Do you really know?

Have you ever looked at a piece of toast, a cloud or a nearby house and had the impression there’s a face in it, looking right back at you? If you’re like most people, it happens to you on a regular basis, and once you’ve seen the face, you just can’t un-see it! It’s down to a human tendency known as pareidolia.The psychological phenomenon comes from the Greek words para, meaning “beside” or “beyond” and “idolia”, meaning form or image. It’s basically our brains playing tricks on us, but for a very good reason. And it’s nothing new either; Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci wrote about it in his notebooks. Pareidolia is an example of apophenia, which is the tendency to make sense of, or connect things that are actually unconnected. Our brains are always looking for patterns in information from the outside world, to use as a basis for the decisions we make. Do you have any examples? Why does the brain do that then? Are some people more affected than others? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!To listen to the latest episodes, click here:What is bae-realing, the new dating trend?Why are Christmas adverts so moving?Could Mastodon replace Twitter?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

Ever since social media came along, dating trends have evolved constantly. They tend to reflect changes in society too. In previous episodes of Do You Really Know, we’ve talked about dawn dating, sneating and ghosting for example. There are so many different terms out there, and not all of them are positive. Here’s another one you may have heard of recently, in particular if you’re single and use dating apps; bae-realing. You might have started to feel like all these manufactured dates aren’t natural, that they’re unwholesome. If that’s the case, you may well be seduced by the authenticity and even radicalism of bae-realing. It’s been called “a breath of fresh air” by Stylist magazine. Where does the name come from? Why has bae-realing become a trend now? How can I take part in the trend? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!To listen to the latest episodes, click here:Why are Christmas adverts so moving?Could Mastodon replace Twitter?Why do crowd crushes happen?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

John Lewis has released its annual Christmas advert; entitled ‘The Beginner.’ It follows the progress of a middle aged man as he slowly, painfully and determinedly learns how to skateboard. The montage ends by revealing that he is doing all this to make his foster daughter feel welcome when she comes to stay with them for Christmas. It's touching and, for all but the most cold hearted, brings a tear to the eye. You might expect a company to release an advert at Christmas to promote their products. However, research conducted by Princeton University shows that stories are easier to remember than facts so an advert that tells a story is much more likely to be more memorable.Why is John Lewis appealing to our hearts? What are some famous Christmas ads? What makes a successful Christmas advert? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!To listen to the latest episodes, click here:Could Mastodon replace Twitter?Why do crowd crushes happen?Is Britain the new place to get your wine?A Bababam Originals podcast, written and produced by Amber Minogue.In partnership with upday UK. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reaching carbon net zero by 2050 is one of the main objectives in the struggle against global warming. It’s also part of the Green New Deal the EU agreed upon in 2019. Since the start of 2022, many figures in agriculture have been pushing for a carbon farming policy which would see farmers rewarded for their efforts in sequestering carbon.It’s about using agricultural fields to store CO2 in the ground. Plants first absorb it from the air through a process called photosynthesis. Then their roots and other parts decompose, being converted into soil carbon by microbes. Soil is in fact the second largest form of carbon sink on Earth, after the oceans and ahead of forests. The aim is to sequester carbon more quickly. That leads to a greater organic content in the ground, allowing for better water retention and a reduction in the use of fertilizers.How does carbon farming work?Why is agriculture in particular concerned by the net zero target? What is expected at a European level? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!To listen to the latest episodes, click here:Could Mastodon replace Twitter?Why do crowd crushes happen?Is Britain the new place to get your wine?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

As we discussed recently on Do You Really Know, Elon Musk’s Twitter buyout has been causing concern not just among company employees, but also” the platform’s users. Around a month has passed since the Tesla and Space X boss expanded his portfolio with the acquisition of Twitter. But he’s already fired over half of all employees and made a host of other unpopular changes. Some users have already decided it’s time to look elsewhere, and that’s where Mastodon comes into the equation. The small social network was created back in 2016 by then 23-year-old German IT engineer Eugen Rochko. Now might just be its time to shine.What kind of social network is Mastdodon then? What’s the point in switching if the two platforms are so similar? Is it calmer than Twitter? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!To listen to the latest episodes, click here:Is Britain the new place to get your wine?Why is there such a taboo over the prostate?How can I take part in Giving Tuesday?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

