TED Talks Daily - podcast cover

TED Talks Daily

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last refreshed:
Download Metacast podcast app
Podcasts are better in Metacast mobile app
Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more

Episodes

When I die, recompose me | Katrina Spade

What if our bodies could help grow new life after we die, instead of being embalmed and buried or turned to ash? Join Katrina Spade as she discusses "recomposition" -- a system that uses the natural decomposition process to turn our deceased into life-giving soil, honoring both the earth and the departed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 14, 201713 min

How I built a jet suit | Richard Browning

We've all dreamed of flying -- but for Richard Browning, flight is an obsession. He's built an Iron Man-like suit that leans on an elegant collaboration of mind, body and technology, bringing science fiction dreams a little closer to reality. Learn more about the trial and error process behind his invention and take flight with Browning in an unforgettable demo. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 13, 20176 min

What happens in your brain when you pay attention? | Mehdi Ordikhani-Seyedlar

Attention isn't just about what we focus on -- it's also about what our brains filter out. By investigating patterns in the brain as people try to focus, computational neuroscientist Mehdi Ordikhani-Seyedlar hopes to build computer models that can be used to treat ADHD and help those who have lost the ability to communicate. Hear more about this exciting science in this brief, fascinating talk. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Jun 08, 20177 min

Why glass towers are bad for city life -- and what we need instead | Justin Davidson

There's a creepy transformation taking over our cities, says architecture critic Justin Davidson. From Houston, Texas to Guangzhou, China, shiny towers of concrete and steel covered with glass are cropping up like an invasive species. Rethink your city's anatomy as Davidson explains how the exteriors of building shape the urban experience -- and what we lose when architects stop using the full range of available materials. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Jun 06, 201713 min

How to see past your own perspective and find truth | Michael Patrick Lynch

The more we read and watch online, the harder it becomes to tell the difference between what's real and what's fake. It's as if we know more but understand less, says philosopher Michael Patrick Lynch. In this talk, he dares us to take active steps to burst our filter bubbles and participate in the common reality that actually underpins everything. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 05, 201715 min

How to design a library that makes kids want to read | Michael Bierut

When Michael Bierut was tapped to design a logo for public school libraries, he had no idea that he was embarking on a years-long passion project. In this often hilarious talk, he recalls his obsessive quest to bring energy, learning, art and graphics into these magical spaces where school librarians can inspire new generations of readers and thinkers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 02, 201713 min

Songs that bring history to life | Rhiannon Giddens

Rhiannon Giddens pours the emotional weight of American history into her music. Listen as she performs traditional folk ballads -- including "Waterboy," "Up Above My Head," and "Lonesome Road" by Sister Rosetta Tharp -- and one glorious original song, "Come Love Come," inspired by Civil War-era slave narratives. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 02, 201715 min

No one should die because they live too far from a doctor | Raj Panjabi

Illness is universal -- but access to care is not. Physician Raj Panjabi has a bold vision to bring health care to everyone, everywhere. With the 2017 TED Prize, Panjabi is building the Community Health Academy, a global platform that aims to modernize how community health workers learn vital skills, creating jobs along the way. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 01, 201721 min

How pollution is changing the ocean's chemistry | Triona McGrath

As we keep pumping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, more of it is dissolving in the oceans, leading to drastic changes in the water's chemistry. Triona McGrath researches this process, known as ocean acidification, and in this talk she takes us for a dive into an oceanographer's world. Learn more about how the "evil twin of climate change" is impacting the ocean -- and the life that depends on it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

May 29, 20179 min

How to find a wonderful idea | OK Go

Where does OK Go come up with ideas like dancing in zero gravity, performing in ultra slow motion or constructing a warehouse-sized Rube Goldberg machine for their music videos? In between live performances of "This Too Shall Pass" and "The One Moment," lead singer and director Damian Kulash takes us inside the band's creative process, showing us how to look for wonder and surprise. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

May 26, 201718 min

A secret weapon against Zika and other mosquito-borne diseases | Nina Fedoroff

Where did Zika come from, and what can we do about it? Molecular biologist Nina Fedoroff takes us around the world to understand Zika's origins and how it spread, proposing a controversial way to stop the virus -- and other deadly diseases -- by preventing infected mosquitoes from multiplying. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 25, 201715 min

This is what democracy looks like | Anthony D. Romero

In a quest to make sense of the political environment in the United States in 2017, lawyer and ACLU executive director Anthony D. Romero turned to a surprising place -- a 14th-century fresco by Italian Renaissance master Ambrogio Lorenzetti. What could a 700-year-old painting possibly teach us about life today? Turns out, a lot. Romero explains all in a talk that's as striking as the painting itself. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

May 24, 201713 min

Why school should start later for teens | Wendy Troxel

Teens don't get enough sleep, and it's not because of Snapchat, social lives or hormones -- it's because of public policy, says Wendy Troxel. Drawing from her experience as a sleep researcher, clinician and mother of a teenager, Troxel discusses how early school start times deprive adolescents of sleep during the time of their lives when they need it most. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 18, 201711 min

What makes life worth living in the face of death | Lucy Kalanithi

In this deeply moving talk, Lucy Kalanithi reflects on life and purpose, sharing the story of her late husband, Paul, a young neurosurgeon who turned to writing after his terminal cancer diagnosis. "Engaging in the full range of experience -- living and dying, love and loss -- is what we get to do," Kalanithi says. "Being human doesn't happen despite suffering -- it happens within it." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

May 16, 201716 min

3 principles for creating safer AI | Stuart Russell

How can we harness the power of superintelligent AI while also preventing the catastrophe of robotic takeover? As we move closer toward creating all-knowing machines, AI pioneer Stuart Russell is working on something a bit different: robots with uncertainty. Hear his vision for human-compatible AI that can solve problems using common sense, altruism and other human values. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

