8. A Global Corruption Tour

February 22, 2019

Why is that people in power so often use that power for personal gain? Host Kal Penn explores the wide range of corruption -- from petty bribery to grand corruption -- and how it can cripple entire economies. Traveling from San Francisco to Prague, Kuala Lumpur, Mumbai, and Singapore, Kal witnesses the various ways governments and individuals are fighting to keep their countries corruption-free. Kal begins his journey at UC Berkeley, where former US Secretary of Labor, Robert Reich, gives him a crash course in corruption. From there, he travels to India, where petty bribery is part of everyday life. Back in New York, Kal talks to New Yorker journalist Adam Davidson about how you know when corruption goes beyond a few bad apples and has infected the larger system. Interested in getting a front-row seat to corruption in the wild, Kal takes a

8. A Global Corruption Tour

February 22, 2019

Why is that people in power so often use that power for personal gain? Host Kal Penn explores the wide range of corruption -- from petty bribery to grand corruption -- and how it can cripple entire economies. Traveling from San Francisco to Prague, Kuala Lumpur, Mumbai, and Singapore, Kal witnesses the various ways governments and individuals are fighting to keep their countries corruption-free. Kal begins his journey at UC Berkeley, where former US Secretary of Labor, Robert Reich, gives him a crash course in corruption. From there, he travels to India, where petty bribery is part of everyday life. Back in New York, Kal talks to New Yorker journalist Adam Davidson about how you know when corruption goes beyond a few bad apples and has infected the larger system. Interested in getting a front-row seat to corruption in the wild, Kal takes a

7. Is Money Bullshit?

February 22, 2019

What IS money, really? We spend our lives trying to get it, but what has inspired such divine faith in a piece of paper? Is it intrinsically valuable or is it all a big lie? The secret behind money is the big mystery at the center of the global economy, and host Kal Penn is setting off to unravel currency itself. Kal meets Rick and Jane Austin, a couple of grandparents and preparedness experts who don't believe in money. So much so, they've made a decision to live without it. Rick and Jane believe that one day soon, an economic apocalypse will hit the planet creating a kill-or-be-killed society of cannibals. Their advice: If you don't want to get eaten by the flesh-eating hordes, you'd better grow your own food -- the only real currency. If surviving on homemade goat cheese is not your thing, then what about trying to live without money, but with other people? Kal visits a barter market in Spain to witness a cashless community in action, and has an economic misadventure with Melissa (it's not what you think). Or what about hoarding gold instead of stuffing your mattress with Benjamins? Kal visits a vault filled with the shiny stuff and learns all about how US currency was once backed by the gold standard until the US government declared that a dollar has value

7. Is Money Bullshit?

February 22, 2019

What IS money, really? We spend our lives trying to get it, but what has inspired such divine faith in a piece of paper? Is it intrinsically valuable or is it all a big lie? The secret behind money is the big mystery at the center of the global economy, and host Kal Penn is setting off to unravel currency itself. Kal meets Rick and Jane Austin, a couple of grandparents and preparedness experts who don't believe in money. So much so, they've made a decision to live without it. Rick and Jane believe that one day soon, an economic apocalypse will hit the planet creating a kill-or-be-killed society of cannibals. Their advice: If you don't want to get eaten by the flesh-eating hordes, you'd better grow your own food -- the only real currency. If surviving on homemade goat cheese is not your thing, then what about trying to live without money, but with other people? Kal visits a barter market in Spain to witness a cashless community in action, and has an economic misadventure with Melissa (it's not what you think). Or what about hoarding gold instead of stuffing your mattress with Benjamins? Kal visits a vault filled with the shiny stuff and learns all about how US currency was once backed by the gold standard until the US government declared that a dollar has value

6. The Death Episode

February 22, 2019

What does it cost you to die? Host Kal Penn travels to Spain, the Czech Republic, Germany, Malaysia, LA and New York, meeting with workers and experts in the

6. The Death Episode

February 22, 2019

What does it cost you to die? Host Kal Penn travels to Spain, the Czech Republic, Germany, Malaysia, LA and New York, meeting with workers and experts in the

6. The Death Episode

February 22, 2019

What does it cost you to die? Host Kal Penn travels to Spain, the Czech Republic, Germany, Malaysia, LA and New York, meeting with workers and experts in the

5. Counterfeiting Kills Economies (And Helps Them Too)

February 22, 2019

Fakes siphon off billions of dollars a year from the global economy. It's their uncanny ability to effectively imitate the real thing that gives them their power. They can undermine multimillion dollar brands

5. Counterfeiting Kills Economies (And Helps Them Too)

February 22, 2019

Fakes siphon off billions of dollars a year from the global economy. It's their uncanny ability to effectively imitate the real thing that gives them their power. They can undermine multimillion dollar brands

4. A.I. is the future. Will it Keep us Around to Enjoy it?

February 22, 2019

Over the next 15 years, artificial intelligence is going to completely transform our economy. But who will be the winners and losers of this new industrial revolution? Host Kal Penn travels to India, New York, San Francisco, and London to find out how A.I. will make and break human fortunes, and potentially change our entire working culture. Kal starts his journey in San Francisco, where he meets A.I. advisor to the World Economic Forum, Julia Bossmann. Bossmann sets Kal straight on all the things that A.I. is not, which includes pretty much everything science fiction has told you. With the newfound knowledge of what A.I. really is, Kal travels to New York to talk to MIT research scientist, Andrew McAfee, who puts A.I. in perspective by telling him how it will bring about a new industrial revolution. From there, Kal goes to London to learn about a scary application of A.I. technology called

4. A.I. is the future. Will it Keep us Around to Enjoy it?

February 22, 2019

Over the next 15 years, artificial intelligence is going to completely transform our economy. But who will be the winners and losers of this new industrial revolution? Host Kal Penn travels to India, New York, San Francisco, and London to find out how A.I. will make and break human fortunes, and potentially change our entire working culture. Kal starts his journey in San Francisco, where he meets A.I. advisor to the World Economic Forum, Julia Bossmann. Bossmann sets Kal straight on all the things that A.I. is not, which includes pretty much everything science fiction has told you. With the newfound knowledge of what A.I. really is, Kal travels to New York to talk to MIT research scientist, Andrew McAfee, who puts A.I. in perspective by telling him how it will bring about a new industrial revolution. From there, Kal goes to London to learn about a scary application of A.I. technology called

4. A.I. is the future. Will it Keep us Around to Enjoy it?

February 22, 2019

Over the next 15 years, artificial intelligence is going to completely transform our economy. But who will be the winners and losers of this new industrial revolution? Host Kal Penn travels to India, New York, San Francisco, and London to find out how A.I. will make and break human fortunes, and potentially change our entire working culture. Kal starts his journey in San Francisco, where he meets A.I. advisor to the World Economic Forum, Julia Bossmann. Bossmann sets Kal straight on all the things that A.I. is not, which includes pretty much everything science fiction has told you. With the newfound knowledge of what A.I. really is, Kal travels to New York to talk to MIT research scientist, Andrew McAfee, who puts A.I. in perspective by telling him how it will bring about a new industrial revolution. From there, Kal goes to London to learn about a scary application of A.I. technology called

3. The Rubber Episode

February 22, 2019

There are a lot of ways to imagine how the world will end - but there is a real apocalyptic threat that would grind our global economy to a halt. And almost nobody is talking about it. Natural rubber is a 26 billion dollar industry. It is the backbone of the economy - crammed into everything from our clothing to medical necessities. Without it, planes can't land and trucks can't drive. Host Kal Penn traces the path of this vital commodity from trees to tires and learns about the very real threats to rubber, which could eliminate it from the planet entirely. Kal starts off in Philadelphia, where 12,000-pound monster trucks flip, fly and crash, all on giant rubber monster tires. He then travels from a disease lab in England to a desolate airplane graveyard in the Mojave Desert as he learns from experts about the formidable threats to rubber, and how immediate those threats are. From there, Kal heads to Thailand to follow the path of rubber, beginning with tapping latex at a rubber tree plantation all the way to Singapore, where he learns how it's traded, and how futures contract traders use rubber as a tool for personal enrichment. This episode features appearances by Meghan Trainor, Tone Bell, and Bobby Moynihan.

