What in the World

After a record 250 consecutive days at sea, the USS Abraham Lincoln finally docked in Thailand last week. Half of the 5,000 crew members are under 24 years old and they’ve been on board since December, as part of the US-Israel war with Iran.
There have been reports of difficult conditions on board, with food shortages, broken plumbing and concerns about the crew’s morale and mental health, but the US Navy says there haven't been severe problems on board. So how can spending months at sea impact your mental health?
We speak to Dr Harold Kudler, a psychiatrist and former head of mental health policy for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, about the toll this can take. We also hear from Joe Franta, a merchant mariner and YouTuber who documents his experiences working on cargo ships. He shares what it’s like to be at sea for long periods of time.
Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6
Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
Producers: William Lee Adams and Chelsea Coates
Editor: Harriet Oliver

A floating island that appeared in a Canadian reservoir and seemed to vanish has returned. Officials at Williston Reservoir in British Columbia spent months tracking it through satellite imagery and discovered it had drifted 30 kilometres away. The island made international headlines and gained a loyal fan base on social media. Jake Horton from BBC Verify has been looking at the data and gave us an overview of what we can confirm about the island’s story.
Plus, Jon Dickson, who specialising in marine wood and sea restoration tells us all about floating islands, and what it’s like to be on one.
Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6
Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
Producers: Mollie Perella and Benita Barden
Editor: Verity Wilde

Imagine you’ve just started a new job or it’s your first day at uni. You’re talking to your boss or teacher, someone who’s much older, much richer, or much more powerful than you. Do you call them by their first name? Or do you go with Mr, Mrs, Professor, Doctor?
In Nigeria, a video of a young woman being corrected for calling a billionaire businessman, Tony Elumelu, by his first name has sparked a conversation about respect, age and power.
We speak to three Nigerians to get their take on the story and how you should refer to your boss.
Plus our reporter Basma El Atti in Nairobi, Kenya, tells us about the unwritten rules elsewhere in the world.
Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld
Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6
Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
Producers: Emily Horler, Mollie Perella and Stefania Okereke
Video Producer: Baldeep Chahal
Editors: Verity Wilde

Aura farming has left your phone screen and landed in public squares all over Latin America. Hundreds of people are attending ‘aura battles’ - high-energy public competitions where the only way to win is show just how much raw charisma you have. Laura Garcia from BBC Mundo tells us exactly what it takes to prove your aura. Dani San, who’s been organising aura battles in Chile, tells us what it’s like to watch one unfold.
Plus Mollie Perella from the What in the World team gets a lesson in ‘aura farming’ from Ava Arabian, a content creator from New York.
Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6
Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
Producers: Emily Horler, Benita Barden and Mollie Perella
Editor: Verity Wilde

Investing used to be seen as something that was for older people in suits, but now more young people are getting into it, thanks to the rise in online investing apps that have made it more accessible, and a growing awareness of how stocks and shares work.
But data suggests that despite being less likely to start investing, women often make higher returns than men when they do. So, why are women often better at investing? And how does it work?
BBC business reporter Emer Moreau unpacks the data on how women and men invest differently, what investing is and why it can be risky. We also chat to Viktoriia and Gabriella, two women in their 20s, about why they started investing and how they are finding it.
Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld
Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6
Presenter: Iqra Farooq
Producers: Chelsea Coates, Emily Horler and Emma-Louise Amanshia
Video Producer: Baldeep Chahal
Editor: Verity Wilde