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Language Learning
How to learn a language in an hour a day
BBC Capital - By Peter Rubinstein and Bryan Lufkin
Being bilingual has vast benefits – but getting there needn’t be a lifelong slog. Learning a new language is an inherently scary idea. Thousands of unfamiliar words, an entirely different grammatical and
Flexible Working
Boring office wellness alternatives that actually work
BBC Capital - By Chris Stokel-Walker
Many corporate perks claim to improve wellbeing – but often it’s the boring solutions that are the most effective. From free snack bars to fridges stocked with chilled beers, gym memberships and time for
This man gets paid to write hashtags
BBC Capital - By Elle Luan and Bernadette Young
New matrimonial rituals have spawned an odd new cottage industry. If you’ve been to a wedding in the last few years, you’ve probably noticed a hashtag for the event on the invitation or save-the-date,
Egypt
Meet the geek behind Egypt’s hit online science show
BBC Capital - By Nadine Salib Micheal
How Ahmed El Ghandour’s love of science led to an online show watched by millions of Egyptians. Meet Ahmed El Ghandour. He may just be the most popular teacher in Egypt. The self-confessed physics lover
Time Management
Is waking up early good or bad?
BBC Capital - By Bryan Lufkin
The only way to be successful is to get up at the crack of dawn – or so the story goes. But early rising productivity is not a one-size-fits-all situation, Bryan Lufkin finds. Being successful means waking
The fight against compulsive shopping that takes a year
BBC Capital - By Julissa Treviño
Less is more: Why a no-buy year could be a path to better wealth and wellbeing. For years, Hannah Louise Poston had a habit she wanted to kick: shopping for beauty products, clothes and homeware, even
Chennai
How carmakers brought new cuisine to Chennai
BBC Capital - By Simrit Malhi
When carmakers built factories in Chennai, India, they brought cuisine that is changing the culinary landscape. A decade before America discovered sushi, a restaurant in a small southern India coastal
Chrome Browser
Can dogs help us avoid hiring bias?
BBC Capital - By Meredith Turits
Could replacing LinkedIn profile pictures with dog photos help us be more objective? Unsurprising statement: hiring good people is hard. Speaking from experience, I can attest to the difficulty of filling
Innovation
The innovators helping us sleep better at night
BBC Capital - By Sarah Keating
Getting enough shuteye is increasingly seen as a key to wellness – and the sleep industry is booming. This article is adapted from Selling Sleep, an episode of Global Business presented by David Baker
Entrepreneurship
The tiny home that can be built in four hours
BBC Capital - 8 February 2019
The Philippines faces a massive housing crunch. So one young entrepreneur is using local bamboo to build affordable homes in mere hours. The Philippines has one of Asia’s fastest-growing populations and
Entrepreneurship
Sweden’s surprising rule for time off
BBC Capital - By Maddy Savage
The country's unique leave of absence system helps workers launch their own business. Can it be replicated elsewhere? Jana Cagin had never thought about running her own company until she and her fiancé
Office Space turns 20: How the film changed the way we work
BBC Capital - By Bryan Lufkin
In 1999, the film masterfully spoofed how office life could be simultaneously mundane and ridiculous. What's different today? Office Space is the definitive film that skewers corporate banality. As it
Creative Work
The ‘flow state’: Where creative work thrives
BBC Capital - By Alice Robb
Many of us know what it’s like to be in a state of creative flow. Do you have to wait for inspiration to strike, or can you hack ‘the zone’? Growing up in World War Two-ravaged Europe, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Self Control
The strategies that get you through tough challenges
BBC Capital - By William Park
Everyone faces tough tasks – but some people tackle them better than others. So, which strategies can you use to power through? Successful people rely on a variety of mental strategies to make tough challenges
University of Pennsylvania
The ‘stress interview’: a technique that goes too far?
BBC Capital - By Peter Rubinstein
A ‘brutal’ interview with a CEO left a young job applicant in tears. It’s a technique meant to get candidates out of their comfort zone – but where do we draw the line? Olivia Bland, a 22-year-old from
Gluten-Free
Why it’s so expensive to eat with a food allergy
BBC Capital - By Meredith Turits
The millions of food allergy sufferers around the world spend more each trip to the grocer’s – even though they don’t have a choice to eat another way. I didn’t realise I’d had a stomach ache for nearly
Short-Term Memory
How to plan your day to get the best out of your brain
BBC Capital - By William Park
Our brains work differently as the day progresses – so should you schedule tricky tasks accordingly? Our brains are not perfect, smooth-running machines. Our physical responses to the events of the day
Bahrain
A tiny nation that can boost expat careers
BBC Capital - By Louise Redvers
Bahrain ranks high on a list of best countries for expats. What’s it like for foreign professionals in the archipelago? Alaa Nofal moved from his home in Jordan to Bahrain aged 25 to take a job in sales
Luxembourg
The cost of Luxembourg's free public transport plan
BBC Capital - By Marc Auxenfants
From March next year, commuters in the tiny nation will not be charged for trips on its trains, trams and buses. Marc Auxenfants crunches the numbers of such a move. You can drive across Luxembourg in
Artificial Intelligence
Humanics: A way to ‘robot-proof’ your career?
BBC Capital - By Tim McDonald
To prepare for a future where AI will likely disrupt entire industries, some say we’ll have to rethink how we educate future generations. As artificial intelligence becomes both more useful and more widespread,
Focus on how you work, not why
BBC Capital - By Bruce Daisley
How you can feel more fulfilled, and less anxious, on the job. Why does modern work feel so dissatisfying? Are we making the mistake of searching for the ‘why’ of modern work when we’re desperately in
Retirement
The unrealistic expectations of retirement behaviour
BBC Capital - By Brian O'Connor
Many people believe they have a plan for retirement – but there is a big gap between expectation and reality. How much do I need for retirement? For many, it’s a question that ranks far down the list more
Coffee
The rise of the posh coffee cup
BBC Capital - By Bill Code and Celina Ribeiro
For some Australians, spending lots of money on a reusable mug shows you love coffee and the environment in equal amounts. A daily coffee fix is a staple part of the day for millions of people around world.
Burnout
Is there an answer to millennial burnout?
BBC Capital - By Rajvinder Samra, The Open University
Those at risk are encouraged to be more resilient – but that solution could just become another source of stress. This article originally appeared on The Conversation, and is republished under a Creative
Ghosting
How people are 'ghosting' their employers
BBC Capital - 21 January 2019
From faking their own deaths to hiring people to talk to their bosses for them, vanishing from the office without a trace is now a common method of workers quitting. But it's risky. This article is adapted
How socially-charged adverts could become the norm
BBC Capital - By Meredith Turits and Bryan Lufkin
Gillette’s new ad tapped into the era-defining #MeToo movement, but was met with backlash online. Here’s why you can expect similarly provocative ads in the future. Although it was an American advertisement,
Bees
The young woman who wants to put bees in your office
BBC Capital - By Beyza Boyacioglu
More honey bee colonies are disappearing every year. Leigh-Kathryn Bonner is using generations of family beekeeping knowledge to think up a promising solution. The global honey bee population is in decline.
How to exercise during the workday (and why it's important)
BBC Capital - By Bryan Lufkin
There are health and cognitive benefits of working out while you're on the clock that could help you feel better, look better and perform better. Sometimes, the difference between a productive day and
Bristol City Council
The 'dirty secrets' of tiny houses
BBC Capital - By Megan Carras, University of St Andrews
Tiny houses look marvellous, but have a dark side that does not appear on the marketing blurb. This article originally appeared on The Conversation, and is republished under a Creative Commons licence.
How weddings in Pakistan can top 1,500 guests
BBC Capital - By Ziad Zafar
For a lot of couples, weddings are a big affair. But for some young people in Pakistan, they’re huge. From glitzy gowns that cost thousands of dollars to crowded dance floors with smoke machines and disco

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Flips

How to learn a language in an hour a day

Boring office wellness alternatives that actually work

This man gets paid to write hashtags

Meet the geek behind Egypt’s hit online science show

Is waking up early good or bad?

The fight against compulsive shopping that takes a year

How carmakers brought new cuisine to Chennai

Can dogs help us avoid hiring bias?

The innovators helping us sleep better at night

The tiny home that can be built in four hours

Sweden’s surprising rule for time off

Office Space turns 20: How the film changed the way we work

The ‘flow state’: Where creative work thrives

The strategies that get you through tough challenges

The ‘stress interview’: a technique that goes too far?

Why it’s so expensive to eat with a food allergy

How to plan your day to get the best out of your brain

A tiny nation that can boost expat careers

The cost of Luxembourg's free public transport plan

Humanics: A way to ‘robot-proof’ your career?

Focus on how you work, not why

The unrealistic expectations of retirement behaviour

The rise of the posh coffee cup

Is there an answer to millennial burnout?

How people are 'ghosting' their employers

How socially-charged adverts could become the norm

The young woman who wants to put bees in your office

How to exercise during the workday (and why it's important)

The 'dirty secrets' of tiny houses

How weddings in Pakistan can top 1,500 guests