Do you really know?

What is an immunity passport? Thanks for asking!After testing and vaccination in 2020, the immunity passport is likely to be one of next year’s Covid-19 hot topics. Apps on our smartphones will be able to show whether we have been tested or vaccinated. The upside? It could lead to the reopening of international travel, meaning we’ll be able to go on holiday again as a result, and access other freedoms.Big Brother’s watching us - It all sounds a bit creepy to me!Well the idea of a vaccination card as an entry mechanism is actually far from new. Over a century ago, certain American schools required students and teachers alike to show evidence of their smallpox vaccination. A more recent example is the yellow card, a travel document created by the World Health Organisation in the 1960s. It’s used to prove whether a person has been vaccinated for yellow fever. I’m guessing the 21st century version must come in the form of an app? Has there been any opposition to the idea of immunity passports? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!To listen the last episodes, you can click here: What is vlogmas?What is a black hole?What is Western Sahara?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 vlogmas? Thanks for asking!Well, there you have it, Christmas 2020 has come and gone faster than you can say “socially distanced celebrations! Some influencers will nevertheless be relieved to take some time off, after a full month of Vlogmas. The idea is to post a video per day from December 1st through to Christmas, like an Advent calendar. Sometimes this practice can extend through to the New Year. So if you love vlogs and love Christmas too, well this is perfect for you.Beauty and lifestyle Youtuber Ingrid Nilsen is credited with creating the tradition back in 2011, when she was known as Missglamorazzi. At the time, daily vlogging was relatively rare and the project was a spur-of-the-moment thing. Since then however Vlogmas has become a real phenomenon, with online content and searches growing year-on-year.  What’s the idea then - festive-themed vlogs? Since Vlogmas first appeared, December has become an important month for influencers. It’s like a marathon for vloggers, in particular for lifestyle Youtubers. Every day is a new immersion into the influencer’s daily life, more or less around the theme of Christmas, taking in activities like buying and putting up decorations, last-minute shopping and of course unwrapping gifts.Some posts get hundreds of thousands of views and a simple search for “Vlogmas” on Youtube yields a seemingly endless number of results. It sure sounds like a lot of work during the holiday season! What’s in it for the influencers themselves then? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!To listen the last episodes, you can click here: What is a black hole?What is Western Sahara?What is Furoshiki?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 black hole? Thanks for asking!The 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to three scientists for their breakthroughs in understanding one of the Milky Way’s darkest secrets: the black hole. The winners were British physicist Sir Roger Penrose, American astronomer Andrea Ghez and German astrophysicist Reinhard Genzel. The closest black hole to Planet Earth is situated 1011 light years away and it’s believed one exists in every galaxy. Black holes generally form when a large star collapses in upon itself. As you may have guessed, black holes don’t emit any light and are therefore invisible in space. Their pulling force is so strong that nothing can escape, not even light.If black holes are invisible, how can we even be sure they exist?Black holes are indeed invisible, but astronomers have come up with ways to locate them. They have had to closely observe material and stars around black holes, which allows them to better understand the characteristics and behaviour of the black holes themselves, like their size and mass.There are actually three main types of black hole: primordial, stellar and supermassive. Evidence suggests that all large galaxies have a supermassive black hole at their centre.Scientists were able to detect the supermassive Sagittarius A* black hole in our galaxy by noticing that stars were orbiting around something that couldn’t be seen. Their presence in other galaxies has been revealed by high-energy jets of material, which can be emitted when a black hole consumes a star for example. How can black holes be so powerful that they can even trap light? Are you saying we’ve never been able to look directly at a black hole? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!To listen the last episodes, you can click here: What is low tech?What is gender dysphoria?What is The Cartel Project?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 Western Sahara? Thanks for asking! On December 10th, US President Donald Trump recognised Morocco’s sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara region. The announcement came as a surprise, and has significant consequences, such as the normalization of relations between Morocco and Israel. Following the UAE, Bahrain and Sudan, Morocco is the fourth Arab League country to recognise Israel in recent months.Situated in the North-west of Africa, the region of Western Sahara has a surface area of over 100,000m₂. It is one of the world’s most sparsely populated territories, consisting mainly of desert flatlands. It can be found to the south of Morocco, the north of Mauritania, and also shares a border with Algeria. The region has been contested for several decades now, and is one of the world’s last remaining major non-self-governing territories. So who does the Western Sahara region actually belong to then?Well, it was actually a Spanish colony from the late 19th century through to 1975. A self-determination referendum was due to take place that year, but Morocco expressed its opposition, having continually claimed the territory since the 1950s. Following the Spanish withdrawal, Morocco annexed two-thirds of Western Sahara. It would go on to gradually secure control of around 80% of the territory, including all major cities and natural resources, which it continues to administrate. The remaining 20%, the self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, is controlled by the Polisario Front. This group is an indigenous independence movement which was founded in 1973, and has the support of Algeria.What has caused the situation to escalate in recent months? Could this fighting have any impact on the US-brokered deal? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!To listen the last episodes, you can click here: What is low tech?What is gender dysphoria?What is The Cartel Project?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 Furoshiki? Thanks for asking!In case you haven’t noticed, it’s Christmas Eve today, which means it’s time for the annual custom of last-minute gift wrapping. If you’re feeling creative, here’s an eco-friendly technique which dates back to 8th century Japan: Furoshiki wrapping.Furoshiki is the art of wrapping objects in fabric, which was first used by Japanese nobles to protect valuable objects. The word literally translates as “bath spread”, as people carried their clothes in such fabrics when going to public baths. When sewing machines were invented, the practice became more and more common, for transporting shopping items or food. Until plastic bags came along in the 20th century, that is.Is Furoshiki another victim of those damn plastic bags then?That seemed to be the case, but increasing awareness of environmental issues has seen a furoshiki revival since the turn of the century. The Japanese Minister for the Environment has been promoting it officially for some time now, even publishing a guide on various wrapping techniques such as the Otsukai Tsutsumi, Katake futuro and Yotsu Musubi.Great, I just wish I understood Japanese! In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!To listen the last episodes, you can click here: What is low tech?What is gender dysphoria?What is The Cartel Project?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 are the Christmas Blues? Thanks for asking!Ho, ho, ho, Christmas time is here! For many people, the holiday season brings to mind decorations, gifts, and happy moments spent in good company. But that’s not the case for everybody, and we would all do well to remember that. Some people find Christmas a difficult moment to live through, which causes sadness known as the Christmas blues.Who are these people who don’t love Christmas then?Well, there are actually several different types of Christmas blues that people experience. Firstly, you’ve got people who simply don’t like Christmas or find the period particularly joyful. Everyone has their own reasons, but it’s often linked to the apparent obligation of celebrating Christmas with false cheer. Some feel forced to see family members they don’t get on with, just because it’s a tradition that comes around once a year. And that can bring negative thoughts and feelings to the surface. Others feel excluded and lonely during the holiday season, especially if they don’t have family around. It can be difficult to come to terms with being on your own, when everyone else is gathering with several generations of family around the dinner table.Christmas Blues are also caused by the build up to the big day, which can be stressful for financial reasons. It’s no secret that Christmas goes hand-in-hand with gift giving. Many people are already struggling to make ends meet each month during the current economic downturn. So the pressure to spend extra money on presents can lead to feelings of shame about financial hardship.So how can we help those feeling the Christmas blues, and avoid suffering from it ourselves? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!To listen the last episodes, you can click here: What is low tech?What is gender dysphoria?What is The Cartel Project?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 low tech? Thanks for asking!In the struggle against climate change, politicians are getting behind technological innovation. But some experts believe that, rather than high-tech, we should instead be banking on the simple, robust and reparable solutions offered by low tech. The all-powerful nature of high-tech has been called into question for decades, with regular controversies and debates on subjects like robots, satellites or artificial intelligence. As far back as the 1970s, author Ivan Illich published “Tools for Conviviality” about the proper use of technology, in which he argued that society should “give people tools that guarantee their right to work with independent efficiency”. In this day and age, tools are overwhelmingly controlled by specialists. For example, very few of us know how to build or repair a smartphone, car or washing machine. Isn’t the awesome thing about technology that it’s guaranteed to become more and more complex?Well not everyone agrees with that. Experts have warned that renewable energies, nanotechnologies and biotechnologies all use up scarce resources, which are complex and difficult to recycle. The idea behind low tech is effectively to do more, better, with less. From a technical point of view, a low tech object should be durable, robust and reparable or recyclable. It should also consume little in the way of raw materials and energy. So designers are coming up with low-tech houses, cars, agriculture and even computers. But remember that renewable materials don’t last forever. It would be foolish to think we can maintain current production levels with different techniques. So before figuring out how to optimise production techniques, we need to accept that producing less is a necessity. OK so we’re talking about people who want us to go back to the stone age basically! In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!To listen the last episodes, you can click here: What is The Cartel Project?What is an mRNA vaccine?What is Fast Fashion?