Whether it's a matter of courtesy or preventing the spread of germs, it's not uncommon for people to hold back a sneeze. When this happens, the intercostal muscles contract strongly, but without the release of air if the nose is pinched or the mouth is closed. However, sneezing is a natural bodily reflex designed to expel dust, microbes, or any other irritating substances from the nasal cavity.

Our respiratory system comes equipped with a filter lining the airways. Dust and allergens, for instance, are wrapped in mucus and propelled by vibratile cilia. Sneezing, coughing, or blowing your nose helps expel this mixture, effectively cleansing the respiratory passages.

So are you saying that sneezing is important? What kind of consequences are we talking about? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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

What's the best way to choose my toothpaste?

Is it a good idea to sleep with my pet?

How did flat Earth conspiracy theory start?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

In partnership with upday UK.

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

What do chicken nuggets, margarine and instant noodles all have in common? Well, they may look tasty, but they’re loaded with sugar, salt, fat and chemicals that strip away their nutritional value. That’s due to the heavy processing that goes into making them, which sees them completely transformed from the original raw ingredients. 

And they’re increasingly ever present on our shelves and in our stomachs. In 2022, the National Institute for Health and Care Research found that ultra-processed foods made up almost two-thirds of Britain’s school meals. Furthermore, the British Medical Journal has reported that ultra-processed foods account for 56.8% of total energy intake in the UK diet.

Can you identify them by looking at the ingredient lists on product packaging? What’s the difference between processed foods and ultra-processed foods? Why should we limit the consumption of ultra-processed products? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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

What's the best way to choose my toothpaste?

What are the dangers of hustle culture?

What is the Mandela Effect?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

In partnership with upday UK.

First broadcast: 11/06/2023

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

According to the NHS, approximately 1,600 babies are born every day in the United Kingdom. But what often goes unspoken are the nine months leading up to this event—the periods of anxiety, doubt, and self-discovery that mothers inevitably experience. 

A study published in Evolution, Medicine & Public Health journal in April 2023, found that 62% of women grapple with a panic-inducing fear of pregnancy and childbirth. Psychologists refer to this phenomenon as tocophobia.

So, where does tocophobia come from? What are its symptoms then? And how can a woman overcome it? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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

How did flat Earth conspiracy theory start?

Is it a good idea to sleep with my pet?

What's the best way to choose my toothpaste?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

In partnership with upday UK.

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

Flat Earthers believe that the Earth is not  spherical, but rather a flat disc and the Sun and the Moon are also flat discs that circle above the Earth. According to them the edges of the world are surrounded by a wall of ice, which is what we know as Antarctica. And as for the pictures of the Earth from space - they are all fake, part of a huge conspiracy to hide the truth.

The earliest cultures that believed in a flat Earth were the ancient Egyptians, Babylonians, and Greeks. They had different models that depicted the Earth as a flat surface, often supported by pillars or resting on a giant animal. But not all ancient Greeks shared this belief.

Why have people started believing in this again? And why do some people still believe in the flat Earth theory despite all the evidence that contradicts it? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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

What's the best way to choose my toothpaste?

What are the dangers of hustle culture?

What is the Mandela Effect?

A podcast written and realised by Amber Minogue.

In partnership with upday UK.

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

If you have ever slept with a cat or a dog, you know how cozy it can be. Whether they are at the foot of the bed or on the duvet, pets can make you feel safe and comforted like a plush toy.

According to the UK Pet Food Manufacturers Association, 62% of households in the country own a pet, including 13 million dogs and 12 million cats. But are there health risks when you share your bed with a furry friend? Studies have different opinions on the matter. Let’s investigate.

What evidence is there on the subject ? What about hygiene ? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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

What's the best way to choose my toothpaste?

What are the dangers of hustle culture?

What is the Mandela Effect?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

In partnership with upday UK.

First broadcast: 18/06/2023

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

"There are way easier places to work, but nobody ever changed the world on 40 hours a week." That’s exactly what Elon Musk tweeted in November 2018, as part of a call for new talent to join his companies. The post went viral, leading to a lot of people critiquing Musk's take on work and merit. Despite the criticism he faced, a lot of people, and followers of hustle culture in particular, stood firmly behind him.

