Do you really know?

Have you ever noticed a man explaining something to a woman in a supremely confident way which suggests he absolutely knows more than her about the subject? Well, there’s a term for that, which is mansplaining.

A recent thread on parenting forum Mumsnet invited women to share their worst examples of mansplaining. Among them were patronising explanations of the offside rule, a gas man telling a qualified engineer to wait for her partner to get home so he could tell him how to fix the boiler rather than her and a male doctor telling a pregnant woman not to worry as C-sections aren’t painful!

God yes, guys like that are the worst! How long has mansplaining been around? Why do men do this then? Are they really all that bad? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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What is Hungary's anti-LGBT law?
What is space tourism?
What is Ocean Viking?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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Whether you’re a regular Do You Really Know? listener or just tuning in for the first time, the fact that you’re here probably means you’re not affected by digital illiteracy!

The digitalisation of society as a whole has been accelerating for years now. Covid-19 lockdowns further sped up the process in a way we hadn’t anticipated. People suddenly had no choice but to work remotely, homeschool their kids and do grocery shopping online.

But the health crisis also revealed the isolation which permanently affects people who find themselves on the wrong side of the digital divide. Digital illiteracy is holding back a surprisingly high number of people, even in developing countries.

Does that really still affect anyone in 2021? What are the benefits of digital literacy? What can be done to bridge the digital divide then? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

To listen to the last episodes, you can click here:
What is Hungary's anti-LGBT law?
What is space tourism?
What is Ocean Viking?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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Exactly a week ago, Hungary’s controversial anti-LGBT law came into effect. It contains amendments to several acts and was almost unanimously approved by the country’s parliament three weeks earlier. Despite that fact, the restrictions are causing an outcry in both Hungary and the international community.

What changes have actually come into effect? Have Hungarian laws always been homophobic? What has the international reaction been to this law? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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What is Ocean Viking?
What is the orgasm gap?
Who is Quentin Tarantino?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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Just over a week ago, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos stepped down from his position as the company’s CEO to focus on other projects. He’ll remain executive chairman at Amazon but now wants to dedicate more time to other projects, including his space tourism company Blue Origin.

Following that surprise announcement, British business magnate Richard Branson also declared his desire to go into space with his company Virgin Galactic. Some have labelled these developments as a new dawn for space tourism.

So who’s earning bragging rights in the billionaires’ space race?How long has space tourism been around? Wait, are you saying one day I’ll be able to jump on a rocket into space? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

To listen to the last episodes, you can click here:
What is Ocean Viking?
What is the orgasm gap?
Who is Quentin Tarantino?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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The Ocean Viking humanitarian vessel now has well over 500 survivors on board, located in waters between Italy, Malta and Libya. It has carried out a number of rescue operations in the last week.

According to NGO SOS Mediterranee, who operate Ocean Viking, survivors on board are mainly refugees and migrants. Many are minors, some of whom were attempting the treacherous crossing unaccompanied. Yet governments so far seem in no hurry to come to their aid.

When was Ocean Viking first used as a rescue ship? Have there been other similar rescue operations? What’s the latest for Ocean Viking then? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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Who is Quentin Tarantino?
What is a heat dome?
What is the Olympic flame?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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July 31st is National Orgasm Day in a number of Western countries, including the UK, US, Australia and Canada. Kudos to anyone who already had that holiday noted on their calendar! The annual event’s purpose is to celebrate sexual climax and raise awareness around related issues. Which leads us nicely onto today’s topic: the orgasm gap!

Research has consistently shown that women orgasm less often than men in heterosexual sex. In one American study, 91% of male college students said they usually or always had a orgasm during sex with a partner, compared to just 39% of their female counterparts.

Meanwhile, a more recent 2017 survey from condom manufacturer Durex found that 75% of women couldn’t always achieve an orgasm during sex. Furthermore, more than half of male respondents considered that an orgasm wasn’t necessary for women to enjoy sex!

How do you explain the existence of the orgasm gap? What’s the secret then? And what can be done to make things better? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

To listen to the last episodes, you can click here:
Who is Quentin Tarantino?
What is a heat dome?
What is the Olympic flame?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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What’s your favourite Tarantino film? Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill, Inglorious Bastards or perhaps Django Unchained? Every last one of his releases have had a huge impact. They’ve often been big hits among critics and popular opinion. So his recent confirmation of plans to retire following his next film has understandably drawn a lot of attention in the world of cinema.

Tarantino’s cinema is instantly recognisable. His films often have a lively rhythm, as well as a non-linear storyline, with a narrative often split into chapters. They are also characterised by dark humour and scenes of extreme graphic violence, which have been criticised.

Why is Tarantino calling it quits then? What’s Tarantino going to do when he stops making films then? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

To listen to the last episodes, you can click here:
What is a heat dome?
What is the Olympic flame?
What is the glass ceiling?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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The Pacific north-west is typically a mild region when it comes to weather. But in late June, Western Canada experienced record temperatures, with the province of British Columbia hit particularly hard. Temperatures are usually around 21° on the Pacific coast, but reached 49.5°C in Lytton, a village around 100 miles to the North-east of Vancouver.

Cities on the other side of the border weren’t spared either, with Portland and Seattle both seeing their respective record temperatures smashed. We’re used to talk of heatwaves, but observers have labelled the latest situation a heat dome.

What’s the science behind these extreme temperatures? How dangerous is the heat dome? To what extent are heat domes due to climate change? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

To listen to the last episodes, you can click here:
What is the Olympic flame?
What is the glass ceiling?
What is the offside rule?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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As Japan prepares to host the delayed 2020 Olympics, let’s look at one of the Games’ iconic symbols, the Olympic flame, and how it spreads the values of the Olympic movement. It brings a sense of identity to the Games, much like the Olympic rings and its Latin motto Citius Altius Fortius. Throughout the Games, the flame burns inside the Olympic stadium, symbolising the ideals of peace and friendship between people.

The flame is a reminder of the Games of ancient Greek times, when messengers travelled from city to city announcing competition dates, as well as calling for a sacred Olympic truce. This meant all conflicts ceased, allowing athletes and spectators to travel to Olympia. Of course in 2021, the coronavirus hasn’t agreed to any truce, so the Tokyo Games are being organised under strict measures.

Are you saying the history of the Olympics is linked to Ancient Greece? What happens once the flame is lit? What happens if the flame goes out? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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What is the offside rule?
What is Auroville?
What is Straight Edge?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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When talking about diversity and inclusion, the glass ceiling refers to an invisible barrier stopping those in minorities from obtaining upper-level workforce opportunities.

The metaphor is most often used when talking about women. They may find their careers stagnating, unable to progress beyond a middle-management role, through no fault of their own. When it comes to senior positions, they are overlooked in favour of men, despite often having equal or better credentials.

Where does the expression come from? How has the situation evolved since the term “glass ceiling” was invented? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

To listen to the last episodes, you can click here:
What is the offside rule?
What is Auroville?
What is Straight Edge?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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Now, now, let’s not get carried away. England may have beaten old rivals Germany on Tuesday evening to seal a place in the Euro 2020 quarter finals, but they still need to win three more matches to lift the trophy at Wembley on July 11th.

In the meantime, let’s talk about one of football’s oldest and yet still most confusing rules: law 11, more commonly known as offside. It’s the first time that video refereeing is being used at a European Championships tournament, and it’s been used to confirm or reverse a number of crucial offside decisions.

Just last Saturday, Austrian forward Marko Arnautovic thought he had given his team the lead against Italy with less than 25 minutes left to play. To his dismay, the goal was ruled out following a VAR check, and Italy would go on to win the match in extra time..

So how does the offside rule work then? How has the offside rule evolved over the years? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

To listen to the last episodes, you can click here:
What is Auroville?
What is Straight Edge?
What is Oceanix City?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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Imagine a world without politics, religion or nationality. Well, Auroville is perhaps as close as you’ll come on Planet Earth. The small community, which has been labelled as utopian, was born in South India half a century ago, near to the city of Puducherry.

Also known as the Universal Town, Auroville has close to 3000 inhabitants, from over 50 different countries of origin. It’s alternative and aims to become fully self-sufficient, one day accommodating 50,000, withdrawn from the noisy consumerist society to which us regular people belong.

How was Auroville created? What is life like in Auroville? How does the Auroville economy function? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

To listen to the last episodes, you can click here:
What is Straight Edge?
What is Oceanix City?
What is zythology?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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The music you’re listening to comes from 1980s American hardcore punk band Minor Threat and it’s called Straight Edge. It might only last 46 seconds, but turned out to be hugely influential.

