How do our brains process speech? | Gareth Gaskell

You're a biologist on a mission to keep the rare honeybee Apis Trifecta from going extinct. The last 60 bees of the species are in your terrarium. You've already constructed wire frames of the appropriate size and shape. Now you need to turn them into working beehives by filling every hex with wax. Can you help the bees create producing hives? Dan Finkel shows how. [Directed by Charlotte Arene, narrated by Addison Anderson, music by Stephen LaRosa].

You founded a company that manufactures meatless burgers that are sold in stores worldwide. But you've recently received awful news: three people in one city died after eating your burgers. A criminal has injected poison into your product! The deaths are headline news and sales have plummeted. How do you deal with the crisis? George Siedel and Christine Ladwig explore the different strategies of this ethical dilemma. [Directed by Patrick Smith, narrated by Addison Anderson, music by Cem Misirlioglu / WORKPLAYWORK].

From Ancient Greece to the 20th century, Aristotle, Freud, and numerous other scholars were all looking for the same thing: eel testicles. Freshwater eels could be found in rivers across Europe, but no one had ever seen them mate and no researcher could find eel eggs or identify their reproductive organs. So how do eels reproduce, and where do they do it? Lucy Cooke digs into the ancient mystery. [Directed by Anton Bogaty, narrated by Adrian Dannatt, music by Jarrett Farkas].

The average 20-year-old knows between 27,000 and 52,000 different words. Spoken out loud, most of these words last less than a second. With every word, the brain has a quick decision to make: which of those thousands of options matches the signal? And about 98% of the time, the brain chooses the correct word. How is this possible? Gareth Gaskell digs into the complexities of speech comprehension. [Directed by Art Shot, narrated by Addison Anderson, music by Stephen LaRosa].

In Colchis, the hide of a mystical flying ram hangs from the tallest oak, guarded by a dragon who never sleeps. The only way Jason can pry it from King Aeetes' clutches and win back his promised throne is by facing three perilous tasks— without the help of the Argonauts. Unbeknownst to the king, his daughter Medea was plotting something. Iseult Gillespie shares the myth of the Golden Fleece. [Directed by Jordan Bruner, narrated by Addison Anderson, music by Stephen LaRosa].

One summer evening in 335 BCE, Alexander the Great was resting by the Danube River when a band of strangers approached his camp. Alexander had never seen anything like these tall, fierce-looking warriors with huge golden neck rings and colorful cloaks. They were Keltoi or Celts— a collection of independent tribes spread across Europe. Philip Freeman details the rise and fall of the ancient Celts. [Directed by Paper Panther, narrated by Addison Anderson, music by Stephen LaRosa].

Long jealous of his older brother Osiris, the god who ruled all of Egypt, the warrior god Set plotted to overthrow him. Hosting an extravagant party as a ruse, Set announced a game— whoever could fit perfectly in a wooden chest could have it as a gift. But the chest was a coffin, trapping Osiris inside. Will his sisters be able to find and free him? Alex Gendler details the myth of Osiris. [Directed by Keegan Thornhill, narrated by Addison Anderson, music by Jarrett Farkas].

In the early 1900s, archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans uncovered nearly 3,000 tablets inscribed with strange symbols. He thought the script, dubbed Linear B, represented the Minoan language, while others came up with their own theories. Was it the lost language of the Etruscans? Or an early form of Basque? Its meaning would elude scholars for 50 years. Susan Lupack explores the mysterious inscriptions. [Directed by Movult, narrated by Bethany Cutmore-Scott, music by Stephen LaRosa].

In February of 1942, Mexican farmer Dionisio Pulido thought he heard thunder coming from his cornfield. However, the sound wasn't coming from the sky. The source was a large, smoking crack emitting gas and ejecting rocks, and would come to be known as the volcano Paricutin. Where do new volcanoes like this come from, and what triggers their unpredictable eruption? Steven Anderson investigates. [Directed by Cabong Studios, narrated by Addison Anderson, music by Astrolábio Studio / Julio Muzzi].

On January 17, 1920, less than one hour after spirits had become illegal throughout the United States, armed men robbed a Chicago freight train and made off with thousands of dollars worth of whiskey. It was a first taste of the unintended consequences of Prohibition. So what exactly was Prohibition, and why did it happen? Rod Phillips investigates this chapter of American history. [Directed by Gibbons Studio, narrated by Addison Anderson, music by Fred Roux].