History & Society

History & Society

Trace how culture, power, and ideas shape societies across time.

A hand is tossing two white dice with black dots against a dark background.
3mins
Don’t fall into the determinism trap. Everything is, in fact, random, says chemist Lee Cronin:
The Earth partially submerged in water, symbolizing climate change and rising sea levels, against a black background.
12mins
“You can find examples of really big environmental problems that we've already solved.” Climate change is solvable, argues Hannah Ritchie.
24mins
“It’s remarkable how weak the correlation between success and intelligence is.” Here’s what skills do matter, from 3 business experts.
Close-up of the lower face from a classic oil painting, showing a subtle smile, cracked paint texture, and part of wavy brown hair.
3mins
“Not only does Mother Nature not care about your happiness, she knows that we need lots of negative emotions to keep us alive.” Harvard happiness professor on why suffering IS necessary:
Five round, flat objects in black, blue, gray, red, and green are arranged in a row on a grid background.
2mins
“We wouldn’t be able to talk about minerals if it weren’t for the minerals themselves.” Mineralogist Bob Hazen explains how Earth’s rocks can teach us about our planet’s technicolor history.
7mins
Is human overpopulation alarmist hype with disturbing consequences? Oxford data scientist Hannah Ritchie debunks the overpopulation myth.
A brown rock with two googly eyes attached to its upper half, set against a plain black background.
3mins
The mind-blowing theory that everything is evolving—from minerals to music—explained in 3 minutes by a Carnegie scientist.
10mins
“We control nothing but influence everything.” Political scientist Brian Klaas on how every decision we make – both massive and miniscule – shapes our futures.
Text 'Period Myths' in bold white letters on a black background, surrounded by various-sized red spheres.
10mins
Dr. Jen Gunter debunks the most common myths about menstruation.
A mosaic of 36 square tiles, each showing a different fragment of various human faces, combined to create a composite image of diverse facial features.
12mins
Is “identity synthesis” the remedy for racial injustice? This political scientist says no.
Three industrial smokestacks emit dense, white smoke against a blue sky.
7mins
“If given a chance, nature can rebound, and nature can rebound dramatically.” Biologist Sean B. Carroll discusses the resilience of nature and how humans can help it thrive. Humans litter, […]
A detailed image contrasting a fiery asteroid on the left with a cool, intricate snowflake on the right against a dark background.
11mins
Humanity has two giant collisions to thank for its existence, explains biologist Sean B. Carroll.
24mins
Mating, monogamy, and maximizing your sexual potential explained by 3 sex experts.
Three red dice in mid-roll on a green surface.
6mins
Why most billionaires aren’t geniuses and most geniuses aren’t billionaires, explained by political scientist Brian Klaas.
Black cave-painting style drawing of a person shooting arrows at a deer with antlers on a red-orange background.
8mins
James Suzman lived with a tribe of hunter-gatherers to witness how an ancient culture survives one of the most brutal climates on Earth. His learnings may surprise you.
A group of people posing in front of an orange background.
6mins
The Osbournes was MTV’s biggest show – and it almost cost Jack Osbourne his life. Here’s how his family’s reality TV fame stole his childhood, and how he’s been able to heal since.
Unlikely Collaborators
Barbed wire with the word free speech on it.
31mins
Author of the Canceling of the American Mind Greg Lukianoff explains the current state of free speech in the United States.
The ceo playbook on a blue background.
5mins
Adam Bryant interviewed over 1,000 CEOs. These are the 3 critical skills to running a company.
A man sitting at a desk on a phone.
9mins
From hunter-gatherers to the American Dream: This is how humanity’s definition of “work” has developed over time.
The future with rays of light in the background.
29mins
Four visionaries—Kevin Kelly, Peter Schwartz, Ari Wallach, and Tyler Cowen—share their insights on the future, urging viewers to consider the impact of their actions on future generations.