Show overview
TED Radio Hour has been publishing since 2021, and across the 5 years since has built a catalogue of 305 episodes, alongside 8 trailers or bonus episodes. That works out to roughly 240 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a weekly cadence.
Episodes typically run thirty-five to sixty minutes — most land between 50 min and 50 min — and the run-time is fairly consistent across the catalogue. None of the episodes are flagged explicit by the publisher. It is catalogued as a EN-language Technology show.
The show is actively publishing — the most recent episode landed 1 weeks ago, with 20 episodes already out so far this year. Published by NPR.
From the publisher
Exploring the biggest questions of our time with the help of the world's greatest thinkers. Host Manoush Zomorodi inspires us to learn more about the world, our communities, and most importantly, ourselves.Get more brainy miscellany with TED Radio Hour+. Your subscription supports the show and unlocks a sponsor-free feed. Learn more at plus.npr.org/ted
Latest Episodes
View all 305 episodesHow to mend a broken heart
How to be a "Super Ager" (it's not your genes)
Can we preserve knowledge … forever?
Using ancient philosophy to cope with your modern problems
The hidden forces shaping your choices
Could AI help us, not replace us?
The time has come for humanity to make a choice: Will we build AI to replace humans or enhance them? This hour, the "humanistic AI" philosophy, a test case, and a glimpse into the future of work.Guests include Siri co-creator Tom Gruber, CENTURY Tech CEO Priya Lakhani and Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev.TED Radio Hour+ listeners now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and deeper conversations with Manoush. By signing up for Plus, you directly support our work and public media, so all your episodes (like this one!) come to you without sponsor breaks. Learn more at plus.npr.org/ted.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy
A neuroscientist's guide to managing our emotions
Emotions sometimes feel overwhelming and debilitating — but science-backed tools can help us wrangle them. This hour, neuroscientist Ethan Kross shares research from his Emotion and Self-Control Lab. Original air date: March 7, 2025.TED Radio Hour+ listeners now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and deeper conversations with Manoush. By signing up for Plus, you directly support our work and public media, so all your episodes (like this one!) come to you without sponsor breaks. Learn more at plus.npr.org/ted.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy
How does your brain perceive the world?
Do you see images in your mind? Do you have an inner monologue? Do you have memories you swear are real? Our minds have tremendous variation. This hour, insights on how our brains construct reality. Guests include the editorial director of TED-Ed animations Alex Rosenthal, psychologist John Wixted and love coach Francesca Hogi.This episode of TED Radio Hour was produced by Katie Monteleone, James Delahoussaye and Matthew Cloutier. It was edited by Sanaz Meshkinpour and Manoush Zomorodi.Our production staff at NPR also includes Harsha Nahata, Rachel Faulkner White, Fiona Geiran and Phoebe Lett. Our executive producer is Irene Noguchi. Our audio engineers were Damian Herring and Zo van Ginhhoven.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy
The TED talk that put writer Pico Iyer in “Marty Supreme”
bonus“Marty Supreme” stars Timothée Chalamet as a young, brash table tennis player in the 1950s trying to hustle his way to a world championship. One of the characters standing in Marty’s way is played by frequent guest, Pico Iyer, a TED speaker and travel writer who’d never acted before. In this bonus episode, Iyer shares how a TED talk unexpectedly landed him the role and reflects on how this simple game can teach us to play with someone, not just against them.This bonus episode was released early on TED Radio Hour+. Listeners there get access to regular bonus episodes (like this one) as well as all of our episodes, sponsor-free. That’s because with Plus, you directly support our work and public radio. You can join at plus.npr.org/ted.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy
Curious stories of coexistence
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.Original air date: March 21, 2025TED Radio Hour+ subscribers now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and a behind the scenes look with our producers. A Plus subscription also lets you listen to regular episodes (like this one!) without sponsors. Sign-up at plus.npr.org/ted.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy
Getting what you want: A guide to negotiating
Negotiations are a part of life, but too often they end up in an ugly confrontation or stalemate. This hour, TED speakers share ideas on navigating conflicts with more clarity and less fear. Guests include mediator and law professor Alex Carter and linguist Magdalena Hoeller.TED Radio Hour+ subscribers now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and a behind the scenes look with our producers. A Plus subscription also lets you listen to regular episodes (like this one!) without sponsors. Sign-up at plus.npr.org/ted.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy
Three mothers who shaped American history
MLK Jr., Malcolm X and James Baldwin are household names, but what about their mothers? This hour, author Anna Malaika Tubbs explores how these three women shaped American history. Original air date: February 27, 2026.TED Radio Hour+ subscribers now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and a behind the scenes look with our producers. A Plus subscription also lets you listen to regular episodes (like this one!) without sponsors. Sign-up at plus.npr.org/ted.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy
Did social media break a generation — or just change it?
