TED Talks Daily

The beauty of wildlife — and an artistic call to protect it | Isabella Kirkland

20 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"I think of my paintings as alarm clocks," says artist Isabella Kirkland. "They're reminders of what's at stake; the only problem is we keep pushing t...

How film changes the way we see the world | Ava DuVernay

19 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"People told me this was an unadaptable book, so the only logical thing to do was to try to adapt it," says writer, producer and filmmaker Ava DuVerna...

Fight for justice — even if you don't live to see it | Golriz Lucina

18 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Storyteller Golriz Lucina recounts how the historic sacrifice of Iranian 19th-century poet and mystic Táhirih planted the seeds for the "Woman, Life,...

What if advertising was honest? | Sylvester Chauke

17 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

After years of brand building, marketing veteran Sylvester Chauke realized that his industry had sold the world on overconsumption, with devastating c...

Let curiosity lead | Yara Shahidi

16 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Don't second-guess what "distracts" you, says actor-producer Yara Shahidi; that's your curiosity coming through. The star of hit shows like "black-ish...

AI's single point of failure | Rob Toews

15 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"The world's most important advanced technology is nearly all produced in a single facility," says AI expert Rob Toews. He describes how one company i...

TED Explores: A New Climate Vision

13 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The impacts of climate change are growing, but so are the world's attempts to stop them. Hosted by Manoush Zomorodi of the TED Radio Hour, this specia...

How to build democracy — in an authoritarian country | Tessza Udvarhelyi

12 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"Today, Hungary is in the gray zone between a dictatorship and a democracy," says activist Tessza Udvarhelyi. "This did not happen overnight." In a ro...

What happens when we deny people abortions? | Diana Greene Foster

11 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How does getting an abortion — or not — influence a woman's life? Demographer Diana Greene Foster puts forward the results of The Turnaway Study, ...

The US vs. itself — and other top global risks in 2024 | Ian Bremmer

10 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

2024 will be a dangerous year for the world, says Ian Bremmer, president and founder of Eurasia Group and GZERO Media. Forecasting the top geopolitica...

It's time for infectious generosity. Here's how | Chris Anderson

09 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What would happen to humanity if generosity went viral? Sharing transformative stories from around the world, head of TED Chris Anderson outlines why ...

Is alternative meat the recipe for a healthier planet? | Tao Zhang

08 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A Chinese saying goes, "There's no pleasure in eating without meat." And the data backs that up: every year, China consumes 26 percent of the world's ...

Enough red tape — we need to say yes to clean energy | Rich Powell

06 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Climate innovation leader Rich Powell dives into the bureaucracy, bottlenecks and not-in-my-backyard attitude preventing the US from achieving its gre...

Don't be a jerk to your barista — and other thoughts on frontline work | Adriann Negreros

05 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

All jobs, especially those held by frontline workers, should have dignity and the ability to turn into great careers, says change management expert Ad...

The vital data you flush down the toilet | Newsha Ghaeli

04 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"Everybody pees and poops — and we know that urine and stool contain a rich source of information on our health," says data detective Newsha Ghaeli....

What's your leadership language? | Rosita Najmi

03 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In a globe-trotting career that has spanned corporations, governments, nonprofits and philanthropy, Rosita Najmi has often found herself translating a...

Life is hard. Art helps

02 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Cartoonist Liana Finck's drawings hold our hands through life's predicaments, big and small: dating, breakups, what to make for dinner, how to leave a...

Why you should embrace mediocrity | Crispin Thurlow

01 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

From "elite" pickles to "premium" baby diapers, marketers are constantly telling us to seek superiority — but "by the simple law of averages, most o...

The science of happiness with Laurie Santos | How to Be a Better Human

29 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The phrase "comparison is the thief of joy" might be the kind of cliché that makes you roll your eyes — and yet, it's an idea that is, scientifical...

Mind, body, spirit (part 1) | TED Radio Hour

28 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For millennia, we have debated the mind, body, spirit connection. But today, it sounds trite, #selfcare. In this special series on the TED Radio Hour,...

