.

In partnership with upday UK.

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

What is chromophobia? Oct 30, 2023

Show notes

Chromophobia is a term with Greek origins, referring to the fear of colours. Initially, it was a concept used in biology to describe cells unresponsive to colour, commonly employed in medical examinations. Over time, its use expanded into psychology, particularly in the context of the rejection and fear associated with specific colours.

A pathological aversion to colours, or a particular colour, is relatively rare. The fear is often driven by the symbolism a colour carries, rather than the colour itself. Colours can trigger certain hormonal responses that, in turn, lead to psychological reactions.

Which colours are people most likely to be afraid of then? And how so ? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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

What are the dangers of self-diagnosis?

How does daylight saving affect your health?

How can I sleep well with a blocked nose?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

In partnership with upday UK.

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

Why do we jump when we get scared? Oct 29, 2023

Show notes

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 depends on the context. The more negative or threatening the situation seems, the stronger the reaction.

What explains why some people seem to get startled more than others? Why do we sometimes jump as we're falling asleep? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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

What are the dangers of self-diagnosis?

How does daylight saving affect your health?

How can I sleep well with a blocked nose?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

In partnership with upday UK.

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

What is omphalophobia, the fear of belly buttons? Oct 28, 2023

Show notes

Be honest, if you hadn’t heard the title of this episode, would you have been able to guess that this person was talking about a belly button? She was a contestant on Family Feud Australia in 2017, and just hearing mention of the words “belly button” were enough to trigger her.

It might sound like an extreme reaction to a belly button, but she’s actually far from being the only person to have what’s called omphalophobia. Throughout history, people’s belly buttons were almost always concealed unless they were in the comfort of their own homes, but these days seeing girls in crop tops is really common, especially in summer. That’s not great news for those with omphalophobia!

How do you explain this phobia? Can it be managed? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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

Why is Disney becoming unpopular?

How does daylight saving affect your health?

How can I sleep well with a blocked nose?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

In partnership with upday UK.

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

What are the dangers of self-diagnosis? Oct 27, 2023

Show notes

The chances are that at some point you’ve scoured the internet in an attempt to figure out why you’re feeling sick. Maybe you go to Dr Google as a matter of habit any time you’re in discomfort or pain. Indeed, back in 2019, Google Heatlh Vice President David Feinberg told the Telegraph that 7% of all Google searches related to health, adding up to an incredible 70,000 every minute.

But there are dangers to self-diagnosing. A lot of people rely heavily on social media, online forums, or even AI tools like ChatGPT as their primary sources for self-diagnosis. But there are various reasons why people choose to search for health-related information online. For example, it's free and can be done around the clock without needing to book an appointment.

Isn’t it obvious that seeing a doctor is a better idea than doing that? Could someone miss a serious medical condition due to incorrect self-diagnosis? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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

How does daylight saving affect your health?

How can I sleep well with a blocked nose?

Why is Disney becoming unpopular?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

In partnership with upday UK.

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

How does daylight saving affect your health? Oct 26, 2023

Show notes

Daylight saving time (DST) It’s the practice of advancing your clocks by one hour during the spring and summer months, and then turning them back in the autumn and winter. The idea is to make better use of natural daylight and save energy. But some people question if it really works and if there are any advantages to us at all.

Daylight saving time was first proposed by Benjamin Franklin in 1784 to conserve candles. But it wasn’t implemented in the United States until 1918, during World War I, as a way to save fuel. Since then, DST has been adopted by many countries around the world . It was first introduced in the UK in 1916, during World War I, as a way to save coal. In the UK, DST begins on the last Sunday of March and ends on the last Sunday of October.

But what are the benefits of DST? Does it really save energy? Does changing our clocks affect our sleep and well-being? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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

Why is Disney becoming unpopular?

What is the coffee cup test in job interviews?

Faux self-care: are we being fooled by the wellness industry?

A podcast written and realised by Amber Minogue.

In partnership with upday UK.

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

What is the coffee cup test in job interviews? Oct 25, 2023

Show notes

Job interviews have always been a daunting prospect for a number of reasons. And the process is only getting more time-consuming for candidates, without offering increased chances of success. According to a June 2023 report from the Josh Bersin Company and AMS, the average recruitment process now take a whopping 44 days.

As if all this isn’t demanding enough, interviewers like to throw in the occasional curveball too when meeting candidates. One such example is the coffee cup test, which gained attention in 2019 after a man called Trent Innes, then Managing Director of Xero Australia, appeared on The Venture Podcast with Lambros Photios to discuss his hiring strategy.

Why are we talking about it in 2023 then? Why is there a growing emphasis on soft skills in the workplace? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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

Faux self-care: are we being fooled by the wellness industry?

Do superfoods actually work?

Why do some people confuse their left and right?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

In partnership with upday UK.

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