PBS
The Problem with Museums
Are museum collections ethical? How did these institutions end up with their vast array of artifacts and remains from every corner of the globe? Well, chances are there was some definite shadiness involved. Today, Danielle examines this...
PBS
Health Disparities in the Black Community: Past & Present
You're probably aware that the United States healthcare system is letting down many Black Americans. Today, Danielle looks at the historic reasons for distrust of medical establishment in the Black community as well as why these huge...
PBS
Why Do Students Have So Much Debt?
Going to college in America ain't cheap with each semester costing thousands upon thousands of dollars. How do American students pay for this and how did the price tag get so high? Today, Danielle takes a dive into the student debt...
PBS
The Rise of Beer
People across the globe love beer. A LOT. Danielle traces the history of beer and how we got from fermented corn to the craft beers so many enjoy today. She looks not just at the science of brewing, but also the various fermented...
PBS
What is Ethnicity?
What's the difference between race and ethnicity? Can a person have more than one ethnic identity? Today Danielle explores the history and evolution of different ethnicities that make up America.
Curated Video
Why Do We Say "African American"?
Language is constantly changing and ethnonyms are no exception. From "Negro" to "Colored" and "African American" to "Black," the people and cultures of African origin living in the United States have had many names. Today Danielle looks...
Curated Video
Why is Pride a Parade?
June is Pride Month and if not for coronavirus streets around the world would be filled with the LGBTQIA Community living loud and proud. But how did the New York City Stonewall Riots turn into a month-long celebration? And specifically,...
PBS
How We Discovered Germs
Humanity didn't always know about the invisible viruses, bacteria, and microbes that can cause disease. But that doesn't mean we didn't come up with some truly bizarre ideas. From the four humors and miasma theory to bloodletting and...
PBS
Why Are We Obsessed with Cults?
What is it about cults that captures the public imagination? Why are we so interested in the stories of Jonestown, Charles Manson, and Patty Hearst? Today Danielle explores how these groups entered the public consciousness and why we...
PBS
Why do We Write to Advice Columns?
Writing to a complete stranger about your most pressing, personal issues seems a bit odd. But that's exactly what the advice column is! From their origin as the Google of the 1600s to the booming renaissance of today, Danielle examines...
PBS
What Does It Mean to Be a "Good" Student? | Creators for Change
What does it mean to say someone is a "good" student? Today Danielle breaks down the stereotype of the perfect student and why grades alone don't define children. She also examines the systems and barriers that stop young girls and...
PBS
Concentration Camps Are Older Than World War II
We're all familiar with the haunting images of the concentration camps of World War II. But the history of those concentration camps extends back to the late 19th. century and the invention of barbed wire and repeating rifle [see...
PBS
What's up with all this Vaping?
E-Cigarettes are everywhere. Vaping has become so ubiquitous that "vape" was Oxford Dictionaries word of the year in 2014. Today, Danielle looks at how and why vaping took off. She examines the early 20th century prototypes for electric...
PBS
A Brief History of Men's Underwear
From loincloths to long johns and codpieces to jock straps, Danielle takes a "brief" look at the history of male undergarments!
Curated Video
A Fond Farewell
It's with heavy hearts that we're announcing the end of Origin of Everything. Thank you to all of our curious viewers who have explored the light-hearted and hilarious as well as the grim but incredibly important histories that define...
PBS
Why Do TV Shows Use Laugh Tracks?
The laugh track, otherwise known as the cringiest sound in modern television. Where did it come from and why do so many of our favorite sitcoms still use it?
PBS
Why Do We Say "Latino"?
The first thing to pop into your mind when you hear "Latino" is probably people from Latin America - places like Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, etc. But where exactly did the history of that word come from, and has it always meant Central...
PBS
The History of Reparations
In 2014, writer Ta-Nehisi Coates’ article for The Atlantic “The Case for Reparations” went viral. Tracing everything from the racial terror of slavery to the rampant housing discrimination of the 20th century, Coates made the case for...
PBS
The Racist Origins of U.S. Law
Laws are intended to maintain order and promote justice, but what happens when those laws promote and spread discrimination and bigotry? Today Danielle analyzes the discriminatory history US law, tracing its origins in colonialism and...
PBS
Did Europeans Enslave Native Americans?
Here in the United States, when we think about the term "slavery" we think about the transatlantic slave trade and the institution of chattel slavery. But this wasn't the only type of enslavement that took place in the Americas and the...
PBS
Don’t Know Much About BEOWULF? Nobody Does!
Let’s face it. Between English classes, Lit classes, World Culture classes, and History classes, there’s no escaping The Epic Poem. THE ODYSSEY, THE ILIAD, THE AENEID, THE EPIC OF GILGAMESH, BEOWULF. At some point, we’re going to have to...
PBS
Food & Fiction: Memorable Meals in Literature | PBS Digital Studios
Food varies wildly from place to place and from culture to culture; since humans are such sensory creatures, using words to evoke the experience of eating is an excellent way to bring a text to life. Hosted by Lindsay Ellis Written by...
PBS
The Fiery History of Banned Books (Feat. Princess Weekes)
Since at least 213 BCE, book burnings have been a reaction to the power of the written word. When roasting paper in a giant circle went out of style (at least in the intellectual sphere), the governments would take it upon itself to ban...
Physics Girl
Gravitational Waves Discovered for the First Time!
On Feb 11, 2016 Scientists at LIGO announced that they had detected gravitational waves for the first time. In the press conference heard round the world, they showed the tell-tale waveforms indicating that huge event in which two black...