Episode
History 101: Plastics
Overview
Plastics have transformed how we live, but progress comes at a high price: 7.8 billion tons of waste. Are plastics a miracle or a catastrophe?
Details
- Series
- History 101
- Season
- Season 1
- Episode
- Episode 4
- Air date
- 2020-05-22
- Runtime
- 21 min
Episode context
Plastics is Episode 4 in Season 1 of History 101. It aired on 2020-05-22. The runtime is 21 min.
Previous / Next
Episode 3: The Rise of China
In the 21st century, China has become a global economic powerhouse. Why was the rest of the world so slow to notice its rise to the top?
Episode 5: Oil and the Middle East
Oil has brought great wealth to the Middle East and ignited major wars. Is it a blessing or a curse for the region, as well as the rest of the world?
More episodes from this season
Episode 2: The Space Race
Fifteen international agencies spend $62 billion every year on space travel. What's fueling our costly — and dangerous — drive to explore the universe?
Episode 6: Robots
We share the planet with an estimated 9 million robots, from self-driving cars to surgical arms. Could they one day completely replace humans?
Episode 1: Fast Food
Cheap, quick and tasty, fast food became a culinary craze in the 1950s. But has our quest for convenience created an irreversible health crisis?
Episode 7: Feminism
Feminism has ushered in sweeping changes to society, securing rights for women around the world. How much further do we have to go?
Episode 8: Nuclear Power
Over 10% of the world's electricity comes from nuclear power. But with radioactive waste and the threat of nuclear meltdown, are we playing with fire?
Episode 9: AIDS
Nearly 40 million people are living with HIV. After decades of research and activism, how far have we come in finding a cure and battling the stigma?
Episode 10: Genetics
DNA analysis has given us the tools to map disease, solve crimes and more. But in our rush to decode DNA, are we leaping before we look?