What happens when we think we know the full story, but we really don’t?

This week on Innovation Hub, we’re diving deep - taking a close look at ideas, stories, and narratives that are far more nuanced and complex that we originally thought. From minorities in tech to sushi in America, get ready for some surprises.

First up, we learn what Plato, Teddy Roosevelt, and Ted Cruz all have in common. David Greenberg, a professor of history at Rutgers University, sits down with us to talk political spin - and explain why its bad rap isn’t always deserved.

Next, we all know there aren’t many women and minorities in tech - but maybe the reason isn’t what you think. For years, the media has pointed to tech’s “pipeline problem” - the fact that young women and people of color simply aren’t learning to code. Turns out, lots of diverse folks are taking jobs in tech companies; the problem is that they’re not staying. We talk with MIT’s Kipp Bradford and Hire More Women in Tech's Karen Schoellkopf about why tech is losing a crucial piece of its workforce.

Are America’s glory days over? Well, maybe. We hear from Robert Gordon, author of “The Rise and Fall of American Growth,” who argues that even though it may seem like America is—to borrow our show’s title—an innovation hub, growth is actually slowing. Gordon believes the advances happening now won’t revolutionize our economy, even if we want to think otherwise.

Finally, you may see sushi in the supermarket these days, but back in the 1970s, that would have been unheard of. We look at the history of sushi in America, and how it caught on. Hint: it has to do with the California roll, and why, deep down, people don’t want anything too unfamiliar.