The song name was adopted by the Straight Edge movement, which is associated with abstinence from alcohol, drugs, animal products and promiscuous sex. Several decades later, this aggressive celebration of sobriety seems to be undergoing a revival.

In the Minor Threat song, lead vocalist Ian MacKaye shouts the words which would go on to become the Straight Edge movement’s motto: “I’ve got better things to do than sit around and smoke dope”. Without intending to, MacKaye was creating a subculture which would affect a whole generation.

Why would you want to give up all those guilty pleasures though? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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What is zythology?
What is the Tigray Region?
What is coliving?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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It might sound like a theme park or the latest sci-fi comic series, but Oceanix City is actually a futuristic architecture project thought out for the climate refugees of years to come. It’s a mobile floating city, designed to welcome those whose homes are under threat from rising sea levels.

That could apply to a high percentage of the world’s population in the not so distant future, as it’s estimated 90% of coastal cities will be affected by 2050. Furthermore, living near the sea comes with more and more challenges these days. Insurers are hesitant at the idea of covering damages caused by natural disasters.

How did the Oceanix City project get off the ground? What do these floating cities actually look like then? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

To listen to the last episodes, you can click here:
What is zythology?
What is the Tigray Region?
What is coliving?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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With bars and pubs open for business again, there’s plenty more opportunity for each of us to discover our inner zythologist. The cool-sounding word zythology derives from the Greek zythos, for beer, and logos, for study.

Wait a minute! Are you saying there’s such a thing as the study of beer?

That’s right! The field is also known as beerology, but it’s about far more than just putting away pint after pint of lager. Beer is actually the oldest alcoholic beverage in the world. Evidence of its existence goes back to the 5th millennium BC. So humans have been brewing and drinking beer for a long time.

However, a lot of the knowledge we’ve acquired around beer is much more recent. It’s a complex and sophisticated beverage. In the same way that an oenologist knows everything about wine, zythologists are real beer connoisseurs.

Sounds like a fun job! So what do zythologists actually do? Where can I sign up? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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What is coliving?
What is polyandry?
What is the Global Minimum Tax?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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On June 11th, the USA and European Union issued a joint call to end what they described as a “humanitarian nightmare”, occurring in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Tigray is situated in the northwest of the country, bordering Eritrea and Sudan.

According to a UN statement at the start of the month, 90% of the war torn region’s population needs emergency food aid. In November 2020, the Ethiopian federal government sent its army from the capital Addis Ababa into Tigray, which was ruled at the time by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front.

The short military offensive was ordered by prime minister Abiy Ahmed. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019, after signing a peace treaty with Eritrea, but now it’s war instead which is drawing attention to the country.

How did we get to such a drastic situation? What can you tell me about Ethiopia’s federal system and ethnic groups? What’s the current situation? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

To listen to the last episodes, you can click here:
What is coliving?
What is polyandry?
What is the Global Minimum Tax?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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Born in the 2000s on the West Coast of the US, coliving is an emerging form of residential community living. Generally speaking, colivers each have their own private space within a shared property. They also share a number of other services. It’s kind of like a hybrid between a hotel and traditional flat-sharing.

In cities like New York, Berlin or Tokyo, you can increasingly find this kind of living arrangement in buildings or large houses. Young workers have caught the bug, as have investors and real estate developers.

So what’s the difference between coliving and traditional flat-sharing? Which groups of people are most likely to try coliving? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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What is the Global Minimum Tax?
What is sea snot?
Who is Bo Burnham?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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When we talk about polygamy, we often automatically think of its most common and accepted form, which is known as polygyny. That’s when a man is married to two or more women. But discussions around polyandry, also known as female polygamy, are a lot rarer.

In South Africa, the government published a green paper proposing to reform marriage laws. Polygyny is already allowed, but the country has now been debating the possibility of recognising polyandry for several weeks. The issue is proving divisive, but supporters have called it a step forward for gender equality in the country.

Why change the law now? So why should a man be able to share a married life with several wives, while a woman can’t do the same? That’s double standards, isn’t it? Is polyandry recognised in any countries at the moment? What about throuples? Is that similar to polyandry? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

To listen to the last episodes, you can click here:
What is the Global Minimum Tax?
What is sea snot?
Who is Bo Burnham?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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At the end of last week, finance ministers from the G7 countries met in London and formally endorsed a global minimum corporate tax rate. Going forward, companies will have to pay a minimum of 15% tax on their profits.

