Imagine a world where your thoughts are no longer private – where employers, friends, and even companies can see, hack, or exploit your thinking. According to ethicist Nita Farahany, that reality is closer than you think. Nita and Bilawal discuss the rapidly advancing field of neurotechnology and its potential to completely transform our everyday lives, from tools that could help you deeply understand your health to tech that could manipulate your dreams. Nita also shares why we need to protect our "cognitive liberty" and how to exercise our rights to think freely in an age of mind-reading technology.

For transcripts for The TED AI Show, visit go.ted.com/TTAIS-transcripts  

Quantum computers obtain superpowers by tapping into parallel universes, says Hartmut Neven, the founder and lead of Google Quantum AI. He explains how this emerging tech can far surpass traditional computers by relying on quantum physics rather than binary logic, and shares a roadmap to build the ultimate quantum computer. Learn how this fascinating and powerful tech can help humanity take on seemingly unsolvable problems in medicine, sustainable energy, AI, neuroscience and more.

Techno-optimist Vinod Khosla believes in the world-changing power of "foolish ideas." He offers 12 bold predictions for the future of technology — from preventative medicine to car-free cities to planes that get us from New York to London in 90 minutes — and shows why a world of abundance awaits.

This week on TED Tech we’re excited to introduce TED’s newest podcast, Good Sport, hosted by veteran sports producer Jody Avirgan. What can sports teach us about life – and each other? Good Sport brings you invigorating stories from on and off the field to argue that sports are as powerful and compelling a lens as any to understand the world – from what happens when you age out of a sport, to how we do or don't nurture talent, to analyzing how sports arguments have become the mode for all arguments. Good Sport launched on February 8th and you can find it anywhere you’re listening to this. TED Audio Collective+ subscribers on Apple Podcasts can hear the whole season early and ad-free.

As the line between the physical and digital worlds blur, so does the line between real-world and virtual sports. Reframing our understanding of competition, data-driven technologist James Hodge explains how far esports (like virtual Formula 1 race car driving) have come in replicating the conditions of physical sports, making elite competition more accessible than ever before. "This really is the new era for play -- and it's open to everyone," he says.

This week, the TED Audio Collective is releasing a bunch of great episodes about sports, in celebration of the launch of a new podcast: Good Sport with Jody Avirgan. It’s a show that takes sports seriously, as the best way to understand humans and our world. Check it out wherever you’re listening to this.

Imagine a boat that propels by moving its "tail" from side to side, just like a fish. That's the kind of machine that TED Fellow Robert Katzschmann's lab builds: soft-bodied robots that imitate natural movements with artificial, silent muscles. He lays out his vision for machines that take on mesmerizing new forms, made of softer and more lifelike materials -- and capable of discovering unknown parts of the world.

How do we make historically exclusive fields like classical music, fine arts or academic research more accessible to everyone? Education equalizer and violist Matthew Garcia thinks one way to remove barriers is to create free, virtual education programs that connect talented young minds to the resources they need to thrive in their future careers. Learn more about the power of virtual nonprofits to overcome geographic borders and deliver opportunity -- and how you can help every kid reach their dreams.

In 1967, Homer Loutzenheuser flipped a switch and connected the power grids of the United States, forming one interconnected machine. Today, the US power grid is the world's largest machine, containing more than 7,300 electricity-generating plants. So how exactly do these power plants work? Henry Richardson digs into the delicate balancing act of how power grids supply us energy. This TED-Ed lesson was directed by Anna Benner, narrated by Jack Cutmore-Scott and the music by Raphael Tschernuth.

Nearly fifteen percent of the world's population lives with a disability, yet this massive chunk of humanity is still routinely excluded from opportunities. Sharing her experience growing up with an autistic sister, disability inclusion advocate Meghan Hussey illuminates the path towards an inclusive future in four steps, and it starts with an attitude check on assumptions and stereotypes. Designing a world built for everyone is not a "nice to have," Hussey says -- it's critical to the fabric of society. After the talk, Sherrell expands upon how tech that's designed with disability in mind can make for a more thoughtful world.

If you think social media is powerful, keep an eye on immersive video games, says futurist Noah Raford. As more and more people are drawn into gaming and virtual worlds, the communities they forge are spawning real-world social movements. Raford urges us to recognize what's really going on -- and then harness those forces to build the future we want. After the talk, our host Sherrell paints a picture of how physical spaces could be shaped by augmented reality.

