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[RERUN] What is an authoritarian regime? Mar 06, 2022

Show notes

What is an authoritarian regime?

On 24 February 2022, Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine, provoking a war. An authoritarian regime is a form of government which monopolises authority and restricts political freedoms. Such regimes have strong central power and little accountability to their population. Authoritarianism is effectively the opposite of democracy. The term has come back into the news of late, with the reelection of Alexander Lukashenko as President of Belarus. He will now serve a sixth consecutive term, having remained head of state since 1994. His regime is considered authoritarian. Indeed, international media often refer to Lukashenko as “Europe’s last dictator”.

So what are the characteristics of an authoritarian regime? Are there many authoritarian regimes in the world today? And why don’t other countries take sanctions against them? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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

What is a 419 scam?

What is the Barnum effect?

What is an endemic?

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 the Donbas region? Mar 05, 2022

Show notes

What is the Donbas region?

War has been raging in Ukraine since Russian forces invaded the country on February 24th. Understanding the conflict requires knowledge of the territory under attack, including specific regions like the Donbas, which you’ll have heard mentioned over and over again recently. It’s a 6500-square-mile region in eastern Ukraine, which shares a border with Russia to the east. Donbas’ three major cities are Mariupol, Donetsk and Lugansk, with the latter two being capitals of their respective provinces. Donbas is an abbreviation of Donets Coal basin, with the Donets being a river that crosses Ukraine and Russia; Donbas has not only the country’s major coal basin, but also its largest coal reserves and wheat fields. It was in the Donbas region that fighting first began back in 2014.

So you’re saying there was already a war in Ukraine? How did the Donbas conflict evolve from then onwards? What consequences did the Donbas war have on the region? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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

What is the Swift Network?

Who is Volodymyr Zelensky?

What is a 419 scam?

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 the Swift Network? Mar 04, 2022

Show notes

What is the Swift Network?

Based in Brussels and founded in 1973, Swift is one of the most important networks of financial and banking messaging services. It takes the form of a cooperative of banks, covering over 200 countries and more than 11,000 financial establishments. It allows banks to communicate with one another across international borders in a secure, automated and rapid way.

Why is it making headlines at the moment? Is it really a viable option though? How has Russia reacted to the decision? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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

Who is Volodymyr Zelensky?

What is a 419 scam?

What is the Barnum effect?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

In partnership with upday UK.

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

Who is Volodymyr Zelensky? Mar 03, 2022

Show notes

Who is Volodymyr Zelensky ?

This man only began a career in politics in 2019, when he became Ukrainian president after a campaign of just a few months. Fast forward less than three years and former actor Volodymr Zelensky is now commander in chief of a country under large-scale military invasion. Let’s discuss the remarkable rise to prominence of an unlikely presidential candidate.

Can you tell me about Zelensky’s upbringing? How on earth did he get into politics? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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

What is a 419 scam?

What is the Barnum effect?

What is an endemic?

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 a 419 scam? Mar 02, 2022

Show notes

What is a 419 scam?

You’ve almost certainly been targeted by 419 scams many times.They most commonly come in the form of an unknown sender requesting money by email. It’s also known as advance fee fraud, a kind of fraud which is as old as time, but has nevertheless seen a resurgence in the internet age.

It’s often a rich heir who just happens to be stricken with an incurable illness, promising to share their wealth with you as long as you help with the first transaction. Another typical scenario involves a great aunt who can’t afford to pay her cancer treatment and therefore needs your support.

Where does the 419 part come from? How do these scams work then? Does anyone actually believe them? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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

What is the Barnum effect?

What is an endemic?

What is cholesterol?

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 the Barnum effect? Mar 01, 2022

Show notes

What is the Barnum effect?

Have you ever felt like your horoscope was written just for you? Or a fortune’s cookie advice seemed incredibly relevant? You may be surprised, but it’s actually not such a coincidence after all. This psychological phenomenon is known as the Barnum effect. It’s a cognitive bias that occurs when people believe that generic personality descriptions and statements apply specifically to them. It may explain how practices such as astrology, fortune telling and personality tests have become relatively accepted despite lacking any basis in fact. Of course, people offering such services may not be aware of the Barnum effect label, but many understand how it works and seek to exploit it for their gain.

Where does the name come from? So the professor was slacking rather than the students on that occasion! In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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

What is an endemic?

What is cholesterol?

What is Uncharted?

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 an endemic? Feb 28, 2022

Show notes

What is an endemic?

Despite the Omicron wave, many European countries are beginning to loosen Covid-related restrictions. Some have lifted health passes and relaxed travel restrictions, while others have reopened public places and put an end to facemask requirements. In England, as of February 24th, people with Covid-19 are no longer legally required to self-isolate. Governments and international orgnisations are now aiming for a shared vision, that of the pandemic evolving into an endemic.

Do you mean that eventually, Covid-19 will become a disease like any other? Is it really wise to drop restrictions so quickly? So we will have gone through the three phases: an epidemic, a pandemic and finally an endemic! In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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

What is cholesterol?

What is Uncharted?

What is a Ponzi scheme?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

In partnership with upday UK.

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

[RERUN] What is coolsculpting? Feb 27, 2022

Show notes

What is coolsculpting?

Linda Evangelista shares photos of what she calls disfiguring CoolSculpting effects. Just a couple of weeks ago, 90s catwalk star Linda Evangelista shared an emotional post on Instagram. The model revealed she had left the public eye for the last five years to hide the disastrous results of a coolsculpting procedure. She has decided to sue Zeltiq Aesthetics, the company who markets CoolSculpting, for $50M, arguing the botched treatment has had a huge impact on her earnings and emotional distress.

So is CoolSculpting a kind of cosmetic procedure then? So what went wrong on this occasion? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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

What is a bore-out?

Who is James Bond?

What is reproductive health?

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 libido? Feb 26, 2022

Show notes

What is libido?

First of all, let’s get it straight. Libido and sexual desire aren’t the same thing. Sexual desire is psychological, while libido is linked to hormone activity. Findigs from by the National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles were released in May 2021. Reports indicated that intimacy between British couples had halved during the first Covid lockdown period. It wasn’t just the Brits affected though. Similar trends were observed elsewhere, like in the USA, India and Italy for example, each time backed up by real data.

What can lead to a drop in libido then? What do each of those hormones do then? Are there other possible factors behind a drop in libido? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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

What is Uncharted?

What is a Ponzi scheme?

What is Kingdom Hearts?

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 cholesterol? Feb 25, 2022

Show notes

What is cholesterol?

We’ve all more or less got a vague idea of what cholesterol is. The thick waxy substance has gained a reputation as a silent killer, due to its link with heart problems and being impossible to detect without a blood test. But it’s also essential for many bodily functions.

Cholesterol is a type of fat, so it can’t travel around the body on its own. It moves through our blood system attached to lipoproteins, which are either high-density or low-density. High-density lipoproteins, or HDL for short, is what’s known as ‘good cholesterol’. They absorb cholesterol and transport it from the arteries to the liver, where it is flushed from the body. Meanwhile, LDL is the so-called bad cholesterol.

Do we talk about LDL more often then? What else can lead to cholesterol problems? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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

What is Uncharted?

What is a Ponzi scheme?

What is Kingdom Hearts?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

In partnership with upday UK.

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