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🔔 Notify me about new seasonsSynopsis
This enlightening series from Vox digs into a wide range of topics such as the rise of cryptocurrency, why diets fail, and the wild world of K-pop.
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Episodes
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- E1 The Racial Wealth GapNext upMay 23, 2018 · 19 min · ★ 7.6
Synopsis
Cory Booker and others discuss how slavery, housing discrimination and centuries of inequality have compounded to create a racial wealth gap.
Guest stars: Mehrsa Baradaran (Self - Author), Cory Booker (Self - U.S. Senator), Thomas Shapiro (Self - Sociologist), Beth Jacobson (Self - Foreclosure Specialist), James Baldwin (Self (archive footage)), Edward A. Bouchet (Self - First Black Ph.D Recipient (archive footage)), Shirley Chisholm (Self (archive footage)), Bill Clinton (Self (archive footage))
- E2 Designer DNAMay 23, 2018 · 18 min · ★ 7.8
Synopsis
Scientific feat or terrifying social experiment? Specialists in the field discuss the high stakes and ethical controversies of gene editing.
Guest stars: Joss Fong (Narrator (voice)), Neville Sanjana (Self - Biologist), Jennifer Doudna (Self - CRISPR Pioneer), John Evans (Self - Sociologist), Hank Greely (Self - Law Professor), Rebecca Cokley (Self - Disability Rights Activist), Emmanuelle Charpentier (Self (archive footage)), Francis Collins (Self (archive footage))
- E3 MonogamyMay 23, 2018 · 18 min · ★ 6.2
Synopsis
What do biology, human history and the promiscuity of bonobos reveal about monogamy? Experts and everyday couples weigh in on shifting cultural norms.
Guest stars: Maria Bello (Narrator (voice))
- E4 K-PopMay 30, 2018 · 18 min · ★ 7.8
Synopsis
Elaborate music videos, adoring fans, killer choreography. Learn about the global music phenomenon from South Korea that goes beyond "Gangnam Style."
Guest stars: Estelle Caswell (Narrator (voice)), Tablo (Self), Jimin (Self (archive footage)), SUGA (Self (archive footage)), V (Self (archive footage)), Jin (Self (archive footage)), RM (Self (archive footage)), Jung Kook (Self (archive footage))
- E5 CryptocurrencyJun 6, 2018 · 18 min · ★ 7.5
Synopsis
Cryptocurrency has made people billionaires, but is digital cash the next revolution? Learn about this anonymous currency and how it's coveted.
Guest stars: Christian Slater (Narrator (voice))
- E6 Why Diets FailJun 13, 2018 · 18 min · ★ 7.4
Synopsis
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.
Guest stars: Maria Bello (Narrator (voice))
- E7 The Stock MarketJun 20, 2018 · 18 min · ★ 6.8
Synopsis
Does the stock market accurately reflect the status of the economy? Finance specialists discuss market history, valuations and CEO incentives.
Guest stars: Estelle Caswell (Narrator (voice)), Andrew Carnegie (Self (archive footage)), Warren Buffett (Self (archive footage)), John D. Rockefeller (Self (archive footage)), Cornelius Vanderbilt (Self (archive footage)), John Maynard Keynes (Self (archive footage)), Richard Nixon (Self (archive footage)), Jacob Collins Dodd (Sam)
- E8 eSportsJun 27, 2018 · 18 min · ★ 6.8
Synopsis
Is fake violence a sport? Fans, shoutcasters, and eSports icons break down today's video games and the explosive popularity of competitive gaming.
Guest stars: Estelle Caswell (Narrator (voice))
- E9 Extraterrestrial LifeJul 4, 2018 · 20 min · ★ 7.0
Synopsis
Despite decades of searching, we have yet to discover extraterrestrial life. Scientists discuss the reasons, including: Are aliens just too snobby?
Guest stars: LeVar Burton (Narrator (voice))
- E10 !Jul 11, 2018 · 16 min · ★ 6.0
Synopsis
Do we overuse exclamation points!? Linguists and copy editors look at how the punctuation has adapted across history, literature and internet-speak.
Guest stars: Nick Kroll (Narrator (voice))
- E11 CricketJul 18, 2018 · 15 min · ★ 7.0
Synopsis
Cricket experts look at how the confusing sport became so popular and discuss its evolution in becoming more accessible entertaining and profitable.
Guest stars: Aasif Mandvi (Narrator (voice))
- E12 WeedJul 25, 2018 · 18 min · ★ 7.5
Synopsis
Marijuana experts discuss the rise of potent "sexually frustrated" cannabis plants, the quests for consistency in weed strains and the history of hemp.
Guest stars: Kevin Smith (Narrator (voice))
- E13 TattooAug 1, 2018 · 17 min · ★ 7.2
Synopsis
They've been used to command respect, punish criminals and mark achievements. Tattooists speak about the origins of tattoo traditions and rituals.
Guest stars: Coleman Lowndes (Narrator (voice))
- E14 AstrologyAug 8, 2018 · 17 min · ★ 7.4
Synopsis
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.
Guest stars: Yara Shahidi (Narrator (voice))
- E15 Can We Live Forever ?Aug 15, 2018 · 14 min · ★ 7.5
Synopsis
Can we uncover the secrets to extending the human lifespan? Experts discuss how developments in science -- even the French lilac -- hold some clues.
Guest stars: Kristen Bell (Narrator (voice)), Barack Obama (Self (archive footage)), Gal Gadot (Self), Ian Fisher (Self), Leonard Hayflick (Self (archive footage))
- E16 The Female OrgasmAug 22, 2018 · 14 min · ★ 7.0
Synopsis
The female orgasm is more elusive when a man is involved. Discover the reasons why and how women are embracing hands on solutions.
Guest stars: Rachel Bloom (Narrator (voice))
- E17 Political CorrectnessAug 29, 2018 · 20 min · ★ 7.6
Synopsis
Political correctness can sometimes feel like a tug-of-war between inclusivity and free speech. Experts discuss the concepts behind the fraught term.
Guest stars: Jerry Springer (Narrator (voice)), Anderson Cooper (Self (archive footage)), Mike Wallace (Self (archive footage)), George H. W. Bush (Self (archive footage)), Donald Trump (Self (archive footage)), Vladimir Putin (Self (archive footage))
- E18 Why Women Are Paid LessSep 5, 2018 · 18 min · ★ 6.7
Synopsis
Hillary Clinton and Anne-Marie Slaughter discuss the cultural norms at the center of the worldwide gender pay gap, including the "motherhood penalty."
Guest stars: Rachel McAdams (Narrator (voice)), Hillary Clinton (Self), Valentine Rugwabiza (Self), Elizabeth Warren (Self (archive footage)), Kirsten Gillibrand (Self (archive footage)), Sandra Day O'Connor (Self (archive footage)), Barack Obama (Self (archive footage)), Jackie Speier (Self)
- E19 The World's Water CrisisSep 12, 2018 · 17 min · ★ 8.5
Synopsis
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?
Guest stars: Kyle MacLachlan (Narrator (voice))
- E20 MusicSep 19, 2018 · 16 min · ★ 7.2
Synopsis
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.
Guest stars: Carly Rae Jepsen (Narrator (voice))
Cast & crew
Created by Ezra Klein
Videos
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