Jason Silva traces the innovations that made the world modern.

Episode 01 - Spark of Civilization We are the fire species. Harnessing fire gave us the power to create, to destroy and to transform. But it also taught us hard lessons about what we can and cannot control. This is the story of how fire transformed our biology and carried us from the savannah to the moon. Episode 02 - Cheating Death The human species is in an escalating arms race with superbugs and superviruses living organisms that attack our bodies, adapt to our treatments, evolve and fight back. Though weve made incredible strides in medical science, we may have to look back to move forward. Can the lessons of the past help us defeat these modern-day plagues? Episode 03 - Power of Money In a society filled with human innovation, one invention stands out above them all: money. From a simple act of trade to todays global economy, the meaning of money and what we value changes as civilization evolves. If modern money is a reflection of who we are, what does it say about us? Host Jason Silva takes us on a tour of commerce throughout history to find out. Episode 04 - The Writing on the Wall This is the story of how our world came to be how communication defined our species and created the modern age, giving voice to the boundless human imagination, connecting us globally and to the stars. Communication gives us self-expression and collective knowledge but it can also subvert and corrupt, and even manipulate entire populations. Episode 05 - Progress of War Despite all our advances, humans keep inventing terrible new ways to kill each other. What if the same thing that gave us civilization also led to an unending cycle of violence? We learned to work together, and we learned to fight together. Much of our technology was created to fight wars. For all its evils, war is the origin of the modern world. Episode 06 - Building the Future The human race has moved from bone huts to skyscrapers. Today, we are seemingly everywhere everywhere we want to be. Our walls and structures dominate the landscape. They dont just protect us, they define us. They represent our dream of the modern world. Shelter is the story of how we shaped the world around us, and how that world shaped us back. Episode 07 - Into the Unknown When it comes to the edge of the darkness, the bend in the horizon or the distant stars, humans cant help ourselves: exploration is in our nature. We have climbed to the summits of the earth, peered into the depths of the oceans and planted our feet on the moon. Our primal curiosity has sparked new inventions and revealed the mysteries of the universe. Episode 08 - The Road Ahead Freedom of movement has given us freedom of mind. The flow of people and materials exposes us to new ideas, new ways of life and new understanding. This is the story of how transportation turned society inside out. How engines and animals powered the rise of civilization. And how the innovations that drive humanity forward made us modern.