Rick Rubin | Design Matters with Debbie Millman

27 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Exploring Rick Rubin's production discography is like taking a tour through the commanding heights of American music over the past few decades. The re...

ChatGPT did not title this podcast | ReThinking with Adam Grant

26 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

ChatGPT, the artificial intelligence chatbot capable of generating human-like text, seems to be everywhere. But how trustworthy are these tools — an...

What it's like to find your birth parent | Am I Normal? with Mona Chalabi

25 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In Britain, one-fourth of people who were adopted make contact with their birth parents before they turn 18. In this episode of Am I Normal? with Mona...

How to keep AI under control | Max Tegmark

22 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The current explosion of exciting commercial and open-source AI is likely to be followed, within a few years, by creepily superintelligent AI – whic...

Why businesses need a dreamer's magic and a doer's realism | Beth Viner

21 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

At work, the dreamers often get credit for the big ideas, but they can also sometimes seem untethered to reality to the doers, who are trying to ... g...

When AI can fake reality, who can you trust? | Sam Gregory

20 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We're fast approaching a world where widespread, hyper-realistic deepfakes lead us to dismiss reality, says technologist and human rights advocate Sam...

My mission to change the narrative of mental health | Glenn Close

19 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Legendary actor and mental health advocate Glenn Close is on a quest to change how we think about mental health, starting with her decision to speak o...

Why AI will spark exponential economic growth | Cathie Wood

18 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Investor Cathie Wood explores this unique moment in technology, which she sees as being marked by the simultaneous evolution of five pivotal innovatio...

What happens as we die? | Kathryn Mannix

16 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Have we lost the practical wisdom of what happens as people die? With lessons from a career witnessing thousands of people's final breaths, palliative...

How to build a global pro-democracy movement | Yordanos Eyoel

15 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"Democracy is the most compelling vision we have for self-governance," says freedom advocate Yordanos Eyoel. Taking a stand against predatory and oppo...

Why helping people makes you happy | Asha Curran

14 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"We underestimate the power of our own generous actions," says Asha Curran, CEO of the global generosity movement GivingTuesday. Sharing stories of pe...

Time is running out on climate change. The metaverse could help | Cedrik Neike

13 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The metaverse could be our key to making real progress in the fight against climate change, says engineer Cedrik Neike. Examining how AI-powered model...

The transformative potential of AGI — and when it might arrive | Shane Legg and Chris Anderson

12 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As the cofounder of Google DeepMind, Shane Legg is driving one of the greatest transformations in history: the development of artificial general intel...

Life lessons from Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 | Benjamin Zander

11 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Legendary conductor Benjamin Zander explains his view on the difference between "positive thinking" and "possibility" (one's a fraud; the other's the ...

How stress drains your brain — and what to do about it | Nicole Byers

09 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Do you ever feel extra forgetful? Stress could be the culprit. In a fascinating talk about how your memory works, neuropsychologist Nicole Byers share...

The dark side of competition in AI | Liv Boeree

08 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Competition is a core part of human nature, and it can drive us to extraordinary feats. But when it goes wrong, the results can be devastating. Poker ...

What will happen to marketing in the age of AI? | Jessica Apotheker

07 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Generative AI is poised to transform the workplace, but we still need human brains for new ideas, says marketing expert Jessica Apotheker. She explore...

How to find humor in life's absurdity | Maira Kalman

06 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With levity and profound insight, artist Maira Kalman reflects on life, death, dinner parties, not knowing the right answers, the joys of eating a hot...

How to stop the next pandemic? Stop deforestation | Neil Vora

05 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Clearing tropical forests isn't just dangerous to the natural world — it's also a threat to human health and wellbeing, says physician Neil Vora. Tr...

Democracy works — we just need better leaders | Lindiwe Mazibuko

04 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

South Africa transitioned to democracy in the 1990s with a visionary constitution, but the promises of that constitution are largely unfulfilled to th...

