When it comes to news about the environment, it can feel like everything is doom and gloom. But we recently discussed how some people’s climate anxiety has turned into climate optimism of late, and that’s a trend that could continue this year.

One piece of good news relates to depletion of the ozone layer. You may well have heard of the so-called “hole” in the ozone layer. Well, the name is a little misleading. It actually refers to the ozone layer thinning in areas, rather than an actual hole. This phenomenon was first discovered in 1985 by Joseph Farman, Brian Gardiner and Jonathan Shanklin, all scientists at the British Antarctic Survey.

What’s the purpose of the ozone layer? How quickly will it be healed then? Will it be fully healed everywhere in the world? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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

⁠Aquamation : what are the advantages of being buried in water?⁠

⁠Why has the Doomsday Clock moved 10 seconds closer to midnight?⁠

⁠Am I listening to music too loud?⁠

A Bababam Originals podcast, written and produced by Joseph Chance.

In partnership with upday UK.

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

Charles Darwin once wrote that “Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge”, and real-life situations which reflect that are all too common. To cite just one prominent example, in January 1995, American men MacArthur Wheeler and Clifton Earl Johnson were arrested after carrying out coordinated bank robberies in the state of Pennsylvania.

Incredibly, they didn’t bother wearing masks, as they believed that rubbing lemon juice on their faces would make them invisible to security cameras. Actually no, but bear with me; I’m getting there. The case got a lot of media coverage, and piqued the curiosity of social psychologists David Dunning and Justin Kruger at Cornell University. They wanted to know how on earth someone could be so damn sure of themselves while believing something completely stupid.

Where does this effect come from? Is that what the Dunning and Kruger effect is then? What are the consequences of the Dunning Kruger effect? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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

⁠Why do some people believe in ghosts?⁠

⁠What is the placebo effect and how does it work?⁠

⁠Could chronoworking make you work more efficiently?⁠

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

First broadcast: 15/2/2023

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First there were screw top wines, then wine in boxes and now the latest alternative is wine in cans. Although it’s still relatively niche, it's a fast growing market, making up around 10 % of overall wine sales in the US according to the Food Science and Human Nutrition Department at the University of Florida.

Glass bottles, according to a 2014 study by the Wine Institute, an industry association of California wineries, found that glass bottles accounted for 29% of the carbon footprint of wine. This however does not include the impact of transport or take into account the method used to create glass bottles in the first place which is itself very energy intensive. And, although glass is recyclable only 31% of bottles compared to 50% of aluminium cans are recycled in the US. 

How is wine in cans better for the environment? What are the other advantages of wine in cans? But what about the taste? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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

⁠What are the biggest misconceptions on beating heatwaves?⁠

⁠What are the health benefits of using sex toys?⁠

⁠Which foods should I avoid after their expiry date?⁠

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

First broadcast: 16/2/2023

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Scandi lifestyle trends have been all the rage for a number of years now. Regular listeners may remember we’ve talked about Hygge and lagom on the show in the past. Well here’s another one from Sweden.

Fika is basically a short break with friends, family or colleagues sharing a moment together while enjoying a hot beverage. On the face of it, the concept might sound pretty mundane, but it’s a real ritual which people across Sweden will tell you they can’t go without! According to Visit Sweden, it’s believed to come from the old spelling for coffee in Swedish, which was kaffi. Reverse the syllables of kaffi and you get fika.

What does the word fika actually mean? Isn’t it just a fancy coffee break? What’s the best food option to go with fika? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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

⁠Why is it so important that the ozone layer heals?⁠

⁠Aquamation : what are the advantages of being buried in water?⁠

⁠Why has the Doomsday Clock moved 10 seconds closer to midnight?⁠

A Bababam Originals podcast, written and produced by Joseph Chance.

In partnership with upday UK.

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

The feeling of hunger can be difficult to explain sometimes, especially if you feel like you've eaten as much as you usually do. As a result, we often end up either snacking or putting up with a rumbling tummy for hours on end.

Even if we manage to resist snacking, the risk is that when it gets to meal time we end up eating twice as much as usual! Feelings of hunger can also lead to a drop in energy or concentration problems. A number of factors can explain not feeling full after eating. One is not getting breakfast “right”. If you skip it completely, or eat something too sweet, that could well be why you get hungry later on.

