Do you really know?

Latest Episodes:

What is Asperger Syndrome? Mar 19, 2020

Show notes

What is Asperger Syndrome?

Asperger Syndrome is an autism spectrum disorder, characterised by difficulties in social interactions and restricted interests. Asperger’s is often diagnosed late, which is why associations run campaigns to increase awareness. International Asperger’s Day is celebrated every year on the 18th of February, to educate the general public and highlight the challenges faced by those with Asperger’s.

People living with Asperger Syndrome can have a hard time building friendships or romantic relationships, due to the difficulties they have understanding social conventions. They also have repetitive behaviour and very specific interests.

The syndrome was named after Austrian paediatrician Hans Asperger. As a child, Asperger himself had trouble finding friends and was talented in language. Years later he observed similar traits among child patients in his clinic and published a paper on the findings.

Asperger Syndrome came into mainstream consciousness in the 1980s and was added to the umbrella diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder in 2013.

Asperger Syndrome is a form of autism, but autism itself is characterised by some intellectual deficit or language learning impairment. That’s not the case with Asperger’s. In fact, people with the syndrome tend to use a relatively sophisticated level of language. They may however struggle to understand metaphors or irony, usually taking things at face value and being very direct.

The lives of those with Asperger’s are complicated due to physical clumsiness, as well as hypersensitivity to noise, light and odours. More generally, they can have trouble recognising their own emotions and the emotions of others. They can’t always interpret forms of non-verbal communication like gestures and facial expressions.

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

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

What is the Halo Effect? Mar 18, 2020

Show notes

What is the Halo Effect?

The Halo Effect is a form of cognitive bias, whereby we base our overall opinion of a person on a single characteristic. It’s most often a positive characteristic, hence the name - it’s as if we see the person as having a halo.

The Halo Effect was named in 1920 by American psychologist Edward Thorndike. He carried out an experiment among commanding officers in the military. They had to evaluate their soldiers on a number of physical characteristics and personality traits. The officers tended to associate superior physique with superior intellect, loyalty and leadership. On the other hand, when their perception created a negative aura around a soldier, they could only see negative characteristics. This is known as the “reverse halo effect”, or “horns effect”.

Our brains find it hard to accept anything that contradicts our first impression of another person. That rings true even when we are presented with evidence to the contrary. That’s because our minds actively look for information to confirm pre-existing beliefs.

The Halo Effect can lead to forms of appearance discrimination in many domains. In the professional world, a physically attractive job hunter may be seen as more intelligent and competent than other candidates, even if it’s not really the case. If a recruiter notices a positive trait in the candidate, they tend to pay less attention to their flaws.

The candidate would then have a higher chance of being recruited for a skilled job, as well as greater salary expectations. Being tall is also beneficial in terms of earning more money. According to one study, we earn 300$ more per year for every extra centimetre in height.

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

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

What is a power nap? Mar 16, 2020

Show notes

What is a power nap?

A power nap is a short sleep which is long enough to give an energy boost, but not so long that you enter deep sleep. The term was coined by American social psychologist James Maas, a professor at Cornell University. Science shows that power naps could be of benefit to employees in the workplace, where efficiency is key.

Sometimes, a power nap lasts just a few seconds, in which case it’s referred to as a microsleep. Dali would do it in a seated position, holding a spoon between his fingers. When he started to fall asleep, his grip on the spoon would loosen and the sound of the spoon hitting the floor would of course wake him up immediately. Microsleeps can be experienced in front of our computers, or in public transport, when we are woken by our heads nodding. Power naps supplement regular sleep, in order to maximise its benefits for the body. That’s especially true for those who don’t get enough sleep at night time.

The ideal length of a power nap is 15 to 20 minutes. This allows the body enough time to enter a light sleep stage and remain there for at least 2 minutes. It also helps us to feel in good shape for a whole afternoon. Nevertheless, be careful not to go over 30 minutes when napping. Otherwise you may enter a deep sleep phase. That can result in feeling groggy and disoriented when waking up, basically more tired than before starting the nap and wiping out its benefits.

For many years, scientists have been studying the benefits of sleep, in the form of both naps and longer length. Tests have been run on a wide range of cognitive processes, generally showing naps to be as beneficial as a full night’s sleep for some memory-related tasks. Other studies have shown the possible impact of napping on our health, in particular reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

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

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

What is Deep Learning? Mar 13, 2020

Show notes

What is Deep Learning?

Deep learning is a machine learning method based on artificial intelligence. With deep learning, machines are able to learn by themselves. That differs from programming, where they simply execute predetermined rules.

Deep learning relies on artificial neural networks inspired by the human brain. These networks are made up of tens or hundreds of layers of neurons, each receiving and interpreting information from the preceding layer. Deep learning is based on these algorithms, as well as image recognition and robotic vision. The higher the number of neurons, the deeper the network. The system learns to recognise letters and words in text, or faces in photos, which it can then identify.

Let’s imagine we want to use a neural network to recognise photos in which at least one cat is present. In order to identify cats in the images, the algorithm needs to be able to distinguish different types of cat, and to recognise the cat no matter what angle the picture is taken from.

