Explained
Season 1
201820 episodes
Episode 1
The Racial Wealth Gap
May 23, 201819m
TMDB rating 7.6TMDB
Cory Booker and others discuss how slavery, housing discrimination and centuries of inequality have compounded to create a racial wealth gap.
Episode 2
Designer DNA
May 23, 201818m
TMDB rating 7.8TMDB
Scientific feat or terrifying social experiment? Specialists in the field discuss the high stakes and ethical controversies of gene editing.
Episode 3
Monogamy
May 23, 201818m
TMDB rating 6.2TMDB
What do biology, human history and the promiscuity of bonobos reveal about monogamy? Experts and everyday couples weigh in on shifting cultural norms.
Episode 4
K-Pop
May 30, 201818m
TMDB rating 7.8TMDB
Elaborate music videos, adoring fans, killer choreography. Learn about the global music phenomenon from South Korea that goes beyond "Gangnam Style."
Episode 5
Cryptocurrency
Jun 6, 201818m
TMDB rating 7.5TMDB
Cryptocurrency has made people billionaires, but is digital cash the next revolution? Learn about this anonymous currency and how it's coveted.
Episode 6
Why Diets Fail
Jun 13, 201818m
TMDB rating 7.4TMDB
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.
Episode 7
The Stock Market
Jun 20, 201818m
TMDB rating 6.8TMDB
Does the stock market accurately reflect the status of the economy? Finance specialists discuss market history, valuations and CEO incentives.
Episode 8
eSports
Jun 27, 201818m
TMDB rating 6.8TMDB
Is fake violence a sport? Fans, shoutcasters, and eSports icons break down today's video games and the explosive popularity of competitive gaming.
Episode 9
Extraterrestrial Life
Jul 4, 201820m
TMDB rating 7.0TMDB
Despite decades of searching, we have yet to discover extraterrestrial life. Scientists discuss the reasons, including: Are aliens just too snobby?
Episode 10
!
Jul 11, 201816m
TMDB rating 6.0TMDB
Do we overuse exclamation points!? Linguists and copy editors look at how the punctuation has adapted across history, literature and internet-speak.
Episode 11
Cricket
Jul 18, 201815m
TMDB rating 7.0TMDB
Cricket experts look at how the confusing sport became so popular and discuss its evolution in becoming more accessible entertaining and profitable.
Episode 12
Weed
Jul 25, 201818m
TMDB rating 7.5TMDB
Marijuana experts discuss the rise of potent "sexually frustrated" cannabis plants, the quests for consistency in weed strains and the history of hemp.
Episode 13
Tattoo
Aug 1, 201817m
TMDB rating 7.2TMDB
They've been used to command respect, punish criminals and mark achievements. Tattooists speak about the origins of tattoo traditions and rituals.
Episode 14
Astrology
Aug 8, 201817m
TMDB rating 7.4TMDB
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.
Episode 15
Can We Live Forever ?
Aug 15, 201814m
TMDB rating 7.5TMDB
Can we uncover the secrets to extending the human lifespan? Experts discuss how developments in science -- even the French lilac -- hold some clues.
Episode 16
The Female Orgasm
Aug 22, 201814m
TMDB rating 7.0TMDB
The female orgasm is more elusive when a man is involved. Discover the reasons why and how women are embracing hands on solutions.
Episode 17
Political Correctness
Aug 29, 201820m
TMDB rating 7.6TMDB
Political correctness can sometimes feel like a tug-of-war between inclusivity and free speech. Experts discuss the concepts behind the fraught term.
Episode 18
Why Women Are Paid Less
Sep 5, 201818m
TMDB rating 6.7TMDB
Hillary Clinton and Anne-Marie Slaughter discuss the cultural norms at the center of the worldwide gender pay gap, including the "motherhood penalty."
Episode 19
The World's Water Crisis
Sep 12, 201817m
TMDB rating 8.5TMDB
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?
Episode 20
Music
Sep 19, 201816m
TMDB rating 7.2TMDB
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.