Do you really know?

What are the Puppy Blues?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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What is Earth Overshoot Day? Aug 07, 2021

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What is Earth Overshoot Day? Thanks for asking!

July 29th saw an unwelcome landmark in the calendar as we reached Earth Overshoot Day. It might sound like a celebration, but the reality is a lot more troubling.

Earth Overshoot Day marks the point during a year at which humans have used up all the planet’s resources. To use a budgeting analogy, from that day onwards, we’re effectively living on credit and building up ecological debt.

It’s estimated that we currently use 74% more resources than what the planet can produce. To sustain consumption rates, we would need 1.7 planet Earths. Spoiler alert: we only have one! The consequences on the environment are drastic.

What kind of resources are we talking about? That’s a positive sign at least, isn’t it? Is the calculation foolproof? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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What is Godwin’s Law?

What are the Puppy Blues?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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What is Godwin’s Law? Aug 05, 2021

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What is Godwin’s Law? Thanks for asking!

The events of the Holocaust are part of the compulsory curriculum in many countries across the world, especially in Europe. Indeed, it’s pretty rare to come across any adult who hasn’t heard of the unique horrors that took place.

Most people would agree that comparing recent Covid-19 restrictions and vaccination campaigns to Nazi atrocities is at best extreme and misguided; at worst disrespectful and downright offensive. But that’s exactly what some politicians and members of the public have done during recent protests.

This is an example of an adage known as Godwin’s Law, which originated on an internet forum in 1990. It reads as follows: “As an online discussion continues, the probability of a comparison to Hitler or to Nazis approaches one.”

What does that even mean? Who are these people comparing Covid-19 rules to the Holocaust? Is Godwin’s Law still relevant in the 21st century? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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What is Niksen?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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What are the Puppy Blues? Aug 04, 2021

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What are the Puppy Blues? Thanks for asking!

You’ve no doubt already heard of the baby blues, a nice-sounding euphemism for the rather unpleasant postpartum depression. Well, some new pet owners have started talking of puppy blues in the same way, to describe the sadness they sometimes feel after adopting a new furry companion.

The puppy blues might be behind increased animal abandonment rates during the summer. Additionally, Fortune magazine reported a week ago that many Americans are surrendering their pets now the time has come to return to the office.

What is it like having the puppy blues? What can I do to get more confident about being a pet owner? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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What is Niksen?

What is Pop-It?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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What are blue zones? Aug 02, 2021

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What are blue zones? Thanks for asking!

Humans have wondered about the secrets behind longevity since the beginning of time. Well, as it turns out, the world’s five blue zones offer some revealing insight into this mystery. In these regions, people seem to live longer than in the rest of the world. Researchers have sought to understand the unique lifestyles that may be behind this phenomenon.

Let’s go back to the year 2000. Studying the province of Nuoro in Sardinia, Italian professor Gianni Pes and Belgian demographer Michel Poulain discovered to their great surprise that certain villages were home to a high number of people in their 90s or even over a hundred years old. The researchers marked these locations with blue circles which is how the non-scientific blue zone label was coined.

Where are the other four blue zones then? So what are the secrets behind these people’s long lifespans? Diet and exercise have something to do with it too? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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What is Pop-It?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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What is Niksen? Jul 31, 2021

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What is Niksen? Thanks for asking!

Ever had one of those days when you just feel like doing nothing at all? Well, increasingly we as humans are wired to be doing something all the time. We might even feel guilty when not dedicating every last moment of our day to accomplishing tasks from a written or imaginary to-do list. Technology no doubt has a role to play, what with us being connected almost constantly.

Maybe we could all learn a lesson from the Dutch concept of Niksen, which celebrates occasional idleness. It’s formulated as a verb, with the prefix Niks literally meaning “nothing”. We’ve discussed the Danish concept of hygge on Do You Really Know? in the past and Niksen is another Northern European wellness trend that seeks to combat the stress of modern life.

Isn’t that just an excuse for being lazy and unproductive? How does one go about doing nothing then? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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What is Pop-It?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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What is Pop-It? Jul 29, 2021

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What is Pop-It? Thanks for asking!

If 2017 was the year of the hand spinner in the toy world, 2021 is the year of the Pop-It! Even if the name doesn’t immediately ring a bell, the chances are you’ve seen one of these fidget toys in a picture or video on social media without realising. Manufacturers have had to ramp up production due to the recent surge in popularity.

The Pop-It is basically a silicone-based tray containing colourful half-sphere bubbles. You’d be forgiven for saying it looks pretty unremarkable at first. You can push the bubbles through one by one, which creates a satisfying popping sound. Once you’ve finished popping one side, you can simply flip it over and pop back the other way!

It sounds like a reusable version of bubble wrap! What’s the appeal of Pop-It then? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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What is the Pegasus Project? Jul 28, 2021

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What is the Pegasus Project? Thanks for asking!

Ever since the Snowden case of 2013, the world has gotten used to the idea that states use surveillance to monitor people’s activity. All the same, the fallout from the Pegasus Project revelations of recent weeks has been huge, making it a highly significant cyber espionage scandal.

The initiative was coordinated by French media nonprofit organization Forbidden Stories, who last year obtained access to a list of 50,000 phone numbers targeted by Pegasus spyware. Thanks to the work of a consortium of investigative journalists from all around the world, as well as the support of Amnesty International, the global scale of government surveillance has become apparent.

Where does the name of the project come from? Who do the phone numbers belong to then? What have the repercussions been following the Pegasus Project revelations? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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What are sonic weapons? Jul 26, 2021

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What are sonic weapons? Thanks for asking!

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!

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What is Eswatini?

What is mansplaining?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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What is the I.O.C.? Jul 24, 2021

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What is the I.O.C.? Thanks for asking!

Yesterday saw the Tokyo Olympic Games begin with the traditional opening ceremony. For the first time in the event’s history, the Games were delayed by a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. At the International Olympic Committee’s latest Session in Tokyo, president Thomas Bach described the uncertainty facing Games organisers in the last 15 months.“There were sleepless nights. Like everyone else in the world, we did not know, I did not know, what the future would hold.” But the stress isn’t over just yet!

Why not? The Games are underway now so there shouldn’t be anything to worry about, should there? Apart from overseeing the Games, what’s the role of the International Olympic Committee? Does the IOC select host cities for the Olympic Games? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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