Is tech rewiring childhood or exposing what’s already broken? Jonathan Haidt, Catherine Price, and a Gen Z advocate debate social media bans, attention and what “fun” looks like off-screen. Guests include social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, youth online safety activist Maximilian Milovidov and author Catherine Price.TED Radio Hour+ subscribers now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and a behind the scenes look with our producers. A Plus subscription also lets you listen to regular episodes (like this one!) without sponsors. Sign-up at plus.npr.org/ted.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy
How you see yourself
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. Original air date: April 4, 2025TED Radio Hour+ subscribers now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and a behind the scenes look with our producers. A Plus subscription also lets you listen to regular episodes (like this one!) without sponsors. Sign-up at plus.npr.org/ted.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy
How to talk about peace
How do you rebuild trust after bloodshed? This hour, a closer look at two unlikely truces: LA gang leaders who negotiated peace and activists in the Middle East who chose dialogue over hate.Guests include peace activists Aqeela Sherrills, Aziz Abu Sarah and Maoz Inon.TED Radio Hour+ subscribers now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and a behind the scenes look with our producers. A Plus subscription also lets you listen to regular episodes (like this one!) without sponsors. Sign-up at plus.npr.org/ted.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy
The future of our memories
From creating “synthetic” memories to reviving ruined monuments, tech no longer simply stores the past — it can enhance it. This hour, we explore new ways to capture, share and even recreate our past. Guests include technologist Pau Aleikum Garcia, cartoonist Amy Kurzweil and digital archaeologist Chance Coughenour.(Original broadcast date: January 24, 2025)TED Radio Hour+ subscribers now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and a behind the scenes look with our producers. A Plus subscription also lets you listen to regular episodes (like this one!) without sponsors. Sign-up at plus.npr.org/ted.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy
What can you control in this chaotic world?
When it feels like the world is on fire, it's hard to know what's in your control and what's out of your hands. This hour, TED speakers explain ways you can reclaim your agency. Guests include financial advisor Matt Pitcher, sociologist Anindya Kundu, journalist Jennifer Wallace and design thinking professor Bill Burnett.TED Radio Hour+ subscribers now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and a behind the scenes look with our producers. A Plus subscription also lets you listen to regular episodes (like this one!) without sponsors. Sign-up at: plus.npr.org/tedTo manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy
What we — and AI — can learn from nature's intelligence
Artificial intelligence is powerful, but what about natural intelligence? This hour, TED speakers explore the intrinsic genius in animal language, insect behavior, plant anatomy and our immune system. Guests include neuroscientist Greg Gage, computational neuroscientist Frances Chance, social psychoneuroimmunologist Keely Muscatell and environmental researcher Karen Bakker. We want to dedicate this episode to Bakker who passed away in August 2023, only a few months after giving her TED Talk. Her research and legacy continue to inspire. Original broadcast date: March 8, 2024TED Radio Hour+ subscribers now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and a behind the scenes look with our producers. A Plus subscription also lets you listen to regular episodes (like this one!) without sponsors. Sign-up at plus.npr.org/ted.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy
The secrets in your baby's genes
Genomics researcher Dr. Robert Green explains how sequencing babies’ DNA can reveal hidden health risks. This hour we explore where the benefits end and the ethical dilemmas begin.Guests include Dr. Robert Green, bioethicist and pediatrician Dr. Lainie Friedman Ross and genetic counselor Bethany Zettler.TED Radio Hour+ subscribers now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and a behind the scenes look with our producers. A Plus subscription also lets you listen to regular episodes (like this one!) without sponsors. Sign-up at plus.npr.org/ted.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy
Navigating uncertainty
In unpredictable times, how can we stay calm, grounded, and on course? This hour, TED speakers lead us through uncertainty. Guests include former medical clown Matt Wilson, psychologist Jamil Zaki, writer and filmmaker Hrund Gunnsteinsdóttir and human rights activist Yifat Susskind. (Original broadcast date: January 10, 2025)TED Radio Hour+ subscribers now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and a behind the scenes look with our producers. A Plus subscription also lets you listen to regular episodes (like this one!) without sponsors. Sign-up at: plus.npr.org/tedTo manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy