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Harry Potter fans were delighted to see their heroes reunited in the recent Return to Hogwarts special. Cast members like Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint addressed rumours and anecdotes relating to the wizarding saga, all the while recalling behind-the-scenes memories. In that spirit, let’s discuss some of the lesser known facts around the Harry Potter franchise.

Spill the beans then, what are the juicy secrets? What about the Harry Potter plot then? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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What is the EU Presidency?
What is Cobra Kai?
What is Doughnut Economics?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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What are Yuccies?

In today’s episode, let’s talk about a term which mixes sociology and lifestyle newspeak. Yuccies is an abbreviation for Young urban creatives.
The term started trending after American journalist David Infante introduced it in an article on Mashable in June 2015. Within weeks, the concept had been covered on many other websites, with the original article being shared over 75,000 times.

Hmm, that sounds a lot like hipsters? What sets yuccies apart? What kind of careers do yuccies tend to pursue? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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What is climate change famine?
What is an unvaccinated lockdown?
What is the four-day week?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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On New Year’s Day 2022, France took over presidency of the Council of the European Union for a period of six months. A shortened version of the title for this responsibility is EU Presidency.

Wait a minute, what is the Council of the European Union again? How come France is president for now then? What does France have on its agenda for its 2022 presidency? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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What is Cobra Kai?
What is Doughnut Economics?
What is the interspecies internet?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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What is the Big Quit?

Remember our episode on #QuitMyJob, about thousands of Americans publicly quitting their jobs on TikTok? Since then, the phenomenon has continued gaining momentum in the United States under a new name: the Great Resignation, or the Big Quit.
According to a report published by the US Department of Labour on October 13, 2021, this August alone saw 4.3 million resignations nationwide. Count in the rest of summer and spring, and the figure jumps to a staggering 20 million. In the spirit of similar past initiatives, The Big Quit is yet another movement that offers resistance to unfair employers and unsafe working conditions.

What got this trend started then? Has the movement spread to other countries? Does the movement prompt companies to become more attractive by raising wages, for example? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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What is Squid Game?
What is wokeism?
What is sex work?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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If you’ve got Netflix, you’ve no doubt seen this series pop up in your recommendations more than once. All the more so given the fourth season just hit the platform on New Year’s Eve, adding to the 30 episodes which were already available.

It sounds like a cool name! So what’s it about? What’s the series about then? And what audience is it aimed at? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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What is the interspecies internet?
What is serendipity?
What is the philosopher’s stone?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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What is the metaverse?

We had already had hints over the summer, but it’s now been confirmed by a recent statement from Facebook HQ. The Silicon Valley tech giant has big plans to hire 10,000 new highly-skilled staff in Europe over the next five years, as part of plans to develop the metaverse.
It’s even planning to change its name, with a rebranding announcement expected any day now.

Wait a minute; are you saying it won’t be called Facebook anymore? A digital parallel universe, huh! What does that even mean? When did this metaverse idea first appear? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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What is Netflix?
What is Tinder?
What is sportswashing?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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What is Polexit?

With Brexit finally having become a reality earlier this year, could other countries follow suit and leave the EU? Well the prospect of a similar Polexit isn’t outside the realms of possibility according to some observers.
To understand why the term is on everyone’s lips, you need to look back at what happened in Poland on October 7th. The country’s constitutional court found that certain articles of EU treaties were incompatible with the national constitution. It ruled that Polish law should supersede EU law.
The country openly challenging the primacy of European law, which dates back to the 1960s, is truly a historic and unprecedented decision.

What was the EU’s response? How did relations get to be so strained between the EU and Poland? Is Polexit really possible? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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What is Generation Alpha?
Who is Harlan Coben?
What is plogging?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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The health crisis has revealed two of the most critical items on the modern agenda: social justice and ecological transition. The first refers to the well-being of all people, while the second implies care for the environment. But these pressing issues don’t always fit in with the existing economic theories that focus exclusively on growth.

What does a doughnut have to do with that? And what are the principles of her theory? What does that mean? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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What is the interspecies internet?
What is serendipity?
What is the philosopher’s stone?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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Those piano notes might sound like they’re the result of human mastery, but they are in fact being played by a bonobo called Panbanisha. She was taking part in a jamming session and responding to a series of synthesizer chords played by former Genesis lead singer Peter Gabriel.

If that’s piqued your curiosity, go and check out the full video on the musician’s Youtube channel. It was recorded in the early 2000s while Gabriel was visiting a primate centre in Atlanta. That was the seed that would set the interspecies internet project in motion.

