Seven-Minute Explainers

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 9: How do you say 'pecan'? Aug 18, 2016

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You can trace the debate back to 1066, and it's not as simple as a southern accent versus a northern one. The linguistic basis for pecan pronunciation is much more complex.

Ep. 8: How to create the perfect office, according to science Aug 11, 2016

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Jungle sounds? Chia pets? This is getting out of hand.

Ep. 7: The trials and triumphs of the first modern Olympics, in 1896 Aug 04, 2016

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The first competition in Athens was a rather modest affair

Ep. 6: This woman ran for president before women could even vote Jul 28, 2016

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Victoria Woodhull notched several historic firsts before running for the country's highest political office in the 1872 election.

Ep. 5: 'I know, right?': The anatomy of a wonderfully nonsensical phrase Jul 21, 2016

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And why we insist on saying things that make no literal sense

Ep. 4: Nobody reads party platforms. They're still really important. Jul 14, 2016

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Parties still play a vital role in organizing political life and enabling people to understand the choices they have in a representative democracy

Ep. 3: How The Star-Spangled Banner went from battle poem to sporting-event mainstay Jul 07, 2016

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Trapped on a boat during the War of 1812, lawyer Francis Scott Key was inspired to write a poem...

Ep. 2: Where did the word 'dude' come from? Jun 30, 2016

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A massive, decade-long "dude" research project has finally yielded convincing results

Ep. 1: How Donald Trump hypnotized America Jun 23, 2016

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It's easy, actually: Be funny. Be confident. Be a bully. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Close with the emotion. Win.

Welcome to Seven-Minute Explainers! Jun 22, 2016

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Seven-Minute Explainers is your audio guide to everything you need to know about compelling and complex topics from politics, business, and the arts, to pop culture, parenting, and religion. Seven-Minute explainers packs a lot of information in a short amount of time so you'll get smart, fast.

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