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 gender dysphoria? Thanks for asking!  Gender dysphoria describes the unease that people can feel when there is a mismatch between their biological sex and gender identity. So for example a person with male genitals and facial hair might not identify as a man. This unease can cause depression and anxiety in some cases, and have a real impact on a person’s daily life.How is this label different from more commonly used terms like transidentity?The term transsexualism, which appeared in the 1950s, was used for almost everything until recently. In medical jargon, it has gradually been replaced. In 1980, the American Psychiatric Association included it in its list of mental illnesses, as a psychosexual disorder. In 2013, it clarified that gender dysphoria itself wasn’t a mental disorder, but that its main characteristic was the resulting discomfort. It’s important to recognise that not all transgender people experience gender dysphoria, as they may feel perfectly at ease with their bodies. In recent years, there’s been a shift in terminology, with gender dysphoria increasingly being used instead of other long-standing terms like “identity disorder” or “transidentity”. And yet, the term itself isn’t new! The notion emerged in 1973, around the time when gender studies were developing. It was coined in the United States by psychiatrist Norman Fisk and plastic surgeon Donald Laub.What can people with gender dysphoria suffer from? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!To listen the last episodes, you can click here: What is The Cartel Project?What is an mRNA vaccine?What is Fast Fashion?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 Cartel Project? Thanks for asking! In early December, the Forbidden Stories consortium unveiled The Cartel Project, which continues and publishes the work of other journalists who are victims of threats, prison sentences or murder.It takes its name from the work of Mexican journalist Regina Martinez, who was killed in 2012 while investigating links between drug cartels and politicians. Martinez was working for a weekly investigative news magazine called Proceso when she was found dead in her home.For several months now, 60 journalists from 18 countries have been continuing her work as part of the project, and looking into the suspicious circumstances of her death. They come from 25 different media outlets, including the Washington Post, the Guardian, El Pais, La Prensa and Le Monde.That’s impressive! How have all these media outlets managed to work together?Everything has been coordinated by Forbidden Stories. It’s a global network of investigative journalists which was created in 2017. Forbidden Stories was also behind the Daphne project, named after Daphne Caruana Galizia, a journalist who was murdered in Malta that year.But let’s get back to The Cartel Project. 199 journalists have been killed in Mexico since the turn of the century, with eight victims this year. These figures make it the world’s most dangerous country for reporters. A large proportion of these crimes are committed in the Veracruz region, where drug cartels have a strong influence. Working on links between politicians and drug cartels in Mexico is certainly a dangerous business. Founder Laurent Richard has gone on record as saying the Cartel Project is the most dangerous investigation that Forbidden Stories has ever opened.After 10 months of work, a lot of information has come out, in particular evidence that Mexican drug cartels continue to prosper with impunity for crimes against journalists. It has emerged that 99% of such crimes against Mexican journalists are never solved. If it’s so dangerous, why is the project looking into Mexico in particular? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!To listen the last episodes, you can click here: What is Fast Fashion?What is microwork?What is retrospective contact tracing?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 an mRNA vaccine? Thanks for asking!The first two COVID-19 vaccines to pass clinical trials have a significant point in common. They are both mRNA vaccines, and in fact, it will be the very first time vaccines of this kind have been made available to the public. Patients in the UK already started being vaccinated a week ago, but some observers are concerned by the unknown characteristics of this technology.RNA is an abbreviation of ribonucleic acid. Inside our bodies, this substance transports the information contained in DNA, and produces proteins. Scientists have been aware of RNA for decades, but are still far from unravelling all its mysteries. Many studies have sought to find medical uses, like treating cancers or genetic disorders for example. There had already been some unsuccessful mRNA vaccine tests in the past. But the Covid-19 pandemic really caused research in this area to accelerate. What’s the difference between a traditional vaccine and an mRNA vaccine? Conventional vaccine procedures see patients injected with either a weakened or destroyed virus. As a result, the organism learns to recognise it and produce its own defences. The difference with an mRNA vaccine is that the person receives genetic material that encodes the viral protein. After this is injected, the person’s own cells are able to produce antigens and generate an immune response.On average, conventional viruses take between 10 and 15 years to develop. On the other hand, mRNA vaccines can be produced far more quickly, and at less cost, as they are constructed using only the pathogen’s genetic code. Given the gravity of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was essential to come up with a new vaccine to deploy on a large scale as soon as possible.That all sounds great, but aren’t we at risk of becoming genetically modified humans? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!To listen the last episodes, you can click here: What is Fast Fashion?What is microwork?What is retrospective contact tracing?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