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Explainers 1 - 10 of 622

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Thanks for listening!

May 20, 2022
We're winding down this skill after five years and 600 explainers, but Make Me Smart isn't going anywhere!

Summer camp

May 13, 2022
The $20 billion summer camp industry employs about 1 million people and hosts about 16 million campers.

Ponzi Schemes and Pyramid Schemes

May 11, 2022
Ponzi schemes and pyramid schemes are financial scams that offer ways to get rich quick.

High school graduation

May 10, 2022
High school graduation, on an individual and writ large, has big impacts on the health of the economy.

Fermi Paradox

May 5, 2022
There's definitely alien life out there. So why don't we know of any yet?

Star Wars

May 4, 2022
Over the past four decades, ‘Star Wars’ has become a force in entertainment.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

May 2, 2022
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists and millions of dollars in spending to Cleveland each year.

Air conditioning

Apr 28, 2022
Air conditioning was popularized in the 1950s when movie theaters started installing it.

Trade War

Apr 26, 2022
Kai Ryssdal explains what a trade war is.

Earth Day

Apr 21, 2022
The combined efforts of student activists, organized labor and, yes, Madison Avenue came together in 1970 to make Earth Day a thing.