What in the World

Do you run without a a shirt on ever? Lots of people have opinions on this topic and in some parts of the world it’s something you’re just not allowed to do.

We hear from runners around the world for their take on the decision to run without a shirt one - for both men and women.

And Yijin Shim from BBC Korean tells us about how in South Korea “no shirtless running” signs have been popping up after more runner...

Across social media young women are discussing the "luteal uglies." These are changes in appearance and mood that women experience during the luteal phase of their menstrual cycle. We hear from women in Vietnam, the Philippines, and the UK about the symptoms they experience, from acne and bloating to fatigue and brain fog.

But what’s behind these changes? Dr Helen O'Neill, an associate professor in reproductive and molecular ...

AI isn’t just occasionally going rogue…(Open AI and Meta we’re looking at you) it’s also changing the world of work. Nearly 70% of college students in the US said they thought AI would make it harder to find a job in a recent survey - and 22% said that they’ve changed what they’re deciding to study at university because of this. They’re not the only ones… students all over the world...

Rapper Tupac Shakur is one of the most influential music artists ever - with musicians such as Kendrick Lamar, Justin Bieber and Drake citing him as a major inspiration. His career was cut short in 1996 when he was killed in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas - but now, nearly three decades later, a man is going on trial, accused of his murder. He’s called Duane "Keffe D" Davis - he has pled not guilty and denies all allegation...

What would you do if you found out that your favourite artist was not actually human? More musicians are using AI-tools for their work. But recently, there has also been a boom in AI Personas and 100% AI generated work. Some fans and musicians are not happy, they have called for more transparency around what’s human made. Streaming websites have also raised concerns about fraud and copyright infringement. Tidal and Deezer hav...

Orangutans are the world’s most endangered apes and they’re now even closer to extinction. They live on two islands in southeast Asia: Sumatra and Borneo. In November, an extreme weather event in the area killed more than 1,000 people there, plus about 7% of the world’s rarest type of orangutan according to a new study.

BBC Climate and Science reporter Georgina Rannard takes us through how orangutans are being push...

Heatwaves are uncomfortable for everyone. But people living with disabilities face additional and specific challenges that can compromise their health and well-being. Many of these issues - from struggling service dogs to overheating wheelchairs - are frequently overlooked, even in public advice and emergency planning.

Maddie Molloy is a BBC climate and science reporter who is also profoundly deaf. She explains some of the challeng...

Working from home has plenty of benefits: no commute, greater flexibility and the chance to catch up on household chores during your break. But for young people starting out their careers, could this extra freedom actually have a negative impact on career progression?

Emer Moreau, a BBC Business Reporter, breaks it down. She explains how the pandemic led to a huge increase in at-home and remote working, and looks at how many people ...

There’s a name for when people blare out music, scroll through social media on full volume or talk on loudspeaker in public - loudcasting. Surveys show that in the U.K. most adults find this behaviour irritating, but there’s also data suggesting that your age and culture may influence how indifferent you are to this kind of noise. BBC Reporter Angus Thompson tells us what experts say and explains why some people get so ...

Oil prices have shot up since the US-Israel war with Iran began, and the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil shipping routes, has been almost completely closed.

It’s been bad news for drivers, airlines and anyone already feeling the squeeze from the cost of living. But for some of the world’s biggest oil companies, it’s been very good news. Oil giants like ExxonMobil and Chevron are report...

In recent years, attachment theory has exploded into the public consciousness. On TikTok, videos tagged #AttachmentTheory have racked up hundreds of millions of views, with some advising users on how to become more securely attached.

The theory was first developed in the 1950s by John Bowlby, and suggests that the bonds we form with early givers shape our expectations in adult relationships. Further research has expanded our underst...

Ariana Grande has announced that she's planning to take a break from the public eye after her Eternal Sunshine tour ends in September. She started her performing career when she was a kid and has since become one of the biggest pop stars in the world, winning three Grammys and most recently portraying Glinda in the hit film Wicked.

But over the past couple of years, a lot of the conversation online about Ariana hasn't been about he...

Disaster movie The Day After Tomorrow showed the world hit by extreme weather events caused by disruption to the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). Today, even though the events of the film are highly unlikely to happen, scientists are concerned by changes to the AMOC.

The AMOC is a massive north-south system of currents in the Atlantic Ocean that carries warm surface water towards the Arctic and returns colder wate...

Protests against undocumented migrants have been going on for months in South Africa. We’ve talked about them on the podcast before - people are protesting against illegal immigrants, and some of the marches have turned violent and deadly. Houses have been burned down, shops looted, and countries like Ghana and Nigeria have even evacuated some of their citizens from the country.

But these protests aren’t just affecting ...

It’s less than two weeks after Spain won the men’s World Cup, but suddenly the tournament is back in the headlines. This time it’s because of a plan from Fifa’s President Gianni Infantino to sell a stake in their tournaments to private investors. Infantino says it’s a chance to “turbocharge” the development of the game - and national associations have been offered millions of dollars if the...

You might have heard Gen Z being called the “sober generation” - the data suggests that we’re less likely to drink than older generations, that alcohol-free brands are getting more popular with under-30s and there’s a huge push towards sobriety and wellness culture more generally. At the same time, pre-mixed cocktails are flying off the shelves - and new figures suggest that binge drinking has gone up.

So is ...

This year alone, tens of millions of people have downloaded apps which help you identify birds, lots of them are Gen Z. In our gardens, local parks on the street or even just with phones sticking out of a window people are using these apps everyday. But why?

We hear from BBC Tech reporter Liv McMahon about just how big these apps are and what is making them so popular. Plus, we talk to young birders in the UK and Canada who tell us ...

Dinosaur bones have become one of the world’s most expensive collector’s items, with some selling for tens of millions of dollars at auction. A Tyrannosaurus rex fossil recently sold for $50 million, making it the most expensive dinosaur ever auctioned. Some celebrities, including Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe, have their own private collections. So why are the ultra wealthy spending so much money on dinosaur bone...

The headlines do sound slightly like the plot of a sci-fi film… but Open AI recently announced that one of its most advanced AI models went ‘rogue’ - and hacked a start-up called Hugging Face. The cyber attack, which the ChatGPT-maker called ‘unprecedented’, took place even though the AI model was being tested in a controlled environment. Open AI says they’re still investigating and they want to...