Explained
Explained: Season 1
Season 2

Air Date

May 23, 2018

Episodes

20 episodes

Explained

Season 1

Episodes

The Racial Wealth Gap

1. The Racial Wealth Gap

7.4
May 23, 2018
16 min

Cory Booker and others discuss how slavery, housing discrimination and centuries of inequality have compounded to create a racial wealth gap.

Designer DNA

2. Designer DNA

8.0
May 23, 2018
17 min

Scientific feat or terrifying social experiment? Specialists in the field discuss the high stakes and ethical controversies of gene editing.

Monogamy

3. Monogamy

7.5
May 23, 2018
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.

K-Pop

4. K-Pop

8.0
May 30, 2018
20 min

Elaborate music videos, adoring fans, killer choreography. Learn about the global music phenomenon from South Korea that goes beyond "Gangnam Style."

Cryptocurrency

5. Cryptocurrency

7.7
June 6, 2018
14 min

Cryptocurrency has made people billionaires, but is digital cash the next revolution? Learn about this anonymous currency and how it's coveted.

Why Diets Fail

6. Why Diets Fail

7.5
June 13, 2018
14 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.

The Stock Market

7. The Stock Market

6.7
June 20, 2018
17 min

Does the stock market accurately reflect the status of the economy? Finance specialists discuss market history, valuations and CEO incentives.

eSports

8. eSports

6.7
June 27, 2018
17 min

Is fake violence a sport? Fans, shoutcasters, and eSports icons break down today's video games and the explosive popularity of competitive gaming.

Extraterrestrial Life

9. Extraterrestrial Life

7.0
July 4, 2018
18 min

Despite decades of searching, we have yet to discover extraterrestrial life. Scientists discuss the reasons, including: Are aliens just too snobby?

!

10. !

6.3
July 11, 2018
15 min

Do we overuse exclamation points!? Linguists and copy editors look at how the punctuation has adapted across history, literature and internet-speak.

Cricket

11. Cricket

7.0
July 18, 2018
16 min

Cricket experts look at how the confusing sport became so popular and discuss its evolution in becoming more accessible entertaining and profitable.

Weed

12. Weed

7.7
July 25, 2018
20 min

Marijuana experts discuss the rise of potent "sexually frustrated" cannabis plants, the quests for consistency in weed strains and the history of hemp.

Tattoo

13. Tattoo

7.3
August 1, 2018
18 min

They've been used to command respect, punish criminals and mark achievements. Tattooists speak about the origins of tattoo traditions and rituals.

Astrology

14. Astrology

7.0
August 8, 2018
18 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.

Can We Live Forever ?

15. Can We Live Forever ?

7.7
August 15, 2018
18 min

Can we uncover the secrets to extending the human lifespan? Experts discuss how developments in science -- even the French lilac -- hold some clues.

The Female Orgasm

16. The Female Orgasm

7.0
August 22, 2018
18 min

The female orgasm is more elusive when a man is involved. Discover the reasons why and how women are embracing hands on solutions.

Political Correctness

17. Political Correctness

7.7
August 29, 2018
18 min

Political correctness can sometimes feel like a tug-of-war between inclusivity and free speech. Experts discuss the concepts behind the fraught term.

Why Women Are Paid Less

18. Why Women Are Paid Less

7.0
September 5, 2018
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."

The World's Water Crisis

19. The World's Water Crisis

8.7
September 12, 2018
18 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?

Music

20. Music

7.0
September 19, 2018
19 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.

No cast information available