To do this, the neural network has to be trained. It has to compile a selection of images to practice deep learning. This would be made up of thousands of examples of different cats, mixed with images of objects which are not cats. These images are then converted into data and transferred onto the network. The artificial neurons assign a weight to each different element. The final layer of neurons reassembles all the information to determine if it is indeed a cat or not.

The neural network then compares this response to correct answers given by humans. If the answers match, the network remembers this success and will reuse it later in order to recognise cats. If wrong, the network also notes the error and adjusts the weight on the various neurons to correct it. The process repeats thousands of times until the network is able to recognise a cat in an image without fail.

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

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

What is a pension fund? Mar 12, 2020

Show notes

What is a pension fund?

A pension fund is a retirement scheme created by a company or public employer in order to save money for its employees. Belonging to a pension fund may be compulsory or optional. Employees make contributions to the fund, as do employers most of the time.

When an employee retires, they can choose to receive a lump sum right away, or a series of regular payments throughout their retirement, like an annuity. That’s how a funded pension scheme works, because the plan has enough assets to pay retirees for the foreseeable future. On the other hand, with unfunded plans, payments are made directly from contributions and no capital is accumulated.

The pension fund system first developed in Scotland, with the creation of the “Scottish Widows” scheme in 1815. That insured widows of Scottish soldiers killed during the Napoleonic wars with France. Nowadays, pension funds are particularly common in the United States, but the largest pension fund in the world is Japan’s Government Pension Investment Fund. It was created in 1954 and now manages assets of $1.4 trillion.

Pension plans rely on asset management companies to look after the contributions they receive. These companies, generally banks, insurers or specialists, aim to maintain the capital held in the fund and make a profit. American global investment management corporation BlackRock is the number one in the world, with over $7 trillion in assets managed as of the end of 2019.

Their activities are strictly regulated. Each country has its own prudential standards. All capital collected must be divided between a number of asset classes. The primary law governing pension plans in the USA is the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974.

Some funds are defined benefit pension plans, whereby the pension payment or lump sum is guaranteed. But these are getting rarer and rarer, giving way to defined contribution schemes. This means only the contributions collected are guaranteed.

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

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

What is 5G? Mar 11, 2020

Show notes

What is 5G?

5G is the fifth and newest generation of mobile connectivity. Its commercial rollout has already begun, with the four major US carriers having begun deployment in 2019. The GSMA estimates that 5G will account for 20% of all global connections by 2025. What’s more, this technological advance is at the heart of many economic and geopolitical issues. But associations and researchers have also warned on the potential risks 5G represents to health and the environment.

Supporters of 5G have made big promises. Compared to 4G, the technology should allow for connection speeds which are 10 to 100 times faster, with minimal latency. These connection speeds are perfect for playing the most demanding of online games and streaming series in the highest quality available without any loading.

Above and beyond that, 5G marks a further step in the development of “Smart cities”, in which all kinds of connected objects communicate between one another. One of the main technologies standing to benefit from 5G is the driverless car. It’s anticipated that the reaction time of self-driving cars will improve to 1 millisecond thanks to 5G, making them smarter and safer.

That’s why this new generation is presented by governments as being a major strategic industrial development.

On the other hand, associations have warned about risks of insomnia, infertility and even cancer. The World Health Organisation does indeed class electromagnetic waves as a possible cause of cancers.

Experts have responded by saying that 5G waves have a length of around 3.5 GHZ, thus smaller than 4G waves. Therefore, they couldn’t cause cell damage, but may still be harmful to skin, eyes, eardrums, nerve endings and blood circulation.

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

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

What is blue light? Mar 09, 2020

Show notes

What is blue light?

Blue light is a type of high-energy visible light, with a wavelength between 400 and 450 nanometers. It is emitted by many sources of light, from the Sun to LED screens. Scientists have issued warnings about the dangerous nature of blue light. All the same, it’s not certain that the “night mode” on our devices is any better for our eyes.

In recent decades, the general public’s exposure to blue light has massively increased. This is due to LED screens being much more present in society, in artificial lights, as well as smartphone, tablet and computer screens.

According to scientists, blue light can be dangerous. It can lead to impaired version, and is allegedly a risk factor for cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. Furthermore, being exposed to blue light in the evening or at night can disturb our circadian rhythm. Past studies have suggested that it suppresses melatonin, a hormone which affects sleep. To sum up, the more we are exposed to blue light, the more our sleep quality is affected.

Since the risks associated with blue light were discovered, smartphone and PC manufacturers have developed “night modes” for their devices. When activated, displays automatically shift to an orange-yellow tint from a certain time in the evening through to sunrise.

But a study published in December 2019 showed that night mode may not actually be better than blue light, and could even be worse. Researchers at the University of Manchester carried out experiments on mice. They found that blue light was less disruptive to their sleep, compared to yellow light of the same brightness.

This may be because “cold” colours, such as blue, are closer to the colour of natural nighttime light. Whereas on the other hand, it’s more natural to look at warmer colours during the day. Our body clocks rely on shades of light to determine whether it’s time to sleep or be awake. Blue light may therefore disturb sleep less than night mode, which uses daytime colours.

