Seasons & episodes
S2 · E14Adam Ruins Halloween 2017-10-24 · 30 min
Adam reveals why you have nothing to fear from strangers with candy and how the “panic” over Orson Welles' War of the Worlds broadcast was the clickbait of the 1930s. And, mediums and séances have a long history - of being fake.
S2 · E15Adam Ruins Science 2017-10-31 · 30 min
Testing mice means wasted resources because what works on them often fails on humans. Scarce funding stops scientists from seeking cures, and there's no money in reproducing results, even though it's essential in proving findings.
S2 · E16Adam Ruins the Future 2017-11-07 · 30 min
Adam explains that unregulated food expiration dates lead to waste and that your 401(k) won't be enough to support your retirement. Plus, Adam's girlfriend Melinda proves that even with research, the future is unpredictable.
S2 · E17Give Me Liberty or Give Me Truth 2018-03-20 · 30 min
Adam Conover undermines everything you thought you knew about the American Revolution with startling facts about George Washington, Paul Revere's overrated ride, and the tale of a slave who helped America win.
S2 · E18The First Factsgiving 2018-03-27 · 30 min
The Pilgrims didn't break bread with Native Americans, but did dig up their graves! There was no romance between Pocahontas and John Smith, and cities in the New World rivaled London in scale before their “discovery.”
S2 · E19Mutually Assured Ruination 2018-04-03 · 30 min
Adam reveals that the United States kicked off the Cuban Missile Crisis; a lone female politician stands up to Joseph McCarthy; a bureaucratic mistake brings down the Berlin Wall.
S2 · E20An Ancient History of Violence 2018-04-10 · 30 min
Adam shares that it was against the rules for gladiators to kill opponents, and tells the story of a Celtic woman who brought the Roman Empire to its knees. Plus, the brave “300” Spartans numbered closer to 7000.
S2 · E21The Copernican Ruin-aissance 2018-04-17 · 30 min
Adam sheds some light on Copernicus, who was actually supported (NOT persecuted) by the Catholic Church. Plus, a rogue dwarf revolutionized what we know about anatomy, and just wait until you hear about Tulip Mania!
S2 · E22100 Years Ago Today 2018-04-24 · 30 min
Adam digs into the Panama Canal, where Teddy Roosevelt formed a new country to snag free land. Plus, one man fought to keep food from killing us, while the Spanish Flu killed more Americans than all 20th century wars combined!
S2 · E23Adam Ruins Guns 2018-11-27 · 30 min
Adam gets a shot at both sides of the gun debate by reviewing the science evidence of the effectiveness of gun regulation including stating that a ban on assault weapons would be ineffective, showing how the NRA has evolved over the years and influenced how the country interprets the meaning of the Second Amendment, and that both sides of the gun debate ignore how guns and gun regulation affect minorities.
S2 · E24Adam Ruins Sleep 2018-12-04 · 30 min
Adam states that the mattress industry was always a huge scam, that cheap school systems created sleep-deprived teenagers, and how "safe" sleep medications may actually be harmful.
S2 · E25Adam Ruins Tech 2018-12-11 · 30 min
Adam logs in to dulge into monopolistic tech companies by stating how Amazon's monopoly over online shopping harms consumers; how consumers do not fully own their technology devices because of corporate abuse of copyright law; and that tech companies not only routinely evade taxes, but also downright eradicate competition and harm society by abusing their monopoly power.
S2 · E26Adam Ruins Flying 2018-12-18 · 30 min
Adam takes to the skies to elucidate how airline miles and other credit card rewards are huge ripoffs, the extremely sexist "golden age of flying," and how lack of government regulation allowed the skies to be ruled with an iron fist.
S3 · E1Adam Ruins a Plate of Nachos 2019-01-08 · 30 min
Adam takes a bite at foods with the worst truths by stating that Mexican drug cartels import most avacados, that the meat industry lies about health risks and manipulates opposers to side with them, and how corn subsidies changed the crop into the most overused and unhealthy food in American history.
S3 · E2Adam Ruins a Sitcom 2019-01-15 · 30 min
Adam tackles classic television stereotypes, from the racism behind public pools, to the "model minority" myth of Asian Americans, to the on-screen toxic masculinity that's masking the problems young men face today.
S3 · E3Adam Ruins Games 2019-01-22 · 30 min
Adam hits pause on the myth that connects video games to real-life violence, and reveals that Monopoly was a rip-off of an anti-capitalist teaching game. Plus, Olympic organizers get rich while athletes struggle to get by.
S3 · E4Adam Ruins Nature 2019-01-29 · 30 min
Adam digs up the dirt on nature, revealing that Mount Everest is a frozen pile of poop, natural disasters are actually man-made, and there is no such thing as untouched wilderness.
S3 · E5Adam Ruins America 2019-08-13 · 30 min
Adam lets his freedom flag fly by examining why America doesn't have higher rates of social mobility. He then uncovers the flaws within our constitution and examines our country's progression and regression.
S3 · E6Adam Ruins a Night Out 2019-08-20 · 30 min
Adam and Emily prepare for a big night out by revealing the marketing ploy that convinced women to shave and the fashion agendas that created pockets. They then probe the truth about alcohol consumption.
S3 · E7Adam Ruins Doing Good 2019-08-27 · 30 min
Adam takes down the do-gooders and reveals how Teach For America is harmful to both students and teachers. He then uncovers the ineffectiveness of recycling and calls out the billionaires who create charities for tax breaks.
S3 · E8Adam Ruins A Murder 2019-09-03 · 30 min
Adam shines a light on why drivers are rarely prosecuted for car accidents that result in death, he breaks down border patrol's search policies, and Adam examines the messed-up history of corpses and medical studies.
S3 · E9Adam Ruins Music 2019-09-10 · 30 min
Adam reveals to a music-lover that white artists in the early days of rock-and-roll profited off of plagiarism, that Ticketmaster and Live Nation Entertainment have an unstoppable monopoly over concerts, why many of today's musicians are forced to sell out, and how record labels extort their artists due to the advent of streaming services.
S3 · E10Adam Ruins Little Bugs 2019-09-17 · 30 min
Adam reveals to a woman getting ready for a party how spiders actually benefit humanity, how bug parts are hidden inside everyday foods and a whole insect can be more nutritious than part of conventional livestock, and some bugs actually help the human body function properly. Between the segments about food and the human body, Emily discusses what actually happens when a caterpillar becomes a butterfly; and, at the end of the episode, she discusses the eradication of mosquitoes.
S3 · E11Adam Ruins Cops 2019-09-24 · 30 min
Adam reveals the serious issues behind SWAT teams, how school police officers send children into a life of crime, and that the issue of mass-incarceration was due to cops cherry-picking whom they arrest.