Season 1
S1, Ep1 23 May 2018 The Racial Wealth Gap
Cory Booker and others discuss how slavery, housing discrimination and centuries of inequality have compounded to create a racial wealth gap.
S1, Ep2 23 May 2018 Designer DNA
Scientific feat or terrifying social experiment? Specialists in the field discuss the high stakes and ethical controversies of gene editing.
S1, Ep3 23 May 2018 Monogamy
What do biology, human history and the promiscuity of bonobos reveal about monogamy? Experts and everyday couples weigh in on shifting cultural norms.
S1, Ep4 30 May 2018 K-Pop
Elaborate music videos, adoring fans, killer choreography. Learn about the global music phenomenon from South Korea that goes beyond "Gangnam Style".
S1, Ep5 6 Jun. 2018 Cryptocurrency
Cryptocurrency has made people billionaires, but is digital cash the next revolution? Learn about this anonymous currency and why it's so coveted.
S1, Ep6 13 Jun. 2018 Why Diets Fail
Explained examines why diets are often unsuccessful. It looks at the science that suggests that low carb, low fat, and body type diets as well as supplements and detoxification regimes simple do not work in helping most people lose weight. While the diet industry pushes us to avoid calories the food industry encourage us to eat more of them.
S1, Ep7 20 Jun. 2018 The Stock Market
Does the stock market accurately reflect the status of the economy? Finance specialists discuss market history, valuations and CEO incentives.
S1, Ep8 27 Jun. 2018 eSports
The term eSports is short for "electronic sports". It is introduced to describe competitive video gaming. What's competitive video gaming? It's basically just people playing video games in some form of competition.
S1, Ep9 4 Jul. 2018 Extraterrestrial Life
Explained examines the possibility of extraterrestrial life and looks at why we have not yet found evidence for its existence despite efforts to look for it. It considers the Fermi paradox which suggests that given the vastness of the universe that there should be a great deal of extraterrestrial life in our galaxy. It also consider conspiracy theories about U.F.O. It also discusses theories for why we have not found them including alien snobbery, intelligence, lack of time, and a desire to not interfere. It examines SETI and the search for techno-signatures and ...
S1, Ep10 11 Jul. 2018 Exclamation Mark (!)
The story of the exclamation point. How it came to be and are we overusing it today?
S1, Ep11 18 Jul. 2018 Cricket
Explained looks at the popular English sport of cricket. First developed in the mid-1800s, cricket has grown into one of the most popular sports in the world. It looks at the complicated and confusing rules behind the game and examines how the British Empire exported the game to its colonies including the West Indies and India. It also looks at different forms of the game including test cricket and Twenty20 cricket.
S1, Ep12 25 Jul. 2018 Weed
Marijuana experts discuss the rise of potent "sexually frustrated" cannabis plants, the quest for consistency in weed strains and the history of hemp.
S1, Ep13
1 Aug. 2018 Tattoo
They've been used to command respect, punish criminals and mark achievements. Tattooists speak about the origins of tattoo traditions and rituals.
S1, Ep14 8 Aug. 2018 Astrology
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.
S1, Ep15 15 Aug. 2018 Can We Live Forever?
Explained examines whether human beings will be able to live forever. It begins by looking at life expectancy throughout history and how it is getting longer. It examines whether there is something about aging that leads to our death and whether that processes could be stopped.
S1, Ep16 22 Aug. 2018 The Female Orgasm
The female orgasm is more elusive when a man is involved. Discover the reasons why -- and how women are embracing hands-on solutions.
S1, Ep17 29 Aug. 2018 Political Correctness
Political correctness can sometimes feel like a tug-of-war between inclusivity and free speech. Experts discuss the concepts behind the fraught term.
S1, Ep18 5 Sep. 2018 Why Women Are Paid Less
Hillary Clinton and Anne-Marie Slaughter discuss the cultural norms at the center of the worldwide gender pay gap, including the "motherhood penalty."
S1, Ep19 12 Sep. 2018 The World's Water Crisis
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?
S1, Ep20 19 Sep. 2018 Music
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.
Season 2
S2, Ep1 Cults
How do cults lure people in and exert control? Learn a cult's telltale signs, and how loneliness and life online makes indoctrination easier than ever.
S2, Ep2 3 Oct. 2019 Billionaires
Explained looks at the recent growth in the number of billionaires in the world. With much of the world's wealth in the hands of so few people, what impact does that have on society? It looks at the first billionaires who were the products of the gilded age and discusses how most billionaires make their money.
S2, Ep3 10 Oct. 2019 Animal Intelligence
Explained looks at animal intelligence and examines what goes on in the animal mind and what that says about human intelligence. It looks at early efforts to teach animals sign language and later theories that focused on behaviorism. It, then, discusses animal neurology and the hallmarks of intelligence: social intelligence, tool-use, future planning, culture, and self-awareness.
S2, Ep4 17 Oct. 2019 Athleisure
Explained looks at the growth of athleisure fashion. It examines how casual dressing became the norm throughout the world. It began with the development of leisure time which encourage allowed people to spend time at the gymnasium. Beginning with bloomers, we now have sportsware, leggings, streetwear, and activewear. It also examines the growth of synthetic fiber in the fashion industry.
S2, Ep5 24 Oct. 2019 Coding
Explained looks at how computer code now controls how we live. It looks at how computer code is pervasive in how it effects our lives. It looks at the development of machine code first in the textile industry and later binary code in early mechanical computers. It also discusses computer logic, algorithms, computer languages, personal computing, and machine learning.
S2, Ep61 Oct. 2019 Pirates
In pop culture, pirates are often depicted as booty-looting rogues, but their history is far more complicated. See how they became enemies of humanity.
S2, Ep7 7 Nov. 2019 The Next Pandemic
If you're not worried about a looming global pandemic, you probably should be. Are we prepared for an outbreak? Bill Gates and other experts weigh in.
S2, Ep8 14 Nov. 2019 The Future of Meat The planet's current rate of meat consumption is unprecedented -- and becoming unsustainable. In the future, will meat alternatives be the answer?
S2, Ep9 21 Nov. 2019 Beauty
Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but what exactly makes things such as art and architecture aesthetically pleasing, and why do we like looking?
S2, Ep10 28 Nov. 2019 Diamonds
Explained looks at diamonds and how they have come to mean everything from a status symbol to a sparkling sign of everlasting love. Why do diamonds have the meaning that they do? Why are they considered more valuable than other precious stones? It examines how diamonds are created naturally and discusses how they were used throughout history. It also looks at the company De Beers which created the demand for diamonds that we see today and examines the problem of blood diamonds.