May 15, 201718 min

Thoughts on humanity, fame and love | Shah Rukh Khan

"I sell dreams, and I peddle love to millions of people," says Shah Rukh Khan, Bollywood's biggest star. In this charming, funny talk, Khan traces the arc of his life, showcases a few of his famous dance moves and shares hard-earned wisdom from a life spent in the spotlight. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 12, 201718 min

How human noise affects ocean habitats | Kate Stafford

Oceanographer Kate Stafford lowers us into the sonically rich depths of the Arctic Ocean, where ice groans, whales sing to communicate over vast distances -- and climate change and human noise threaten to alter the environment in ways we don't understand. Learn more about why this underwater soundscape matters and what we might do to protect it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 12, 201712 min

The biology of our best and worst selves | Robert Sapolsky

How can humans be so compassionate and altruistic -- and also so brutal and violent? To understand why we do what we do, neuroscientist Robert Sapolsky looks at extreme context, examining actions on timescales from seconds to millions of years before they occurred. In this fascinating talk, he shares his cutting edge research into the biology that drives our worst and best behaviors. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

May 09, 201715 min

The future we're building -- and boring | Elon Musk

Elon Musk discusses his new project digging tunnels under LA, the latest from Tesla and SpaceX and his motivation for building a future on Mars in conversation with TED's Head Curator, Chris Anderson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 30, 201741 min

Science in service to the public good | Siddhartha Roy

We give scientists and engineers great technical training, but we're not as good at teaching ethical decision-making or building character. Take, for example, the environmental crisis that recently unfolded in Flint, Michigan -- and the professionals there who did nothing to fix it. Siddhartha Roy helped prove that Flint's water was contaminated, and he tells a story of science in service to the public good, calling on the next generation of scientists and engineers to dedicate their work to pro...

Apr 25, 201715 min

A simple birth kit for mothers in the developing world | Zubaida Bai

TED Fellow Zubaida Bai works with medical professionals, midwives and mothers to bring dignity and low-cost interventions to women's health care. In this quick, inspiring talk, she presents her clean birth kit in a purse, which contains everything a new mother needs for a hygienic birth and a healthy delivery -- no matter where in the world (or how far from a medical clinic) she might be. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Apr 13, 20177 min

An intergalactic guide to using a defibrillator | Todd Scott

If Yoda goes into cardiac arrest, will you know what to do? Artist and first-aid enthusiast Todd Scott breaks down what you need to know about using an automated external defibrillator, or AED -- in this galaxy and ones that are far, far away. Prepare to save the life of a Jedi, Chewbacca (he'll need a quick shave first) or someone else in need with some helpful pointers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Apr 12, 20176 min

In praise of conflict | Jonathan Marks

Conflict is bad; compromise, consensus and collaboration are good -- or so we're told. Lawyer and bioethicist Jonathan Marks challenges this conventional wisdom, showing how governments can jeopardize public health, human rights and the environment when they partner with industry. An important, timely reminder that common good and common ground are not the same thing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 11, 201715 min

How we can find ourselves in data | Giorgia Lupi

Giorgia Lupi uses data to tell human stories, adding nuance to numbers. In this charming talk, she shares how we can bring personality to data, visualizing even the mundane details of our daily lives and transforming the abstract and uncountable into something that can be seen, felt and directly reconnected to our lives. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 07, 201711 min

Political common ground in a polarized United States | Gretchen Carlson, David Brooks

How can we bridge the gap between left and right to have a wiser, more connected political conversation? Journalist Gretchen Carlson and op-ed columnist David Brooks share insights on the tensions at the heart of American politics today -- and where we can find common ground. Followed by a rousing performance of "America the Beautiful" by Vy Higginsen's Gospel Choir of Harlem. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Apr 03, 201748 min

A young poet tells the story of Darfur | Emtithal Mahmoud

Emtithal "Emi" Mahmoud writes poetry of resilience, confronting her experience of escaping the genocide in Darfur in verse. She shares two stirring original poems about refugees, family, joy and sorrow, asking, "Will you witness me?" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 31, 201711 min

"Music for Wood and Strings" | Sō Percussion

Sō Percussion creates adventurous compositions with new, unconventional instruments. Performing "Music for Wood and Strings" by Bryce Dessner of The National, the quartet plays custom-made dulcimer-like instruments that combine the sound of an electric guitar with the percussionist's toolkit to create a hypnotic effect. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 31, 201710 min

How early life experience is written into DNA | Moshe Szyf

Moshe Szyf is a pioneer in the field of epigenetics, the study of how living things reprogram their genome in response to social factors like stress and lack of food. His research suggests that biochemical signals passed from mothers to offspring tell the child what kind of world they're going to live in, changing the expression of genes. "DNA isn't just a sequence of letters; it's not just a script." Szyf says. "DNA is a dynamic movie in which our experiences are being written." Hosted on Acast...

Mar 30, 201717 min

What we don't know about mother's milk | Katie Hinde

Breast milk grows babies' bodies, fuels neurodevelopment, provides essential immunofactors and safeguards against famine and disease -- why, then, does science know more about tomatoes than mother's milk? Katie Hinde shares insights into this complex, life-giving substance and discusses the major gaps scientific research still needs to fill so we can better understand it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Mar 28, 201710 min

3 ways to spot a bad statistic | Mona Chalabi

Sometimes it's hard to know what statistics are worthy of trust. But we shouldn't count out stats altogether ... instead, we should learn to look behind them. In this delightful, hilarious talk, data journalist Mona Chalabi shares handy tips to help question, interpret and truly understand what the numbers are saying. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 24, 201712 min
For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android