Explained - Season 1
1 - The Racial Wealth Gap
Air Date: May 23, 2018
Cory Booker and others discuss how slavery, housing discrimination and centuries of inequality have compounded to create a racial wealth gap.
2 - Designer DNA
Air Date: May 23, 2018
Scientific feat or terrifying social experiment? Specialists in the field discuss the high stakes and ethical controversies of gene editing.
3 - Monogamy
Air Date: May 23, 2018
What do biology, human history and the promiscuity of bonobos reveal about monogamy? Experts and everyday couples weigh in on shifting cultural norms.
4 - K-Pop
Air Date: May 30, 2018
Elaborate music videos, adoring fans, killer choreography. Learn about the global music phenomenon from South Korea that goes beyond "Gangnam Style."
5 - Cryptocurrency
Air Date: June 6, 2018
Cryptocurrency has made people billionaires, but is digital cash the next revolution? Learn about this anonymous currency and how it's coveted.
6 - Why Diets Fail
Air Date: June 13, 2018
Atkins. Paleo. Keto. Do any work in the long term? Experts look at marketing, food environments and genes to explain why diets are often unsuccessful.
7 - The Stock Market
Air Date: June 20, 2018
Does the stock market accurately reflect the status of the economy? Finance specialists discuss market history, valuations and CEO incentives.
8 - eSports
Air Date: June 27, 2018
Is fake violence a sport? Fans, shoutcasters, and eSports icons break down today's video games and the explosive popularity of competitive gaming.
9 - Extraterrestrial Life
Air Date: July 4, 2018
Despite decades of searching, we have yet to discover extraterrestrial life. Scientists discuss the reasons, including: Are aliens just too snobby?
10 - !
Air Date: July 11, 2018
Do we overuse exclamation points!? Linguists and copy editors look at how the punctuation has adapted across history, literature and internet-speak.
11 - Cricket
Air Date: July 18, 2018
Cricket experts look at how the confusing sport became so popular and discuss its evolution in becoming more accessible entertaining and profitable.
12 - Weed
Air Date: July 25, 2018
Marijuana experts discuss the rise of potent "sexually frustrated" cannabis plants, the quests for consistency in weed strains and the history of hemp.
13 - Tattoo
Air Date: August 1, 2018
They've been used to command respect, punish criminals and mark achievements. Tattooists speak about the origins of tattoo traditions and rituals.
14 - Astrology
Air Date: August 8, 2018
Do 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.
15 - Can We Live Forever ?
Air Date: August 15, 2018
Can we uncover the secrets to extending the human lifespan? Experts discuss how developments in science -- even the French lilac -- hold some clues.
16 - The Female Orgasm
Air Date: August 22, 2018
The female orgasm is more elusive when a man is involved. Discover the reasons why and how women are embracing hands on solutions.
17 - Political Correctness
Air Date: August 29, 2018
Political correctness can sometimes feel like a tug-of-war between inclusivity and free speech. Experts discuss the concepts behind the fraught term.
18 - Why Women Are Paid Less
Air Date: September 5, 2018
Hillary Clinton and Anne-Marie Slaughter discuss the cultural norms at the center of the worldwide gender pay gap, including the "motherhood penalty."
19 - The World's Water Crisis
Air Date: September 12, 2018
The 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?
20 - Music
Air Date: September 19, 2018
When does sound become music? Why are humans so uniquely able to master musicality? Researchers talk rhythm, octaves and the magic of song and dance.