SAN ANTONIO – Since launching, the KSAT Explains team has covered more than 40 different topics - each an issue affecting South Texas for better or worse. And over the course of the past couple of months, our Stream Team has been busy working on a new batch of episodes to release in the new year.
From a deep dive into our city’s primary source of drinking water to a look at what San Antonio is doing to become a major player in the new arena of competitive gaming, here’s a rundown of some of the topics we’ll be tackling in 2022.
We’re still looking for more topics for next year. Let us know what you want covered here.
How has a little-known provision in federal law upended the immigration system?
Immigration is one of the biggest hot-button issues in our current political moment, and it’s often named among the issues voters care most about. In the past few years, we’ve seen several instances where a surge of border apprehensions sparks debates about who should be allowed into the United States and how to reform our current immigration system. Some people consider themselves for it, some against it and others see it as much more nuanced and complex than that. And then the COVID-19 pandemic came along and made a confusing system even more convoluted. In this episode of KSAT Explains, we break down the difference in how the United States handles asylum seekers versus migrants who try to go undetected. We also take a look at how a little-known provision in federal law enacted at the start of the pandemic has upended the system.
Is San Antonio’s future in the esports arena promising?
Playing video games is something most people consider just a pastime or a hobby - maybe even an unproductive one. But the notion that playing video games can’t lead to opportunities is starting to become a thing of the past thanks to the rise in popularity of esports. Competitive video game players now stand to earn huge cash prizes and scholarships. High schools and universities are launching esports programs, and companies are actively scouting esports athletes for jobs in tech and engineering fields. In this episode, we take a look at what San Antonio is doing to become a big player in this new arena.
What’s the purpose of animal testing in scientific research?
Did you know incredibly important scientific research is being done right here in San Antonio? We dedicated a whole episode of KSAT Explains this year to the critical COVID-19 research done at Texas Biomedical Research Institute. One of the assets available to Texas Biomed? The ability to test on animals. The institute is home to more than 2,500 nonhuman primates, and about 5,000 rodents. But the topic of animal testing is a sensitive one. In this episode of KSAT Explains, we hear from Texas Biomed scientists about the role animals have played in medical breakthroughs. We also talk about possible ways to reduce the need for animal testing in the future.
How does the Edwards Aquifer work?
It’s described as one of the most prolific artesian aquifers in the world: the Edwards Aquifer is the primary source of drinking water for millions of us around South Central Texas and the Hill Country. The health of the aquifer is so important that its water level is reported every day on KSAT and KSAT.com. But exactly how does the Edwards Aquifer work? And why is it so heavily regulated? In this episode, meteorologists Justin Horne and Sarah Spivey take a look at the aquifer and the conservation efforts of the Edwards Aquifer Authority.
How to Watch
KSAT Explains is your free, in-depth streaming program. We are strictly online — that means you can’t find us on channel 12.
Being exclusively on digital platforms gives us the ability to take as much or as little time as we need to dive into any given topic. It also gives you, the viewer, the opportunity to watch on-demand, whenever you have 15 or 20 minutes. There are a lot of perks and several options.
Here’s a list of all the ways you can watch KSAT Explains.
- All new and past episodes of KSAT Explains are available to view any time on a mobile device or desktop at ksat.com/Explains
- All episodes are also available to watch on-demand on the free KSAT-TV streaming app, which works with Roku, and many smart TVs and devices.
- At 7 p.m. on Tuesdays, we’ll livestream new episodes on KSAT.com and the KSAT-TV streaming app.
- The best way to get notified about new episodes is by signing up to receive the KSAT Explains newsletter - you’ll also get personally written emails from the team behind the project.