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Explain It Like I’m Smart

49 episodes

Even the smartest people benefit from more context. These experts are here to provide just that.

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All Episodes (49)

Red ink disperses in water with the words "Menopause Chaos" overlaid in bold white font.

The science of menopause in 13 minutes

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13 min

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Close-up of a multicolored, reflective surface depicting two human-like eyes with iridescent hues surrounding them.

Yuval Noah Harari: An AI scenario you should not ignore

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11 min

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with

Yuval Noah Harari

Why Texas and Florida are America’s NEW economic powerhouses

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8 min

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with

Joseph Politano

The data on dating—and the golden rule for better “luck”

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8 min

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The psychopathic brain is different—but it CAN be treated

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10 min

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Three industrial smokestacks emit dense, white smoke against a blue sky.

We’re not doomed. Here’s how to revive Planet Earth

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8 min

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with

Sean B. Carroll

An illustrated human brain with musical notes to suggest the concept of music and cognition against a vintage anatomical background.

Homo sapiens: The “great synthesizers” of music

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9 min

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with

Michael Spitzer

A man sitting at a desk on a phone.

How did we end up here? Anthropologist explains how work has shaped society

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9 min

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Zen buddhism 101 by zen buddhism 101.

A Zen master’s guide to crushing pain & unlocking peace

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8 min

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with

Robert Waldinger

An ufo flying over a forest.

Why haven’t we found aliens? A physicist shares the most popular theories

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13 min

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An older man pondering with his hand on his chin, contemplating effective altruism.

What is effective altruism? Philosopher Peter Singer explains

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8 min

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A drawing of a human brain depicting the red section, symbolizing anxiety.

Anxiety evolved to help us — what went wrong? A neuroscientist explains.

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8 min

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A sparkler with the word orgasm on it.

A sex educator explains orgasms (plus an exercise for expanded pleasure)

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11 min

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A snake is sitting on top of a dollar bill.

Why fraud still thrives on Wall Street

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8 min

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with

Kelly Richmond Pope

a clock that is in the middle of a circle.

The science of super longevity

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7 min

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the cover of a magazine with a picture of a man's face.

Why high-ranking leaders should be psych tested

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6 min

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a pink computer keyboard with the word sex spelled on it.

How porn f*cked our minds

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6 min

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a man sitting in a box with a plant in it.

The friendship recession

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8 min

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Harvard professor explains Bayes’ rule

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5 min

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Master divergent and convergent thinking

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5 min

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The physics of time, entropy, and death

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5 min

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with

Sabine Hossenfelder

The neuroscience of loving music

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8 min

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with

Michael Spitzer

The mind-bending physics of time

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8 min

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Only high performers pass this kind of job interview

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4 min

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Sun Tzu: 4 battle principles for business leaders

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8 min

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How dirty debaters win against better opponents

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5 min

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The 3 dimensions of secrets: What are you hiding and why?

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7 min

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with

Michael Slepian

Why your brain thinks you’re Matt Damon

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4 min

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How psychedelics work

Why psychedelics change your reality

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6 min

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with

Matthew W. Johnson

war technology

Google’s secret “Project Maven”: Evil—or moral?

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with

Related

Close-up view of a marble sculpture's lower face, showing a smile with detailed lips and chin against a dark background.

The philosophy of happiness, explained in 10 minutes

“If we’re to be happy at all, it has to be found outside of this notion of pleasure. We have to step beyond hedonia. But the problem is that we risk going too far.”

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11 min

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A pink brain shaped like a heart with rays emanating from it against a black background.

Emotional intelligence: The 4 domains of high performance

“Self-awareness, it’s the least visible part of emotional intelligence, but we find in our research that people low in self-awareness are unable to develop strengths very well in other parts of emotional intelligence.”

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8 min

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A hand clasps an older, wrinkled hand against a black background, symbolizing care and support.

Our population is aging, here’s how to care for it correctly

Americans are getting older, and so are traditional healthcare methods. CEO of Northwell Health Michael Dowling shares his take on how we can develop the best care for our elderly loved ones.

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4 min

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Michael Dowling

A man in a suit looks upward with a surprised expression. There is a fiery effect in the foreground. Buildings and people are visible in the background.

How your brain works in an emergency, in 9 minutes

“Humans, like most mammals, tend to shut down in really frightening situations for which they have no training or prior experience. Researchers call it negative panic. People do nothing. They shut down.”

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9 min

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Aerial view of a large cargo ship with multicolored containers navigating through deep blue ocean waters.

The basics of post-COVID monetary policy, explained by an economist

“Understanding more about monetary policy and the economic regime that you’re living under can help ease some of the fundamental uncertainties [that have been] prevalent since COVID, and help you make better decisions in your day-to-day life.”

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11 min

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with

Joseph Politano