Skip to main content

Up Next

Back to Show
Origin of Everything

Why are 18 Year Olds Considered Adults?

Season 1 Episode 3

While you might not personally consider your average 18 year old a full-fledged adult, 18 is a pretty magic number in the US. It’s the the age when you can vote, go to war, work full time, and move out of their parents house. Why is this the case? Well while you might think there’s some sort of biological or traditional explanation, that’s not the case.

Sign up now for inspiring and thought-provoking media delivered straight to your inbox.
Support Provided By
Season
Why Do We Say "Latino"?
6:39
Danielle traces the origin of the term Latino, Hispanic, and Latinx.
How Did Pride Become a Parade?
7:24
How did the New York City Stonewall Riots turn into a month-long celebration?
Concentration Camps Are Older Than World War II
10:07
Danielle looks at the grim origin of concentration and internment camps.
How We Discovered Germs
9:07
Danielle traces humanity's winding road to the Germ Theory of Disease.
6 Surprising Facts About the 19th Amendment
12:09
2020 marks 100 years of National Suffrage for women in the United States!
Economic Lessons from Past Pandemics
10:11
Danielle explores the human and economic tolls of past pandemics.
Where did Advice Columns Come From?
8:05
Danielle examines the strange history of advice columns.
What Does It Mean to Be a "Good" Student?
6:36
Danielle breaks down the stereotype of the perfect student.
Why Are There 12 People on a Jury?
11:08
Did you know there is no hard and fast rule about how many members are required on a jury?
The Rise of E-Cigarettes: Why is Everyone Vaping?
10:43
Today, Danielle looks at how and why vaping took off.
Why Does "Straight" Mean Heterosexual?
8:07
When did we start defining sexual orientation?
The Science Behind Why We Love Boy Bands
12:11
Everybody, rock your body and get ready to scream!
Active loading indicator