Adam Conover Archive

Oct 08 2017

Adam Ruins Conspiracy Theories

In this episode, the truth is out there – really out there. Adam explains how to spot a conspiracy theory and takes a close look at myths about the moon landing and the Satanic sex abuse scare of the ‘80s.

More >

Oct 01 2017

Adam Ruins the Economy

In this episode, Adam investigates why American’s can’t do their taxes for free in just five minutes each year, questions whether the Dow Jones Industrial Average is still useful and explains the importance of manufacturing on economic growth.

More >

Sep 24 2017

Adam Ruins the Suburbs

Adam gets out of the city to uncover the truth lurking in the suburbs, explaining why some homeowners are so obsessed with their lawns, revealing the high cost of suburban sprawl and excavating the racist history of the ‘burbs.

More >

Sep 17 2017

Adam Ruins His Vacation

Americans are really bad at relaxing, as Adam demonstrates when he hits the road to reveal the surprising history behind Mount Rushmore, explain how Las Vegas slot machines are deliberately engineered addictions and uncover the strange story of Hawaiian statehood.

More >

Aug 27 2017

Emily Ruins Adam

On this special episode, Emily turns the tables on Adam to reveal how IQ tests don’t determine intelligence before looking back at mistakes the show has made and explaining the backfire effect of trying to convince someone they were wrong.

More >

Aug 20 2017

Adam Ruins College

Class is in session as Adam explains why the chances of becoming a dropout billionaire are not in your favor, why selecting a top college is harder than you think and why the once groundbreaking student loan system has created trillions of dollars in debt.

More >

Aug 13 2017

Adam Ruins What We Learned in School

In his first animated episode, Adam teaches us that Christopher Columbus didn’t discover America, King Tut was a dud, and the rules of grammar are not as ironclad as you’d think. Here are his sources.

More >

Aug 06 2017

Adam Ruins Art

In this episode, Adam asks what makes art great by illustrating why certain pieces are considered classics (regardless of merit), exposing the masters as clever copycats and revealing how today’s fine art market is primarily a tax dodge for the super-rich.

More >