Introducing: Civilian or Spy
When a Russian-born American citizen named Ilya Beloozerov is gunned down by the FBI in 2024, the authorities refuse to say why they’d killed him. CNN’s Isabelle Chapman embarks on a sprawling...
Downside Up
CNN
Latest available episode Introducing: Civilian or Spy
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12 Episodes
What if we lived in a world without credit?
The American economy revolves around credit. We use credit cards for everyday purchases like gas and groceries, but we also take out major loans to pay for school, homes and automobiles. But...
What if we only worked four days a week?
Eighty years ago, Congress formalized a 40 hour work week in the United States. That policy hasn’t changed since then, even though today’s workforce looks very different than it did in the...
What if we lived in a world without sneakers?
Sneaker culture is a multibillion dollar business. It’s long shaped the way we think about sports, music and fashion. And today the sneakers we choose to wear define who we are as...
What if NCAA Sports Didn’t Exist?
College sports is big business in America. Thanks to TV contracts, sponsorships and merchandise deals, the NCAA has grown into a multi-billion dollar brand. And for most of the last century, the...
What if California seceded from the United States?
California is the fifth largest economy in the world. But could it survive as its own country? And could the rest of the United States survive without California? This week on Downside...
What if we lived in a world without plastic?
Plastics are everywhere. They’re in our shoes and clothes. They’re in our cars, our airplanes and our cellphones. They’re in our hospitals and schools. They’re also in our bodies and in our...
What if we got rid of all mosquitoes?
Nothing ruins a good barbecue like a swarm of mosquitoes. But what would happen if we eliminated all the mosquitoes in the world? We might save a lot of people from irritation...
What if we designed cities around people instead of cars?
In some cities, 50 percent of the space downtown is dedicated to parking and roadways. We spend hours each day isolated from each other in our cars, zipping by the places we...
What if dogs had never been domesticated?
We think of dogs as man’s best friend. They sleep in our beds, they dominate on Instagram feeds, they shape our public parks. But do dogs also hold the key to our...
