Welcome to the very first edition of our newsletter
Episode 115 - An AirPod stuck WHERE and Shaving Nightmare
Welcome to our very first edition of Meet in the Mailbox, the official newsletter of the Meet in the Middle podcast. If you already watch/listen to the pod then you’ll know that every week we dive into the chaotic world of British and Irish banter, as we explore the quirkiest trends and share some jaw-dropping confessions.
Our newsletter will be very much the same in that respect, and give you just a small flavour of what to expect on the upcoming episode!
Coming up in this weeks episode…
The Fake Order Phenomenon
Ever heard of a fake food delivery app? This week, Jake introduced us to the peculiar trend of "dopamine shopping," a concept gaining traction in South Korea.
What is Dopamine Shopping?
Imagine browsing a food delivery app, filling your basket with goodies, and proceeding to checkout—only to find you've spent nothing, and no food is coming. That's the gist of the app "Food Never Comes." It's designed to mimic the buying experience, tricking your brain into a dopamine rush without the financial hit.
"You get the rush, and your actual hard-earned cash just stays safely in your pocket." — Jake
Why Does It Work?
As Jake explains, it's all about the anticipation. The dopamine release from shopping doesn't come from receiving the item but from the act of purchasing itself.
No real transactions: No card details needed.
Virtual satisfaction: Feel like you've splurged without spending.
Psychological trickery: Mimics the gratification of spending.
Yet, as Danny points out, "The excitement comes from knowing that you've ordered something and it will arrive."
Confessions from the Gym
In this episode, James shared a hilarious gym story from a listener who had a rather intimate encounter with her AirPods!
An Unexpected AirPod Adventure
While working out, a listener experienced the horror of her AirPod slipping down her leggings -all the way. In her own words:
"I froze dead in the middle of the gym floor. I could see this hard, tiny plastic bit lodged deep inside my love canal."
The confessional had the team in stitches, especially when learning that Danny's laugh had been reverberating inside the listener's pelvis!
This story reminds us that sometimes, the most unexpected situations make for the best laughs.
The bizarre history of how we named colours
Have you ever stopped to wonder if the sky was always blue? Obviously, the atmosphere hasn't changed, but human language certainly has. It turns out, language follows a strangely predictable evolutionary path across completely isolated cultures.
"Every single civilization invented colour words in the exact same chronological order. Everyone started with black and white, basically."
The mystery of the missing Blue
While it feels impossible to imagine a world without it today, the colour blue didn't exist in human language for thousands of years. While early humans easily identified dark and light, specific hues took much longer to earn a title.
Danny pointed out that ancient languages - Greek, Old English, Icelandic, Japanese all had no word for the colour blue. Without a word for it, ancient people often described the sea or sky using terms we would associate with wine-coloured, green, or simply dark.
Next time you look at an orange sky or a blue ocean, remember: The colours have always been there, but it took humanity a remarkably long time to agree on what to call them!
We love hearing from you! Got a story or thoughts on this weeks episode to share with us? Email us at [email protected] or DM us on Instagram at @podcast.meetinthemiddle.
Thanks for joining us for another installment of "Meet in the Middle." Until next time, keep those confessions coming and stay curious about the world around you! Catch the full episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or wherever else you get your podcasts from!