TED Talks Daily

When was the last time you just ... played? Creative health scientist Katina Bajaj thinks adults are in a "play deprivation crisis," where we've replaced our fun-loving human nature with optimization and efficiency. She makes the case that play isn't a reward for productivity but rather a survival skill — and invites you to rediscover the freedom of not knowing where something will end up. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jacob Collier walks onstage to conduct an orchestra ... but none of the musicians know what song they're about to play. In a joyful experiment in live music-making, Collier pieces together an iconic song with the VSO School of Music Orchestra (and a little help from the audience in the TED Theater). Turns out, all you need is some improvisational magic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When James G. Robinson's son Nadav was born with a rare heart defect, he feared the worst. What he didn't anticipate were the moments of unexpected wonder. In this profound talk, Robinson traces five years of impossible medical odds, a genetic discovery so strange it felt like fate ... and how grateful he is to have experienced it all. His story is a vivid reminder of what it means to be human — an inexplicable gift, however fleeting. And stick around after his talk for a deep dive conversation with our guest host for the week, author and podcaster Manoush Zomorodi, into the ideas he shared on stage and beyond.This is the last episode in a seven-part series airing this week on TED Talks Daily, where Manoush — and the seven speakers she curated for TED2026 — explore how you can live a healthier life in our high-tech era.To hear more from Manoush, listen to TED Radio Hour wherever you get your podcasts. Check out her new book, Body Electric, to learn more about the hidden health costs of the digital age. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We have more data than any generation in history, yet reality has never felt harder to grasp. Artist Yiyun Kang is on a mission to translate the invisible crises of our time — from vanishing fresh water and collapsing ecosystems to the black box of AI — into physical experiences that people can feel. Art isn't a luxury, she says. It's essential to understanding and acting on our biggest problems.And stick around after her talk for a deep dive conversation with our guest host for the week, author and podcaster Manoush Zomorodi, into the ideas she shared on stage and beyond.This is episode six of a seven-part series airing this week on TED Talks Daily, where Manoush — and the seven speakers she curated for TED2026 — explore how you can live a healthier life in our high-tech era.To hear more from Manoush, listen to TED Radio Hour wherever you get your podcasts. Check out her new book, Body Electric, to learn more about the hidden health costs of the digital age Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if GLP-1s like Ozempic could do more than just tip the scales? Physician Dhruv Khullar traces the winding path of the "moderation molecule" — from a discovery in Gila monster saliva to a potential diabetes medication and addiction treatment — and how they could quiet the relentless noise of craving. The most surprising effects of GLP-1s may not be in the gut, but in the brain. And stick around after his talk for a deep dive conversation with our guest host for the week, author and podcaster Manoush Zomorodi, into the ideas he shared on stage and beyond.This is episode five of a seven-part series airing this week on TED Talks Daily, where Manoush — and the seven speakers she curated for TED2026 — explore how you can live a healthier life in our high-tech era.To hear more from Manoush, listen to TED Radio Hour wherever you get your podcasts. Check out her new book, Body Electric, to learn more about the hidden health costs of the digital age. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Genome researcher Michael Snyder believes health wearables, such as smart watches and glucose monitors, can transform medicine, shifting from reactive to predictive. (In fact, he's such a big fan of these devices that he wears eight of them every single day.) From spotting an illness days before symptoms appear to helping prevent the onset of diabetes, learn why the future of health care may be on your wrist. And stick around after his talk for a deep dive conversation with our guest host for the week, author and podcaster Manoush Zomorodi, into the ideas he shared on stage and beyond.This is episode four of a seven-part series airing this week on TED Talks Daily, where Manoush — and the seven speakers she curated for TED2026 — explore how you can live a healthier life in our high-tech era.To hear more from Manoush, listen to TED Radio Hour wherever you get your podcasts. Check out her new book, Body Electric, to learn more about the hidden health costs of the digital age. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What good is a vaccine people don't trust? Immunologist and TED Fellow Kizzmekia Corbett co-developed the first COVID-19 vaccine to enter clinical trials — but she'll tell you that making the vaccine was never the hardest part. The real obstacle is the gap between scientists and the people who have honest questions about the shots they're being asked to take. She shares a refreshing approach for taking on vaccine inquisitiveness and ensuring that humanity is ready for the next pandemic. And stick around after her talk for a deep dive conversation with our guest host for the week, author and podcaster Manoush Zomorodi, into the ideas she shared on stage and beyond.This is episode three of a seven-part series airing this week on TED Talks Daily, where Manoush — and the seven speakers she curated for TED2026 — explore how you can live a healthier life in our high-tech era.To hear more from Manoush, listen to TED Radio Hour wherever you get your podcasts. Check out her new book, Body Electric, to learn more about the hidden health costs of the digital age Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trigger warning - this episode contains mention of suicide and severe depression.This is episode two of a seven-part series airing this week on TED Talks Daily, where author and podcaster Manoush Zomorodi — and the seven speakers she curated for TED2026 — explore how you can live a healthier life in our high-tech era.For years, the warning has been: smartphones are destroying a generation. But developmental psychologist Candice Odgers says that decades of data on teens tells a different story — violence, alcohol use and pregnancy are at historic lows, and research shows social media may not actually be the culprit for mental health problems. Hear her analysis of what's really troubling kids these days, and why banning them from online spaces may make things worse. And stick around after her talk for a deep dive conversation with Manoush into the ideas she shared on stage and beyond.To hear more from Manoush, listen to TED Radio Hour wherever you get your podcasts. Check out her new book, Body Electric, to learn more about the hidden health costs of the digital age. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is episode one of a seven-part series airing this week on TED Talks Daily, where author and podcaster Manoush Zomorodi — and the seven speakers she curated for TED2026 — explore how you can live a healthier life in our high-tech era.Can a five-minute walk change how you feel all day? Exercise scientist Keith Diaz shows how your body is built for the kind of movement that modern life has quietly erased — and suggests something refreshingly doable: making time for small doses of movement sprinkled throughout the day, as a way to boost your brain and body. And stick around after his talk for a deep dive conversation with Manoush into the ideas he shared on stage and beyond.To hear more from Manoush, listen to TED Radio Hour wherever you get your podcasts. Check out her new book, Body Electric, to learn more about the hidden health costs of the digital age. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Manoush Zomorodi, host of TED Radio Hour, takes over as guest host ofTED Talks Daily this week to answer a timely question: What does it mean to be human right now, as technology reshapes everything around us? She brings together seven thinkers — scientists, doctors, parents, an artist — to wrestle with how we stay connected to ourselves, and our bodies, in a world that keeps pulling us away. First up, Manoush is joined by Elise Hu to dig into the ideas that are going to be explored this week. They discuss her new book, Body Electric, which explores the hidden health costs of our sedentary lifestyle, and what we can all be doing to reverse the damages. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When was your last unforgettable trip? Travel industry expert Suresh Subudhi believes joyful moments of connection are the reason we explore the world — but with vacation hotspots overrun and locals pushed to the brink, tourists have become unwelcome guests. Proposing a new way to use technology to stop loving our favorite destinations to death, he shows what travel could look like if we got it right. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Black history in the US is rich, profound -- and at risk of being lost forever, if not for the monumental efforts of Julieanna L. Richardson. As the founder of The HistoryMakers -- the largest national archive of African American video-oral history -- Richardson shares some of the unknown and incredible legacies of Black America, highlighting the importance of documenting and preserving the past for future generations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

AI education researcher Randi Williams has spent years studying how kids interact with technology and toys, and what she's found should make every parent stop and think. She reveals how, as tech companies embed AI inside toys, children are forming strong emotional bonds with machines. Explore what this means for their development — and why a playful fix might start with teaching kids to break the things they love. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You're using your computer wrong, says comedian Alan Resnick. In an absurdist talk, he offers a simple solution to data leaking from your desktop (and desk's top). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is it possible for taking action on climate change to make you feel happy? Behavioral scientist Jiaying Zhao believes that's the only way we'll create lasting, sustainable change. From treat meals to feng shui fridges, she offers eight life hacks to lower your carbon emissions while increasing your joy and fulfillment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The internet was created to connect us, yet many people feel more alone than ever. Reddit cofounder and CEO Steve Huffman explores how social media rewards performance over participation — and offers a timely case for an internet built like a city, with thriving online "neighborhoods" that make space for real human connection. Ready to find your community? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Imagine if one day, your quiet neighborhood came alive with a steady hum… and it never went away? All throughout the United States, data centers are popping up next door and in your backyards. These buildings guzzle millions of water, cause noise pollution, and are raising homeowners' utility bills. In this first episode of a four-part miniseries, Sherrell interviews environmental health scientist Dr. Jacoby Wilson on what happens when data centers infiltrate a neighborhood. They discuss why data centers disproportionately undermine working class communities and how Dr. Wilson is working developing ordinances to better regulate data centers and holding planning commissions accountable.Talk featuredHow to build an equitable and just climate future | Peggy Shepard Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Silvana Konermann and the team at Arc Institute are trying to crack one of science's most difficult problems: why complex diseases like Alzheimer's and cancer remain so stubbornly unsolvable, even as research advances. Her solution is a universal “virtual cell” — an AI model trained on a billion biological experiments that can read the language of human cells, predict what's going wrong and reveal how to fix it. In conversation with TED's Chris Anderson, Konermann explores how this work could fundamentally change the way we discover drugs and treat disease. (This ambitious idea is part of The Audacious Project, TED's initiative to inspire and fund global change.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if the secret to a happy relationship isn't following the rules, but rewriting them? In this refreshing talk, couples therapist Stephanie R. Yates-Anyabwile explores why letting go of traditional societal expectations of romantic relationships — like sharing the same routines or even, in some cases, living together — can help couples embrace their individuality, reduce conflict and build stronger, more fulfilling connections.This episode originally aired in 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Can conflict actually bring you and your partner closer? It depends on how you fight, say Julie and John Gottman, the world's leading relationship scientists. They share why the way couples fight can predict the future of their relationships — and show how anybody can transform conflict into an opportunity for deeper connection and understanding.This episode originally aired in 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sex is as much mental as it is physical -- and imagination is the most powerful tool we have to expand our personal agency and capacity for pleasure, says sexual wellness storyteller Gina Gutierrez. The founder of audio-erotica company Dipsea, Gutierrez creates immersive audio stories designed to open up space to explore your desires and fantasies on your terms. She shares some tips to inspire your sexual imagination and bring joy, confidence and empowerment into your life.This episode originally aired in 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Love is a tool for revolutionary change and a path toward inclusivity and understanding for the LGBTQ+ community. Married activists Tiq and Kim Katrin have imagined their marriage -- as a transgender man and cis woman -- a model of possibility for people of every kind. With infectious joy, Tiq and Kim question our misconceptions about who they might be and offer a vision of an inclusive, challenging love that grows day by day.This episode originally aired in 2016. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We tend to consider romantic partners and family ties to be our most important relationships, but deep friendships can be just as meaningful. In a perspective-shifting talk, author Rhaina Cohen introduces us to the people unsettling norms by choosing a friend as a life partner — and shows why we're all better off recognizing there's more than one kind of significant other.This episode originally aired in 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

