Want TED Talks on the go? Everyday, this feed brings you our latest talks in audio format. Hear thought-provoking ideas on every subject imaginable – from Artificial Intelligence to Zoology, and everything in between – given by the world's leading thinkers and doers. This collection of talks, given at TED and TEDx conferences around the globe, is also available in video format.
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What does it look like when a city becomes a laboratory for innovation? His Excellency Khalfan Belhoul, CEO of the Dubai Future Foundation, explains why Dubai is cutting the bureaucratic red tape to experiment with big ideas in everything from AI and emerging tech to finance and climate solutions. The future, he says, depends on those willing to test it. (This conversation is hosted by TED's Whitney Pennington Rodgers.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Philanthropy disruptor Sara Lomelin thinks communities can build power through collective giving, or what she calls “giving circles”: groups of people with shared values who come together to make change, strengthen their social fabric and help diverse solutions get funded. Learn the four steps to start a thriving giving circle in your community -- and see how thousands of people worldwide are already part of this movement to usher in a new era of philanthropy that is democratic and joyful. (This...
Harlem Globetrotter and artist Maxwell Pearce challenges the conventional wisdom of 'sticking to fundamentals,' asserting that playful rule-breaking is the true catalyst for progress in all fields. He shares his journey of defying coaches to develop gravity-defying dunks, which not only advanced basketball but also opened up dream opportunities. Pearce also connects this philosophy to his unique artwork, where he transforms old sports equipment into meaningful pieces, demonstrating how play provides both flexibility and vision for creative expression.
Desiree Akhavan explores the immense pressure faced by children of immigrants to conform to parental and cultural expectations, using personal anecdotes and Disney metaphors. She recounts the liberating experience of coming out as gay, which initially brought shame but ultimately freed her from fear, allowing her to find her authentic creative voice in filmmaking. Akhavan challenges listeners to embrace honesty over obedience and choose their own rules for life, even if it means disappointing those they love.
If you want to live in a world where people read, novelist Ann Patchett has news for you: it's your job to help create that reality. Tracing her path from a chance airport encounter through a career writing iconic novels and opening a beloved independent bookstore, she makes the case that reading isn't a private pleasure but a civic act that builds empathy, sustains a "long-format brain" and pulls people out of isolation. Ready to lose yourself in a book? (Following her talk, Elise Hu, host of T...
Larz May has spent a decade building digital wellness programs for young people, and she's discovered something quietly radical: the smartphone doom loop of screen dependence and anxiety isn't inevitable, and joy (not restriction) is the way out. She makes the case for a different relationship with technology — starting with swapping screens for some analog fun. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On today's "Sunday Pick" on TED Talks Daily, we're bring you an episode from the TED Podcast ReThinking with Adam Grant . You probably know Kristen Bell as the star behind characters like Veronica Mars, Princess Anna from Frozen , and Eleanor from The Good Place . In this episode, Adam sits down with Kristen live at BetterUp’s Uplift leadership summit to examine how she’s learning to overcome her people pleasing tendencies and stop internalizing other people’s emotions. Kristen gets in character...
Control is an illusion — and the leaders who chase it are holding their teams back. Workplace culture expert Jessica Kriegel explores the tactic that leaders who want to achieve extraordinary results should try instead. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Humans aren't just social — we're ultrasocial, wired like bees and ants for deep connection. So what happens when smartphones take over childhood, tablets replace textbooks and AI companies infiltrate our kids’ lives? Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt lays out three principles of technoskepticism — and explains why, two years after sounding the alarm in “The Anxious Generation,” he's more concerned (and hopeful) than ever before. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Drones aren't just weapons of war; they're becoming first responders, infrastructure inspectors and guardians of the grid. Adam Bry, who leads the top drone manufacturer in the US, shows how autonomous drones are transforming emergency response and public safety — from detecting faulty power lines and preventing wildfires to catching crime in real time. During his talk, he demos the technology live from the TED stage, piloting a drone in Tokyo from his laptop in Vancouver. Hosted on Acast. See a...
Mark Rober spent years trying to land a rover on Mars. Now, the former NASA engineer turned science YouTuber with millions of subscribers is launching a new mission: to teach the next generation of big problem solvers. That's why he's spending 60 million dollars to build a STEM curriculum kids actually want. With squirrel obstacle courses, giant lasers and elephant toothpaste explosions, who wouldn't want to learn from YouTube's top engineer? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more infor...
What if the path to peace starts with self-interest? After four decades inside some of the world's most dangerous conflict zones, mediator Hiba Qasas has learned that most peacebuilding efforts get it wrong from the start. She makes a provocative case that conciliation shouldn't begin with empathy — and reveals how leading with shared incentives brought hundreds of Israeli and Palestinian leaders into active collaboration, even in the midst of war. (Following her talk, Elise Hu, host of TED Talk...
You can't just "find" motivation, says scientist Ayelet Fishbach — you have to learn how to motivate yourself. She shares a handful of tips backed by 20 years of motivation research, offering surprisingly simple wisdom on how to optimize your goals, set yourself up for success and avoid the tempting calls of procrastination. (This episode originally aired in 2024.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
In this episode, Dr. Guy Winch, author of "Mind Over Grind," explains the insidious ways work infiltrates our personal lives, leading to burnout even for passionate professionals. He outlines warning signs like autopilot behavior and emotional numbness, distinguishing between mere rest and true restorative recovery. Winch provides practical strategies including creating daily and weekly transition rituals, optimizing vacations for real rest, and leveraging calendar "brain hacks" to prioritize self-care. He also addresses leaders, advocating for a win-win approach that prioritizes employee well-being for increased productivity and loyalty, and urges a collective effort to challenge unhealthy workplace norms.