What if I'm not hungry in the morning? What about at lunchtime? What should I do if even sticking to those guidelines, I still feel hungry? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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

⁠How much do surrogate mothers get paid?⁠

⁠What is the Barnum effect?⁠

⁠How to spot, prevent and treat heatstroke ?⁠

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

First broadcast: 19/2/2023

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

Today, we’re talking about a new phenomenon that affects social interactions. Phubbing is something we've all likely experienced or done ourselves at some point. The term is a portmanteau of "phone" and "snubbing", and refers to the act of looking at your phone instead of paying attention to someone else in a social situation.

It’s becoming increasingly common as our reliance on our mobile devices continues to grow. The term was first introduced in 2012 by Australian advertising agency Maccann Erickson, as part of a campaign for the Macquarie Dictionary. The “A Word is Born” campaign was designed to demonstrate that language is constantly evolving and hence having an up-to-date dictionary is important.

Where does the term come from? Why do people phub then? How can we avoid phubbing someone? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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

⁠Is wine in cans better for the environment?⁠

⁠What is the Dunning Kruger effect, the phenomenon that causes overconfidence?⁠

⁠Why does time go by faster with age?⁠

A Bababam Originals podcast, written and produced by Joseph Chance.

First Broadcast: 17/2/2023

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

It might seem like just a loud (and annoying) habit, but snoring can sometimes be a sign of deeper health issues—including sleep apnea, stroke risk, and even long-term brain damage.

In this episode, we break down why snoring happens, what it means for your health, and what evidence-based tips can actually help you or your partner stop.

Why do some people snore more than others? Can snoring really damage your health? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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

Should you really invest in gold?

How can I avoid putting on weight when giving up smoking?

What is hogging?

A Bababam Originals podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance

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Coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the world, with an average of 98 million cups consumed in the UK every day, according to the British Coffee Association.

In moderation, there are plenty of benefits to be gained from drinking coffee, but there can also be some negative side effects, in particular due to its caffeine content. Decaf is an alternative, but is it really healthier? Our bodies don’t all process caffeine in the same way. It also depends on our sleep quality and the dose of caffeine.

What effects can caffeine have on our bodies? How is decaf actually produced? What about the benefits of drinking coffee? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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

⁠What is the 12 week method for achieving your goals?⁠

⁠Can this budgeting method help us save better?⁠

⁠Is taking milk with coffee good for you?⁠

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

First broadcast: 21/07/2022

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

Do you consider yourself a clumsy person? For some of us, accidents just seem to happen more often than for others, despite our best efforts to be more attentive and focused.

We might drop and smash a glass in the kitchen or bump into things while walking along the street for example; and it can really get frustrating when that kind of thing happens over and over. And in actual fact, it’s not just down to bad luck; there is a reason for why some people are prone to moments of clumsiness than others.

Is it down to fatigue or inattention? Is being clumsy really a big deal? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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

⁠Should you really drink hot drinks when it’s hot?⁠

⁠Could insects replace meat?⁠

⁠How can I stop my plants from dying?⁠

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

First Broadcast: 5/7/2024

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

Sleepwalking is a disorder that comes on during the deep sleep phase, from one to three hours after falling asleep. Episodes can last from 5 to 30 minutes and despite the condition’s name, they don’t always involve walking. Often people just rub their eyes, sit up on their bed or talk in their sleep. 

According to the NHS, one in five children will sleepwalk at least once in their life. Meanwhile, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine says that prevalence in adults is up to 4%. So it’s clearly more common in kids than in adults, and most kids tend to grow out of it when they hit their teens. Bear in mind a tendency to sleepwalk can be inherited.

Is it a common disorder? How on earth am I as an adult going to realise if I sleepwalk? How responsible are we for our actions when sleepwalking? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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

⁠Why is it so important that the ozone layer heals?⁠

⁠Aquamation : what are the advantages of being buried in water?⁠

⁠Why has the Doomsday Clock moved 10 seconds closer to midnight?⁠

A Bababam Originals podcast, written and produced by Joseph Chance.

In partnership with upday UK.

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