Explained(2018)
Episode List
S1.E1 - The Racial Wealth Gap
May 22, 201819m7.3Cory Booker and others discuss how slavery, housing discrimination and centuries of inequality have compounded to create a racial wealth gap.S1.E2 - Designer DNA
May 22, 201818m7.8Scientific feat or terrifying social experiment? Specialists in the field discuss the high stakes and ethical controversies of gene editing.S1.E3 - Monogamy
May 22, 201818m7.3What do biology, human history and the promiscuity of bonobos reveal about monogamy? Experts and everyday couples weigh in on shifting cultural norms.S1.E4 - K-Pop
May 29, 201818m7.8Elaborate music videos, adoring fans, killer choreography. Learn about the global music phenomenon from South Korea that goes beyond "Gangnam Style."S1.E5 - Cryptocurrency
Jun 5, 201818m7.5Cryptocurrency has made people billionaires, but is digital cash the next revolution? Learn about this anonymous currency and how it's coveted.S1.E6 - Why Diets Fail
Jun 12, 201818m7.4Atkins. Paleo. Keto. Do any work in the long term? Experts look at marketing, food environments and genes to explain why diets are often unsuccessful.S1.E7 - The Stock Market
Jun 19, 201818m6.8Does the stock market accurately reflect the status of the economy? Finance specialists discuss market history, valuations and CEO incentives.S1.E8 - eSports
Jun 26, 201818m6.8Is fake violence a sport? Fans, shoutcasters, and eSports icons break down today's video games and the explosive popularity of competitive gaming.S1.E9 - Extraterrestrial Life
Jul 3, 201820m7.0Despite decades of searching, we have yet to discover extraterrestrial life. Scientists discuss the reasons, including: Are aliens just too snobby?S1.E10 - !
Jul 10, 201816m6.0Do we overuse exclamation points!? Linguists and copy editors look at how the punctuation has adapted across history, literature and internet-speak.S1.E11 - Cricket
Jul 17, 201815m7.0Cricket experts look at how the confusing sport became so popular and discuss its evolution in becoming more accessible entertaining and profitable.S1.E12 - Weed
Jul 24, 201818m7.5Marijuana experts discuss the rise of potent "sexually frustrated" cannabis plants, the quests for consistency in weed strains and the history of hemp.S1.E13 - Tattoo
Jul 31, 201817m7.2They've been used to command respect, punish criminals and mark achievements. Tattooists speak about the origins of tattoo traditions and rituals.S1.E14 - Astrology
Aug 7, 201817m7.0Do zodiac signs prescribe your fate? Or do horoscopes' accuracy lie in the placebo effect? Take a look at the science, history and lure of astrology.S1.E15 - Can We Live Forever ?
Aug 14, 201814m7.5Can we uncover the secrets to extending the human lifespan? Experts discuss how developments in science -- even the French lilac -- hold some clues.S1.E16 - The Female Orgasm
Aug 21, 201814m7.0The female orgasm is more elusive when a man is involved. Discover the reasons why and how women are embracing hands on solutions.S1.E17 - Political Correctness
Aug 28, 201820m7.5Political correctness can sometimes feel like a tug-of-war between inclusivity and free speech. Experts discuss the concepts behind the fraught term.S1.E18 - Why Women Are Paid Less
Sep 4, 201818m6.7Hillary Clinton and Anne-Marie Slaughter discuss the cultural norms at the center of the worldwide gender pay gap, including the "motherhood penalty."S1.E19 - The World's Water Crisis
Sep 11, 201817m8.5The global water crisis is at an inflection point. How do we price our most valuable resource, while also ensuring access to it as a human right?S1.E20 - Music
Sep 18, 201816m7.2When does sound become music? Why are humans so uniquely able to master musicality? Researchers talk rhythm, octaves and the magic of song and dance.