Do you really know?

What is long COVID? Thanks for asking!Even months after infection, some Covid-19 patients have continued to suffer from symptoms such as extreme fatigue, lack of sleep or breathing problems. And these are mostly people who have long been discharged from hospital, or never even went there in the first place. This form of the virus is generally multi-symptomatic and protean.The term long Covid was actually coined by a group of infected patients, who experienced it during the first wave of the pandemic. They had to campaign for months to raise public awareness and draw greater attention from the medical community, getting it on the agenda for scientific research.Does long Covid affect a high proportion of patients? How would I know if I had long Covid? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: What is Clubhouse?What is a nasal spray vaccine?What is quantum technology?A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is Clubhouse? Thanks for asking!Clubhouse is a 100% audio social networking app. It’s suddenly everywhere, having accrued 2 million users despite being created less than a year ago in March 2020. Its current valuation is over $1bn. In the era of lockdowns, social distancing and an increased need to communicate with the outside world, you could say Clubhouse came along at just the right time.Wait a minute, it’s not like we’re lacking in social networks to choose from. What’s different about this one? So it’s a bit like listening to Do You Really Know then, is it? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: What is a nasal spray vaccine?What is quantum technology?What is the social credit system?A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is a nasal spray vaccine? Thanks for asking!We’re all familiar with how traditional vaccines work. We get injected with a virus, or a weakened version, so that our immune system learns how to fight against it. This is most often done with a little jab in the arm. But scientists have actually been working on other injection methods for years.Spray vaccines, or mucosal vaccines, are more effective than traditional vaccines for some illnesses. Such vaccines already exist for cholera or rotavirus, and research is ongoing to find one for whooping cough or HIV. This method is comparable to the oral vaccine, thanks to which we were able to eradicate polio throughout the world. A number of pharmaceutical companies in the US, France, Germany and China are trying to find a Covid-19 spray vaccine.Are they doing that for people like me who hate needles? How does this all relate to the vaccine? How do nasal sprays compare to Covid-19 vaccine injections? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: What is quantum technology?What is the social credit system?What is 'Oumuamua?A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is quantum technology? Thanks for asking!Quantum technologies are tools which use the physical properties of tiny particles like ions or photons. It might seem abstract, but these technological breakthroughs look set to be a game-changer in computing and communications.The UK government has already invested over £1bn in quantum science and technology, with the country is seen as one of the world’s leaders in the field. The National Quantum Technologies Programme receives funding to develop new technologies like electric car batteries and advancing imaging systems to detect cancer.Are quantum technologies totally new then? How does quantum computing actually work? So can we all expect to be using quantum technologies soon? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: What is 'Oumuamua?What is critical thinking?What is the postpartum period?A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is the social credit system? Thanks for asking! With a population of 1.4 billion inhabitants and a surface area 39 times larger than that of the UK, China has seen mass surveillance systems rolled out in recent decades. Take video surveillance and facial recognition for example, with over 600 million security cameras throughout the country. Or the controlling and censorship of the country’s most popular social network WeChat. And now the Chinese authorities are taking this to the next level, with the social credit system that evaluates citizens’ behaviour and perceived trustworthiness.It’s the brainchild of Lin Junyue, a researcher from Beijing who took inspiration from the American insurance system. The original idea was to verify the solvency of individuals and companies, but it has evolved a great deal since.So how does the system work? It sounds like Black Mirror or 1984! Aren’t the country’s laws enough? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: What is 'Oumuamua?What is critical thinking?What is the postpartum period?A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is 'Oumuamua? Thanks for asking!In 2017, ‘Oumuamua became the first interstellar object to be detected passing through our solar system. The discovery of this mysterious object has led to a number of theories about its origins. Could ‘Oumuamua hold the secret to how other solar systems were formed, or be proof that aliens exist? How did we first discover the existence of ‘Oumuamua then? So what are the most convincing theories? And what do other scientists think of the alien hypothesis? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: What is the postpartum period?What is ketamine?What is burnout?A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is critical thinking? Thanks for asking!Critical thinking is the intellectual process of evaluating information, thinking clearly and rationally as a guide to belief and action. You could see it as an attitude whereby no statement or piece of information is accepted as true or false, without first being carefully analysed. Simplistic conflations, generalisations and preconceptions are all challenged, as is any kind of statement made without evidence.Critical thinking has its roots in the teachings of ancient Greek philosophers Socrates and Plato. Throughout history, philosophers like Francis Bacon, René Descartes and Emmanuel Kant have used it to create the basis for methodical thought.So how do I go about becoming a critical thinker then? What about religion? Surely it can’t be possible for religious beliefs and critical thinking to coexist, can it? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: What is the postpartum period?What is ketamine?What is burnout?A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is the postpartum period? Thanks for asking! Many people wrongly assume that all women immediately find their feet after having a baby. In reality, it can be an overwhelming phase which is often neglected. The postpartum period begins as the mother’s body starts returning to a non-pregnant state. It’s commonly used to refer to the first six weeks following childbirth, but it may last significantly longer, with a range of physical and psychological symptoms.So what actually happens during the postpartum period?Postpartum is a time of recovery for the new mother’s body. The uterus, which grows up to fifteen times bigger during pregnancy, contracts and returns to its normal size. Changing levels of hormones like progesterone and estrogen can cause hot flashes and sweating.It’s best to stock up on disposable underwear for leaking and bleeding. Post-childbirth vaginal discharge, known as lochia, contains blood, mucus and uterine tissue. After the postpartum period is over, you should start feeling more like yourself again. Your body may also be ready to have sex.Is postpartum just a fancy word for the baby blues then?We shouldn’t confuse postpartum depression with the baby blues, which affect up to 80% of mothers. These short-term mood dips usually disappear within a week or two after the baby’s birth. Meanwhile, postpartum depression is more severe and lasts longer. The World Health Organisation has estimated that between 10% and 15% of women experience it. Whereas a mum with the baby blues might see her moods swing quickly from happy to sad, postpartum depression is characterised by constant feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness and loneliness.Needless to say, this can quickly become overwhelming in the life of a young mother, making it difficult to complete daily activities for herself or her baby. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is ketamine? Thanks for asking!Ketamine is a psychoactive drug, which is known for being both a horse tranquiliser horse and a party drug for ravers looking to experience a psychedelic trip. lsd kick in It has also recently emerged that ketamine is an effective antidepressant. Its use for medical purposes has been approved in the United States and Europe.edge of spaceKetamine was first synthesised in 1962. It’s widely used by vets to anesthetize animals, but it’s also been used to ease pain in humans for some time. It’s common knowledge that ketamine was given to American soldiers requiring emergency surgery during the Vietnam war. To this day, it’s used in other procedures like skin grafts and cardiac catheterisation.technoIn the 90s, ketamine got a reputation as an illicit party drug. Nicknamed Special K, ravers made it their recreational drug of choice for its hallucinogenic and dissociative effects. Of course, using it is illegal and potentially dangerous. Mixed with alcohol or in a high dose, it can lead to respiratory failure and death.What are the scientific effects of ketamine? Ketamine acts as an antagonist on a number of neurotransmitters, in particular glutamate, the brain’s most common chemical messenger. When taken in high doses, it prevents glutamate from circulating, causing the anaesthetising effect. But in small doses it increases production, which is what leads to hallucinations. wooshIn depressed people, some brain cell connections have been destroyed by significant stress or trauma. An article published in Science magazine explained that ketamine can prompt those connections to regrow, thereby acting as a treatment for depression.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is burnout? Thanks for asking! In January 2021, the European Parliament approved a “right to disconnect” policy which passed relatively unnoticed in the midst of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. This resolution recognises workers rights to switch off outside of working hours, in order to protect their mental health, wellbeing and private lives.A Eurofound survey estimated that one third of all workers were working remotely last year. Since the start of the pandemic, a sedentary and “always-on” lifestyle has become the norm for many. While remote work clearly has some advantages, staying connected and available around the clock can have negative effects. These include anxiety, depression or even a burnout.Is burnout similar to depression then?Not really, because it’s seen as an occupational phenomenon, rather than a medical condition. The World Health Organisation defines burn-out as a “syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.” American psychiatrist Herbert Freudenberger coined the term burn-out back in 1974 when he became the first person to publish research on the syndrome in the Journal of Social Issues.How can I tell if one of my colleagues is experiencing a burn-out then?  There may be physical, emotional, cognitive, interpersonal and motivational signs. The three characteristics of occupational burn-out are: feelings of exhaustion, increased mental distance from, or negative feelings towards, your job and reduced efficiency. Furthermore, Mayo Clinic cites a lack of work-life balance, a high workload, overtime and a monotonous job among the risk factors for burnout.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices