Could math help make American democracy more responsive to the people? From detecting gerrymandered districts to predicting the impact of alternative election methods like ranked-choice voting, neuroscientist Sam Wang outlines how computer simulations

Why are some people really funny and others ... not so much? Comedian Chris Duffy shows how you can sharpen your sense of humor and start laughing every day — by seeing the world like a kid.

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Each Sunday, TED shares an episode of another podcast we think you'll love, handpicked for you… by us. Today we're sharing a special episode of The TED AI Show, our newest podcast about the technology that's changing our lives.

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What does it actually take to make meaningful change? Conservationist Kristine McDivitt Tompkins and playwright and theater director Amir Nizar Zuabi reflect on the deep connection between human suffering and environmental degradation and the community

When playwright David Finnigan staged a play titled "Kill Climate Deniers" in 2014, he knew it'd get a strong reaction. What he wasn't prepared for was the idea that the blowback might actually cause him to rethink his own response to

We waste a staggering one trillion dollars worth of food each year, significantly contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and the climate crisis. Food waste expert Dana Gunders shares innovative solutions to reduce waste — from solar-powered cold room

Middle school is a time like no other, as significant biological and emotional changes coincide with profound personal growth, says educator Jerome Hunter. The middle school for boys that he founded centers on a program that helps redefine masculinity

How do you get what you want out of a negotiation? United Nations negotiation trainer Alex Carter says the best methods center on recruitment, not rivalry. Whether you're asking for a raise or resolving a family dispute, she offers five simple tips

In the United States and Canada, the first Monday of September is a federal holiday, Labor Day. Originally celebrated in New York City’s Union Square in 1882, Labor Day was organized by unions as a rare day of rest for the overworked during the Industr

Each Sunday, TED shares an episode of another podcast we think you'll love, handpicked for you… by us. Today we're sharing a special episode of Fixable, TED's business advice call-in show, hosted by Anne Morriss and Frances Frei.

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What can acting reveal about the mystery of consciousness? Actor and producer Yara Shahidi and cognitive neuroscientist Anil Seth unpack the surprising ways that portraying different characters can reveal insights about our authentic selves — even if w

Many of the jobs that keep the world running — like cleaning bathrooms, picking up trash, caring for the elderly — pay so poorly that workers can barely make ends meet. Nonprofit leader Zeynep Ton is intent on changing that, showing why everyone wins w

Drawing on her research into the science of play, evolutionary biologist Carole K. Hooven delves into how testosterone impacts the body and brain, interacting with culture to create differences in human behavior — starting with why boys tend to prefer

How do you find yourself when you belong to two seemingly opposing cultures? Embracing the paradoxes of dual identity, creative disruptor Farhad Mohit explores how being both Iranian and American allows him to navigate the tension between independence

When we avoid feeling awkward, we often miss an opportunity for growth, says workplace performance expert Henna Pryor. She shares tips on embracing discomfort for the sake of self-betterment and shows how pushing past the "cringe chasm" — the

The basic infrastructure that controls plumbing, electricity and more is vital to your individual agency, says engineering professor Deb Chachra. She offers a crash course on how these systems connect to shape our lives — and suggests some key improvem

Join Elise as she interviews TED speakers about their latest books and delves deep into their ideas.

Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt's latest book, “The Anxious Generation,” is shaping cultural conversations -- and sparking fierce debates.

Who gets to be an entrepreneur? Saamra Mekuria-Grillo says the image we most commonly see — a guy in a hoodie — is a limiting representation of entrepreneurial success. She highlights the importance of young Black people seeing entrepreneurship as a po

Small Indigenous communities make up only five percent of the world's population, but they defend 80 percent of the biodiversity that remains on Earth, says war reporter Anjan Sundaram. He paints a picture of Mexico's embattled ecological front

Africa's smallholder farmers feed millions of people and uplift economies, yet they often lack the basic resources needed to thrive, says agricultural scientist and policymaker Agnes Kalibata. She outlines how to empower these farmers with better t

"I'm not a pacifist, but in the end, war is the greatest human rights abuse and does not make the world safer," says Gabrielle Rifkind, director of the Oxford Process, an organization dedicated to ending armed conflict. She shares how inc

Malaria is a disease as old as humankind, yet we may be closer than ever to eliminating it, says medical entomologist Abdoulaye Diabaté. He explains the potential of "gene drive" technology — which aims to disrupt mosquito reproduction as a m

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

Each Sunday, TED shares an episode of another podcast we think you'll love, handpicked for you… by us. Today we're sharing a special episode of How to Be a Better Human, a podcast hosted by comedian Chris Duffy about the big ideas and small way

The clean energy transition has a major blind spot, says energy equity expert Sheila Ngozi Oparaocha: it ignores millions of people without access to energy. Highlighting grassroots women's organizations leading the charge towards universal access,

Jay Bailey says so many ideas never see the light of day because entrepreneurship has a problem of belonging. He shares how a chance encounter kicked off his own journey to becoming an entrepreneur and advocate for Black-owned businesses — and shows ho

Conflict is the biggest barrier to tackling climate change, says youth advocate Victor Ochen. Having seen firsthand how war undermined Uganda's economic and environmental potential, he explains the need to address the shared root causes of conflict

We're nearly halfway through the 2020s, dubbed the most decisive decade for action on climate change. Where exactly do things stand? Climate impact scholar Johan Rockström offers the most up-to-date scientific assessment of the state of the planet

What do you do when you're feeling stressed or anxious? Psychologist Andrew Miki explains how many of the coping mechanisms that help us feel better in the moment — like procrastinating, overusing our smartphones or endlessly scrolling social media

Multimedia show director Willie Williams has helped redefine live entertainment in collaboration with artists ranging from David Bowie to The Rolling Stones. He gives a behind-the-scenes look at his recent epic undertaking — designing and directing the

Each Sunday, TED shares an episode of another podcast we think you'll love, handpicked for you… by us. Today we're sharing a special episode of Good Sport, a podcast hosted by Jody Avirgan about understanding our world through sports.

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Leadership isn’t a title; it’s a verb that requires action, says youth empowerment advocate Mohan Sivaloganathan. Drawing on his experience as the CEO of a nonprofit, he shares surprising lessons on adaptability and accountability, showing why truly ef

"Human beings are hardwired to trust one another more when we sing together," says Micah Hendler, founder of the Jerusalem Youth Chorus, a music and dialogue project that brings young Palestinian and Israeli individuals together through song.

“A new reality has emerged, one where ambitious Africans are writing their own stories as builders and as innovators,” says business storyteller Peace Itimi. Taking us inside Africa’s booming tech scene, she highlights the trailblazing entrepreneurs an

Allyson Felix is an 11-time Olympic medalist and the most decorated track and field athlete of all time. She joined us live from the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris to share her sharp take on how to navigate setbacks, thrive under pressure and find purpo

Spencer J. Cox, Republican governor of the state of Utah in the United States, says that even in these deeply polarized times, it's still possible to disagree without hate or contempt. He shows how this idea sparked a viral campaign ad he co-create

The improper handling of waste is the third largest source of methane emissions in the world, says Aline Sousa, but waste pickers like her help reduce this environmental impact. She dives into the monumental effort of the often-overlooked people making

Each Sunday, TED shares an episode of another podcast we think you'll love, handpicked for you… by us. Today we're sharing a special episode of ReThinking with Adam Grant, a podcast about what makes the greatest minds tick.

In 2017, Alex

Thousands of years in the making, the Olympics began as part of a religious festival honoring the Greek god Zeus in the rural Greek town of Olympia. But how did it become the greatest show of sporting excellence on earth? Educator Armand D'Angour e

Vigilance. Grit. Resilience. Valerie Montgomery Rice, the president and CEO of Morehouse School of Medicine, shares where she learned these key qualities of successful leadership, offering three lessons for anyone who wants to overcome their fears, sta

Millions of people say they care deeply about climate change ... yet they're not showing up at elections to turn their concern into political power, says environmental voting advocate Nathaniel Stinnett. He explains why increasing voter participati

What's the most important thing to look for when applying for a new job? Entrepreneur Marion Campan advocates for a focus on company culture above all else. She offers practical strategies for evaluating companies before accepting a new position —

In 2022, physicist Tammy Ma and her team achieved a scientific breakthrough decades in the making: fusion ignition, or the combining of two atoms to generate more energy out of a reaction than was put in — recreating on Earth the same process that powe

This is our second installment of the TED Talks Daily Summer Book Club series. Join Elise as she interviews TED speakers about their books and their ideas beyond the page.

As a sex educator and author, Emily Nagoski is renowned for dismantling th

Architect and building tech innovator Doris Sung presents a compelling vision for reimagining building facades as active contributors to urban life and public health. Showcasing innovative technologies — like buildings that filter particulates out of t

We need journalism that moves beyond a constant focus on violence and honestly depicts the full impact of war, in and out of the trenches, says conflict journalist Bel Trew. She makes a passionate call for war reporting to be rooted in compassion and t

Global food production — from meat to grains — accounts for a third of all greenhouse gas emissions, says sustainability scientist Jonathan Foley. He presents a portfolio of data-backed solutions to build a better food system world-wide, starting with

Meet MethaneSAT: the satellite circling Earth right now to track global emissions from methane: a highly potent, short-term greenhouse gas. Environmental advocate Millie Chu Baird details the heat-trapping side effects of a planet full of methane — and

Misunderstandings between you and your loved ones will happen — it's what you do next that matters most, says marriage and family therapist Lambers Fisher. Drawing on his work helping couples and relatives work through communication issues, he shar

With huge, city-wide casts from an array of communities, theater director Lear deBessonet's productions illuminate the unique power of the arts to transform our lives through collective expression. She explores the power of spectacle to inspire awe