TED Talks Daily

What if the solution to feeding humanity has been hiding in the soil for millions of years? Bioengineer Karsten Temme discovered a remarkable answer to this question: for eons, crops relied on soil microbes to convert atmospheric nitrogen into food — until modern farming severed that ancient partnership. He shows how we can reawaken those dormant microbes using gene editing, creating “living fertilizer” that delivers nutrients to crops in real time and transforms farms around the world.Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Legendary music producer Jermaine Dupri pulls back the curtain on how hit songs really get made in TED’s rapid-fire Q&A format, “On the Spot.” Answering a stream of unexpected questions, he covers what makes a good hook, why he doesn’t chase “cool,” how he helped build Atlanta’s sound and more.Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The race to build smarter AI is crashing into a physical limitation: the power grid simply can't keep up with the energy demands of data centers. Computer scientist Ayșe Coskun shows how we could turn this problem on its head, transforming AI facilities into virtual batteries that help stabilize the grid and accelerate clean energy. Learn why the technology causing this crisis might be the only thing smart enough to fix it.Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If a company plants trees to offset its pollution, is that climate progress — or is it greenwashing? Critics of carbon markets say it’s the latter. But Sandeep Roy Choudhury, who’s spent two decades financing climate projects from rural cookstoves to coastal forests, says the real failure is discouraging companies from even trying. Hear his case for why we shouldn’t let perfection block meaningful action on climate change.Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if the best defense against misinformation isn’t panic, but a punchline? Journalist and comedian Dave Jorgenson explores how misinformation has proliferated throughout history — from the age of Plato to the era of viral TikToks. With his own short, absurdist sketches that explain the news, he shows how humor can cut through fear, spark curiosity and explore nuanced truth.Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From negotiating food choices to limiting screen time, raising healthy kids is complicated—but it doesn’t have to be, says pediatrician Dr. Shari Barkin. Dr. Barkin joins Shoshana to talk about the ways caregivers can carve out 10 minutes of their day to model a healthy lifestyle and help everyone in the family thrive.Talk featured:Inside the mind of a newborn baby - Claudia Passos FerreiraLearn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Drawing on clinical research and psychological studies, writer and psychologist Emily Esfahani Smith shows why pursuing meaning — the experience of connecting to something beyond yourself — creates a deeper sense of well-being than comes from chasing happiness. Learn about the steps you can take to move from feeling stuck to living with intention.Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feeling burned out? You may be spending too much time ruminating about your job, says psychologist Guy Winch. Learn how to stop worrying about tomorrow’s tasks or stewing over office tensions with three simple techniques aimed at helping you truly relax and recharge after work.This episode originally aired on December 9, 2019.Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever left a meeting thinking: everyone talked, but nothing was achieved? Chances are that people were listening to each other, just not in the same way. Listening experts Maegan Stephens and Nicole Lowenbraun unpack the four different ways to listen, sharing a practical framework that could change how you respond, build trust and get results — starting with just one simple question.Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

AI is good at seeing patterns, but it’s humans who figure out what to do next, says technologist Priyanka Vergadia. She shares three stories of human excellence sparked by AI insights and offers a pathway to identify and cultivate your irreplaceable qualities, turning the AI revolution from a threat into an opportunity.Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As a child in rural Kenya, conservationist Seif Hamisi fell asleep to the sound of lions outside his village. Today, the lions are gone, mirroring a continent-wide trend: African wildlife populations have plummeted in recent decades, despite billions spent to protect nature. Drawing on examples of successful conservation efforts from the grasslands of South Africa to the woodlands of Kenya, he shows how we've been attempting to solve the wrong problem — and makes the case that conservation works best when it makes economic sense.Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We've built a legal system that distrusts eyewitness memory — backed by cautionary science and high-profile exonerations. John Wixted, a leading psychology researcher, challenges this conventional wisdom with a counterintuitive finding: the problem might not be memory itself but how (and when) courts test it.Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Love coach Francesca Hogi is dedicated to helping daters find “lasting love in the midst of a broken dating culture.” In this episode, Francesca shares her approach to analyzing romantic patterns and feeling more empowered in your love life. From discussing romantic manifestations to reflecting on bell hooks’ claim that humans are unskilled at love, Chris and Francesca talk about the ways you can be more open to finding love.Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tonight, millions of people will go to bed and whisper to an AI companion. But what are we giving up when we fall in love with machines? Sextech expert Bryony Cole offers three questions to ask yourself if you’re already intimate with AI, laying out a playbook for synthetic companionship that doesn’t hide you from the messiness of human life — but prepares you for it instead.Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yohanis Riek went from herding cattle and fighting as a child soldier to becoming the first doctor in his community in South Sudan. He shares his journey to found a nonprofit bringing health care to remote communities — empowering locals to take charge of their own health, as the world's newest country finds its place in the world.(Following the talk, Lily James Olds, director of the TED Fellows program, interviews Riek on the effect of USAID withdrawal in South Sudan and why he’s choosing to stay in his home country to better serve local populations.)Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why do we celebrate appearance over ability in sports? Performance scientist Dominique Condo explores why so many elite female athletes — women with Olympic medals, world records and championship trophies — report body image concerns that end up hindering their performance. She offers a series of subtle shifts we can make to help any athlete stay focused on building strength, resilience and confidence.Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Llion Jones cowrote "Attention Is All You Need," the seminal paper that introduced the transformer — the architecture that launched the generative AI revolution. Now he warns that the industry that grew out of this breakthrough is stifling the next one. Learn why the current corporate arms race is killing true innovation and how we can get back to bold exploration.Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you build a lifetime of love? After analyzing 450 couples across more than 40 countries, relational psychotherapist Sara Nasserzadeh discovered six essential ingredients for successful relationships (hint: it's not just about sexual chemistry). Learn more about "emergent love" — a new, evidence-based model for fostering the love you desire.Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Your skin heals after a scratch. What if our roads, bridges and cities could self-repair after getting damaged, too? Scientist and engineer Mark Miodownik describes a new class of materials — animate matter — with the potential to sense damage, self-heal and even biodegrade when the job is done. Humanity's next great leap isn't making more stuff, he says — it's making stuff that doesn't fall apart.Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When it comes to sports, is there anything more evocative -- and elusive -- than "the zone"? That mythical place an athlete goes to where focus is laser-sharp, nothing can go wrong and time just vanishes. In this episode of Good Sport, a podcast from the TED Audio Collective, host Jody Avirgan talks to NBA All-Star great Steph Curry about what "the zone" means for him -- and whether or not it even exists. Then Jody works on his mental game with sports psychologist Dr. Nicole Detling and follows Olympic biathlete Clare Egan in a step-by-step guide on how to foster mental resilience after failure.Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As AI tools get better at making music, will there be a time when machines move people more than musicians? Putting that question to the test, legendary hitmaker Jason "Poo Bear" Boyd joins journalist Elise Hu to discuss how new tech is changing the music industry — followed by a live performance where he battles his digital twin to see who can write a catchier song. (Poo Bear is joined onstage by musician Sasha Sirota.)Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After building a smartphone app to bring eye care to millions of people in remote areas, eye surgeon and TED Fellow Andrew Bastawrous confronted a new question: What do we lose when health care chases speed and efficiency? He offers a quiet provocation for how to get better outcomes for patients and health care workers alike.(Following the talk, Lily James Olds, director of the TED Fellows program, interviews Bastawrous on how his company, Peek Vision, is rethinking access to eye care. The surprising solution isn’t AI or optimization, but addressing the human behaviors that make patients feel more seen — starting with how doctors can be more compassionate.) Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As AI agents take over more tasks at work, the question isn’t whether or not humans matter — it’s how we make our impact count. Leadership expert Vinciane Beauchene challenges some commonly held assumptions about how AI will transform the workplace, sharing a blueprint for leaders to design organizations where people can focus on what truly makes a difference.Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's a common African proverb: "When elephants fight, it's the grass that suffers." Policy researcher Nanjira Sambuli says we must apply this thinking to today's AI evolution, asking: When tech giants battle for dominance, who gets trampled in the process? She introduces a new ethical compass for AI, showing how people across the continent are charting a different path for the future of tech.Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Can anyone become happier? Psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky studies this question in her lab, doing experiments on "happiness interventions" to see what kinds of actions elicit this sought-after emotion. In a quick talk, she shares the results of her work: a small shift that can change your relationships and put you on the path to happiness.Following the talk, Elise Hu, host of TED Talks Daily, interviews Lyubomirsky on additional changes people can do to feel more connected with each other in an increasingly online and chaotic world. Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hip-hop often gets blamed for its controversial lyrics. What if there was a way to actually measure its impact on people's lives? Analyzing 40 years' worth of radio station data and lyrics from rappers like Tupac, Dr. Dre, Jay-Z and Kendrick Lamar, economist Roland Fryer puts one of culture's most notorious debates on trial.Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever recalled a story only to have someone point out "that's not how it went"? Well, what happens when what we misrepresent are our historical narratives? David Ikard is a Professor of African American and Diaspora Studies at Vanderbilt University. In this episode, he talks about the societal and personal dangers of inaccurate history knowledge, and uncovers the real story of one of history’s most iconic figures. For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if the calm you feel when you hear birdsong isn't a coincidence, but ancient evolutionary wiring ... a signal that once meant safety? Musical ecologist and rapper Louis VI says humans are hardwired to nature's sonic language, but modern life has drowned it out. He explores how we can tap back into the "overwhelming chorus of aliveness" we’ve stopped hearing — and performs an original song incorporating rainforest recordings from the Amazon and the Caribbean.Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thanks to advanced technology, we can now see droughts and crop failures months before they hit. So why are millions of people still going hungry? TED Fellow Catherine Nakalembe, director of the NASA Harvest program in Africa, exposes the blind spots that keep life-saving climate intelligence from reaching the communities it's designed to protect — and shares how to turn early warning into early action.Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Want to become a K-pop superstar? Comedian and musician Charlene Kaye lays out the formula for breaking through in just a few easy steps, from rapping like a sexy baby to dancing like you’re making pizza in the Matrix. Part musical, part dance performance, part comedy show — this is your how-to guide for creating the next K-pop hit.Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Can you measure a "good life?" Management consultant Chris Musser set out to answer this question for himself, developing a daily tracker to monitor progress across nine dimensions, from faith and relationships to work and wellbeing. Learn how it helped him focus on what really matters — and how you can adopt this 90-second habit, too.Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why is it taking so long to finance the climate transition? After years working with the world's largest wealth funds and banks, finance innovator Riddhima Yadav has seen the same pattern: the climate movement is seeking perfection over progress, and starving the very industries that need to transition most. Discover why working with emerging markets and heavy polluters might be the uncomfortable solution to powering a clean future.Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Drawing on his experience negotiating million-dollar deals for global brands, procurement expert Wolfgang Schnellbaecher distills the tricks of the world's best buyers into three simple rules to help you make the most of your money.Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are you feeling overwhelmed, uninspired, or burned out at work? In this special Unsolicited Advice episode, Anne and Frances are getting ready for summer by tackling the importance of rest and the power of intention. They offer unexpected tips and tricks for recovering from constant stress, owning what you need to feel alive and engaged, and creating an experience of work that unleashes your ambition.FollowHosts: Anne Morriss (@annemorriss | LinkedIn: @anne-morriss), Frances Frei (@francesxfrei | LinkedIn: @francesfrei)Linkshttps://anneandfrances.com/Subscribe to TED Instagram: @tedYouTube: @TEDTikTok: @tedtoksLinkedIn: @ted-conferencesWebsite: ted.comPodcasts: ted.com/podcastsLearn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Deep beneath the Earth sits 50,000 times more energy than all the world's fossil fuel reserves, but accessing it requires using the same controversial technology that oil companies spent trillions to develop: fracking. Cindy Taff left Shell to prove that drilling for geothermal heat instead of hydrocarbons can deliver what solar, wind and fossil fuels can't — clean, renewable power at all times, regardless of weather. Could this be the breakthrough that finally solves our energy challenges?Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chef and TED Fellow Dieuveil Malonga traveled to nearly every country in Africa, tasting flavors straight from farms and local kitchens, to learn about the traditions that transform a dish. Today, he runs a center to train the next generation of top chefs from across the continent, collaboratively crafting food that shares each country’s culinary secrets with the world.Following the talk, Lily James Olds, director of the TED Fellows program, interviews Malonga on Chefs Exchange, a program welcoming chefs around the world to share and innovate new methods of cooking.Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Entrepreneur and TED Fellow Jane Marie Chen started a company that created a low-cost portable incubator for premature babies in underserved communities, with the goal of saving more than one million babies around the world. But when a major setback at the company led to burnout, she had to make a choice. In this powerful talk, she shares what happened next — and how it taught her the secret to resilience.Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Could exposing kids to their fears help them thrive later on in life? Exploring the science of exposure therapy, pediatric psychologist Kathryn Hecht shows how encouraging children to handle discomfort builds confidence and resilience. Through personal stories and practical strategies, she shares the secret for raising kids ready to meet life’s challenges.Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After decades working in technology across both the US and China, Alvin W. Graylin sees three possible paths for the future of AI: one where tech giants create a class of trillionaires, one where competition escalates into war or one where humanity builds and shares this technology for the common good. In conversation with TED Radio Hour host Manoush Zomorodi, Graylin cuts through the hype to clarify how we choose the right path.Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When entrepreneur Yi Li cofounded Farmworks, she set out to build 1,000 climate-smart farms across Kenya, complete with dams, irrigation and organic fertilizers. The science was sound, but reality proved more complicated. Learn what she discovered about the missing ingredient behind failed climate solutions — and how it challenges a core assumption of the environmental movement on how to create lasting impact.Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, TED Health host Dr. Shoshana Ungerleider invites Dr. Vivek Murthy, the 19th and 21st Surgeon General of the United States, to discuss the ongoing loneliness epidemic.After the interview, Shoshana shares a TED-Ed talk from Terry Kupers, "What happens to your brain without social contact?" Everyone needs time to themselves, and peaceful solitude has stress-relieving benefits. But when being alone is forced upon you, the effects can be surprisingly extensive. And though different people experience distinct effects, symptoms tend to become more severe and persistent the longer they're isolated. So, how exactly does isolation affect your body and brain? Terry Kupers investigates. [Directed by Camille Bovey, narrated by Addison Anderson, music by Stephen LaRosa].Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You’re invited into the world of stop-motion animation, where design and engineering collide to create fan-favorite films. Visual effects artist Brian McLean (from the Oscar-winning studio behind “Coraline” and “ParaNorman”) explores how 3D printing is revolutionizing this century-old craft, showing how creative obsession paired with cutting-edge technology can reinvent the way we make things.Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bacteria are the most incredible creatures on Earth, says biotechnologist and TED Fellow Patricia Aymà Maldonado. She presents a groundbreaking technology that “trains” bacteria to transform organic waste into biodegradable plastic that behaves like the real thing. Learn how this creative, sustainable approach could revolutionize the plastics industry.Following the talk, Lily James Olds, director of the TED Fellows program, interviews Maldonado on what it's like to make 100% biodegradable plastic at the tech company she co-founded, VEnvirotech, why the current recycling system actually increases plastic use, what other biotechnology companies can do to quickly scale for sustainability, and more.Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if the secret to a good life isn't just what you achieve but how deeply you love? Drawing on wisdom from Aristotle, Jesus and modern social psychology, philosopher Meghan Sullivan offers tips on how to expand your capacity for love, even in the face of our modern challenges.Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

AI is setting up residence in the final frontier, says technologist Philip Johnston. He shares the incredible work being undertaken to build data centers in outer space — and how they might harness both solar power and frigid temperatures in order to address the AI energy challenge. Learn more about the affordability of this wild idea and how it could address concerns about the resources needed to keep up with the AI boom.Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Picture this: a rocket ship crash-lands on a planet, and an alien approaches the spacecraft. What do you see in your mind when you visualize this scene? For Alex Rosenthal (and many others), the answer is: absolutely nothing. Exploring the fascinating science of aphantasia, or the inability to generate mental images, he shows why our minds are much more different than we think.Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The most powerful stories are the ones told simply to connect with each other, says author Khaya Dlanga. Through humorous anecdotes and moving memories, he explores why it's the conversations we have without strategy or agenda that actually allow us to see one another.Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Impostor syndrome is one of many therapy-speak words that have gone mainstream in the past few years — but what is it, really? Aparna Nancherla knows all about it. Aparna is a comedian and the author of Unreliable Narrator: Me, Myself, and Impostor Syndrome. Despite her success as a performer, she isn’t immune to self-doubt. In this episode, she talks about the ways she’s learned to deal with impostor syndrome: like creating a resume listing all her failures, or making up words at parties to gauge other people’s reactions. She also shares how she learned to put less stock in success and what to do when your mind isn’t telling you the truth. For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a world growing louder, faster and more fractured, author Pico Iyer makes the case for a radical act of repair. Explore why tapping into silence may be the best medicine you can give yourself, and everyone around you.Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Humans were never designed to live at a pace determined by machines,“ says author Pico Iyer. Following his talk at TED2025, he joins Elise Hu, host of TED Talks Daily, to share how he finds time for silence and mindfulness in a hyperactive world, why he avoids going online and how his previous TED Talk about ping pong led to him being cast in the film “Marty Supreme.”Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.