Do you really know?

I don’t know about you but for me not having to set an alarm on a Saturday or Sunday morning is really one of life’s simple pleasures. With my packed work schedule and family life, I often don’t end up getting as much sleep as I need during the week.

So it’s really tempting to try to catch up on that sleep debt over the weekend. But then I heard about these studies that have shown that weekend lie-ins can actually be harmful to human health.

What kind of harm are we talking about? Like jet lag from flying? What’s the best way to make up for lost sleep? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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

Why does not getting enough sleep make you selfish?

Can our bodies really catch up on lost sleep?

Does sex help us to sleep better?

A podcast written and realised by Amber Minogue.

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Inflation peaked in 2022, but now it’s on a slow and steady decline, reaching 2.5% in June 2024, down from 5.5% in June 2023. Plus, some commercial practices that drove prices up are now better controlled.

For example, since July 1, 2024, supermarkets have to label products affected by shrinkflation—where they reduce the quantity but keep the price the same. But even with these changes, you’ve probably noticed that supermarket prices aren’t dropping. And actually that’s totally normal.

Why has inflation slowed? why aren't all prices falling? What could lead to a real fall in prices? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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

What is the circular economy?

What is coffee badging in the workplace?

How does the Matthew Effect help us understand class inequalities?

A Bababam Originals podcast, written and realised by Amber Minogue.

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Water footprint matters because scientists have calculated that the climate crisis makes drought 20 times more likely, while the UN predicts that demand for fresh water will exceed supply by 40% by 2030. 

You might think that you only use water when you drink, cook, wash, or flush the loo, but actually, you use much more water than that. According to Water UK, the average person in the UK uses 142 litres per day. That’s the amount of water that is needed to produce the food, clothes, and other products that you consume.

How can you reduce your water footprint? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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

Why do women live longer than men?

Does money really make us happy?

Do I need to take vitamin D supplements?

A podcast written and realised by Amber Minogue.

In partnership with upday UK.

First broadcast: 03/10/2023

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

We all know staying hydrated is crucial for feeling fit and healthy. The general recommendation is to drink between 1.5 to 2 litres of water a day.

But let’s be honest, it’s not always easy to stick to that. Ideally, you shouldn’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink water because thirst signals that your body has already lost about half a litre of water. But you might be surprised to learn that your diet can also play a big role in keeping you hydrated. 

Which foods are the best for hydration? Are there hydrating options for winter? Is there anything to avoid? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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

Which foods mustn't you put in the microwave?

What does eating junk food do to our brains?

How can I recognise ultra-processed foods?

A podcast written and realised by Amber Minogue.

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

"Wrap up warm, or you'll catch a cold!" No doubt you heard that advice a lot as a child, and you may well still hear it as an adult. For a long time, scientists were skeptical about the idea that simply being exposed to the cold could make a person sick. After all, to get sick, you need to actually come into contact with a microbe, like a virus. And cold weather itself isn't a disease.

But recent developments suggest there may actually be some truth to the idea. In December 2022, The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology published a study by a team of American researchers, who had looked into how cold weather affected immunity in the nose. The researchers explained that our nasal mucous membranes, and in particular the extracellular vesicles, act as the first line of defense in our immune system against viral attacks.

What do we know now that we didn’t before? But is the cold the sole culprit? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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

How can I limit the effects of sugar on my health?

What happens to your online life after you die?

Why does cooking benefit our mental health?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

In partnership with upday UK.

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

According to the British Coffee Association, we drink around 98 million cups of coffee per day in the UK. That’s around one and a half cups for every single person in the country! It’s said that drinking coffee in the evening or even late afternoon has a negative impact on sleep quality, but a lot of people do so anyway.

Coffee contains various molecules, such as antioxidants and caffeine, which has a psychostimulant effect and is therefore behind the links to disrupting sleep. Our bodies don’t all metabolise caffeine in the same way though; that varies from person to person.

Are some of us more sensitive to it than others? What quantity should we aim for? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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

Is taking milk with coffee good for you?

What is the coffee cup test in job interviews?

What happens in the brain when we lie?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

First broadcast: 07/10/2023

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

It’s fair to say that AI technology is hyper-polarising. Since the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022, many people have been awestruck at how generative AI can write essays, create realistic images and effectively impersonate just about any human with enough training material.

But there are just as many detractors as enthusiasts, and AI’s current shortcomings have been exposed in a number of high-profile cases. For example, when Google’s AI overviews were added to search results in the US, they recommended adding glue to pizza and eating rocks. Now things like this happen when the large language model behind an AI chatbot produces nonsensical or inaccurate content.

What kind of content are we talking about? Where does the name come from? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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

How to protect your art from AI exploitation?

Can humans really fall in love with AI ?

What happens in the brain when we lie?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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Climate refugees, or climate migrants, are people forced away from their homes due to sudden or gradual alterations in their natural environment. We’re talking about sea-level rise, extreme weather events, drought and water scarcity for example. They are also referred to as displaced people. According to a report by the European Commission on Migration, each year, an average of 30 million people are displaced due to environmental degradation. 

Which NGOs are present in Somaliland? To what extent is climate migration a global phenomenon? What happens to climate refugees when they leave their homes? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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

Has the climate breakdown really begun?

How will our bodies adapt to climate change?

What is climate shadow, the newest way to measure your impact on global warming?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

First broadcast: 17/01/2022

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Are you feeling the chills, a scratchy throat, and a non-stop runny nose? Winter brings the cold bug everywhere – in public transport, at work, and even at home. Coughs and sneezes all around!

Getting a stuffy nose is another annoying symptom that can keep us tossing and turning at night. But surprisingly, it's a crucial mechanism for keeping us healthy. To combat the situation, our body produces mucus.

When you say Mucus, do you mean snot? So, what should we do when our nose is running? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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

What does eating junk food do to our brains?

How can you use Tinder safely?

Can naps keep the brain healthy?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

First broadcast: 07/01/2024

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

Of course, as the old saying goes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but even as children we all kind of realise who’s seen as physically attractive and who isn’t, don’t we?

Let’s take a moment to consider that the global beauty industry was worth $430bn in 2022, according to a report from McKinsey. That was up from $300 bn in 2015, with projections suggesting the $500bn mark would be reached by 2025.

If people are spending all that money on skincare, fragrance, makeup and haircare, it must be for a reason? Why does pretty privilege even exist? How can we overcome it? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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

How are social media influencers making money through rage baiting?

How can you change your body odour?

Does sex help us to sleep better?

A podcast written and realised by Josh Chance.

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