14-year-old student Miles Wu is obsessed with origami, transforming everyday scraps of paper into unexpected creations. In a joyful talk, he explores the ancient art form — from making Christmas ornaments and pigeons to folding patterns that can hold 10,000 times their weight — and shows all the possibilities hiding inside a single piece of paper. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Community Notes on X started with a wild idea: Instead of tech companies deciding what's true, what if you let people fact-check each other? Jay Baxter and Keith Coleman, who helped build the crowdsourced system adding context to misleading posts, discuss how the program reduces viral misinformation — and why people across the political spectrum trust it. In conversation with TED guest curator Audrey Tang, they discuss how their "surprising agreement" algorithm could reveal the common ground that quietly exists across a polarized internet. (Followed by a note from TED guest curators Divya Siddarth and Audrey Tang) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Passion doesn't drive work — fascination does, says venture capitalist and author Bill Gurley. Drawing on years of research into the lives of high achievers, he shows why obsessive, lifelong learning is the real engine of career excellence. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2009, marine biologist Sylvia Earle stood on the TED stage and made a wish: to build a global network of "Hope Spots" and protect the ocean before it's too late. Seventeen years later, she's back to report on what's happened since — and the picture is both more urgent and more hopeful than you might expect. From 100,000 fur seals saved from near-extinction to coral reefs rebuilt clam by clam, Earle says we already know exactly what needs to be done; the only thing left is to find the will to do it.(Following her talk, Elise Hu, host of TED Talks Daily, interviews Earle on how she uses AI to gather data on the ocean and what she saw in a one-person submarine surfacing off the coast of Hawaii during a storm.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In celebration of Pride Month, we're revisiting conversations with accomplished LGBTQ+ guests—Carol Leifer, Paul Tazewell, Sonya Passi, Leisha Hailey, and Kate Moennig—about the journeys that led them to fulfilling professional lives and the influences that shaped who they are today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 episode originally aired in 2022.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Coaches kept telling Maxwell Pearce to stick to the fundamentals. Good thing he didn't listen. A Harlem Globetrotter and artist, he went on to build a global reputation for gravity-defying dunks and a theory that the same playful rule-breaking is what powers progress in every field. In this joyful talk, he makes the case that play isn't the opposite of serious work — it's the secret ingredient behind it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

tid127921tidWhen filmmaker Desiree Akhavan told her Iranian immigrant parents she was in love with a woman, she knew they would object. She explains why it's worth the risk to let people get to know the real you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 TED Talks Daily, interviews Patchett on the joys and challenges of owning a bookstore. They also discuss whether audiobooks count as reading, the inefficiency of book banning, and how to raise young people to be readers. Patchett also teases the books she's excited about in 2026.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Larissa 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 to demonstrate how to be honest without being unkind. She also makes the case that compliments are underrated, opens up about her strategies for dealing with envy, and offers a surprising theory of why we overexplain. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 information.

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 Talks Daily, interviews Qasas on our collective responsibility to advocate for peacemaking.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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.

Do you feel like work is taking over your life? Guy Winch is a psychologist and author of the book Mind Over Grind: How to Break Free When Work Hijacks Your Life. In this episode, Anne sits down with Guy at the annual TED conference in Vancouver to discuss the insidious ways work can follow you home and how to set boundaries to avoid burnout. They dig into the harmful effects of after-hours rumination, share practical rituals to help you separate work from the rest of your life, and offer tips on how to take a truly restorative vacation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.