At this moment, it might feel counterintuitive to marvel at the natural and technological wonders of what science journalist and Radiolab director of research Latif Nasser dubs our “dynamic yet precarious planet.” But, in addition to underscoring the many ways in which the world sucks right now (and always has) so that we might improve it, we also welcome the opportunity for some good, old-fashioned astonishment (emphasis on the good) via our TV, laptop, and phone screens. Which is why The A.V. Club is premiering the first trailer for Nasser and Netflix’s Connected, a six-part docuseries that explores the intricate and surprising connections that exist between ourselves, the Earth, and even the universe.
You might recall Nasser from his compelling and conscientious podcast, The Other Latif, which covered his years-long investigation into Abdul Latif Nasir, a detainee at Guantanamo Bay who was cruelly caught up in the policies of, and transition between, the Obama and Trump administrations. As the host of Connected, Nasser gamely travels around the world to uncover new truths about surveillance, nuclear weapons, and poop. Connected zeroes in on the ties between the cloud above your head and the cloud that stores your data, an obscure mathematical law and Beyoncé, and the energy output of a standard LED lightbulb and a search engine. Nasser’s good-natured investigations will also delve into the ways in which our social media posts and other forms of waste can be “traced back to catastrophic shipwrecks, fraudulent elections, and even distant galaxies.” There’s bound to be some awful stuff in there along with the awe-inspiring, but then, we already knew that.
To make sure you’re connected, check out the six-part docuseries when it premieres August 2 on Netflix.