A playbook on financing climate solutions | Nili Gilbert and David Blood

02 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tackling climate change costs a lot of money — and the financial sector is key to getting that money flowing. In a wide-ranging conversation, sustai...

The science behind how sickness shapes your mood | Keely Muscatell

01 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Your immune system is more socially aware than you think, says social neuroscientist and psychology professor Keely Muscatell. Investigating the inter...

How to harness abundant, clean energy for 10 billion people | Julio Friedmann

30 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We can produce abundant, sustainable and cheap energy — for everyone, says physicist Julio Friedmann. He explores the infrastructure, innovation and...

Can we hack photosynthesis to feed the world? | Steve Long

29 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Photosynthesis is one of the most important processes on the planet, helping produce the food we eat and the air we breathe. Crop scientist Steve Long...

Life on the frontlines of war reporting | Jane Ferguson

28 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Covering global war stories can be hard and thankless — but it's critical work if the rest of us are to understand what's really going on in the wor...

How gratitude rewires your brain | Christina Costa

27 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When a psychologist who studies well-being ends up with a brain tumor, what happens when she puts her own research into practice? Christina Costa goes...

The case for a new Great Migration in the US | Charles M. Blow

27 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Social progress in the United States often seems to take two steps forward and one step back, with hard-fought civil rights wins countered by a seemin...

Are you really as good at something as you think? | Robin Kramer

25 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Does confidence equal competence? Not quite. In a talk that will make you better aware of yourself, experimental psychologist Robin Kramer delves into...

Why you shouldn't trust boredom | Kevin H. Gary

24 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Are you actually bored, or is something else going on? Educator Kevin H. Gary shares three practical takeaways to deal with the doldrums, so you can t...

The exciting, perilous journey toward AGI | Ilya Sutskever

23 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Just weeks before the management shakeup at OpenAI rocked Silicon Valley and made international news, the company's cofounder and chief scientist Ilya...

When Biden met Xi (and what's going on with the US and China) | Ian Bremmer

22 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

US President Joe Biden and President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping recently met in San Francisco. It was the first time Xi had visited ...

A crash course in making political change | Katie Fahey

21 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

You don't need political power to make real change, says activist Katie Fahey. She tells the story of how she led a successful movement in Michigan to...

Meet methane, the invisible climate villain | Marcelo Mena

20 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A landfill on fire doesn't only emit a horrid stench — it has devastating consequences for the environment, too. The culprit is methane, an often un...

How to think computationally about AI, the universe and everything | Stephen Wolfram

18 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Drawing on his decades-long mission to formulate the world in computational terms, Stephen Wolfram delivers a profound vision of computation and its r...

The secret perks of driving electric | Cynthia Williams

17 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Electric vehicles need to be more than just eco-friendly — they have to be more chic, convenient and affordable than their gas-powered alternatives,...

A case for color blindness | Coleman Hughes

16 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Racial inequality provokes passionate opinions and varied ideas of how to build a fair, equitable society. One topic that's been contentiously debated...

The real gold of our economy is in our hands | Salvatore Cali

15 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The vast majority of our time at work is spent trudging through redundant and outdated workflows, says operations visionary Salvatore Cali. Laying out...

Why you should ditch deadly fossil-fuel appliances | Donnel Baird

14 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In the US, people spend the overwhelming majority of their time inside buildings that burn fossil fuels, which are bad for both the environment and hu...

An economy powered by sun and wind — it's almost here | Kala Constantino

13 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With some of the highest energy bills in Southeast Asia and extreme weather to match, the Philippines experiences the climate crisis -- and climate ac...

Returning to school mid-career? Here's what you need to know | Candice Neveu

11 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Are you thinking of returning to school? Educator Candice Neveu shares three challenges you might face continuing your education mid-career — and th...

The unexpected way spirituality connects to climate change | Gopal D. Patel

10 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Environmental activist Gopal D. Patel thinks the climate movement could learn a lot from one of the longest-standing social initiatives in human histo...

