Do you really know?

[RERUN] What are the Christmas Blues?

26 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What are the Christmas Blues? Ho, ho, ho, Christmas time is here! For many people, the holiday season brings to mind decorations, gifts, and happy m...

What is a Christmas tree?

25 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

 What is a Christmas tree? “O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum, How faithfully you blossom!” is the English translation of lyrics to a traditional folk ...

What is Wikileaks?

24 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is Wikileaks? On December 10th, a UK court ruled that Wikileaks founder Julian Assange could be extradited to the United States. The Australian...

Who is Spiderman?

23 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Who is Spiderman?   The eagerly-awaited Spider Man: No Way Home hit cinemas last week, becoming the second-biggest box office opening ever. The film...

What is the Santa shortage?

22 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is the Santa shortage?   The latest wave of Covid-19 is impacting 2021 Christmas celebrations in a big way. And that includes one of its most i...

What is Ugly Sweater Day?

21 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is Ugly Sweater Day? It could be a Christmas tree, a skier in a bobble hat, a team of reindeer, a snowman or Mr Santa Claus himself. OK no need ...

[2021 RETROSPECTIVE] What is a QR code?

20 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

"Do you really know?" is Bababam's daily podcast, which helps you understand the words, acronyms, and concepts that are making the news every day. Fro...

What is apostasy?

20 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is apostasy? Christians around the world are preparing to celebrate Christmas, with many non-believers also joining in on the festivities. But ...

[2021 RETROSPECTIVE] What is Stop Asian Hate?

19 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

"Do you really know?" is Bababam's daily podcast, which helps you understand the words, acronyms, and concepts that are making the news every day. Fro...

[2021 RETROSPECTIVE] What is the #QuitMyJob trend?

18 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

"Do you really know?" is Bababam's daily podcast, which helps you understand the words, acronyms, and concepts that are making the news every day. Fro...

What is Cheugy?

18 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is Cheugy? Some neologisms end up having an impressive online presence, spreading virally, but without many of us even being aware they exist. ...

[2021 RETROSPECTIVE] What is Pop-It?

17 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

"Do you really know?" is Bababam's daily podcast, which helps you understand the words, acronyms, and concepts that are making the news every day. Fro...

What is the Xbox?

17 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is the Xbox? The end of 2021 marks 20 years since the launch of major video game console the Xbox. Back at the E3 trade event in 2001, Bill Gate...

[2021 RETROSPECTIVE] What is Signal?

16 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

"Do you really know?" is Bababam's daily podcast, which helps you understand the words, acronyms, and concepts that are making the news every day. Fro...

What is the FIRE movement?

16 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is the FIRE movement? Imagine you could quit work by the age of 40 and enjoy the freedoms afforded by retirement while still pretty young. Well...

[2021 RETROSPECTIVE] What is the IPCC report?

15 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

"Do you really know?" is Bababam's daily podcast, which helps you understand the words, acronyms, and concepts that are making the news every day. Fro...

What is Tangping?

15 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is Tangping? China is known for its hyper competitive work culture, with young people accustomed to doing long hours and having an always-on men...

[2021 RETROSPECTIVE] What is Operation London Bridge?

14 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

"Do you really know?" is Bababam's daily podcast, which helps you understand the words, acronyms, and concepts that are making the news every day. Fro...

What is West Side Story?

14 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is West Side Story?   Steven Spielberg’s remake of “West Side Story” hit UK cinemas just last Friday. That makes it a perfect occasion to...

[2021 RETROSPECTIVE] What is rape culture?

13 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

"Do you really know?" is Bababam's daily podcast, which helps you understand the words, acronyms, and concepts that are making the news every day. Fro...

What is hybristophilia?

13 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is hybristophilia? We tend to file serial killers among the worst examples of humanity, so it’s hard to imagine anyone would be specifically a...

[2021 RETROSPECTIVE] What is Generation Covid?

12 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

"Do you really know?" is Bababam's daily podcast, which helps you understand the words, acronyms, and concepts that are making the news every day. Fro...

[2021 RETROSPECTIVE] What are the Pandora Papers?

11 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

"Do you really know?" is Bababam's daily podcast, which helps you understand the words, acronyms, and concepts that are making the news every day. Fro...

What is Hanukkah?

11 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is Hanukkah? This week saw the end of Hanukkah, so let's look at the history and customs related to the annual Jewish festival which falls in D...

