What in the World

Do you find yourself tossing and turning for hours whilst struggling to fall asleep? Or are you out like a light the minute your head touches the pillow? Genetics and environment can play a big part in how easy (or not) you find sleeping.

BBC science journalist Caroline Steel tells us more about what happens to our brains when we sleep and what exactly happened when she visited a sleep lab for a BBC documentary. Medical doctor and ...

Oceans make up more than 99% of the Earth’s habitats by volume — yet less than 20% of them have been explored. Some even say it’s easier to send astronauts into space than it is to reach the ocean floor. Only a handful of people have ever reached the deepest part of the ocean - known as the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean. So, why is it so difficult to get there? And what new tech is helping us uncover th...

Across cultures, weddings are usually a big event. Lots of us look forward to dressing up and dancing the night away with the person we love — but what if you kept all the festivities and got rid of the romance? Well, some young people in China are doing exactly that, by looking online for a ‘marriage buddy’. They pretend to be together to please their families, but aren’t actually legally married. So, why are they willing to go t...

Loneliness is a feeling lots of us face from time to time… and it might be more common than you think. A new study from the World Health Organisation suggests that between 2014 and 2023, one in six of us were feeling lonely - and teenage girls reported feeling this way the most. Apps like Bumble BFF or Meetup and social media groups dedicated to meeting new people are also on the rise. So why are so many of us feeling lonely? And w...

Tension is rising in Kenya after a new wave of anti-government protests against alleged government corruption and police brutality.

Dozens have been killed and many have condemned the words of President William Ruto, who’s said that protesters targeting businesses should be shot in the legs.

Anita Nkonge, a BBC reporter in Nairobi, explains what has been happening; plus we hear from young Kenyans who have attended the protests.

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Water pistols have become a symbol of resistance against overtourism in several cities around the world. This summer local residents in Barcelona, Spain, have been using them again to show their frustration at how mass tourism is impacting their city; from housing to overcrowding.

BBC journalist Laura García joins us to explain why there is so much anger directed towards tourists, as well as host websites such as Airbnb. We also he...

Rare earth minerals are vital to modern human life - but you probably haven’t heard of them. They’re in our phones, computers and cars. These minerals aren’t actually that rare, but they’re difficult to extract - and this process can be pretty damaging to the environment. Mining just one tonne of rare earth minerals creates 2,000 tonnes of toxic waste. China has been mining rare earths since the 1950s and now the rest of the world ...

From drafting emails to planning trips, AI has become like a personal assistant for lots of people around the world. Now, the technology is playing a new role: therapist. Rather than waiting for an appointment or paying to see a professional, thousands of people are turning to AI bots like ChatGPT or DeepSeek for emotional support and advice on their mental health. But is AI up to the job - or could it risk making things worse?

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The Velvet Sundown have become a viral hit. The band have over a million streams on Spotify and are generating much discussion across the music community.

Except the band and its members don’t actually exist.

After weeks of speculation about whether they were real or not, the band have confirmed that they were AI. This has raised many questions about the ethics around AI and music, and whether it actually matters if an artist and t...

Ahead of his 90th birthday, the Dalai Lama has finally put an end to years of speculation over what will happen after his death. The head of Tibetan Buddhism confirmed that he will have a successor, who will be chosen by a board he has set up. But the Chinese government says that only they have the authority to appoint the next Dalai Lama. So who will decide how the next Dalai Lama is chosen - and why is the position so significant...

After seven weeks of trial and 34 witnesses, a verdict has been reached: Sean “Diddy” Combs has been found guilty of transportation for prostitution of ex-girlfriends Cassie and an anonymous “Jane” and not guilty on the more serious charges of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. The rapper had admitted to domestic violence, but always denied any non-consensual sexual encounters or a larger racketeering scheme.

He has been...

Recent data from the United States shows there’s a big political divide between Gen Z American men and women. For decades young Americans have mostly voted for the Democrat party. But in last year’s Presidential election, that trend was reversed. Gen Z voted for President Donald Trump and his Republican party, but young men a lot more so - one analysis found that 18-year-old men were 23 percentage points more likely to support Pres...

The United Nations Population Fund World has described the low fertility rates around the world as a ‘crisis’ . Their newest report shows that many people do want to have more children but the cost of raising them and not having enough time are bigger barriers than before. Finding an appropriate partner to have a child with is a struggle too.

The BBC’s Population Correspondent Stephanie Hegarty breaks down what’s in the recent UNFPA...

For centuries, Indigenous people around the world have been fighting to reclaim lost land. In most instances, the term Indigenous is used to refer to the people who lived somewhere before colonisers and settlers from a different place arrived. In North America, nearly 99% of Indigenous land has been seized since European colonisers arrived.

These days, an online movement using the hashtag #LandBack is supporting Indigenous people wh...

The women’s football European Championship kicks off next week in Switzerland. The Euros have thrust a recurring issue into the spotlight: ACL injuries. Female footballers suffer tears to their anterior cruciate ligament, also known as the ACL, more frequently than male footballers. Kesewaa Browne from the What in the World team explains some of the theories on why injury rates are so high.

Research has lagged behind for years, but ...

You might have come across ads on your TikTok or Instagram feed for Chinese micro-dramas: short episodes lasting only a few minutes with highly addictive plots. Think scandalous affairs, hot vampires and over the top acting (and lots of slapping). They might be a little cheesy, but they’re big business, with China’s micro-drama market expected to be worth $14bn by 2027. The apps like ReelShort or DramaBox, that produce the dramas a...

After twelve days of intense fighting, Israel and Iran have agreed to a ceasefire that, for now, seems to be holding.

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, is the man in charge in Tehran. His current whereabouts are a mystery. As we wait to see what’s next in this conflict, we look into his leadership and how power works in Iran with the help of Ghoncheh Habibiazad from the BBC Persian team. Plus we explain what role President Masoud...

Nitrous oxide or laughing gas as been used as a recreational and medical drug since the late 1700s. Dentists often use it as an anaesthetic. It’s been linked to hippie, festival and rave culture for decades. And in the last few years, American rappers like Kanye West, Young Thug and Gunna have been open about using it.

You might have seen the little metal cannisters, that people use to dispense the drug, littering the streets. But ...

Whether you’re struggling to write an email, planning a holiday, or wondering what to cook for dinner: increasingly more and more of us are turning to AI for the answer. But some experts have raised concerns that people are becoming too reliant on the new technology - and that this will have implications for how we learn and communicate with each other offline. So what’s the best way to use AI, and what alternatives are out there?

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