Is It True That...? S02E22 · Do true geniuses exist?

Overview

Michelangelo, Newton, Einstein - some individuals have achieved extraordinary things. But are “true geniuses” real, or have we invented them because we want to believe in someone exceptional? Experts from four countries explore how the idea of genius emerged and what lies behind the enduring “cult of genius.”

Torrents

Subtitles

Episodes

1. 1 1. ...The principle of "an eye for an eye" used to apply?2026-01-07 · 23m
2. 2 2. ...Raw materials really make countries richer?2026-01-14 · 22m
3. 3 3. ...Witch hunts began as early as the Middle Ages?2026-01-21 · 25m
4. 4 4. ...Only silk was transported on the Silk Road?2026-02-18 · 24m
5. 5 5. ...The Past Was Less Violent?2026-02-25 · 21mDestruction, terror, war: It seems that there has never been more violence than in the world today. But what can we learn from history? Was there really less violence in the past?
6. 6 6. ...There was less paperwork in the past?2026-03-04 · 20m
7. 7 7. ...Slavery was abolished for moral reasons?2026-03-11 · 25m
8. 8 8. ...Global trade does make us richer?2026-03-18 · 24m
9. 9 9. ...The dog has always been man's best friend?2026-03-25 · 24m
10. 10 10. ...humans have always experienced intoxication?2026-04-01 · 25mIs drug-induced intoxication a new phenomenon – emerging in a pleasure-seeking society that knows no bounds? Discoveries of drug artifacts thousands of years old raise doubts. Into
11. 11 11. ...Columbus was the first to cross an ocean?2026-04-08 · 24mTo this day, Columbus is considered the first person to have crossed an ocean. But archaeology, genetics, and indigenous knowledge systems tell a different story: Polynesians, Viki
12. 12 12. ...dirndls and lederhosen are quintessentially Bavarian?2026-04-15 · 24mTraditions seem ancient—but many are invented, politically dictated, or shaped by modern tourism. This documentary traces the origins of traditions from Bavaria through France to G
13. 13 13. ...all African countries were European colonies?2026-04-22 · 25mAfrica is often considered a continent entirely colonized by Europeans – although large parts of it remained independent until the 19th century. So what was it really like? This do
14. 14 14. ...there is no progress without war?2026-04-29 · 26mGPS, space travel, industrial fertilizer production: they all arose under military pressure. Wars accelerate decisions, pool resources, and drive innovation. But they also destroy
15. 15 15. ...the modern age began with the printing press?2026-05-06 · 22mThe myth sounds seductive: Johannes Gutenberg invents printing – and suddenly the Reformation, the scientific revolution, and the Enlightenment begin. A single machine is said to h
16. 16 16. ...tourism was invented thanks to the railway?2026-05-13 · 21mDid tourism originate with the railway? Pilgrimages were important precursors – but it was romantic notions of nature and the expansion of infrastructure that created the necessary
17. 17 17. ...The Gap Between Rich and Poor Has Never Been Bigger?2026-05-20 · 23mAre the rich today richer than ever? This episode shows how the gap between rich and poor has developed over the millennia: From the first states, through the slave trade and indus
18. 18 18. ...we have always been addicted to sugar?2026-05-27 · 26m
19. 19 19. ...the super-rich have made the world a better place?2026-06-03 · 26m
20. 20 20. ...we have always enjoyed gaming?2026-06-10 · 23m
21. 21 21. Have secret messages changed history?2026-06-17 · 25mFrom Caesar’s cipher to the Enigma machine, from Renaissance intrigue to today’s online payments, the art of encoding and decoding information has evolved for centuries. Wars, cons
22. 22 22. Do true geniuses exist?2026-06-24 · 25mMichelangelo, Newton, Einstein - some individuals have achieved extraordinary things. But are “true geniuses” real, or have we invented them because we want to believe in someone e
23. 23 23. Did People Have Drinking Water in the Past?2026-07-17 · 23mClean drinking water is often seen as a hallmark of modernity. But could humans have survived for millennia if water had always been undrinkable? From antiquity to the present day,
24. 24 24. Why Did Monogamy Become the Norm?2026-08-05 · 24mSome believe monogamy is deeply rooted in our genes, while others see it as a cultural invention. History shows that human relationships have always evolved, and that monogamy has
25. 25 25. ...There Was More Free Speech in the Past?2026-08-12 · 26mMany people believe that, in the past, people were able to express themselves more freely. But the history of freedom of expression has always been fraught with contradictions: eve
26. 26 26. ...In the Past Surnames Did Not Exist?2026-08-19 · 24mSurnames seem to have always existed, but their history is surprisingly recent. This episode traces their history, from the trading towns of the Middle Ages to 20th-century Turkey
27. 27 27. ... In The Past We Were Never Alone?2026-08-26 · 26mHaving somewhere to be alone is taken for granted today, but that was not always the case. From Ancient Greece and Rome to 17th century England, this episode shows how privacy is c
28. 28 28. Is Life Really Getting Faster?2026-09-02 · 26mWhy do we feel more rushed than ever despite time-saving technology? This episode explores how acceleration has transformed daily life since industrialization, and how it can also
29. 29 29. Was the Future Once Brighter?2026-09-09 · 25mWhy have we lost faith in a better future? Once seen as blueprints for progress, utopias are now often dismissed as unrealistic dreams, while dystopian visions thrive. This episode
30. 30 30. Did Sigmund Freud invent psychotherapy?2026-09-16 · 21mAlthough many of Freud's theories are now considered disproven, he is still widely seen as the father of modern psychotherapy. Why does his legacy endure? This episode explores how
31. 31 31. Were we all cavemen?2026-09-23 · 25mThe cliché of Stone Age humans living in caves is challenged by discoveries of ancient huts. In the Middle Ages, millions of cave dwellings provided homes for poor farmers. So what
32. 32 32. Did killing tyrants make the world better?2026-09-30 · 23mIs tyrannicide ever justified for the greater good, or does it undermine a just society? This episode explores how such acts have been legitimized, who carried them out and why - f
33. 33 33. Did Islam spread through conquest?2026-10-07 · 26mIslamic empires expanded through military campaigns, but the spread of Islam itself often took different paths. Trade, migration, scholarship, and cultural exchange played importan
34. 34 34. Have we ever been this exhausted?2026-10-14 · 23mBurnout is often seen as a defining condition of our time. But were earlier generations really less exhausted? This episode traces the history of fatigue from burnout and industria