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The three Lord of the Rings stories quickly became huge hits when first released as novels in the 1940s. They quickly built a cult fan base due to the fantastical universe created by author JRR Tolkien. But his works reached a whole other dimension with the epic Hollywood adaptations of the 2000s. These blockbusters brought the stories to life, wowing audiences with stunning visual effects and an Oscar-winning musical score. A number of films based on the life of Bilbo Baggins then followed, but the story didn’t end there. Fans are currently getting stuck into The Rings of Power the latest series linked to the Lord of the Rings universe. The first episodes were released on Amazon Prime Video in early September 2022. Let’s take a few minutes to discuss some of the little-known secrets behind the massively successful franchise. How did Tolkien come up with the idea of creating the Lord of the Rings universe? What secrets did the Hollywood films bring? Did Tolkien leave any loose ends in his story?  In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions !To listen to the latest episodes, click here:What is tagskryt, the Scandinavian sustainable travel trend?Is it time the UK acknowledged its role in the slave trade?Why do we sneeze?A podcast written and realised by Joseph ChanceIn partnership with upday UK. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ve already talked about flygskam and the no-fly movement in the past. Today, let’s discuss the shift towards train travel which has come about as a result, and the pride which people take in it! In Sweden, they even came up with a name for it, which is tagskryt, and translates as “triain bragging”!The train has always been the preferred mode of transport for some people. Let’s face it; it’s easy to sit back comfortably, read a book, work or simply stare out of the window at the countryside sights going by. For others, switching to the train has been an enforced change of habit, brought on by realising what a negative impact flying has on the planet. Another Scandinavian buzzword, huh! Is it really worth bragging about it on social media? Is flying really that much worse than taking the train?  In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions !To listen to the latest episodes, click here:Is it time the UK acknowledged its role in the slave trade?Why do we sneeze?Do we have a treatment for Monkeypox at last?A podcast written and realised by Joseph ChanceIn partnership with upday UK. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Prof Kehinde Andrews, the UK’s first professor of Black studies and one of the UK’s leading experts on race, has called for a public holiday to remember the horrors of slavery. According to Andrews there was ‘really nothing more important to Britain’s development than slavery.’ He feels that an official public holiday is needed to keep its memory alive and preserve a conscience of the horrors of the trade and remind us of the continued consequences of slavery today. Although he said one day was “not even close to enough” to acknowledge the UK’s links to the historical transatlantic slave trade. How much was Britain involved? What are the modern consequences of slavery in the UK? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions !To listen to the latest episodes, click here:Why do we sneeze?Do we have a treatment for Monkeypox at last?Who are digital nomads, the new generation of remote workers?A podcast written and realised by Amber Minogue.In partnership with upday UK. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brand activism is when companies seek to have an impact on a social, economic, environmental, or political problem. It’s increasingly common, especially at the moment, but it can have negative consequences. In many cases, companies are called out for being hypocritical when engaging in brand activism. Cynics often see it as opportunistic marketing. Even worse, the company may in fact have a poor track record when it comes to the issue on which they are taking a stance.Why do brands feel like they need to get political then? That all sounds like it will help equality. So what’s the problem?  In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions !To listen to the latest episodes, click here:Why do we sneeze?Do we have a treatment for Monkeypox at last?Who are digital nomads, the new generation of remote workers?A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.In partnership with upday UK. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ve all become a lot more self-conscious about sneezing since COVID-19 came along. Whether you’re out in the street or worse in crowded public transport, sneezing gets you more concerned looks than it did before, and people tend to keep their distance. On top of that, we now all better understand how sneezing works. That’s right, by sneezing we propel micro-droplets of mucus potentially full of germs into the air. Indeed, MIT research showed that the mist of mucus and saliva released by a sneeze can reach speeds of 100 mph and be projected over 8 metres! Thanks to high-speed cameras, scientists have also noticed that once the sneeze has passed, a cloud containing droplets can remain suspended in the air for several minutes.How does sneezing work then? Why do some people hold back sneezes? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions !To listen to the latest episodes, click here:Do we have a treatment for Monkeypox at last?Who are digital nomads, the new generation of remote workers?Who is FN Meka, the world’s first AI rapper?A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.In partnership with upday UK. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For 30 years, male sperm counts have been declining all around the world, particularly in Western countries. It’s been demonstrated over and over again by scientific studies. Indeed, research published by Oxford Academic in the Human Reproduction Update journal in 2017 looked at nearly 200 studies on the matter. It found that sperm counts in North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand had plummeted by 59% from 1973 to 2011.What are the reasons behind this? What can men do to be aware of their fertility? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions !To listen to the latest episodes, click here:Do we have a treatment for Monkeypox at last?Who are digital nomads, the new generation of remote workers?Who is FN Meka, the world’s first AI rapper?A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.In partnership with upday UK. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the last few months alone more than 3,000 people in the UK have caught the monkeypox virus and around 20 cases are being confirmed a day. As of  July the World Health Organisation declared monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern.British scientists from the University of Oxford, in fact the same team who led the ‘Recovery trial’ which looked into a cure for acute covid, have become the first in the world to launch a clinical trial for Monkeypox. The trial, known as ‘Platinum’ is aiming to find a drug that can alleviate symptoms and speed up recovery. What actually is monkeypox and how does it spread? What is the trial going to do? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions !To listen to the latest episodes, click here:Who are digital nomads, the new generation of remote workers?Who is FN Meka, the world’s first AI rapper?Who is Liz Truss, the new British Prime Minister?A podcast written and realised by Amber Minogue.In partnership with upday UK. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On September 16th 2021, Australia announced it had signed a strategic pact with the United States and United Kingdom. The aim is to ensure stability in the Indo-Pacific, which consists of several important seaways between India, Japan and Australia. The recent pact was named AUKUS, to include the initials of the three signatory countries. It will see the United States provide Australia with at least eight new nuclear-propelled submarines. Australia is therefore set to become the seventh country, after India, China, Russia, the UK, France and the US to field nuclear submarines. Furthermore, the US had only ever previously shared nuclear propulsion technology with the United Kingdom, so it’s quite the historic development.New deal, great, so everyone’s a winner right?! Why did Australia prefer forming an alliance with the US then? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions !To listen to the latest episodes, click here:Who are digital nomads, the new generation of remote workers?Who is FN Meka, the world’s first AI rapper?Who is Liz Truss, the new British Prime Minister?A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.In partnership with upday UK. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Digital nomads earn a living working online, while moving freely around the world. Since the first COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020, remote work has become commonplace in companies around the world. Working from home offers many advantages, and “work from anywhere” policies take this freedom one step further. Many employees have said “yes, please” and packed their bags to become digital nomads.Has the digital nomad lifestyle always been popular? What kinds of jobs do digital nomads do? What might the future of digital nomads look like? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions !To listen to the latest episodes, click here:Who is FN Meka, the world’s first AI rapper?Who is Liz Truss, the new British Prime Minister?How can I ease my foot pain?A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.In partnership with upday UK. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mouth taping involves putting tape over your mouth. It's supposed to improve your sleep by forcing you to breathe through your nose rather than your mouth.Regular listeners will be aware that we’ve discussed a number of Tiktok trends on this podcast. Not long ago, we covered the Blackout challenge after it led to the tragic deaths of a number of young children. As of yet the mouth taping trend we’re talking about today thankfully hasn’t claimed any victims, at least as far as our web searches tell us. But it’s nevertheless causing concern, with experts warning it’s highly dangerous.OK, what does mouth taping involve then? Why is it dangerous then? Are there other options for better nighttime breathing? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions !To listen to the latest episodes, click here:Who is FN Meka, the world’s first AI rapper?Who is Liz Truss, the new British Prime Minister?How can I ease my foot pain?A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.In partnership with upday UK. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices