TED Radio Hour

It's been a long, complicated year. This hour, TED speakers share ideas to help you get grounded, back on track, and even edge toward something like bliss.

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We can’t protect what we don’t understand. From decoding wolf howls to making sense of millions of citizen-science sightings, we explore the tools helping researchers understand the wild in new ways.

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It's never too late to make things right—even when cracks form within our relationships with our families, our environment...or the inevitable. This hour, TED speakers offer healing solutions.

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Online linguist Adam Aleksic explains how he goes viral decoding internet slang. Plus, why making a living online means working for “the algorithm,” in part 2 of our creator economy series.

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The words "content creator" may make you roll your eyes. But in part 1 of our series, Kickstarter co-founder Yancey Strickler explains how the creator economy is changing work, art and what we value.

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It's easy to despair with another government shutdown. But this hour, three speakers argue that simple upgrades are key to restoring faith in the American experiment. Guests include venture capitalist and political consultant Bradley Tusk, political advisor Jennifer Pahlka and e-governance expert Anna Piperal.

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The average American household throws away $200 of food each month. How can we get more food onto plates and less into landfills? This hour, changing the food system, from the farm to your kitchen. Guests include food waste expert Dana Gunders, social entrepreneur Jasmine Crowe-Houston, chef and sustainability activist Anthony Myint and behavioral scientist Jiaying Zhao. 


Original broadcast date: December 6, 2024.


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The way we spend our hours defines our lives. This hour, TED speakers explore how we make choices about time, meaning and attention in a world of infinite options.

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Based on the simple premise, "Ideas worth spreading," Chris Anderson spent the last 25 years turning the non-profit TED organization into a globally recognized media powerhouse. Now he's ready to announce a new chapter for TED, along with a new steward and visionary: Sal Khan.

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Who will you be in 10 years? In 20 years? Envisioning how you will evolve is very hard. This hour, TED speakers share ideas on how to better plan for the future, while allowing for the unexpected.

Original broadcast date: June 16, 2023

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AI is reshaping the workplace, but at what cost? Journalist Hilke Schellmann reveals the flaws of algorithmic hiring and how workers can adapt to a world where machines decide who gets in the door.

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Since childhood, Joshua Roman's life revolved around the cello. But when long COVID forced him to set his cello aside, he had to rethink his approach to life, faith and music.

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Big life decisions are never easy. Should you follow a plan? Make a hard pivot? Improvise as you go? This hour, TED speakers who’ve made extreme life choices and their advice for getting unstuck. Guests include comedian and musician Reggie Watts, biomedical researcher Sonia Vallabh and conservationist Kristine McDivitt Tompkins.

Original broadcast date: October 18, 2024

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The moonshot factory X is home to some of Silicon Valley's boldest inventions. CEO Astro Teller reveals how the secretive lab tests crazy ideas that can change the world... even when they fail. 

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Teens today are navigating academic pressure, social media, gun violence and climate anxiety. But adolescent psychologist Lisa Damour argues that stress isn’t the enemy. It’s part of growing up. What matters is how teens and the adults around them learn to manage it. In part two of this series, Damour offers clear-eyed, compassionate advice plus a reminder: even in a turbulent world, kids are still resilient, resourceful and full of wonder.

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Being a kid—or raising one—has never been tougher. From AI in classrooms to social media pressures to economic stress, kids are navigating a minefield. In this two-part series, host Manoush Zomorodi explores what today’s young people are up against and what they need most from adults.

This episode is Part 1 of TED Radio Hour's two-part series: "Are the kids alright?" Part 2 will be out on September 5, 2025.

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From sustaining a marriage to making new friends, forming connections requires courage. This hour, TED speakers guide us through being brave during the most difficult moments in relationships. Guests include writer and podcaster Kelly Corrigan, journalist Allison Gilbert and clinical psychologists Julie and John Gottman.

Original broadcast date: November 1, 2024

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Lots left vacant, offices full of equipment but devoid of people, entire villages literally left to the wolves--this hour, TED speakers share stories about bringing new life to abandoned places. Guests include evolutionary biologist Shane Campbell-Staton, entrepreneur Garry Cooper, urban renewal expert Anika Goss, and conservationist Alysa McCall. (Original broadcast date: September 8, 2023)

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Our skin protects us, connects us, and constantly gathers data about the world around us. This hour, we explore how skin shapes our sense of self and how tech might change the way we touch and feel. Guests include mechanical engineer Katherine Kuchenbecker, materials scientist Anna Maria Coclite, TV broadcaster Lee Thomas and author Kathryn Schulz.

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Many of us feel pressure to hit big life milestones on a timeline. But what if age is an asset, not a liability? This hour, TED speakers examine the benefits and drawbacks of being a late bloomer. Guests include writer Doree Shafrir, network scientist Albert-László Barabási, anti-ageism activist Ashton Applewhite and retired educator Riley Moynes. Listeners also share stories.

Original broadcast date: November 11, 2022.

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As AI infiltrates every aspect of our lives, who are some of the people behind this huge inflection point? In this special three-part series, you'll hear from the people predicting and shaping our tech future. Host Manoush Zomorodi reports on the latest and revisits her favorite conversations with the minds crafting the digital world we live in today: what they've gotten right — and wrong — and where they think we're headed next. Part 3 features biochemist Jennifer Doudna, neurologist Tom Oxley and legal scholar Nita Farahany.

