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Explain It Like I’m Smart

43 episodes
Even the smartest people benefit from more context. These experts are here to provide just that.
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All Episodes (43)
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
9 min
with
A man sitting at a desk on a phone.
How did we end up here? Anthropologist explains how work has shaped society
9 min
with
Zen buddhism 101 by zen buddhism 101.
A Zen master’s guide to crushing pain & unlocking peace
8 min
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An ufo flying over a forest.
Why haven’t we found aliens? A physicist shares the most popular theories
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
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.
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)
11 min
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A snake is sitting on top of a dollar bill.
Why fraud still thrives on Wall Street
8 min
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a clock that is in the middle of a circle.
The science of super longevity
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
6 min
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a pink computer keyboard with the word sex spelled on it.
How porn f*cked our minds
6 min
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a man sitting in a box with a plant in it.
The friendship recession
8 min
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Harvard professor explains Bayes’ rule
5 min
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Master divergent and convergent thinking
5 min
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The physics of time, entropy, and death
5 min
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The neuroscience of loving music
8 min
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The mind-bending physics of time
8 min
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Only high performers pass this kind of job interview
4 min
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Sun Tzu: 4 battle principles for business leaders
8 min
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How dirty debaters win against better opponents
5 min
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The 3 dimensions of secrets: What are you hiding and why?
7 min
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Why your brain thinks you’re Matt Damon
4 min
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How psychedelics work
Why psychedelics change your reality
6 min
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war technology
Google’s secret “Project Maven”: Evil—or moral?
Metaverse games
Roblox, Minecraft, Fortnite: The world’s future superpowers?
Are drugs really frying your brain?
5 min
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Umwelt: The hidden sensory world of animals
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Our ancient ancestors weren’t jacked. They were energy savers.
4 min
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exercise myths
Harvard professor debunks the biggest exercise myths
toxic work culture
Toxic work culture: Are you in one?
3 min
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