3. The Rubber Episode

February 22, 2019

There are a lot of ways to imagine how the world will end - but there is a real apocalyptic threat that would grind our global economy to a halt. And almost nobody is talking about it. Natural rubber is a 26 billion dollar industry. It is the backbone of the economy - crammed into everything from our clothing to medical necessities. Without it, planes can't land and trucks can't drive. Host Kal Penn traces the path of this vital commodity from trees to tires and learns about the very real threats to rubber, which could eliminate it from the planet entirely. Kal starts off in Philadelphia, where 12,000-pound monster trucks flip, fly and crash, all on giant rubber monster tires. He then travels from a disease lab in England to a desolate airplane graveyard in the Mojave Desert as he learns from experts about the formidable threats to rubber, and how immediate those threats are. From there, Kal heads to Thailand to follow the path of rubber, beginning with tapping latex at a rubber tree plantation all the way to Singapore, where he learns how it's traded, and how futures contract traders use rubber as a tool for personal enrichment. This episode features appearances by Meghan Trainor, Tone Bell, and Bobby Moynihan.

2. Are Rich People Dicks or Do Dicks Get Rich

February 22, 2019

Let's just say it: a lot of rich people come across as dicks. But is there a reason for this pernicious stereotype? What is it about having a lot of money and a willingness to step over anyone to get more of it that seem to go together? Is there a correlation between

2. Are Rich People Dicks or Do Dicks Get Rich

February 22, 2019

Let's just say it: a lot of rich people come across as dicks. But is there a reason for this pernicious stereotype? What is it about having a lot of money and a willingness to step over anyone to get more of it that seem to go together? Is there a correlation between

1. Money Laundering: A How To Guide

February 22, 2019

What do you do when you have a lot of cash that wasn't exactly earned legally? Easy. You launder it. But here's the harder question: How EXACTLY do you launder it? Host Kal Penn sets out to talk to people in the know --international bankers, lawyers, investigative journalists, and money launderers themselves, to find out how the world's dirty money gets cleaned. Kal starts his journey in Miami, talking to convicted money launderer, Humberto Aguilar, about how it's done. Aguilar's expertise from the "glory days" of Miami's cocaine heyday leads Kal to the island nation of Cyprus. There, he meet a slew of characters who reveal all the ways that money laundering has played into Cyprus's economy -- but is it still going on? Kal eventually has to leave Cyprus to get the clearest answer. He travels to London to meet Panicos Demetriades, former governor of the Bank of Cyprus, who fled the country after blowing the whistle on continued money laundering in the country. Panicos reveals the ways that powerful people across the globe are continuing to launder money through secret networks -- and not just through Cyprus. Back in America, Kal gets advice from a man who has truly seen and done it all -- including money laundering, jewel smuggling, Bin-Laden hunting and working for three-letter government agencies to stop money laundering: Felix Sater. Like the Wizard of Oz, Sater reveals that the thing Kal's been looking for has been right at home in the US all along. This episode includes appearances by Joel McHale and Thomas Middleditch.

1. Money Laundering: A How To Guide

February 22, 2019

What do you do when you have a lot of cash that wasn't exactly earned legally? Easy. You launder it. But here's the harder question: How EXACTLY do you launder it? Host Kal Penn sets out to talk to people in the know --international bankers, lawyers, investigative journalists, and money launderers themselves, to find out how the world's dirty money gets cleaned. Kal starts his journey in Miami, talking to convicted money launderer, Humberto Aguilar, about how it's done. Aguilar's expertise from the "glory days" of Miami's cocaine heyday leads Kal to the island nation of Cyprus. There, he meet a slew of characters who reveal all the ways that money laundering has played into Cyprus's economy -- but is it still going on? Kal eventually has to leave Cyprus to get the clearest answer. He travels to London to meet Panicos Demetriades, former governor of the Bank of Cyprus, who fled the country after blowing the whistle on continued money laundering in the country. Panicos reveals the ways that powerful people across the globe are continuing to launder money through secret networks -- and not just through Cyprus. Back in America, Kal gets advice from a man who has truly seen and done it all -- including money laundering, jewel smuggling, Bin-Laden hunting and working for three-letter government agencies to stop money laundering: Felix Sater. Like the Wizard of Oz, Sater reveals that the thing Kal's been looking for has been right at home in the US all along. This episode includes appearances by Joel McHale and Thomas Middleditch.

Watch This Giant Beast That is the Global Economy (4K UHD)