This week on TED Tech we are revisiting a talk by digital public servant Amanda Renteria. Millions of people who rely on government welfare services are often discouraged from seeking them out, frustrated by long lines and unnecessarily complicated processes. At Code for America, Renteria is helping develop human-centered technology that "respects you from the start, meets you where you are and provides an easy, positive experience." She details the four factors that hinder effective delivery of government benefits and explains Code for America's plan to bring user-centric, digital-first social services to more than 13 million Americans and unlock 30 billion dollars in benefits for low-income families. (This ambitious plan is a part of the Audacious Project, TED's initiative to inspire and fund global change.)

When it comes to social media risk, there is reason to hope for consensus. Center for Humane Technology co-founder Tristan Harris recently helped launch a new initiative called the Council for Responsible Social Media (CRSM) in Washington, D.C. It’s a coalition between religious leaders, public health experts, national security leaders, and former political representatives from both sides - people who just care about making our democracy work. During this event, Tristan sat down with Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, to discuss the harm caused to our mental health and global democracy when platforms lack accountability and transparency—and identified actions that platforms could take TODAY to make these spaces safer.

This is an episode of Your Undivided Attention, another podcast in the TED Audio Collective. For more episodes, follow the podcast wherever you're listening to this.

Mass surveillance is worse than you think, but the solutions are simpler than you realize, says lawyer, technologist and TED Fellow Albert Fox Cahn. Breaking down the crude tactics law enforcement uses to sweep up massive amounts of data collected about us by our everyday tech, he lays out how new legal firewalls can protect the public from geofence warrants and other surveillance abuses -- and how we might end the looming dystopia of mass surveillance. After the talk, our host Sherrell discusses why laws and technology need to work hand in hand.

AI has the power to bring your favorite fictional characters to life, says technologist Kylan Gibbs. Introducing Caleb, an "AI agent" with personality and internal reasoning, he demonstrates how AI-powered characters can interact with people in novel ways, generate unique video game outcomes and augment our ability to tell stories, opening up new worlds of possibility.

What if you could create new music using your favorite musician's voice? Sharing her melodic gifts with the world, multidisciplinary artist Holly Herndon introduces Holly+, an AI-powered instrument that lets people sing with her own voice. Musician Pher joins her onstage to demonstrate this mind-blowing tech while singing into two microphones -- one that amplifies his natural voice and another that makes him sound just like Holly. Following the talk, Sherrell delves into the exciting promise of this technology -- while also highlighting potentially insidious applications to watch out for.

In this perspective-shifting talk, energy researcher Rose M. Mutiso makes the case for prioritizing Africa's needs with what's left of the world's carbon budget, to foster growth and equitably achieve a smaller global carbon footprint. After the talk, our host Sherrell expands upon the ways some nations have been historically neglected when it comes to climate adaptive technologies and shares commentary from climate tech founder Donnel Baird on advocating for underserved communities.

As climate change accelerates, finding clean alternatives to fossil fuels is more urgent than ever. Social entrepreneur Vaitea Cowan believes green hydrogen is the answer. Watch as she shares her team's work mass producing electrolyzers -- devices that separate water into its molecular components: hydrogen and oxygen -- and shows how they could help make green, carbon-free fuel affordable and accessible for everyone. "This is how we end the fossil fuel era," Cowan says. Following the talk, Sherrell asks some crucial questions about how green hydrogen might realistically be adopted in the marketplace.

What does it take to be a pro gamer? Esports expert William Collis charts the rise of the multibillion-dollar competitive gaming industry and breaks down three skills needed to master video games like Fortnite, League of Legends and Rocket League. And watch out, Collis says: these skills can set you up for crushing it at work, too. After the talk, Sherrell expands upon how gaming transcends online spaces and could pave the road to real-world leadership.

In the multitude of metaverses that exist there are infinite possibilities for inclusivity and creativity. Inviting us to craft our own digital universes, Minecraft's game director Agnes Larsson shares how the experience of building and sharing metaverses can foster dialogue, friendship and trust -- pointing to the meaningful impact virtual worlds can have on the real world. Following the talk, Sherrell explores how these safer metaverses have the power to spill beyond the digital realm and positively impact our entire society.

Could DAOs, or "decentralized autonomous organizations," be the key to building the next great city? Experimental urbanist Scott Fitsimones shares how these mission-driven, blockchain-governed, collectively owned organizations could increase the speed and efficiency of building cities (among many other applications) -- all while pooling decision-making power in a radically collaborative way. Hear about how he started a "crypto co-op" that bought 40 acres of land in Wyoming and learn more about the potential for DAOs to get things done in the future. After the talk, our host Sherrell shares some crucial questions that should be asked when it comes to making this techno-future accessible to everyone.

