History 101 - Season 1 (2020)

Infographics and archival footage deliver bite-size history lessons on scientific breakthroughs, social movements and world-changing discoveries.

1. Fast Food
22m

Cheap, quick and tasty, fast food became a culinary craze in the 1950s. But has our quest for convenience created an irreversible health crisis?

2. The Space Race
23m

Fifteen international agencies spend $62 billion every year on space travel. What's fueling our costly — and dangerous — drive to explore the universe?

3. The Rise of China
23m

In the 21st century, China has become a global economic powerhouse. Why was the rest of the world so slow to notice its rise to the top?

4. Plastics
21m

Plastics have transformed how we live, but progress comes at a high price: 7.8 billion tons of waste. Are plastics a miracle or a catastrophe?

5. Oil and the Middle East
21m

Oil has brought great wealth to the Middle East and ignited major wars. Is it a blessing or a curse for the region, as well as the rest of the world?

6. Robots
21m

We share the planet with an estimated 9 million robots, from self-driving cars to surgical arms. Could they one day completely replace humans?

7. Feminism
24m

Feminism has ushered in sweeping changes to society, securing rights for women around the world. How much further do we have to go?

8. Nuclear Power
22m

Over 10% of the world's electricity comes from nuclear power. But with radioactive waste and the threat of nuclear meltdown, are we playing with fire?

* 9. In June 2020, Netflix removed the ninth episode, which covered the HIV and AIDS epidemic, after outrage from members of the Haitian-American community. This episode is included in this torrent.

10. Genetics
21m

DNA analysis has given us the tools to map disease, solve crimes and more. But in our rush to decode DNA, are we leaping before we look?