The framework is part of an effort to stop multinationals, and in particular the GAFA companies Google, Amazon, Facebook and Apple, from profit-shifting to tax havens. Tech companies are able to easily move between countries due to the nature of their business.

How will the global minimum tax rule actually work? Why do we need such a tax in the first place? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

To listen to the last episodes, you can click here:
What is sea snot?
Who is Bo Burnham?
What is the Smurfette Principle

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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In the last few weeks, a thick and foul-smelling foam known as mucilage has appeared in the Marmara Sea on Turkey’s northwestern coast. It’s been unofficially dubbed sea snot by observers, which might sound like a name invented on a school playground. But there’s nothing funny about the environmental impact of this outbreak, which is a result of global warming and pollution.

How does this sea snot actually develop? Is this the first time the Marmara Sea has been impacted by sea snot? Do we know what the impact could be? Is there a way to make this sea snot disappear? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

To listen to the last episodes, you can click here:
Who is Bo Burnham?
What is the Smurfette Principle
What are sensitivity readers?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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Five years after Bo Burnham’s last comedy special, he released Inside on Netflix on May 30th. To mark the occasion, let’s discuss one of American comedy’s brightest talents.

Many have put Burnham up there among the ranks of the world’s elite comedians. He’s multi-talented, with his shows mixing music, singing and clever jokes.

As a straight white man, he’s supposed to come from a position of privilege without having any problems in life. But he shares his thoughts on life’s simple issues in a unique, self-aware and satirical way.

The Boston Globe has described him as "simultaneously wholesome and disturbing, intimate in a folksy-creepy sort of way”.

What’s so special about the latest release? How did Burnham’s career get started? Where can we see his comedy? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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What are sensitivity readers?
What is live shopping?
What is Friends?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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Does that ring a bell? How many of you spent hours in front of the Smurfs as children? We’re sure you remember the smiley little girl with blond hair, a white dress and high heels.

In case your memory has faded, in the wonderful world of the Smurfs, Smurfette is created by the evil wizard Gargamel to sow discord! How curious that the role of agitator is reserved for a female character, don’t you think?!

Add to that the fact that the Smurfville population is exclusively male, until the arrival of the lone Smurfette. That’s where the idea of the Smurfette Principle comes from. It’s mainly to do with the overrepresentation of male figures as protagonists in works of fiction, to the detriment of female characters.

How can you base a whole theory on a single cartoon? What’s wrong with that? It’s fiction after all and fiction can write its own rules, can’t it? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

To listen to the last episodes, you can click here:
What are sensitivity readers?
What is live shopping?
What is Friends?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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The role of sensitivity reader first appeared in the United States. Authors and publishing houses recruit these $200 per hour beta readers to go over works with a fine-tooth comb before they are released. The purpose is to make sure there are no offensive stereotypes, relating to race, religion or gender for example, or instances of cultural appropriation. numb

The rise to prominence of this area of work is helping to bring on a shift in representations. For example, sensitivity readers may notice the tendency of certain writers to limit black characters to socially devalued roles. They then suggest rewrites which are more respectful of certain characters and less caricatural. In the long run, the aim is that readers, whatever their background, can identify with characters.

Isn’t this akin to censorship, which will stifle literature? Are there any examples of works which have had to be rewritten after a sensitivity reader’s input? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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What is live shopping?
What is Friends?
What is BookTok?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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Technological disruption and the Covid-19 pandemic have combined to bring on new trends, one of which is live shopping. If the shops are closed or you don’t have time to go there, another alternative exists, in addition to standard online shopping. It’s a new kind of shopping experience, where customers see items on video before deciding to buy them.

What’s so original about live shopping then? Where did live shopping come from? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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What is Friends?
What is BookTok?
What is Tiananmen Square Massacre?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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On May 27th, all eyes were on HBO Max, who aired a Friends reunion special, 17 years after the sitcom’s 236th and final episode. It was the first time since then that the six main cast members had appeared together publicly to talk about the show.

Friends was hugely popular throughout the ten years it aired, and is still consistently among the most watched shows on online streaming service Netflix. It won many prestigious awards over the years, including six Emmys, six People’s Choice Awards and a Golden Globe.

But, believe it or not, when the sitcom launched, it almost didn’t make it past the pilot episode.

No way! I can’t imagine a world without endless Friends repeats! So what do we learn in the reunion special? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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What is a virus variant region?
What are zombie fires?
What are sleep streams?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

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