On 29th October 2022, 20,000 people were celebrating Halloween in the Itaewon neighbourhood of Seoul in South Korea. One particularly narrow street became very overcrowded, and a huge crush ensued, leading to the deaths of 153 people, with many more injured. A month later, we still don’t know exactly what caused the crush. One of the theories out there is that a rumour spread in the crowd, leading them to believe that a celebrity was in a nearby bar. But a lot of blame has been apportioned to the authorities for poor planning and a slow response to events. A lot of people think that crowd crushes are down to a stampede of people running in panic and crushing others on the floor. Why do things get dangerous in such situations? Are crowd crushes rare or do they happen often? How can I protect myself and others if I end up in an overcrowded area?  In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!To listen to the latest episodes, click here:Is Britain the new place to get your wine?Why is there such a taboo over the prostate?How can I take part in Giving Tuesday?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

When you think of wine, you probably think of France, Bordeaux, Burgundy or Beaujolais. But we could soon be looking to Kent, Dorset and Hampshire instead, especially when it comes to sparkling wine. Since 2000 the total amount of land in England and Wales given over to vineyards has quadrupled in size and established wine makers, particularly from the Champagne region in France are taking notice and are keen to take advantage of this new market.  In 2016, the Pommery group invested in farmland in Kent which they transformed into vineyards. When interviewed for the Daily Mail, about the 2022 harvest, Julien Lonneux from Pommery said :  “This is a truly vintage crop, easily the best in a decade.”How much sparkling wine is currently produced in the UK? Who is taking an interest in English wine? Why is English wine getting better? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!To listen to the latest episodes, click here:Why is there such a taboo over the prostate?How can I take part in Giving Tuesday?What can supermarkets do to reduce food waste?A Bababam Originals podcast, written and produced by Amber Minogue.In partnership with upday UK. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the 23rd of Novembre 2022, Iran announced it would be producing enriched uranium, expanding its nuclear program. Listen to our rerun episode which describes the Iranian nuclear program. It was launched in the 1950s by Shah Mohamed Reza Pahlavi, with the help of the United States. Ensuring the peaceful use of nuclear power was a critical global issue for some time, with the International Atomic Energy Agency formed in 1957 and the UN’s Non-Proliferation Treaty signed in 1968. Then in 1979, an Islamic revolution took place in Iran, with Ayatollah Khomeiny taking power. The country’s nuclear program was put on standby.So when did the Iranian nuclear program actually begin? Were the suspicions founded then? What’s gone wrong since the 2015 deal? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!To listen to the latest episodes, click here:Why is there such a taboo over the prostate?How can I take part in Giving Tuesday?What can supermarkets do to reduce food waste?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 prostate is a male organ that's situated right above the bladder, in front of the rectum. It's a small gland the size of a chestnut that plays a fundamental role in the reproductive system. It produces the protastic fluids that ensure the maturation and survival of sperm. The prostate is also an incredibly erogenous zone, though it's not often explored amongst heterosexual men. Psychoanalyst and sex therapist Alain Héril for Slate said that: "The simulation of this gland over the course of a prostatic massage provokes a very particular pleasure. This massage can be done using hands or specific sextoys. The prospate is also a very fragile organ, so it's important to get it check - especially as you get older.Why is it important to get my prostate checked? How can I avoid prostate cancer? How can I take care of this organ on the daily? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!To listen to the latest episodes, click here:Should I take part in Buy Nothing Day?How to buy second hand gifts?How can I stay trendy buying only second hand clothes?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

November is synonymous with Black Friday, great deals but what cost? Over consumption is endangering our already fragile planet. Is it time to change our ways? This week Do You Really Know is highlighting concepts and initiatives about reducing our consumption.Giving Tuesday is a worldwide initiative which encourages people to do good. The movement was created in the United States in 2012, and has since spread to have a presence in 75 different countries as of 2021. This year, like every year, Giving Tuesday is celebrated the Tuesday after Thanksgiving and Black Friday, which falls on 29th November this time around. Well that does play a big part. A lot of companies and charities match donations to encourage people to give.Is it all about donating to charity then? What can I do to help if I'm strapped for cash? What about business owners? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!To listen to the latest episodes, click here:Should I take part in Buy Nothing Day?How to buy second hand gifts?How can I stay trendy buying only second hand clothes?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