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All Seasons

Season 2017

  • S2017E01 The True Origin of Killer Clowns

    • September 5, 2017
    • YouTube

    When did clowns get so terrifying?!? Well, sure the answer is partly from 1980s horror movies like IT and Killer Klowns from Outer Space, but the reality is much deeper than that. From the Middle Ages through the Renaissance to 19th Century England, clowns have always been around to bring a little chaos. And the truth is, up until the late 1800s they were NEVER for kids. So while Pennywise might be back in the terrifying new IT remake, the truth is terrifying killer clowns are nothing new. Which frankly is even scarier.

  • S2017E02 How did Makeup, WWII, & Communism Create U.S. Healthcare?

    • September 12, 2017
    • YouTube

    Where did our employer based healthcare system actually come from? If there's one debate you can't avoid today it's what do about the US health insurance. While many countries around the world have some form of nationalized, government run healthcare most people in the US have their healthcare provided by their employer. Why is that the case? Well the answer has to do with a strange history of the marketing of makeup, the wage and price controls instituted by FDR during World War II, and the threat of Communism during Truman’s Presidency and the 1950's. Watch the episode to learn more.

  • S2017E03 Why are 18 Year Olds Considered Adults?

    • September 19, 2017
    • YouTube

    Why do we consider an 18 year old an adult? While you might not personally consider your average 18 year old a full-fledged adult, 18 is a pretty magic number in the US. It’s the the age when you can vote, go to war, work full time, and move out of their parents house. Why is this the case? Well while you might think there’s some sort of biological or traditional explanation, that’s not the case. The age of “adult” in America has always been in flux.

  • S2017E04 Where Does the #Hashtag Symbol Come From?

    • September 26, 2017
    • YouTube

    It’s gone by many names, (the pound sign, the number sign, the octothorpe and the hashtag symbol) and it’s had many meanings, but what is the origin of this # mysterious symbol? Well the truth is it goes back all the way to ancient Rome. But what’s even stranger is that the hashtag symbol can help us understand the always changing nature of the abstraction that is language itself.

  • S2017E05 How Columbus Invented Cannibals

    • October 3, 2017
    • YouTube

    How did Christopher Columbus invent the idea of “Cannibals?” While evidence of people who eat other people existed long before Columbus, the idea of tribes of “savages” in the jungle who hunt other people for food was truly birthed with Columbus. He is even the first person to ever use the word “Cannibal” to describe such people. The problem is, no such people really existed in the Caribbean islands where Columbus landed. But the myth of the savage Cannibal took on a life of its own and became a common way to excuse colonization and slavery. How did it happen? Watch the episode to find out!!!

  • S2017E06 How WWII Created Godzilla & Mecha Robots

    • October 10, 2017
    • YouTube

    What does World War II have to die with Godzilla and fighting robots? Well, even though Godzilla is one of the most popular monsters in the world and the giant fighting robots known as Mecha Robots are among the most well loved anime genres the creativity that generated these brilliant creatures can be directly tied to the conditions of post World War II Japan because no art occurs in a vaccuum. Underneath the surface of fearsome monsters we can see that Godzilla is closely linked to the fears of atomic radiation and mecha robots emerged from the extremely rapid industrialization of Japan during the 1960’s and 1970’s. How did this happen? Watch the episode to find out!

  • S2017E07 Why is there a North and South Korea?

    • October 17, 2017
    • YouTube

    Though North Korea has been dominating the news cycle lately, an important question to ask is why is there a North Korea and South Korea at all? While the short answer is the Korean war, the reality is that seeds for the separate Republic of Korea and Democratic People’s Republic of Korea goes back much further and has to do with the late 19th century Chinese imperialism and the formation of different resistance factions to the early 20th century Japanese annexation of Korea.

  • S2017E08 Is Poisoned Halloween Candy a Myth?

    • October 24, 2017
    • YouTube

    Is Poisoned Halloween Candy a Myth? Every year around Halloween, we hear the same concern: you gotta check the candy for poison because strangers put laxatives in Tootsie Rolls, Razor Blades in Apples and heroine in Snickers. But is this trick or treat dilemma an actual reality or just a clever way for your parents to steal your candy? The truth is out there (and by out there we mean in the episode that you should definitely watch).

  • S2017E09 Why Do We Get Grades in School?

    • January 1, 2017
    • YouTube

    Will you get a B+, C, an A-, a D+ or the dreaded F? We’ve all had that moment of sheer panic while waiting for your report card. But when you step back, it’s worth asking why do we get letter grades at all? And whatever happened to E? Find out in this week's episode!

  • S2017E10 How Your Rubber Ducky Explains Colonialism

    • November 8, 2017
    • YouTube

    Rubber is an extremely important part of modern living, from tires to clothes to building materials to adhesives. And though we don’t often think of it in the same league as oil or cotton, industrialization drove the demand for rubber drove into intense competition between world powers hell bent on imperial expansion. How did it happen? Watch the episode to find out.

  • S2017E11 Why Do Women Give Birth Lying Down?

    • November 14, 2017
    • YouTube

    When it comes to giving birth, the first image that comes to mind is a woman lying down on her back, but this wasn’t always the case. In fact the origin of the position we now most associate with women giving birth started as a procedure to remove gall stones in 18th century France. So how did this position become the gold standard for bringing newborns into the world? Watch the episode to find out.

  • S2017E12 Where does the Nuclear Family Come From?

    • November 21, 2017
    • YouTube

    The holidays are here! And that means its time, food, gifts and lots and lots of family. It’s also that time of year, when you start to take a good hard look at your family and begin to wonder “Is my family weird?” Well, regardless of how you may feel about your out of town cousins, if your family is in the traditional nuclear family formation (2 parents + kids living in a single home) then you’re in a pretty common formation. But if you’ve got your family ISN’T a traditional nuclear family, then you’re in a pretty common formation. So why does America elevate the nuclear family above other family forms? Watch the episode to find out!

  • S2017E13 Why Do We Eat Artificial Flavors?

    • December 5, 2017
    • YouTube

    Where do artificial flavors come from? Well whether it’s your average store bought yogurt, granola bar, or even butter, a lot of food we eat today is full of artificial flavoring. Why did this happen? Well it actually has to do with the strange history of vanilla (yes! boring old vanilla) and the human perception of taste. How does it all work? Watch the episode to find out!

  • S2017E14 Why Are There So Few Women in Computer Science?

    • December 12, 2017
    • YouTube

    Today, we think of computer science as a field dominated by men, but the women have a long and important history in the field. In fact women were many of the very first computer programmers, played a hugely important part in the development of computing during World War II and the space race, and ran the one of the first computer software companies. So what changed? Watch the episode to find out!

  • S2017E15 Why Does Santa Wear Red?

    • December 19, 2017
    • YouTube

    It’s the holiday season and we all know that means seeing old St. Nick in his big red suit. But have you ever stopped to wonder why he doesn’t wear any other color? Because he used to be seen wearing blue suits, purple suits, yellow suits and sometimes he was even skinny! So how did we end up a jolly bearded Santa who only dresses in red? Watch the episode to find out.

Season 2018

  • S2018E01 How Did Martin Luther King Jr. Get a Holiday?

    • January 9, 2018
    • YouTube

    Did you know Martin Luther King Jr Day wasn’t celebrated in all 50 states until 2000? And that in order to create the holiday honoring the civil rights leader we needed help from Stevie Wonder and the National Football League. Why was this the case? Well MLK Jr, wasn’t beloved by everyone during his life and winning the battle to create a holiday in his honor took a lot of work. How did it all happen? Watch the episode to find out.

  • S2018E02 Why Do Kids Have Their Own Bedrooms?

    • January 16, 2018
    • YouTube

    “Go To Your Room!” might be the most well known parental demand in America, but why do kids have their own sleeping area at all? It's a good question. Because while a bedroom might just seem like a “normal” thing for people who can afford a certain amount of living space, the history of separate sleeping spaces is actually the weird result of European colonialism, standardized clocks, Victorian modesty and post-war Suburban expansion.

  • S2018E03 Does the Rorschach Inkblot Test Work?

    • January 23, 2018
    • YouTube

    A psychiatrist holding up an inky blob and saying “what does this look like?” might be the most famous psycholigical test of all time. Originally developed by Hermann Rorschach as means of detecting schizophrenia, this little known and abstract test went on to become a pop culture staple featured in everything from The Golden Girls to Armegeddon. But why? And more importantly, can those weird little blobs actually reveal anything about your personality?

  • S2018E04 Why was Pink for Boys and Blue for Girls?

    • January 30, 2018
    • YouTube

    Pink for Boys and Blue for Girls might seem strange to modern eyes and sensibilities, but up until the 1940’s a lot of people thought pink was the more masculine color and blue was clearly more feminine. So how did we end up in a world where it’s 100% confirmed that pink is the marker of all things girly and blue denotes boyhood? Well it’s a long strange story, so watch the episode to find out!

  • S2018E05 Is the Rosa Parks Story True?

    • February 6, 2018
    • YouTube

    We all know Rosa Parks as the tired old lady on a bus who unknowingly sparked a civil rights firestorm by refusing to give up her seat in Montgomery, Alabama. But is that true? Not entirely. Rosa Parks was in fact a radical, civil right activist who spent years fighting for justice and she knew exactly what she was doing. In fact, she wasn’t even the first black woman to refuse to give up her seat. So why do we all know a misleading story about Rosa Parks? Watch the episode to find out.

  • S2018E06 Why Does the ❤️ Heart Symbol ❤️ Look That Way?

    • February 13, 2018
    • YouTube

    Whether it’s a chocolate in heart shaped box, an emoji with hearts for eyes, iconic design such as I ❤️ NY or even liking an image on Instagram, the heart symbol is about as ubiquitous as it comes. But have you ever wondered why the ❤️ looks the way it does, considering it’s almost nothing like what an anatomically correct heart actually looks like? Well watch the episode to find out.

  • S2018E07 Why Do We Wash Our Hands After Going to the Bathroom?

    • February 21, 2018
    • YouTube

    We all know that washing your hands it’s one of the best ways to prevent germs from spreading. But until relatively recently hand washing was something relegated primarily to religious rituals and cultural ceremonies. And the first person to suggest that doctors wash their hands before surgery was put in a mental hospital! Why? Watch the episode to find out.

  • S2018E08 When Did Marriage Become about Love?

    • February 27, 2018
    • YouTube

    Did you know marrying for love is a pretty recent development in human history? A couple in love at a wedding may seem like the most natural thing in the world, but for most of human history this was not the principal motivation for the union of two people. Marriage has traditionally been about alliances, gaining in-laws, and expanding the family labor force. So how did love conquer marriage? Watch the episode to find out.

  • S2018E09 Would You Have Joined the American Revolution?

    • March 20, 2018
    • YouTube

    Would You Have Joined The American Revolution? It may seem obvious, but only 40-45% of colonists supported the cause. It's not as simple as it may appear!

  • S2018E10 What if Islam Had Conquered Europe?

    • March 27, 2018
    • YouTube

    Could Muslim forces have conquered Europe during the Middle Ages? Well if the Battle of Tours in 732, where Frankish King Charles Martel defeated the army of the Umayyad Caliphate led by 'Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi, had the opposite outcome it’s very possible European history could have been wildly different. How so? Watch the episode to find out.

  • S2018E11 The Origin of Race in the USA

    • April 3, 2018
    • YouTube

    Do you believe that your race correlates to your skin tone? Because that wasn’t always the case. So how did Americans come to believe that race equals certain visible physical characteristics such as skin color and hair? And why is it that certain ethnic groups that were once considered “non-white” became reclassified as “white”? Watch the episode to find out.

  • S2018E12 What If There Were No Taxes?

    • April 17, 2018
    • YouTube

    Everybody hates paying taxes, but what if no one had to pay them? As strange as this may seem to modern Americans, until the 16th amendment, the USA didn’t have a permanent federal income tax. So how would America be different if federal income taxes had never been made into law? Watch the episode to find out.

  • S2018E13 Is Breakfast the Most Important Meal?

    • April 24, 2018
    • YouTube

    We’ve all heard that Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but where does that idea come from? And is it true? On today’s episode, Vanessa Hill joins us to uncover the history of breakfast and whether or not we can truly determine if it is the day’s most important meal.

  • S2018E14 The 2nd Amendment Explained

    • May 2, 2018
    • YouTube

    What ever happened to the “well-regulated militia?” When we talk about the 2nd amendment today, we talk almost exclusively about the “right to bear arms” and individual gun ownership. But whatever happened to a “well-regulated militia?” In today’s episode we dive deep into the Supreme Court cases that shaped our understanding the 2nd amm and frames the way we still talk about the meaning and limits of “gun control.”

  • S2018E15 When Men Wore High Heels

    • May 8, 2018
    • YouTube

    When you think of high heels, your first thoughts almost certainly center around women. But for much of their history high heels were seen as a marker of an epic masculinity, worn by warriors, kings and noblemen as a sign of strength and virility. Which is bit awkward for the modern mind. So how did this style of shoe go from being for manly men to a fashion accessory exclusively for women? Watch the episode to find out.

  • S2018E16 Do Standardized Tests Do More Harm Than Good?

    • May 15, 2018
    • YouTube

    Do standardized test help or harm students? And is the US actually over testing students when compared with other nations? In this episode of Origin of Everything, we ask the big question about why do some American students take an average 112 standardized tests between Kindergarten & Grade 12?

  • S2018E17 History of the Word “Gay”

    • May 23, 2018
    • YouTube

    The word “GAY” has a long history in the English language, but why did “GAY” stop meaning “happy” and start referring “same sex relationships?” Watch this week’s episode of Origin of Everything to find out.

  • S2018E18 What was Jesus’s Real Name?

    • June 5, 2018
    • YouTube

    Jesus’ name in Hebrew was “Yeshua” which translates to English as Joshua. So how did we get the name “Jesus”? And is “Christ” a last name? Watch the episode to find out!

  • S2018E19 Why Was It Illegal to be “Ugly”?

    • June 12, 2018
    • YouTube

    For nearly 100 years it was illegal to be “ugly” in America. Of course, “ugly” wasn’t actually about physical attractiveness, it was a way to criminalize disability and disfigurement and it lead to the rise of the freak show. So how did we put an end to these ridiculous laws? Watch the episode to find out.

  • S2018E20 Why Do We Say “Asian American” Not “Oriental”?

    • June 20, 2018
    • YouTube

    The word Oriental is hundred of years old, so why do Americans no longer use the word “Oriental”? And how did the word “Asian American” take its place? Watch this week’s Origin of Everything to find out.

  • S2018E21 6 Weird Facts About the History of Birth Control

    • June 27, 2018
    • YouTube

    What do World War I, a 16th Century Italian Doctor, Coca-Cola, and a Chicago sausage maker have to do with Birth Control? Well, let’s just say the history of birth control is a very long and very odd.

  • S2018E22 Why Do Women Shave Their Legs?

    • July 3, 2018
    • YouTube

    Why do women shave their legs and armpit hair, but men don’t? And what does World War II have to do with it?

  • S2018E23 Why Did Europeans Enslave Africans?

    • July 10, 2018
    • YouTube

    Why were most slaves in America from West Africa? Slavery has existed throughout history in various forms across the globe, but who became enslaved was almost always based on military conquest. So why did Europeans travel thousands of miles to enslave people from a particular geographic region? Watch the episode to find out.

  • S2018E24 Why Do All Malls Look the Same?

    • July 17, 2018
    • YouTube

    Why do all strip malls look the same, even across different states? And what do zoning laws, tax breaks, and a guy from Vienna have to do with it?

  • S2018E25 Six Historically True Facts about Money

    • July 31, 2018
    • YouTube

    Money isn’t actually valuable. It’s just pieces of metal, pieces of paper, or more recently, computer code. So how did money come to be such a driving force of modern life?

  • S2018E26 Why Was Crossdressing Illegal?

    • August 14, 2018
    • YouTube

    Clothing is ultimately just fabric designed to cover our bodies. So why was it illegal for women to wear men’s clothing and for men to wear women’s clothing? And why is it still illegal in some parts of the world?

  • S2018E27 Why Do We Eat Popcorn at The Movies?

    • August 28, 2018
    • YouTube

    Why do we eat popcorn at the movies? And what does the Great Depression and farm subsidies have to do with it?

  • S2018E28 Why Do People Have Pets?

    • September 11, 2018
    • YouTube

    68% of American families have a pet friend living with them. But why did humans start domesticating animals as pets and not livestock?

  • S2018E29 The Origin of Gender

    • September 25, 2018
    • YouTube

    Why do we think there are only two genders? Because there are cultures that believe there are many more than two genders. And what’s the difference between sex and gender?

  • S2018E30 Why Is There a Minimum Wage?

    • October 9, 2018
    • YouTube

    The Minimum Wage is a wildly important and contentious aspect of modern economic life. But whether you believe it needs to go up or be eliminated altogether there’s an important question to ask, why does it exist at all?

  • S2018E31 Can Tattoos Be Taboo?

    • November 6, 2018
    • YouTube

    When did tattoos shift from counterculture to mainstream? Are they okay? At what point is your tattoo considered cultural appropriation? Explore these questions and more as Danielle dives into the origin of tattoos around the world.

  • S2018E32 How Did Makeup Ads Go From Style to Science?

    • November 13, 2018
    • YouTube

    When did makeup ads become less about beauty and more about science? And is that science even legitimate? Or is it just another ploy by the $445 billion cosmetics industry to get you to buy more products? This week Danielle digs into the history of makeup advertising to find out.

  • S2018E33 Why Do So Many Religions Have Headwear?

    • November 20, 2018
    • YouTube

    Hijabs, yarmulkes, habits, and dastars — why do so many religions have rules about hair? The practice of covering hair is common across many faiths, so today we're talking about various types of head coverings, their significance, and their use throughout history.

  • S2018E34 Did Edison Invent Christmas Lights?

    • December 4, 2018
    • YouTube

    Did Thomas Edison pave the way for today's EduTubers? Danielle tracks the path from Edison's Christmas light demonstrations in the late 19th century all the way to the science explainer videos of today.

  • S2018E35 Why Does the Government Need to Know My Race?

    • December 18, 2018
    • YouTube

    Why does the government care about race? If we're all more than our race, why is the federal government keeping track of it?

Season 2019

  • S2019E01 Why Do We Drink Milk in School?

    • January 1, 2019
    • YouTube

    Did you drink milk in school? Congrats, you drank the results of a government subsidy program! Today, Danielle takes a closer look at the milk given to school kids and what it can tell us about federal entitlement programs as well as government subsidies.

  • S2019E02 What is Cultural Appropriation?

    • January 8, 2019
    • YouTube

    What is culture? Can it even be appropriated? Is there a difference between appreciation and appropriation? Join Danielle in the theoretical minefield!

  • S2019E03 Did Modern Warfare Cause Alien Conspiracy Theories?

    • January 15, 2018
    • YouTube

    What really crashed down to Earth in Roswell, New Mexico in 1947? Can we trust the government when they say it was just a weather balloon? Today Danielle looks at the history of alien conspiracies and what they teach us about the legacy of modern warfare, globalization, distrust of the government, and paranoia about foreign invaders.

  • S2019E04 Why Do We Have Middle Names?

    • January 29, 2019
    • YouTube

    We understand why we have first names and how our surnames tie us to our family heritage, but what's the deal with middle names? What's the purpose of a middle name and when did different cultures start using them?

  • S2019E05 Why Do TV Shows Use Laugh Tracks?

    • February 5, 2019
    • YouTube

    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?

  • S2019E06 What is Ethnicity?

    • February 13, 2019
    • YouTube

    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.

  • S2019E07 What is Racial Passing?

    • February 26, 2019
    • YouTube

    What motivates someone to disguise their race, gender, religion, etc.? Today Danielle explores the complicated history of passing in the United States.

  • S2019E08 Why are Patriotic Songs All the Same?

    • March 5, 2019
    • YouTube

    Why do so many anthems and patriotic songs from across the globe sound the same? Today Danielle joins forces with Cory from 12tone and Moti from The Ling Space to find out what makes a tune suitable for patriotic songs and how those songs are translated into other languages.

  • S2019E09 Why Do We Have Hobbies?

    • March 12, 2019
    • YouTube

    Where did the concept of a hobby come from? And how did humans turn the things they do purely for fun into side hustles and competitions that actually pay the bills?

  • S2019E10 Why Do Schools Teach Sex Education?

    • March 26, 2019
    • YouTube

    Why are school teachers tasked with teaching students about sexual education? Today, Danielle explores how sex ed ended up in America's schools!

  • S2019E11 Why Are We Obsessed with Cults?

    • April 9, 2019
    • YouTube

    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 find it so hard to look away.

  • S2019E12 Why Do We Have Private Prisons?

    • April 23, 2019
    • YouTube

    The US imprisons more people than any other country in the world. Today, Danielle explores why so many Americans are incarcerated and why we've turned to private prisons to hold that population.

  • S2019E13 Why Does the Government Pay for Art?

    • May 8, 2019
    • YouTube

    Is art a public good? Why is the government even paying for art in the first place? Today, Danielle explores the US government's history of commissioning art and how that lead to the NEA.

  • S2019E14 Why Do Students Have So Much Debt?

    • May 21, 2019
    • YouTube

    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 crisis and examines the good intentions that led to it.

  • S2019E15 Why Do We Have Housing Projects?

    • June 4, 2019
    • YouTube

    What's the history behind public housing? Why do governments all over the world subsidize housing for the public. Today, Dannielle look at the evolution of housing projects and how the government got into the landlord game.

  • S2019E16 Do We Still Need Libraries?

    • June 18, 2019
    • YouTube

    In the internet age what's the point of libraries? Do we even still need these brick and mortar buildings when a lot of knowledge can be found online? Today, Danielle examines the history of libraries around the world and what role they still play in society.

  • S2019E17 Why Do We Go to Prom?

    • July 9, 2019
    • YouTube

    Prom has become the defining moment of many American students' high school experiences. But why has a single night of partying come to represent a crucial coming of age moment? Today, Danielle examines the history of prom and how Hollywood uses prom movies to critique or reenforce mainstream American Culture.

  • S2019E18 Why Did We Plant a Flag on the Moon?

    • July 23, 2019
    • YouTube

    Why did Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin plant a flag on the moon? Moreover, why do astronauts and space agencies from across the world continually send their nations' flags to space? Today, Danielle traces the history and symbolism of flags around the world and examines their use in colonial expansion - both on Earth and in the stars.

  • S2019E19 When did the News Start?

    • August 7, 2019
    • YouTube

    We all have news cycle fatigue. If it’s not struggling to find reliable sources online, then it’s figuring out how to sift through the myriad of competing (and sometimes conflicting) headlines that roll across our TV screens, cell phones and social media accounts. But when did the news become integral to our lives? Today Danielle explores the history of news and how we ended up in today's never ending news cycle.

  • S2019E20 Why Are There SO Many Confederate Monuments?

    • August 20, 2019
    • YouTube

    Origin of Everything takes a field trip to Washington, D.C. and explores the painful history and legacy of America's Civil War. Danielle looks at Confederate and Union Civil War monuments and what spurred their construction after the war.

  • S2019E21 A Brief History of Men's Underwear

    • September 10, 2019
    • YouTube

    From loincloths to long johns and codpieces to jock straps, Danielle takes a "brief" look at the history of male undergarments!

  • S2019E22 Why Are Prescription Drugs SO Expensive?

    • September 24, 2019
    • YouTube

    Why are prescription drugs so expensive in the United States? Why does the same medication cost significantly less in other countries around the world? Today Danielle examines the history of pharmaceutical regulation in America and how it lead to such disproportionately high costs.

  • S2019E23 How a Spy Changed Horror Movies

    • October 8, 2019
    • YouTube

    You may not know their names, but the theremin and the wilhelm scream are ubiquitous in horror films. Today, Danielle and special guest Dr. Emily Zarka tell the spooky tales of how these iconic sounds ended up in your favorite movies!

  • S2019E24 Why Doesn't the US Have Paid Parental Leave?

    • October 29, 2019
    • YouTube

    The day is finally here! Your baby has arrived and you're officially a new parent! But how long until that new baby smell wears off and you're forced to return to work and find reliable childcare? Today Danielle looks at the history maternity leave around the world and why the United States is one of eight nations in the world without any guaranteed, government regulated PAID parental leave.

  • S2019E25 The Problem with Museums

    • November 12, 2019
    • YouTube

    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 complicated debate and looks closely at the cases of Saartjie Baartman and Chang and Eng Bunker. What do you think? Should objects be repatriated, left on display, or something in between?

  • S2019E26 The Rise of Beer

    • December 4, 2019
    • YouTube

    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 beverages that cropped up around the world over the centuries. Grab a cold one (if you're of age) and let's get started!

  • S2019E27 Backstreet Boys to BTS: The Science Behind Why We Love Boy Bands

    • December 17, 2019
    • YouTube

    Everybody, rock your body and get ready to scream! Today Origin is looking at all things boy band! Danielle traces the history of boy ensembles from early Beatlemania to today, examines the markers of a classic boy band, and explains the science behind this particular type of fandom. Oh my my my!

Season 2020

  • S2020E01 Why Does "Straight" Mean Heterosexual?

    • January 10, 2020
    • YouTube

    When did we start defining sexual orientation and how did that result in "straight" becoming a synonym for "heterosexual"? Today Danielle follows the winding history of the word through medical terms, lavender linguistics, and community slang.

  • S2020E02 The Rise of E-Cigarettes: Why is Everyone Vaping?

    • January 28, 2020
    • YouTube

    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 vaporizers and smokeless, non-tobacco cigarettes. She also compares the marketing and debates surrounding e-cigarettes to that of their tobacco counterparts.

  • S2020E03 Why Are There 12 People on a Jury?

    • February 19, 2020
    • YouTube

    When picturing a jury, you probably imagine 12 people - no more, no less. But did you know there is no hard and fast rule about how many members are required on a jury? Today, Danielle looks at the differences between petit and grand juries and the historical accidents that have lead many to believe that juries MUST have twelve members.

  • S2020E04 What Does It Mean to Be a "Good" Student?

    • March 5, 2020
    • YouTube

    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 students of color from reaching their fullest potential.

  • S2020E05 Where did Advice Columns Come From?

    • March 27, 2020
    • YouTube

    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 the strange history of advice columns.

  • S2020E06 Economic Lessons from Past Pandemics

    • April 8, 2020
    • YouTube

    It's a weird time to be alive. A pandemic is sweeping the world and life as we know it has gone through a seismic shift in a matter of weeks. But this isn't the first time humans have encountered an epidemic. Today, Danielle (from the safety of her Chicago flat) looks back at a few of the world's biggest pandemics. From the Black Death of the 1300s to the 17th c. Plague and the 1918 Spanish Flu, Danielle explores the human and economic tolls of past pandemics and what we can learn to prepare for life during and after COVID-19.

  • S2020E07 6 Surprising Facts About the 19th Amendment

    • April 28, 2020
    • YouTube

    2020 marks 100 years of National Suffrage for women in the United States! Today Danielle looks back on the long road to ratification for the 19th Amendment. She explains how the Seneca Falls Convention wasn't seen as important at the time and how some of the most famous suffragists of the time (Susan B. Anthony, Lucretia Mott, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton) wrote a whole history book to ensure they were remembered.

  • S2020E08 How We Discovered Germs

    • May 19, 2020
    • YouTube

    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 trepanation (aka literally drilling holes in people's heads), Danielle traces humanity's winding road to the Germ Theory of Disease that revolutionized the medical profession.

  • S2020E09 Concentration Camps Are Older Than World War II

    • June 11, 2020
    • YouTube

    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 automatic rifle. Today Danielle looks at the grim origin of concentration and internment camps and the various countries (including Spain, Great Britain, and the United States), who used similar tactic long before the Nazi Regime.

  • S2020E10 From Stonewall Riots to Raves: How Did Pride become a Parade?

    • June 26, 2020
    • YouTube

    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, how did we get from picketed protests like the Annual Reminder in Philadelphia to massive parades and parties around the world?

  • S2020E11 Why Do We Say "Latino"?

    • July 23, 2020
    • YouTube

    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 America and South America as well as the Caribbean? Today Danielle traces the origin of the term "Latino" and the debates that still surround it as well as the term "Hispanic" and "Latinx."

  • S2020E12 The Racist Origins of U.S. Law

    • August 6, 2020
    • YouTube

    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 chattel slavery up through the Jim Crow era and today's mass incarceration.

  • S2020E13 Why Do We Shake Hands?

    • August 20, 2020
    • YouTube

    Will we ever shake hands again?! With the current state of the world, no one can really say. But that got us wondering... why do we shake hands in the first place? Today, Danielle traces the history of the handshake from Babylonia and the early Greeks to the present.

  • S2020E14 The Homophobic Origins of U.S. Law

    • September 3, 2020
    • YouTube

    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 homophobic history of US law, tracing its origins in colonialism all the way to present-day court cases like Obergefell v. Hodges. This is the second video in our examination of legal discrimination in the United States.

  • S2020E15 History of Socialism in America

    • September 22, 2020
    • YouTube

    "Socialism" is one of THE most divisive words in America and it has been for a long time. With Democratic Socialism gaining more and more popularity, Danielle takes a look back at the long history of Socialism in America. From the Utopian Socialist communities of the 19th century to the labor strikes and Anarchist Bombings of 1919 that helped fuel the Red Scare, we explore America's complicated history with Socialism.

  • S2020E16 Why Do We Say "African American"?

    • October 1, 2020
    • YouTube

    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 at the etymology and reclamation surrounding Black history and identity.

  • S2020E17 HIV/AIDS: What Can We Learn From America's Last Epidemic?

    • October 20, 2020
    • YouTube

    America's last major epidemic was the HIV/AIDS crisis of 1980s and 1990s. In order to better understand our current circumstances, Danielle is looking back at the legacies of action and inaction surrounding HIV/AIDS and how the government's response then informs our approach to COVID-19 now.

  • S2020E18 Why Do We Have Political Parties?

    • October 29, 2020
    • YouTube

    John Adams warned us. George Washington begged us not to. Despite numerous warnings, here we are on the cusp of the 2020 election with two major parties locked in a perpetual struggle for power. Today Danielle looks at the emergence of the Federalists and Democratic-Republicans shortly after the United States's foundation and how these early parties evolved into the Two-Party System of the Democratic and Republican parties we know today.

  • S2020E19 Health Disparities in the Black Community: Past & Present

    • November 13, 2020
    • YouTube

    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 health disparities still exist.

  • S2020E20 Evolution of Law Enforcement

    • November 24, 2020
    • YouTube

    With ongoing protests across the United States and the globe against law enforcement violence and extrajudicial killings of people in Black, brown, and impoverished communities, the world is contemplating the place of police in our society. Some argue for reforms, others for defunding, and others still for the complete abolition of police. This isn't the first time any of these things have happened. Today, Danielle looks at policing, from its colonial night watch origins to the modern-day, as well as attempts to change the institution over time.

  • S2020E21 The History of Reparations

    • December 9, 2020
    • YouTube

    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 financial reparations for the descendants of those who were enslaved in the US. However, the argument for reparations extends back much further than 2014 and also has significance beyond the Black American community. Today Danielle talks about one of the most controversial topics moving through American politics for over 150 years.

  • S2020E22 Did Europeans Enslave Native Americans?

    • December 18, 2020
    • YouTube

    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 Caribbean. Today Danielle looks at the complicated history surrounding the European enslavement of Indigenous peoples.

  • S2020E23 A Fond Farewell

    • December 22, 2020
    • YouTube

    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 our world. While we won't be making any new videos, the channel will remain up. Please continue to learn from and share these resources as we all work to better understand the world around us!

Additional Specials

  • SPECIAL 0x1 Welcome To Origin of Everything!

    • August 30, 2017
    • YouTube

    Welcome to ORIGIN OF EVERYTHING with Danielle Bainbridge! If you're curious about where it all comes from, then this is place for you. Every week, we're going to investigate the fact that every aspect of our daily reality, whether its the words we use, the pop culture we love, the technology that get us through the day, or even the identities we give ourselves, emerge from thousands of intersecting histories. And on this channel, we're going to explore them ALL! . . . Okay, maybe not ALL, but you get the idea.

  • SPECIAL 0x2 Special Announcement!

    • March 7, 2018
    • YouTube

    Origin of Everything is going to take a short break to work on some exciting new episodes with a brand new look. We'll return to our regularly weekly publishing schedule on March 20th!

  • SPECIAL 0x3 Season Two, Coming Soon! - Origin of Everything

    • October 30, 2018
    • YouTube

    Origin of Everything is a show about the undertold histories and cultural dialogues that make up our collective story. From the food we eat, to the trivia and fun facts we can’t seem to get out of our heads, to the social issues we can’t stop debating, everything around us has a history. Origin of Everything is here to explore it all. We like to think that no topic is too small or too challenging to get started!

  • SPECIAL 0x4 What Should Origin Fans Call Themselves? (Q&A)

    • November 27, 2018
    • YouTube

    Danielle responds to some audience questions and comments from the last few episodes of Origin. Plus, find out the winning Origin fan name voted for by YOU!

  • SPECIAL 0x5 Join Us on Patreon!

    • June 26, 2019
    • YouTube

    It’s been a pleasure to bring you nerdy goodness for the past couple of years and we’d like to continue to do so! Our crew of noble history nerds includes directors, video and script editors, fact checkers, producers at Complexly, art directors, freelance writers, researchers, and our hardworking host, Dr. Danielle Bainbridge. It’s a huge organizational effort that means all of these folks dedicate their time and expertise to keeping this channel going. Because we’re committed to bringing you the highest quality content, made freely available, and we’d love to continue for years to come, we’ve launched a Patreon page to help keep our show sustainable. Patreon is the best way for you to support the series and become a bigger part of our Originaut community. Everything we earn on Patreon helps to pay the incredible team, license images, handle the overhead costs of keeping our set looking so darn spiffy, and budget for Monster energy drinks so we can stay up late to make it all happen. And, of course, your partnership comes with some great perks! Thank you so much for your support, it means a lot to us!