[2021 RETROSPECTIVE] What is the Olympic flame?

10 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

"Do you really know?" is Bababam's daily podcast, which helps you understand the words, acronyms, and concepts that are making the news every day. Fro...

What is Yentl Syndrome?

10 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is Yentl Syndrome? You may have already heard about examples of sexist bias in medicine. Well Yentl Syndrome is a perfect demonstration of how ...

[2021 RETROSPECTIVE] What is a heat dome?

09 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

"Do you really know?" is Bababam's daily podcast, which helps you understand the words, acronyms, and concepts that are making the news every day. Fro...

What is a testicle bath?

09 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is a testicle bath? Still in this day and age, the burden of being responsible for birth control falls mainly on women. You’ve got an almost ...

[2021 RETROSPECTIVE] What were the Troubles?

08 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

"Do you really know?" is Bababam's daily podcast, which helps you understand the words, acronyms, and concepts that are making the news every day. Fro...

What is Ghostbusters?

08 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is Ghostbusters? Ghouls and spectres beware, the Ghostbusters are back! Ghostbusters: Afterlife hit cinemas on December 1, 2021. This is the lo...

[2021 RETROSPECTIVE] What is hygge?

07 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

"Do you really know?" is Bababam's daily podcast, which helps you understand the words, acronyms, and concepts that are making the news every day. Fro...

What is an Advent calendar?

07 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is an Advent calendar? If you’re anything like us, you’ll have been eagerly waiting for the clock to go past midnight on December 1st to ha...

[2021 RETROSPECTIVE] What is long COVID?

06 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

"Do you really know?" is Bababam's daily podcast, which helps you understand the words, acronyms, and concepts that are making the news every day. Fro...

What is reality shifting?

06 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is reality shifting? This trend took off among teenagers on both sides of the Atlantic during the first round of lockdowns last year. It found ...

[RERUN] What is a virus variant region?

05 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is a virus variant region? Another variant of the coronavirus has appeared: the omicron variant. An opportunity to talk about variant viruses a...

What are fine particles?

04 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What are fine particles?   According to a European Environment Agency report in November 2021, 307,000 people in the EU died prematurely in 2019 due...

What is Albedo?

02 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is Albedo? The Albedo scale is studied and used in multiple fields like astrology and geology. It actually refers to the reflective power of an...

What is woofing?

01 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is woofing?   The world is still in the middle of a health crisis. And while travel has resumed with the reopening of borders, more sustainable...

What are Yuccies?

29 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What are Yuccies? Thanks for asking! In today’s episode, let’s talk about a term which mixes sociology and lifestyle newspeak. Yuccies is an abbr...

[RERUN] What is Fast Fashion?

28 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is Fast Fashion? Thanks for asking! Friday, November 19th, 2021, it was Black Friday. The opportunity to come back on the concept of fast fashio...

Who is Peng Shuai?

27 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Who is Peng Shuai? Thanks for asking! If you’re not a tennis follower, the chances are you may never have heard of Chinese player Peng Shuai. But i...

What is climate change famine?

25 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is climate change famine? Thanks for asking!   The COP26 summit, which took place earlier this month, revealed that concerns related to climate ...

What is an unvaccinated lockdown?

24 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is an unvaccinated lockdown? Thanks for asking! Just when we thought Covid lockdowns were a thing of the past, the pandemic has once again taken...

What is the four-day week?

22 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is the four-day week? Thanks for asking! It might be an unlikely dream for most of us, but many Spanish workers will be trying out a four-day we...

[RERUN] What is the Covid vaccine pill?

21 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is the Covid vaccine pill? Thanks for asking! The United Kingdom has announced the approval of the molnupiravir-based Covid-19 tablet treatment ...

What are primitive reflexes?

20 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What are primitive reflexes? Thanks for asking!  According to the UK Office for National Statistics, September 26 was the most popular day to be bor...

What is Demon Slayer?

18 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is Demon Slayer? Thanks for asking! Forget Squid Game. Kimestsu no Yaiba is the latest big hit. Doesn’t ring a bell? How about Demon Slayer, t...

What is PMS?

17 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is PMS? Thanks for asking!   Headaches, bloating, painful swelling in the breasts and lower abdomen, stress, extreme fatigue, anxiety, and depre...

What is Ikigai?

15 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is Ikigai? Thanks for asking! The Japanese concept of Ikigai roughly translates as “reason for being”, like . The “Iki” part means life,...

[RERUN] What are NFTs?

14 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What are NFTs? Thanks for asking! NFTs are the talk of the town in early November 2021. Quentin Tarantino is auctioning off NFTs of unedited scenes f...

What is PTSD?

13 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is PTSD? Thanks for asking! This mental health condition may be invisible, but it ruins the lives of those who suffer from it.  Post-traumatic...

Who are Abba?

11 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Who are Abba? Thanks for asking!   A full forty years after their last LP “The Visitors”, Abba have only gone and released a new album! That’s ...

What is healthwashing?

10 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is healthwashing? Thanks for asking! We’ve already talked about greenwashing, pinkwashing and sportswashing in past episodes. Well even the wo...

What is the Big Quit?

08 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is the Big Quit? Thanks for asking! Remember our episode on #QuitMyJob, about thousands of Americans publicly quitting their jobs on TikTok? Si...

[RERUN] What is collapsology?

07 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is collapsology? Thanks for asking! At COP26, leaders from more than 100 countries, including Brazil, will commit to halting deforestation, rest...

What is Jackass?

06 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is Jackass? Thanks for asking!    On October 27, 2021, "Jackass Forever", the American squad’s fifth and last feature film, was released in c...

What is Squid Game?

04 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is Squid Game? Thanks for asking! Since its release in September 2021, Squid Game has become the most popular Netflix show of all time. The Sout...

What is wokeism?

03 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is wokeism? Thanks for asking!  The term “woke” took off in the United States in the 2010s. The past form of the verb “to wake” is used...

What is sex work?

01 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is sex work? Thanks for asking! Sex work is basically a term used for any practices involving a sexual service, whether physical or not, in exch...

[RERUN] What is carbon footprint?

31 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is carbon footprint? Thanks for asking! Postponed for a year because of Covid-19, COP26 meets in Scotland from October 31 to November 12. A carb...

What is restless anal syndrome?

30 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is restless anal syndrome? Thanks for asking!  Although the global vaccination rate reached 40% in mid-October, Covid-19 clearly hasn’t gone ...

What is eco-anxiety?

28 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is eco-anxiety? Thanks for asking! The UN’s COP26 summit is due to start this Sunday, and it’s pretty clear to most of us that climate chang...

What is the metaverse?

27 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is the metaverse? Thanks for asking! We had already had hints over the summer, but it’s now been confirmed by a recent statement from Facebook...

What is Netflix?

25 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is Netflix? Thanks for asking! In its fifteen years of existence, Netflix has revolutionised the way we watch films and series, becoming synonym...

[RERUN] What are e-cigarettes ?

24 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What are e-cigarettes ? Thanks for asking!  The British government wants to get tough on smoking. On October 20, 2021, MPs submitted to Parliament a...

What is Tinder?

23 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is Tinder? Thanks for asking! Since launching in the US in 2012, there’s no doubting Tinder has certainly revolutionized dating and relationsh...

What is sportswashing?

21 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is sportswashing? Thanks for asking!  Look out Premier League clubs, a new big boy is in town! That’s right, following approval of their acqu...

What is Polexit?

20 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is Polexit? Thanks for asking! With Brexit finally having become a reality earlier this year, could other countries follow suit and leave the EU...

What is Generation Alpha?

18 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is Generation Alpha? Thanks for asking! After Generation X, Generation Y (also known as the Millennials) and Gen-Z, where do you go next? Well b...

[RERUN] What were the Troubles?

17 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What were the Troubles? Thanks for asking! The British government is stepping up its pressure on Brussels and demanding "significant changes" in the ...

Who is Harlan Coben?

16 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Who is Harlan Coben? Thanks for asking! His name might not be as familiar as that of Stephen King, but that hasn’t stopped novelist Harlan Coben ac...

What is plogging?

14 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is plogging? Thanks for asking! We’ve covered several Scandinavian wellness trends in the past and here’s one which is good for both the bod...

What are the Pandora Papers?

13 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What are the Pandora Papers? Thanks for asking! On October 3rd, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists began publishing leaked doc...

What is degrowth?

11 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is degrowth? Thanks for asking!   Degrowth advocates believe that if we continue prioritising economic growth, political, environmental and geop...

[RERUN] What is conversion therapy?

10 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is conversion therapy? Thanks for asking! In the midst of the scandal surrounding pedocriminality within the Catholic Church, conversion therapi...

What is coolsculpting?

09 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is coolsculpting? Thanks for asking!  Just a couple of weeks ago, 90s catwalk star Linda Evangelista shared an emotional post on Instagram. The...

What is a bore-out?

07 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is a bore-out? Thanks for asking! Hearing the term will likely make you think of another kind of psycho-social condition related to the world of...

Who is James Bond?

06 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Who is James Bond? Thanks for asking! Since its original planned release in March 2020, the 25th James Bond film has been pushed back over and over a...

What is reproductive health?

04 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is reproductive health? Thanks for asking!  September 26, 2021, was World Contraception Day. The event was first held in 2007 by ten internatio...

[RERUN] What are LGBT-free zones?

03 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What are LGBT-free zones? Thanks for asking! Monday September 27th, three Polish regions scrap anti-LGBT resolutions. The European Parliament declare...

What is Lagom?

02 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is Lagom? Thanks for asking! The Swedish term lagom is one of those words that doesn’t have an exact equivalent in English, yet it has caught ...

Who are Oasis?

30 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Who are Oasis? Thanks for asking!     On August 10th 1996, Oasis drew over 250,000 fans to their gigs on two consecutive nights at Knebworth Park. ...

What is the Aukus alliance?

29 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is the Aukus alliance? Thanks for asking!   On September 16th, Australia announced it had signed a strategic pact with the United States and Uni...

What is the Britney Spears conservatorship case?

27 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is the Britney Spears conservatorship case? Thanks for asking! Ardent fans and onlookers alike have probably noticed the diva’s disappearance ...

[RERUN] What is the baby bust?

26 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is the baby bust? Thanks for asking! The United Kingdom is facing a particularly low birth rate recorded. The phenomenon could have significant ...

What is mucosal immunity?

25 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is mucosal immunity? Thanks for asking!  It was announced last week that Covid booster vaccines would soon be available to millions of people a...

What are Butler Cafés?

23 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What are Butler Cafés? Thanks for asking! In recent months, an interesting trend has been catching on in China. An increasing number of women are pa...

What is last chance tourism?

22 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is last chance tourism? Thanks for asking!   Last chance tourism is a travel trend whereby tourists increasingly seek to experience the world’...

What is toxic positivity?

20 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is toxic positivity? Thanks for asking! “Good vibes only”, “everything happens for a reason”, “When life gives you lemons.”...You’...

[RERUN] What is 5G?

19 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is 5G? Thanks for asking! On Tuesday 14 September, Apple presented its new iPhone 13. With the 5G, the American company has boosted its iPhone s...

What is World Cleanup Day?

18 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is World Cleanup Day? Thanks for asking!  World Cleanup Day is held annually on the third Saturday of September all over the world. This year i...

What is the #QuitMyJob trend?

16 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is the #QuitMyJob trend? Thanks for asking! This hashtag went viral on TikTok during the summer. On social media, thousands of web users used th...

What is a Tiny House?

15 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is a Tiny House? Thanks for asking! You may have spotted one in a park, at the edge of the woods, or in a parking lot in the middle of the count...

What is tokenism?

13 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is tokenism? Thanks for asking!   Have you ever got the feeling a company or organisation is preaching equality, but it all feels a bit fake? We...

[RERUN] What is Operation London Bridge?

12 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is Operation London Bridge? Thanks for asking!  This meticulous plan had remained largely secret until now. All the details of this dreaded mom...

What is the 9/11 Museum?

11 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is the 9/11 Museum? Thanks for asking! It’s been twenty years since the 9/11 attacks which shocked the entire world, killing 2977 people. As ...

What is squirting?

09 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is squirting? Thanks for asking! OK, so from their teenage years onwards most men get used to fluid shooting out of their genitals on a regular ...

What are Fan Tokens?

08 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What are Fan Tokens? Thanks for asking! Even if you’re not a football fan, you can’t have missed the news of Lionel Messi’s recent transfer to ...

What is terraforming?

06 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is terraforming? Thanks for asking! If you’re a fan of sci-fi, the idea of terraformation should be familiar. It refers to all the techniques ...

What is a deepfake?

04 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is a deepfake? Thanks for asking! “Seeing is believing”, as the old saying goes, but in this day and age, you can never quite be sure, espec...