It's time to rethink the role of First Lady | Irina Karamanos Adrian

09 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Irina Karamanos Adrian didn't plan on becoming Chile's First Lady — but she set out to transform the role all the same. She shares how she's fightin...

Artificial skin? We made it — here's why | Anna Maria Coclite

08 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Material scientist Anna Maria Coclite unveils "smart skin" — artificial skin technology that responds to touch, temperature and humidity like your v...

Photographing nature beyond the limits of human perception | Doris Mitsch

07 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Artist Doris Mitsch invites us to revel in the wonders of nature through her dazzling photography: stacked images of starlings in flight, hawks surfin...

Is technology our savior — or our slayer? | Ruha Benjamin

06 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When it comes to technology, we're often presented with two contrasting visions of the future: one where technology fulfills all our desires, and anot...

Regeneration can restore a broken world | Paul Hawken

03 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A frog and a mockingbird changed Paul Hawken's life, kindling a devotion to protect and restore nature. Now, as one of the world's preeminent environm...

The powerful possibilities of recycling the world's batteries | Emma Nehrenheim

02 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The world has plenty of clean energy. The problem is storing that energy and getting it where we need it, when we need it, says battery recycling pion...

The power of unconventional thinking | David McWilliams

01 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

From World War II to the 2008 economic collapse and beyond, history shows that economists don’t always see the future as clearly as they think they ...

AI is dangerous, but not for the reasons you think | Sasha Luccioni

31 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AI won't kill us all — but that doesn't make it trustworthy. Instead of getting distracted by future existential risks, AI ethics researcher Sasha L...

How comedy helps us deal with hard truths | Roy Wood Jr.

30 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There's a saying that comedy is tragedy plus time. Perhaps that's why some of our biggest problems feel easiest to manage with a dose of humor. Comedi...

My quest to end the horror of gun violence in the US | Lucy McBath

28 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

US Congresswoman Lucy McBath has made it her mission to seek bipartisan solutions for gun safety, leading the way in sponsoring so-called “red flag”...

A simple way to inspire your team | David Burkus

27 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Using paychecks, perks and carefully worded mission statements plastered on posters, companies are on a never-ending quest to find what drives morale ...

How to make learning as addictive as social media | Luis von Ahn

26 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When technologist Luis von Ahn was building the popular language-learning platform Duolingo, he faced a big problem: Could an app designed to teach yo...

How to Be a Better Human: How to stop finding your self-worth through your job (w/ Gloria Chan Packer)

25 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For some of us, it's easy to lose ourselves in our work. But a lack of boundaries between your personal and work life is something mental wellness edu...

A cleaner world could start in a rice field | Jim Whitaker and Jessica Whitaker Allen

24 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rice is the world's largest food source — and it's also a massive emitter of methane gas, a key contributor to climate change. Fifth-generation rice...

The ordinary people doing extraordinary things in Ukraine | Oleksandra Matviichuk

23 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How do we defend people's freedom and dignity against authoritarianism, when the "law of war" doesn't seem to apply anymore? In the face of the Russia...

The joy of learning random things on Wikipedia | Annie Rauwerda

21 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Writer Annie Rauwerda makes a habit of getting lost among the seemingly endless digital archives of Wikipedia, discovering fake towns, promiscuous tor...

Let's reframe cancel culture | Sarah Jones

20 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Cancel culture launched a reckoning that was long overdue — but that doesn't mean it's getting everything right. Filmmaker and actor Sarah Jones sli...

To support people at work, focus on needs — not identity | Gabrielle Novacek

19 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What do people really need to feel supported at work? Organizational strategist Gabrielle Novacek offers an answer that could transform the traditiona...

Fixable: How to self-promote without shame (w/ Chris Duffy)

18 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As a standup comedian and the host of the TED podcast How to Be a Better Human, Chris Duffy knows how to be engaging in front of a microphone. However...

What does "wealth" mean to you? | Aisha Nyandoro

16 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For people living in poverty, a guaranteed income can mean finally having the space to dream of a comfortable life. Sharing the stories of single moms...

