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Seven-Minute Explainers

Your audio guide to everything you need to know about compelling and complex topics, from a variety of The Week's smart and witty writers, editors, and thinkers. Concise and entertaining, Seven-Minute... Read more

Ranked #1

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Ep. 2: Where did the word 'dude' come from?

Ep. 2: Where did the word 'dude' come from?

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

30 Jun 2016

3mins

Ranked #2

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

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

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

7 Jul 2016

6mins

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Ranked #3

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Ep. 72: The strange, circuitous history of Daylight Saving Time

Ep. 72: The strange, circuitous history of Daylight Saving Time

How war, the golf industry, and Big Candy got (most of) us an extra hour of sleep this weekend. For more, visit TheWeek.... Read more

2 Nov 2017

7mins

Ranked #4

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Ep. 62: Multivitamins are useless. Here's why.

Ep. 62: Multivitamins are useless. Here's why.

Those daily pills aren't doing you any favors. In fact, they might be doing you some harm. Find more at TheWeek.com/Podc... Read more

24 Aug 2017

6mins

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Ranked #5

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Ep. 20: Hillary Clinton's email scandal, explained

Ep. 20: Hillary Clinton's email scandal, explained

Everything you need to know about the damn emails

3 Nov 2016

7mins

Ranked #6

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Ep. 14: What Disney World's outrageous prices say about our unequal economy

Ep. 14: What Disney World's outrageous prices say about our unequal economy

It's a rich man's world after all

22 Sep 2016

5mins

Ranked #7

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Ep. 4: Nobody reads party platforms. They're still really important.

Ep. 4: Nobody reads party platforms. They're still really important.

Parties still play a vital role in organizing political life and enabling people to understand the choices they have in ... Read more

14 Jul 2016

6mins

Ranked #8

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Ep. 16: The Trump Glossary

Ep. 16: The Trump Glossary

To better understand Donald Trump and the effects he produces, let's name some of his go-to rhetorical moves, from Mefle... Read more

6 Oct 2016

7mins

Ranked #9

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Ep. 13: 8 questions employers should never ask job applicants

Ep. 13: 8 questions employers should never ask job applicants

Believe it or not, job interviews have rules.

15 Sep 2016

6mins

Ranked #10

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Ep. 21: Stop hiding things in your sock drawer!

Ep. 21: Stop hiding things in your sock drawer!

If you must keep your valuables at home, the sock drawer is the worst option.

10 Nov 2016

4mins

Ranked #11

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Ep. 22: A brief history of populism

Ep. 22: A brief history of populism

America just ushered in a populist president. But what is the movement that Donald Trump rode to the White House? And wh... Read more

19 Nov 2016

7mins

Ranked #12

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Ep. 69: The self-aware legacy of 'Friends'

Ep. 69: The self-aware legacy of 'Friends'

How the end of Matt LeBlanc's Episodes closes the door on the Friends era of gossip, fame, and meta-spinoffs. For more, ... Read more

12 Oct 2017

7mins

Ranked #13

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Ep. 68: Why Ronald Reagan enthusiastically signed America's first real gun control law

Ep. 68: Why Ronald Reagan enthusiastically signed America's first real gun control law

A lifelong member of the NRA, Reagan might be the most consequential president for gun control legislation in the past c... Read more

5 Oct 2017

6mins

Ranked #14

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Ep. 67: Why severe flooding is becoming increasingly common — and more destructive

Ep. 67: Why severe flooding is becoming increasingly common — and more destructive

Storms like Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, are only going to keep coming. Which parts of the U.S. are most vulnerab... Read more

28 Sep 2017

7mins

Ranked #15

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Ep. 43: How sugar became Public Enemy No. 1

Ep. 43: How sugar became Public Enemy No. 1

Many experts believe that sweetened foods have caused a global health crisis. What's so bad about sugar?

13 Apr 2017

7mins

Ranked #16

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Ep. 74: The secret history of cowboy socialism

Ep. 74: The secret history of cowboy socialism

The American West may fly the flag of individualism, but it was built on a bedrock of Big Government. For more, visit Th... Read more

16 Nov 2017

7mins

Ranked #17

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

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

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

21 Jul 2016

5mins

Ranked #18

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Ep.63: How to put your savings on autopilot

Ep.63: How to put your savings on autopilot

Saving is a habit, and like all habits, the best way to make it stick is to do it over, and over, and over again, until ... Read more

31 Aug 2017

6mins

Ranked #19

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37: The mainstreaming of mindfulness meditation

37: The mainstreaming of mindfulness meditation

Stressed-out Americans, from war veterans to Google workers, are embracing mindfulness meditation. Does it really work?

2 Mar 2017

33mins

Ranked #20

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Ep. 71: Why cheap horror flicks are Hollywood gold

Ep. 71: Why cheap horror flicks are Hollywood gold

From Night of the Living Dead to Paranormal Activity, low-budget horror movies continue to def Hollywood's box-office ex... Read more

26 Oct 2017

7mins

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