What are we actually talking about here? It all sounds a bit utopian and far-fetched! How would it work technically speaking though? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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What is serendipity?
What is the philosopher’s stone?
What is Veganuary?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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What is a bore-out?

Hearing the term will likely make you think of another kind of psycho-social condition related to the world of work; that of a burnout. Well bore-outs are perhaps less well-known than their workaholic cousin, but they are actually much more common.
A Forbes article from January 2020 suggested that between 43% and 53% of employees are bored of their job.

What are the signs of a bore-out? What are the primary causes? What can be done to avoid a bore-out? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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Who is James Bond?
What is reproductive health?
What is Lagom?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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Today’s subject is a word as old as time, yet it has only really come to the forefront in the last decade. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, serendipity is luck that takes the form of finding valuable or pleasant things that are not looked for. In other words, it is an accidental discovery. Or a happy coincidence.

Do you have any examples? So you’re saying it’s not new at all then! Where does the word come from? Hyper-what browsing? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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What is the philosopher’s stone?
What is Veganuary?
What is The Matrix?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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What is euthanasia?

Euthanasia is the act of intentionally ending a person’s life in order to relieve their suffering. The practice is often confused with assisted suicide but there is a key difference. When it comes to euthanasia, medical practictioners carry out the final deed, whereas with assisted suicide it’s the patient who commits the act.
Laws on euthanasia and assisted suicide vary across the world, and it’s a complex ethical subject. The general trend in the Western world is that people are becoming more open to the idea of legal euthanasia. It’s being debated in a number of places.

In the countries where euthanasia is legal, how is it carried out? So where is euthanasia actually allowed then? What are some of the main arguments for and against euthanasia? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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What is the baby bust?
What is period poverty?
What is newspeak?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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The Harry Potter “Return To Hogwarts” cast reunion was first broadcast on New Year’s Day at 8pm. It’s available to view on Sky and Now in the UK. The documentary marks 20 years since the first novel in the series, The Philosopher’s Stone, was adapted into a film by Warner Brothers. But the philosopher’s stone itself is actually a real-world myth which fascinated alchemists for a long time before J.K. Rowling’s novels came along. Its alchemical symbol was known as the Squared circle.

Could you say popular culture brought it back to life then? Why does the name ring a bell? Is the philosopher’s stone really red? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

To listen to the last episodes, you can click here:
What is Veganuary?
What is The Matrix?
What is Christougenniatikophobia?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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Here we are just a few days into 2022! Have you made, or perhaps already broken, any New Year’s resolutions? Well, it’s not too late to get involved. There are plenty of good initiatives out there and here’s one which is designed to help you stick to a resolution for a full month, or at least try something new.

The Veganuary challenge is pretty easy to understand. It’s a contraction of the words “vegan” and “January”, the idea being to go vegan for a month, cutting out all animal origin food from your diet. According to organisers, over 580,000 people from 209 countries across the world registered to take part last year, and that figure is expected to increase again in 2022.

How long has the Veganuary movement been around? How can I join in? But it’s so hard to find vegan food options! In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

To listen to the last episodes, you can click here:
What is The Matrix?
What is Christougenniatikophobia?
What is hogging?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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What is the Covid vaccine pill?

Summer 2021 has seen Covid-19 vaccine campaigns making steady progress around the world. As of the start of August, 15% of the global population had been fully vaccinated.
While health authorities in some countries are considering a third dose by injection, Oravax Medical, a subsidiary of Israeli pharmaceutical company Oramed, is hoping to produce a Covid-19 vaccine in pill form.

A pill?! So you’d just swallow it like paracetamol then? How would the vaccine actually work? Is it really that revolutionary of a vaccine method? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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What is geophony?
What is Earth Overshoot Day?
What is Godwin’s Law?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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Matrix Resurrections, the fourth feature film of the Matrix saga, was released on December 22nd, 18 years after the previous film. What better time to reflect on how the franchise left its mark on an entire generation.

Can you sum up the story of the Matrix? Sounds like a pretty complicated story to get your head around! Tell me more about the lead character Neo! In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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What is hogging?
What is anasyrma?
What is a family rave?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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What are NFTs?

NFTs are the talk of the town in early November 2021. Quentin Tarantino is auctioning off NFTs of unedited scenes from "Pulp Fiction". It’s one of the latest crazes in the world of blockchain. Non-fungible tokens are digital certificates of ownership, which state who owns a piece of virtual crypto-art. That’s right, you can now buy collectible digital art, like memes, GIFs, videos and even tweets, all thanks to NFTs. NFTs emerged in 2017, as part of the Ethereum cryptocurrency blockchain. You’ve most likely heard of bitcoin and blockchain before. Well, NFTs are based on the same technology.

So are NFTs cryptocurrency then? What are the advantages of using the blockchain? Why would anyone spend millions on something that can be copied endlessly and can’t even be hung up on their wall? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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What is the Big Quit?
What is Jackass?
What is Squid Game?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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Well here we are in 2022. Many are glad to see the back of 2021, now looking forward optimistically to the future thanks to global developments like the arrival of Covid-19 vaccines and Joe Biden entering the White House. The turn of the year also means it’s time to come up with New Year’s resolutions. Setting ourselves objectives for the whole year is always a big ask, and not everyone is able to keep theirs for various reasons.

When were New Year’s resolutions actually invented? What are the most popular New Year’s resolutions? And does anyone actually keep their resolutions? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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What is breaking?
What is the cosmic calendar?
What is an immunity passport?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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For a lot of people, Christmas is synonymous with family gatherings, presents and lots of yummy food. Combined with New Year’s Eve, late December is a season of celebration.

But for others, the period is a bit of a nightmare. End of year holidays can be a source of genuine trauma and the fear of Christmas itself as known as christougenniatikophobia. It’s a branch of heortophobia, which is a fear of celebrating events. It comes from the Greek “herote”, meaning holiday. Like other phobias, it can lead to irritability, stress, eating disorders or sleep problems.

Who tends to be affected? What should I do if Christmas makes me anxious? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

To listen to the last episodes, you can click here:
What is hogging?
What is anasyrma?
What is a family rave?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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As 2021 draws to close, let’s discuss a word which has become more and more widespread in the United States at the end of the year. This contemptible practice was called out by young woman Megan Mapes on TikTok in October 2021. She had herself been a victim of hogging in an American college.

Are these students fat fetishists then? And why are we hearing about hogging now? Have there been other instances of hogging? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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What is anasyrma?
What is a family rave?
What is EU law primacy?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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Anasyrma literally means “exposing of the genitals.” But rather than a display of arousal, it’s a form of exhibitionism which is found in religion or artwork. In ancient times, people believed it could turn away harm or evil spirits.
Today, similar practices are used as political statements and even works of art. For example, in the midst of a Black Lives Matter protest in July 2020, a nude woman sat down at the floor and spread her legs in front of a police cordon. The woman, who would go on to be christened Naked Athena, then began performing yoga poses in the direction of disbelieving police officers.

How did anasyrma become a political statement in the modern-day then? But what's the point of it all? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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What is a family rave?
What is EU law primacy?
What is the gig economy?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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New Year’s Eve often throws up dilemmas, especially for those with young children. To go out or not? Who’s going to look after the kids?
Luckily, being a parent doesn’t necessarily mean saying goodbye to your social life and occasional fun! Not if you see it as an opportunity to share your passion for music and clubbing with your children!

But what is the concept, really? The dilemma’s still there, though: it’s either drink the night away or keep an eye on your kids… What about across the Atlantic? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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What is EU law primacy?
What is the gig economy?
Who is Spiderman?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

In partnership with upday UK.

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There has been a lot of tension between Hungary and the EU in 2021, and it doesn’t seem to be calming down as the year comes to an end.

The latest debate is closely linked to the principle of EU law primacy. All EU member states are subject to it. It stipulates that EU law is considered superior to domestic law within a member country. So in the case of a conflict, EU law should prevail and the country wouldn’t be able to apply any law which goes against European directives.

Are we saying that Hungary doesn’t accept European law taking priority over its own laws then? Do all EU countries accept the principle? And what can the Union do to enforce it? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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What is Wikileaks?
Who is Spiderman?
What is the Santa shortage?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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You’ve no doubt caught a lift from a ride-sharing service before, had a meal delivered by a guy on a bike or rented out someone else’s apartment for a weekend away. Well such services are all part of a system known as the gig economy or collaborative economy.

Just like performers who are paid on a per gig basis, workers are increasingly being paid task by task. It’s a direct consequence of the rise of the digital world, in particular that of smartphone apps. You could call it the Uberisation of the world of work.

Let me guess; that comes from Uber drivers, does it? Why would companies want to do that? Could that change any time soon? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

To listen to the last episodes, you can click here:
What is Wikileaks?
Who is Spiderman?
What is the Santa shortage?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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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? So how can we help those feeling the Christmas blues, and avoid suffering from it ourselves? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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What is low tech?
What is gender dysphoria?
What is The Cartel Project?

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