The tech we need to fight workplace ageism | Piyachart Phiromswad

14 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

From exoskeletons and robotic arms to the mass adoption of remote work, economist Piyachart Phiromswad explores what seniors need to overcome the phys...

Lessons from my father, Alexey Navalny | Dasha Navalnaya

13 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dasha Navalnaya is the daughter of Alexey Navalny, the politician and leader of the Russian opposition to Vladimir Putin. Sharing the story of her fat...

We actually have a shot at stopping the climate crisis | Asmeret Asefaw Berhe

12 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How is the US going to reach net zero by 2050? That's the question Asmeret Asefaw Berhe, director of the Office of Science for the US Department of En...

Why Meetings Suck and How to Fix Them | WorkLife with Adam Grant

11 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Meetings often drain our joy and sap our focus-–and meeting overload kills productivity. So why do we have so many of them– and is a better world ...

The Israel-Hamas war — and what it means for the world | Ian Bremmer

10 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023 stunned the world. In this timely conversation, political scientist Ian Bremmer explains the historical co...

Work has changed. Why haven't resumes? | Nicos Marcou

09 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Resumes are a mainstay of the job application process -- despite little to no evidence that they actually help job-seekers or employers get what they ...

How business can drive solutions to social problems | Carlos Rodríguez-Pastor

07 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Driven by the belief that businesses can — and should — invest in the communities around them, Intercorp founder and philanthropist Carlos Rodríg...

How to fix fashion and protect the planet | Amy Powney

06 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

From the field to your closet, your clothes go on a long journey before they enter your life. Designer Amy Powney explores the fashion industry's brut...

The Encyclopedia of Invisibility — a home for lost stories | Tavares Strachan

05 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Conceptual artist Tavares Strachan creates the kinds of projects that make you stop in your tracks, like a 4.5-ton block of Arctic ice he brought back...

You don't actually know what your future self wants | TED Business

04 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"You are constantly becoming a new person," says journalist Shankar Vendantam. In a talk full of beautiful storytelling, he explains the profound impa...

10 lessons I learned from being a nerd | Jordan Dinwiddie

03 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Are you super devoted to a sports team, superhero or perhaps "Star Wars"? You’re part of a fandom, just like storyteller Jordan Dinwiddie. She share...

The truth about human population decline | Jennifer D. Sciubba

02 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With birth rates falling, the worldwide human population is getting older and smaller. According to traditional thinking, this spells a future of labo...

This country runs on 98 percent renewable energy | Ramón Méndez Galain

29 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Fifteen years ago, Uruguay was experiencing an energy crisis brought on by its reliance on fossil fuels; today, the nation produces 98 percent of its ...

The world's rarest diseases — and how they impact everyone | Anna Greka

28 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Physician-scientist Anna Greka investigates the world's rarest genetic diseases, decoding the secrets of our cells through "molecular detective work."...

Why I gave my teenage daughter a vibrator | Robin Buckley

27 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"Why does a vibrator make us uncomfortable, but Viagra does not?" asks cognitive-behavioral coach Robin Buckley. Sharing her own personal story of emp...

CRISPR's next advance is bigger than you think | Jennifer Doudna

26 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

You've probably heard of CRISPR, the revolutionary technology that allows us to edit the DNA in living organisms. Biochemist and 2023 Audacious Projec...

How I found myself -- by impersonating other people | Melissa Villaseñor

25 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ever think you'd hear Sandra Bullock, Britney Spears and Dolly Parton in one TED Talk? Here they are, courtesy of "Saturday Night Live" star Melissa V...

Are we the last generation -- or the first sustainable one? | Hannah Ritchie

22 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The word "sustainability" gets thrown around a lot these days. But what does it actually mean for humanity to be sustainable? Environmental data scien...

The simple solution to fast fashion | Josephine Philips

21 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Your favorite pair of jeans -- the ones you refuse to throw out -- are actually a part of a global climate solution, says fashion entrepreneur Josephi...