Hustle culture essentially glorifies putting in excessive effort at work, often at the expense of health and personal relationships. In this mindset, our identity becomes intertwined with our work role, with work being seen not as a means to a comfortable life but as an end in itself.

When did the trend of hustle culture really kick off? Is there a shift happening? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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

How can I avoid falling victim to roaching?

What are the dangers with being overly perfectionist?

What is the Mandela Effect?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

In partnership with upday UK.

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

Choosing the right toothpaste can be a bit of a challenge, either because there's a plethora of options or because you might have specific requirements. It's not always clear what these products contain, whether it's advisable to steer clear of certain toothpaste, or if the organic versions are just as effective.

The main goal is to tackle dental plaque before it turns into tartar, preventing issues like cavities, bad breath, and bacterial infections. According to tooth-doctor.com, a crucial factor for toothpaste effectiveness is the fluoride content. This trace element strengthens enamel and helps prevent cavities, with the recommended concentration varying based on age and individual cavity risk. The NHS suggests that “toothpastes containing 1,350 to 1,500 parts per million fluoride are the most effective” for adults and children over 7.

What's in toothpaste? So, what should one go for? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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

What is the Mandela Effect?

What are the dangers with being overly perfectionist?

How can I avoid falling victim to roaching?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

In partnership with upday UK.

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

The Mandela Effect is a phenomenon in which a large number of people share a false memory of something that never happened or happened differently from reality. The term was coined by Fiona Broome, a paranormal researcher, who discovered that she and many others had a vivid memory of Nelson Mandela dying in prison in the 1980s, when he actually died in 2013, after serving as the president of South Africa.

But Mandela’s death is not the only example of this collective misremembering. There are many other cases of the Mandela Effect, especially involving pop culture, such as movies, books, TV shows, and brands. For instance, do you remember the famous line from Star Wars, “Luke, I am your father”? Well, that’s not what Darth Vader actually said.

What causes the Mandela Effect? And what are some of the paranormal explanations? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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

How can I avoid falling victim to roaching?

How can my partner and I get better sleep together?

Why are Christmas adverts so moving?

A podcast written and realised by Amber Minogue.

In partnership with upday UK.

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

Perfectionism is the tendency to set excessively high and unrealistic standards for oneself and others, and to evaluate one’s worth based on the ability to meet those standards. Perfectionists are not satisfied with anything less than flawless results, and they often fear failure, criticism, or disappointment but constantly striving for perfection can have serious consequences. 

You might think that being a perfectionist would make you more productive, but the opposite is true. If you’re always aiming for flawless results, you tend to spend more time on tasks than necessary, or even avoid starting them altogether for fear of failure, meaning you end up procrastinating and delaying. A good example is given here by Dr Andrea Brandt in Psychology today:  “I’d like to write a novel” is a fantastic goal, whereas “I must finish a novel by the end of the year” is a perfectionist goal”. Perfectionists also have trouble delegating or collaborating with others, because they don’t trust people to meet their high expectations. This can lead to missed deadlines, wasted resources, and poor performance. 

How does perfectionism impact you? How does perfectionism impact your relationships? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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

How can I avoid falling victim to roaching?

How can my partner and I get better sleep together?

Why are Christmas adverts so moving?

A podcast written and realised by Amber Minogue.

In partnership with upday UK.

First broadcast: 20/07/2023

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

If your partner is constantly snoring, hogging the blanket, or tossing and turning every five minutes, and you're finding it increasingly challenging to share a bed, know that you're not alone. A 2017 study revealed that while 50% of those surveyed claim to sleep as a couple, 41% prefer solo slumber, and 54% feel sleep-deprived.

There are some tricks to make co-sleeping more manageable. First off, it's crucial to pick the right bed. Mattresses now come in a much wider range of sizes than before. The bigger the bed, the more comfortable you'll both be. A 2012 study by the Bedding Association found that couples switching to 160 by 200 cm beds experienced a 15% increase in sleep time. For partners who move a lot during the night, twin beds could be a solution - two single beds pushed together allow for personal space while sharing a room. That will significantly help preserve your sleep if your partner tends to have restless sleep.

And what if my other half is a blanket thief? Now, what if your partner has nightmares or shouts in their sleep? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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

Why do our bellies get fatter as we get older?

What is the butterfly effect and how does it affect our lives?

Why is there such a taboo over the prostate?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

In partnership with upday UK.

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