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As AI infiltrates every aspect of our lives, who are some of the people behind this huge inflection point? In this special three-part series, you'll hear from the people predicting and shaping our tech future. Host Manoush Zomorodi reports on the latest and revisits her favorite conversations with the minds crafting the digital world we live in today: what they've gotten right — and wrong — and where they think we're headed next. Part 2 features Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman and MIT psychologist Sherry Turkle.

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As AI infiltrates every aspect of our lives, who are some of the people behind this huge inflection point? In this special three-part series, you'll hear from the people predicting and shaping our tech future. Host Manoush Zomorodi reports on the latest and revisits her favorite conversations with the minds crafting the digital world we live in today: what they've gotten right — and wrong — and where they think we're headed next. Part 1 features futurist Ray Kurzweil and counterculture icon Stewart Brand.

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Whether you love or hate fashion, we all have to get dressed in the morning. And the industry affects us in complex ways. This hour, the outrageous, environmental and seedy sides of fashion. Guests include designer Machine Dazzle, supply chain expert Aparna Mehta, journalist Amanda Mull and supermodel Cameron Russell. Original broadcast date: September 6, 2024

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A second glance can change everything. This hour, TED speakers will make you think twice about robots, history lessons and even wine bottles.

Guests include artists Agnieszka Pilat and Tavares Strachan, chemical engineer Franziska Trautmann and musician Mike Posner.

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From the bugs in our backyards to prehistoric reptiles, animal biology and behavior are full of puzzles and conundrums. On this episode, we hear from experts solving the mysteries of the animal kingdom.

Original broadcast date: July 14, 2023.

Guests include paleontologist Dean Lomax, biochemical engineer Saad Bhamla, herpetologist Gowri Shankar and conservation biologist Patrícia Medici.

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How do you find the courage to leave the world you know and make your way to a completely different reality? This episode, TED speakers share ideas about escape and renewal.

Guests include author Pico Iyer, NXIVM whistleblower Sarah Edmondson, captain and navigator Lehua Kamalu and TV producer and screenwriter Shonda Rhimes.

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The thrill of victory; the agony of defeat. Sports clichés are everywhere. But what does it actually take to think like a winner? This hour, TED speakers explore the psychology of winning and losing.

Guests include former professional soccer player Abby Wambach, cognitive scientist Sian Leah Beilock, journalist Kate Fagan and art historian Sarah Lewis.

Original broadcast date: July 19, 2024.

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Your data is used to manipulate you—and AI makes it easier than ever before. But is that so bad? Sandra Matz explains the state of psychological targeting today and how you can protect your privacy.

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We all work in teams, from families, to companies, and everything in between. So what's the secret to doing it better? This hour, TED speakers share surprising strategies for successful teamwork. Guests include activist Hajer Sharief, social psychologist Amy Edmondson and private equity investor Pete Stavros.

Original broadcast date: September 20, 2024.

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Why does one hour drag by, but a year can pass in a flash? And how does our relationship with time influence our behavior? This hour, TED speakers share ideas on making the most of the time we have. Guests include artist Katie Paterson, cognitive neuroscientist Irena Arslanova, music director Robert Franz and the late-psychologist Philip Zimbardo.

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What happened in the days, even hours, after an asteroid set off the fifth extinction? A New Jersey quarry, and site of a new museum founded by paleontologist Ken Lacovara, sheds light on the mystery. Original broadcast date: August 16, 2024

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Every day, we make countless choices—but are these decisions guided by desire or design? This hour, TED speakers on what shapes the food we eat, how we power our homes, and how we communicate. Guests include food systems expert Sarah Lake, infrastructure engineer Deb Chachra, cross-cultural psychologist Michele Gelfand, urban planner Jeff Speck, and Tempe resident Ignacio Delgadillo.

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Forgetting a name, a poorly executed hug, the 7th grade — awkwardness is part of our lives whether we like it or not. But what if we put the embarrassment aside and embraced our awkward selves? Guests include social scientist Ty Tashiro, cartoonist Liana Finck, journalist Melissa Dahl and sex and relationship counselor Erin Chen.

Original broadcast date: April 19, 2024.

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The latest innovations in biotech are upending our approach to disease, longevity and climate change. Are we ready? This hour, TED speakers share ideas at the forefront of this new wave. Guests include co-founder of the Human Cell Atlas Aviv Regev, physical chemist Brad Ringeisen and immunoengineer Aaron Morris.

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Writer Anne Lamott has garnered a cult following with her shockingly honest prose on love, death, faith, writing and more. This hour, her wisdom from a career that has spanned 20 books and 40 years.

Original broadcast date: April 5, 2024.

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What's the image you present to the world? And do you see yourself the same way? This hour, TED speakers add new dimensions to the idea of self perception. Guests include portrait photographer David Suh, social psychologist Dolly Chugh, journalist Elise Hu and science writer Anil Ananthaswamy.

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Thirty years into the opioid crisis, we still struggle to find other options for pain relief. This hour, TED speakers explain new understandings of how the brain interprets pain and new ideas to cope. Guests include equestrian Kat Naud, physician and researcher Amy Baxter and opioid reform advocate Cammie Wolf Rice.

Original broadcast date: June 7, 2024.

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Can otters be city dwellers? Are aliens real? Do we have to experience misery to understand happiness? On this episode, we investigate how strange bedfellows can lead to radical realizations. Guests include evolutionary biologist Philip Johns, astrophysicist Avi Loeb and author Laurel Braitman.

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