Explained: Season 1

Episode 1: The Racial Wealth Gap 2018-05-23 | 19 min 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 2018-05-23 | 18 min Scientific feat or terrifying social experiment? Specialists in the field discuss the high stakes and ethical controversies of gene editing.

Episode 3: Monogamy 2018-05-23 | 18 min 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 2018-05-30 | 18 min Elaborate music videos, adoring fans, killer choreography. Learn about the global music phenomenon from South Korea that goes beyond "Gangnam Style."

Episode 5: Cryptocurrency 2018-06-06 | 18 min 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 2018-06-13 | 18 min 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 2018-06-20 | 18 min Does the stock market accurately reflect the status of the economy? Finance specialists discuss market history, valuations and CEO incentives.

Episode 8: eSports 2018-06-27 | 18 min 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 2018-07-04 | 20 min Despite decades of searching, we have yet to discover extraterrestrial life. Scientists discuss the reasons, including: Are aliens just too snobby?

Episode 10: ! 2018-07-11 | 16 min 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 2018-07-18 | 15 min 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 2018-07-25 | 18 min 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 2018-08-01 | 17 min 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 2018-08-08 | 17 min 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 ? 2018-08-15 | 14 min 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 2018-08-22 | 14 min 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 2018-08-29 | 20 min 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 2018-09-05 | 18 min 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 2018-09-12 | 17 min 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 2018-09-19 | 16 min 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.

Explained: Season 1

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