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

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

What is the Green New Deal? Mar 07, 2020

Show notes

What is the Green New Deal?

The Green New Deal is a proposed package of legislation in the United States, designed to tackle climate change. It was introduced by Democrats and could revolutionise the American economy, if it is ever put into practice.

If the name “Green New Deal” sounds familiar, it’s likely because it refers to President Roosevelt’s New Deal of the 1930s. That consisted of a series of public works programs and financial reforms, aiming to revive the economy in response to the Great Depression of 1929.

This important moment in American history is indeed inspiring the left wing, who wish to implement a Green New Deal. They believe that global economic and environmental crises are both caused by a system which is at breaking point. And that if governments do nothing to combat this, we could be on our way to disaster.

The proposals call for a 10-year mobilisation to drastically reduce carbon emissions in the USA. Firstly, fossil fuels (gas, carbon and petrol) would be abandoned and workers would be trained to perform new jobs in a post-ecological transition society.

Massive investments in transport, agriculture and energy would be required to make them cleaner. Meanwhile, polluting energies would no longer be subsidized under the Green New Deal. By 2030, 100% of the USA’s electricity would be sourced from renewable and zero-emissions power. To address social justice, the government would have a duty to provide job training to those who previously worked in fossil fuel industries.

One of the leading figures behind the Green New Deal is Democrat congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. She first made history by being the youngest ever woman to be elected to Congress in 2018, and has made a name as a real media phenomenon.

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

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

What is Stendhal syndrome? Mar 05, 2020

Show notes

What is Stendhal syndrome?

Stendhal’s syndrome is a rare and unusual psychological disorder. It’s a psychosomatic condition whereby certain people suffer from a rapid heartbeat, fainting or even hallucinations, when exposed to objects or works of art of great beauty. The condition takes its name from a famous French writer who experienced a similar state of intense emotion upon visiting Rome, Naples and Florence. Stendhal wrote about his visit to Florence’s Santa Croce Basilica in a book entitled Naples and Florence: A journey from Milan to Reggio.

Here’s how he described the phenomenon: “I was in a sort of ecstasy, from the idea of being in Florence, close to the great men whose tombs I had seen. Absorbed in the contemplation of sublime beauty...I reached the point where one encounters celestial sensations ... Everything spoke so vividly to my soul...I had palpitations of the heart...Life was drained from me. I walked with the fear of falling”.

Although there are historical records of others fainting in the presence of Florentine art, the syndrome was only actually named in 1979 by Italian psychiatrist Graziella Magherini. While Stendhal Syndrome is not recognised as a psychiatric disorder, it’s now commonly used to describe a physical reaction to the beauty of the natural world or art masterpieces.

Working at the Santa Maria Nuova hospital in Florence, Magherini observed more than 100 cases where patients had severe emotional responses to art. These were mainly tourists, including many Americans. In 1989, she released a book named “The Stendhal Syndrome”, in which she told her story. The cases were divided into three types, based on the symptoms of their anxiety or psychotic episodes. The most common profile was a single woman, under the age of 40, travelling alone. Symptoms described in the book included dizzy spells, a loss of sense of identity, rapid heartbeat and hallucinations. Generally speaking, patients recovered after leaving the city of Florence.

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

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

What is solastalgia? Mar 04, 2020

Show notes

What is solastalgia?

Solastalgia is the distress we feel when our local environment is transformed, mainly due to climate change. These transformations can have an effect on people’s mental health. So are we all doomed to suffer from solastalgia as the earth’s temperature rises?

Climate change is so omnipresent in our daily lives, that it can create a certain anxiety. For some people, this gets so intense that they become depressed, like Greta Thunberg after watching a documentary on polar bears. All over the world, climate-related anxiety is increasing.

There are several terms to describe this. We talk about eco-anxiety with regards to the feeling we have that everything makes us think about climate change problems. And eco-paralysis when we feel helpless to do anything to prevent environmental issues.

Meanwhile, the term solastalgia is a portmanteau of the words “solace” and “nostalgia”. It was created in 2003 by philosopher Glenn Albrecht, while he was working at the University of Newcastle in Australia. Albrecht himself describes solastalgia as “a type of homesickness or melancholia that you feel when you’re at home and your home environment is changing around you in ways that you feel are profoundly negative.

Unlike eco-anxiety or eco-paralysis, which are more general and look to the future, solastalgia is about the here and now. It is linked to the hardship of losing one’s environment or habitat. The most obvious victims are those whose landscape has been hit by some kind of natural disaster. One example would be refugees returning to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

A report from the American psychology Association found that up to 40% of natural disaster victims suffer PTSD, anxiety and suicidal thoughts. Of course, solastalgia doesn’t affect everybody equally. Wealthier individuals and families are more easily able to relocate or rebuild their homes, compared to poorer households.

Other examples include Canadian Inuit communities coping with rising temperatures and Ghanaian subsistence farmers having to deal with changes in rainfall patterns.

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

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

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected