Since the dawn of space flight, more than 550 humans have made it off-planet. Today, 15 international agencies spend a whopping $62 billion every year on space. And space is dangerous. So why are we doing it? The Space Race: why bother?

In the sixty years since mass production of plastics began, we’ve produced 7.8 billion tons of plastic waste. That’s enough to fill every New York skyscraper 23 times over. Yet without plastics, there is no modern world. We can’t live without them but can we live with them?

AIDS is a truly devastating modern epidemic. There are nearly 40 million people worldwide infected with HIV, on every continent on the planet. After four decades of activism and scientific research, how far have we come in finding a cure and battling the stigma?

As of 2019, over 10 percent of the world’s electricity comes from nuclear power. But nuclear power produces radioactive waste that remains toxic for thousands of years. And there’s a more immediate threat – nuclear meltdown! So, if it’s risky, even deadly, why are we still playing with nuclear fire?

Feminism, simply defined, is the belief that women should be allowed the same rights, power and opportunities as men. But today, the movement is still fighting for the rights of women around the world. Why is it still an issue? And how much further do we have to go?

In 2020, we share Earth with an estimated 9 million robots. And yet the more we rely on robots, the more we worry about being replaced. As robots get smarter, faster, stronger, they improve our lives. But will they make humanity redundant?

Oil has brought astronomical wealth to the Middle East. What were some of the poorest countries on Earth, are now some of the richest. Luxury playgrounds for the super wealthy. Yet the region is frequently ravaged by conflict. For the Middle East, is oil a blessing or a curse?

Fast Food generates global revenues of over $570 billion each year. That’s almost four times the amount NASA spent getting to the moon. The rise of the Fast Food industry is one of the most remarkable stories of the past 80 years. But it hasn’t always been pretty. What does the enduring popularity of Fast Food say about us?

In the 21st century, China has become a global economic powerhouse —responsible for 18.6% of global GDP in 2018. How did they pull it off? And why was the rest of the world so slow to notice China’s rise to the top?

DNA is the blueprint to life. The stuff that determines everything about you. But that just takes up 1.2% of your DNA; scientists don’t yet know what’s in the remaining 98.8%. In our rush to understand and manipulate DNA, are we sowing the seeds of our destruction?