Political scientist Ian Bremmer has access to the rooms, conversations and world leaders who make the news of the day. So how does he stay on top of everything that’s going on? In conversation with TED’s Helen Walters, Bremmer opens up about how he thinks about sources, how he avoids getting spun — and what we can all do to think more clearly about the news. (This interview was recorded on May 20, 2026.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
AI artist Mick Mahler has a counterintuitive take: the more powerful the machines get, the less the technology actually matters. Showing delightful examples of his own art, from jazz-playing spiders to a Kafka-inspired beetle film, he explains how creators can use new technology to serve their vision (not replace it). The real question — the one that separates meaningful work from AI slop — is the one only you can answer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Multihyphenate entertainer Keke Palmer has mastered the art of performing — on stage and off. But she realized the skills that carried her family out of poverty might be the very thing keeping her trapped. In this powerful talk, she unpacks the hidden cost of hyper-functioning and what it really means to stop acting and start living. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Streaming media gives us access to everything instantly, but at what cost? Music professor Tom Rizzuto traces the history of physical media — from CDs and vinyl to bone music (Soviet-era records pressed onto discarded X-rays) and the near-loss of "Nosferatu" — making the case that art shouldn't just live in the cloud. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We are wired for connection, and yet many of us spend most of our lives avoiding it, says behavioral scientist Nicholas Epley. Drawing on decades of research into happiness, loneliness and well-being, he reveals why we consistently underestimate how receptive others are to connecting — and invites us to seize the small moments that lead to a more social life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Welcome to Club Reality, where no matter what life throws at you, the music never stops. In this talk and performance, musician ELEW shares his path from jazz pianist to DJ — and the unexpected philosophy he finds in both. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On today's "Sunday Pick" on TED Talks Daily, we bring you an episode from TED Podcast TEDHealth. Does eating local honey help reduce your allergies through microexposure to local pollen? How effective is at-home allergies test? And why do so many Olympic athletes have asthma? These are some of the questions raised in today’s conversation with host Shoshana Ungerleider and her guest, immunologist Dr. Zachary Rubin. From cat dander to pollen to peanuts, Dr. Rubin discusses how having minor to seve...
One month before the Rio Olympics, runner Alexi Pappas couldn't hit her splits in practice. She was begging her watch to change its mind. Then her coach told her to take it off — and shared the best advice she's ever received. That single piece of wisdom led her to break a national record and changed how she chases her goals, carrying her through ultramarathons, a memoir and three films. Bad days aren't a detour, she says — they mean you're right on track. Following the talk, host Elise Hu caugh...
Most managers give feedback. Few give feedback that actually works. Drawing on her background in psychology and executive coaching, Renee St Jacques breaks down what so many well-intentioned leaders get wrong — and introduces a three-part framework to help teams rebuild trust and perform at their best. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Deep tech entrepreneur D. Scott Phoenix spent years building AI — now, he believes we're on the cusp of a profound merger between humans and machines. Reframing the AI debate through the lens of evolutionary biology, he shifts the question from whether we should fear or embrace AI to whether we understand what's at stake if we get it wrong. Hear his provocative case for why we need to "eat the AI." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Melissa M. Mikus uncovers the hidden costs of workplace miscommunication, revealing how it leads to wasted effort, frustration, and significant financial losses for businesses. She introduces a surprisingly simple, no-cost solution: a "communication style tag." This tag helps individuals specify their preferred communication methods and optimal working conditions, fostering clearer interactions, building trust, and creating more effective teams by making communication styles visible and actionable.
Maya Higa shares her journey from zookeeper to pioneering a unique online animal sanctuary, Alveus. She explains how livestreaming rehabilitated animals like Bean the Hawk led to a viral moment, enabling her to fund and build a sanctuary where animals are protected while reaching millions globally with conservation education, inspiring young audiences to become active environmentalists.
What if we could solve the problem of fatal car accidents? Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana joins TED's Sal Khan to explore why fully autonomous vehicles (where you never have to touch the wheel) are more than a tech novelty — they could help end the dangerous status quo. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Most of us assume data-driven people make data-driven decisions. Not quite. Adam Grant has built a career helping others think more clearly — but when it comes to his own career, the most important calls he’s made didn’t have clear data behind them. So how did he decide? In this first episode of WorkLife with Molly Graham, Adam joins Molly to talk about how he actually navigates uncertainty — the four questions he asks before committing to any big project, what he calls “deliberate then dive”, a...
Success in your career looks different for everyone — but no matter your industry, you'll need to take risks. Company and community builder Molly Graham took to the TED stage two years ago to share three key skills to learn before jumping off a metaphorical cliff, outlining a path off the corporate ladder and into true professional and personal growth -- and these key skills are more relevant today than ever. Today, Molly has returned to TED as the new host of the podcast, WorkLife . WorkLife is...
In this re-released TED Talk, former Buddhist monk Andy Puddicombe shares his journey and insights into the practice of mindfulness. He highlights how our increasingly distracted lives lead to stress and unhappiness, advocating for a simple 10-minute daily meditation practice. Puddicombe demystifies meditation, explaining it's not about stopping thoughts but about cultivating a balanced, focused mind to experience life more fully.
