Episodes

  • What is the placebo effect and how does it work?

    What is the placebo effect and how does it work?
    Jun 25 2026
    The placebo effect is a phenomenon in which a person's symptoms or well-being improve after receiving a fake treatment that has no specific or intrinsic effect on their condition. For example, a person may feel less pain after taking a sugar pill that they believe is a painkiller, or they may feel more energetic after receiving an injection of saline solution that they think is a vitamin. The placebo effect is not just about positive thinking or wishful thinking. It involves complex psychological and physiological mechanisms that are not fully understood. How does the placebo effect work? What are the benefits of the placebo effect? What are the limitations of the placebo effect? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here : ⁠⁠Could AI ever be able to offer therapy?⁠⁠ ⁠⁠What is plasticrust, the latest concerning form of pollution?⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Why don't scars disappear?⁠⁠ A Bababam Originals podcast.A podcast written and realised by Amber Minogue. First Broadcast the 25/03/2023 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    5 mins
  • Is swallowing chewing gum dangerous?

    Is swallowing chewing gum dangerous?
    Jun 25 2026
    According to Retaildata.co.uk, us Brits are the second biggest consumers of gum in the world. On average, Brits use between 120 and 130 sticks each every year! Now despite that, many people don’t really know what chewing gum is actually made up of. We know that the minty freshness helps with bad breath and that maybe there’s some connection to oral hygiene, but that’s about it. Oh and of course we’ve heard that terrible things can happen if you swallow chewing gum. You could get appendicitis, the gum could stay stuck in your stomach for years, blocking your intestines. So, are they old wives’ tales or should you really be afraid? What’s actually in chewing gum then? Are there any health risks associated with chewing gum? What about if you accidentally swallow a piece of gum then? To listen to the last episodes, you can click here : ⁠Why do doctors advise against chewing gum?⁠ ⁠Is holding back a sneeze dangerous?⁠ ⁠Is it dangerous to drink too much water?⁠ A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. First broadcast: 23/04/2024 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    5 mins
  • How do eating disorders develop?

    How do eating disorders develop?
    Jun 24 2026
    Eating disorders don’t appear overnight, they tend to build up over time, shaped by a mix of genetic, psychological and social factors. That’s why early detection matters: the sooner the warning signs are recognised, the faster appropriate support can be put in place. And it’s worth being clear, this isn’t about occasional cravings or a slightly restrictive diet. Eating disorders are serious psychiatric conditions, typically taking three main forms: anorexia nervosa, bulimia, and binge eating disorder. How are these disorders manifested? What are the societal factors that might explain the emergence of eating disorders? And what about the genetic factor in all this? Depending on the disorder, what changes can be observed in eating habits? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the latest episodes, click here: ⁠⁠⁠What is the Fermi paradox?⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠What’s the Tinder Paradox ?⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Could vanlife be a lifestyle choice for you?⁠⁠⁠ A Bababam Originals podcast written and realised by Amber Minogue. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    5 mins
  • How is hygiene poverty affecting over 3 million Brits?

    How is hygiene poverty affecting over 3 million Brits?
    Jun 24 2026
    The ongoing cost-of-living crisis is forcing people to make a number of difficult choices. Heating the house or flat and putting food on the table are getting more and more expensive, meaning there’s less money left over for luxuries. And it seems that has started extending to basic hygiene products too. Findings from a YouGov study commissioned by UK charity The Hygiene Bank were released in October 2022, estimating that 3.2 million Brits were in hygiene poverty. What kind of hygiene products are we talking about? What are the consequences? How can we help people affected by hygiene poverty? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here : ⁠Could AI ever be able to offer therapy?⁠ ⁠What is plasticrust, the latest concerning form of pollution?⁠ ⁠Why don't scars disappear?⁠ A Bababam Originals podcast.A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. First Broadcast: 21/4/2023 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    4 mins
  • Could AI ever be able to offer therapy?

    Could AI ever be able to offer therapy?
    Jun 24 2026
    Therapy can help people cope with stress, trauma, depression, anxiety, and other psychological issues but finding the right therapist is not always easy. There is a global shortage of mental health professionals, and many people face barriers such as stigma, cost, or lack of availability. According to the World Health organisation there are almost one billion people with a mental disorder, that's more than one person out of every 10. They said: "just a small fraction of people in need have access to effective, affordable and quality mental health care". Finding the right therapist is not always easy; they are not equally skilled or suited for every client or condition. But there could be an alternative, AI therapists. What are the benefits of using AI for therapy? What are the disadvantages of using AI? So will AI be replacing humans any time soon? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here : ⁠What is plasticrust, the latest concerning form of pollution?⁠ ⁠Why don't scars disappear?⁠ ⁠Are protein bars really worthwhile?⁠ A Bababam Originals podcast.A podcast written and realised by Amber Minogue. 1st broadcast : 20/4/2023 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    5 mins
  • Why are there calls for a halt to AI research?

    Why are there calls for a halt to AI research?
    Jun 23 2026
    Since the launch of ChatGPT in November last year, there’s been a wave of popular demand for AI technology. The chatbot reached 100 million users in record time, with its appeal stretching far beyond the tech-savvy. After all, it can write essays and songs, summarise documents and hold human-like conversations. But the rapid advances are causing concern in some quarters. In late March, the Future of Life Institute think tank published a pretty direct open letter calling for a six-month pause in the training of AI systems, saying that they shouldn’t be allowed to go any further than Open AI’s GPT-4 model. But isn’t AI going to make all of our lives easier? What are the counter-arguments in favour of further developing AI? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here : ⁠Can deep sleep help stop dementia?⁠ ⁠What is conscious quitting?⁠ ⁠Why is Israel going through a major political crisis?⁠ A Bababam Originals podcast.A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. First Broadcast : 4/9/2024 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    6 mins
  • What makes us ticklish?

    What makes us ticklish?
    Jun 23 2026
    Whether it’s as kids in the school playground, fooling around with our first partner as a teenager or with our own kids when we become parents, tickling is generally synonymous with moments of playful fun. Of course tickling can bring on strong reactions and some people hate it, so it’s important to only do it to someone if they’re not objecting, no matter how harmless it might seem to you. Some people are just way more sensitive to it than others, and might start laughing or cringing at the slightest touch, or even in anticipation of being tickled. Why are some parts of our bodies more sensitive to tickling than others? Why can’t I tickle myself? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: ⁠⁠Can deep sleep help stop dementia?⁠⁠ ⁠⁠What is conscious quitting?⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Why is Israel going through a major political crisis?⁠⁠ A Bababam Originals podcast. A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. First Broadcast: 10/4/2023 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    4 mins
  • Why are most people right-handed?

    Why are most people right-handed?
    Jun 23 2026
    Around the age of 4, children develop a preference for using one of their hands to complete certain tasks, like drawing for example. The same goes for foot preference, when it comes to which foot they use to start going up a flight of stairs, or to kick a ball. It even goes for our eyes and ears. Generally when a child reaches the age of five, their preference for using one side of the body to carry out tasks is truly ingrained. This developmental process is known as right-left asymmetry. According to the US National Library of Medicine, 85-90% of adults are right-handed. What dictates whether we prefer using our left or right hand? Isn’t being left-handed hereditary? Why do people say that left-handed people are more creative? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here : ⁠Is eating bread actually bad for you?⁠ ⁠How can I eat healthy on a budget?⁠ ⁠Are men still being paid more than women?⁠ A Bababam Originals podcast. A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. First Broadcast: 13/4/2023 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    5 mins