Growing up in the public eye, multi-hyphenate creator Bryce Dallas Howard experienced the familiar pressure to share her life with the world on social media. But with her mother's steadfast guidance, Howard learned to set personal boundaries and savor the beauty of private moments. In this personal talk, she draws on three generations of family wisdom to remind us that "a private life makes a public life worth living." After the talk, our host Sherrell dives into some of the dangers of oversharing on social media.

Since the 1800s, a handful of oligarchs had controlled nearly all of El Salvador's land, forcing laborers to work for almost nothing. But in 1980, farmers and urban workers formed guerrilla groups to overthrow the US-backed dictatorship. These revolutionaries were attacked from every direction, but a group of rebels refused to be silenced. Diana Sierra Becerra shares the story of Radio Venceremos. This was originally an animated TED-Ed lesson. It was directed by Tomás Pichardo-Espaillat, narrated by Christina Greer, and the music was made by Cem Misirlioglu and Sergio Sayeg. After the lesson, our host Sherrell discusses why tech doesn't need to be complicated to be revolutionary.

From the return of nomadic living to a climate-disrupted world, author and global strategist Parag Khanna has some predictions for humanity. Get a fascinating glimpse at the future as he tackles an urgent question: Where on Earth will eight billion humans live in the uncertain times ahead? This conversation, hosted by TED current affairs curator Whitney Pennington Rodgers, was part of an exclusive TED Membership event. Visit ted.com/membership to become a TED Member. After the interview, our host Sherrell highlights the importance of investing in young talent as science and tech continue to advance.

The universe that we know, with its luminous stars and orbiting planets, is largely made up of elements we can't actually see -- like dark energy and dark matter -- and therefore don't fully understand. Theoretical physicist Chanda Prescod-Weinstein takes us inside the search for this cosmos-shaping invisible matter and explains how, with the help of a new generation of telescopes, we could be closer to demystifying it than ever before. ""The universe is more queer and fantastical than it looks to the naked eye,"" she says. After the talk, our host Sherrell talks about the importance of inclusivity when it comes to who gets credit for technological advances.

(If you want to hear more from Prescod-Weinstein, check out her episode on ""The TED Interview"" podcast wherever you're listening to this.)

Are we mistaking the remarkable skills of tools like ChatGPT with genuine intelligence? AI skeptic Gary Marcus pulls no punches when he warns that believing in the hype of generative AI models might be distracting us from building the type of AI future we actually want. Bilawal and Gary delve into the nuanced perspectives beyond the AI hype cycle, and try to find the common ground between healthy skepticism and techno-optimism.

This is an episode of The TED AI Show with Bilawal Sidhu. For transcripts for The TED AI Show, visit go.ted.com/TTAIS-transcripts 

What’s the alternative to the Silicon Valley unicorn? In this episode of the podcast Your Undivided Attention, co-hosts Tristan Harris and Aza Raskin talk with Mara Zepeda and Kate “Sassy” Sassoon of Zebras Unite about how to create the conditions for humane business, and in turn, humane technology. You can find more episodes of Your Undivided Attention anywhere you listen to podcasts.

Mark Cuban has gone from selling garbage bags door-to-door to selling internet companies for billions, acquiring an NBA team, and becoming a beloved “Shark” on Shark Tank. Mark reveals to Adam how he turns problems into opportunities in entrepreneurship, basketball, and investing. They discuss his latest venture–disrupting the healthcare industry with an online pharmacy and a price-slashing philosophy that makes hundreds of drugs affordable–and why following your passion is not the best way to maintain your motivation. This is an episode of ReThinking with Adam Grant, another podcast in the TED Audio Collective. For episodes on the psychology of the world's most interesting minds, follow ReThinking wherever you're listening to this.

For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/RWAG1

"If we can unlock the full potential of our cities, we can minimize the price the planet pays for hosting us in our growing numbers," says Marvin Rees, the Mayor of Bristol, UK. Rees notes that while sustainable infrastructure already exists in many parts of the world -- like electric buses in Colombia and freshwater reserves in Singapore -- major investments could make similar innovations more far-reaching and successful. He highlights the pivotal role of city mayors in advocating for a "worldwide network of efficient decarbonized cities" that will bring the world closer to its climate goals. After the talk, hear our host Sherrell Dorsey dig deeper into how cities can make sure the future is equitably sustainable.

Over the last decade, humanitarian organizations have digitized many of their systems, from registering refugees with biometric IDs to transporting cargo via drones. This has helped deliver aid around the world, but it's also brought new risks to the people it's meant to protect. Tech and human rights ethicist Aarathi Krishnan points to the dangers of digitization -- like sensitive data getting into the hands of the wrong people -- and lays out five ethical principles to help inform humanitarian tech innovation. After the talk, our host Sherrell shares a practical way to assess the costs and benefits of digitizing aid using Krishnan's principles.

What if you could control your digital devices using just the power of thought? That's the incredible promise behind the Stentrode -- an implantable brain-computer interface that collects and wirelessly transmits information directly from the brain, without the need for open surgery. Neurotech entrepreneur Tom Oxley describes the intricacies of this breakthrough technology, which is currently enrolling participants in human trials, as well as how it could help restore dignity to those with disabilities -- and transform the future of communication. Stay tuned after the talk to hear our host Sherrell talk about the promise and potential of technology when it comes to serving one of humanity's greatest needs: connection.

As prescription drug costs skyrocket in the US, thousands of people are forced to forgo lifesaving medications -- all while manufacturers and health care facilities systematically destroy perfectly good, surplus pills. Kiah Williams shares how SIRUM -- a nonprofit that delivers unused medications to families who need them most -- plans to drive down prescription prices by recycling almost a billion dollars' worth of medications in the next five years. This ambitious plan is a part of the Audacious Project, TED's initiative to inspire and fund global change. Stay tuned after the talk to hear our host Sherrel speak with Jasmine Crowe, the CEO of Goodr: an organization leveraging tech to reduce food waste.

As digital assets like cryptocurrency and NFTs become more mainstream, design thinker and head of Instagram Adam Mosseri believes that creators are uniquely positioned to benefit. These blockchain-enabled technologies could remove the need for a "middleman" in the form of large social media platforms, allowing creators to more freely distribute their work and connect with their audiences. He explains how this new age of the internet will give way to "the greatest transfer of power from institutions to individuals in all time." After the talk, our host Sherrel digs into what blockchain and cryptocurrency could bring to the creator economy.

Digital public servant Amanda Renteria has seen that the millions of people who rely on government welfare services are often discouraged from seeking them out, frustrated by long lines and unnecessarily complicated processes. At Code for America, Renteria is helping develop human-centered technology that "respects you from the start, meets you where you are and provides an easy, positive experience." She details the four factors that hinder effective delivery of government benefits and explains Code for America's plan to bring user-centric, digital-first social services to more than 13 million Americans and unlock 30 billion dollars in benefits for low-income families. This ambitious plan is a part of the Audacious Project, TED's initiative to inspire and fund global change. After the talk, hear our host Sherrell Dorsey and co-founder of Promise Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins highlight the importance of tech that's designed with the people it's helping in mind.

In need of a brief yet illuminating lesson on the obsession with NFTs? Elizabeth Strickler breaks down the acronym and explains the fundamentals of non-fungible tokens, sharing how these digital assets are changing the landscape for artists and content creators looking to cash in on their creations -- in and out of the metaverse. Stay tuned after the talk to hear thoughts from author QuHarrison Terry and our host Sherrell Dorsey on NFTs and equity. from author QuHarrison Terry and our host Sherrell Dorsey on NFTs and equity.

What happens when the data-driven capabilities of AI are combined with human creativity and ingenuity? Shining a light on the opportunities this futuristic collaboration could bring to the workplace, AI expert Shervin Khodabandeh shares how to redesign companies so that people and machines can learn from each other. Hear more after the episode from our new host, Sherrell Dorsey, on the potential promises (and pitfalls) of AI-work integration.

What if you could code just by talking out loud? GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke shows how, thanks to AI, the barrier to entry to coding is rapidly disappearing — and creating software is becoming as simple (and joyful) as building LEGO. In a mind-blowing live demo, he introduces Copilot Workspace: an AI assistant that helps you create code when you speak to it, in any language.

This is an episode of How to Be a Better Human, another podcast in the TED Audio Collective. To hear more episodes, follow How to Be a Better Human wherever you're listening to this. We'll be back on July 22 with a new season of TED Tech—and a surprise.

Work that's dictated by a fixed schedule, place and job description doesn't make sense anymore, says leadership expert Debbie Lovich. In light of the cultural shift towards remote work sparked by the pandemic, Lovich gives three essential tips to leaders so employees can keep their autonomy (while remaining productive), companies can let go of rigid bureaucracy and we can all reshape work to better fit our lives. After the talk, host Modupe Akinola explores the benefits and downsides of attending meetings remotely.

This is an episode of TED Business, another podcast in the TED Audio Collective. To hear more episodes, follow TED Business wherever you're listening to this. We'll be back on July 22 with a new season of TED Tech—and a surprise.

Future forecaster and game designer Jane McGonigal ran a social simulation game in 2008 that had players dealing with the effects of a respiratory pandemic set to happen in the next decade. She wasn’t literally predicting the 2020 pandemic—but she got eerily close. Her game, set in 2019, featured scenarios we're now familiar with (like masking and social distancing), and participant reactions gave her a sense of what the world could—and eventually, did—look like. How did she do it? And what can we learn from this experiment to predict—and prepare for—the future ourselves? In this episode, Jane teaches us how to be futurists, and talks about the role of imagination—and gaming—in shaping a future that we’re truly excited about.

This is an episode of The TED Interview, another podcast in the TED Audio Collective. To hear more episodes—starting with a season all about the future of intelligence—follow The TED Interview wherever you're listening to this. We'll be back on July 22 with a new season of TED Tech—and a surprise.

We all know that information is power; but what if you live in a country without a free press or regular access to the internet? You have to be creative, and find nimble ways to help your community stay informed. That’s exactly what journalists in Caracas, Venezuela are doing by delivering the news every weekday…on public buses all over! Hop on a music-filled and inspiring journey as El Bus TV combats misinformation and arms you with the hope that there’s always a way to take action on the things that matter—wherever you are. This is an episode of Far Flung with Saleem Reshamwala, another podcast in the TED Audio Collective. To hear more ideas from across the world, follow Far Flung wherever you're listening to this. We love making TED Tech, and we want to make it better. So if you have a few minutes, share your thoughts at surveynerds.com/ted

Satya Nadella is a modern renaissance man; he’s a cricket enthusiast, poetry lover, oh, and the chairman and CEO of Microsoft with a nearly perfect approval rating on Glassdoor. Satya has led a transformation at Microsoft, up-ending the culture, and rethinking remote and hybrid work. In this episode, Adam talks to Satya about the future of work, leadership, and building cultures of care. This is an episode of WorkLife with Adam Grant, another podcast in the TED Audio Collective. For more episodes on the science of making work not suck, follow WorkLife with Adam Grant wherever you're listening to this. We love making TED Tech, and we want to make it better. So if you have a few minutes, share your thoughts at surveynerds.com/ted

"We've been promised a future of chrome -- but what if the future is fleshy?" asks biological designer Christina Agapakis. In this awe-inspiring talk, Agapakis details her work in synthetic biology -- a multidisciplinary area of research that pokes holes in the line between what's natural and artificial -- and shares how breaking down the boundaries between science, society, nature and technology can lead us to imagine different possible futures.

We've been hearing about self-driving cars for years, but autonomous vehicle entrepreneur Aicha Evans thinks we need to dream more daringly. In this exciting talk, she introduces us to robotaxis: fully autonomous, eco-friendly shuttles that would take you from place to place and take up less space on the streets than personal cars. Learn how this new technology works -- and what a future where we hail robotaxis would look like.

Lucas Joppa, Microsoft's first chief environmental officer, thinks about climate change through the lens of coding, and he says the world's current net-zero approach simply won't compute. So how do we create a system that actually accounts for all the world's carbon emissions -- and helps us get to zero (as in zero additional carbon added to the atmosphere by 2050)? Joppa shares three "bugs" in our current net-zero code, a four-point plan for fixing them – and how logic can help us change the current course of climate change.

Jamila Gordon believes in the power of human connection -- and artificial intelligence -- to help people who might otherwise be left behind. Telling the story of her own path from refugee to global tech executive, she shows how AI is helping refugees, migrants and those from disadvantaged backgrounds find jobs and develop the skills they need to work effectively and safely.

Today, something a little different: an episode from Your undivided Attention, another podcast in the TED Audio Collective. It's a show that explores the incredible power that technology has over our lives -- and how we can use it to catalyze a humane future. These days, there's enthusiastic talk about the possibilities of decentralized technologies, like cryptocurrencies and 3D printing. But decentralization is cast in a different light when we're talking about decentralized weaponry. Security expert Audrey Kurth Cronin guides us in an exploration of decentralized weaponry throughout history, how social media is a new decentralized weapon, and how to wisely navigate these threats. If you enjoy the episode and want to hear more, find and follow Your Undivided Attention wherever you're listening to this.

AI is reshaping software development so much that someday soon, anyone will be able to build an app or a game. What does that mean for programming now? Bilawal and Thomas Dohmke, CEO of GitHub, explore the soaring possibilities and discuss the lingering concerns as “AI eats software.” Whether you are a coder or a tech enthusiast, think AI will supercharge programmers or fear it will render human coders obsolete, this episode will have your mind racing about the future of tech. Come back on Friday for a TED Tech episode to hear Thomas’s talk from TED2024.

For transcripts for The TED AI Show, visit go.ted.com/TTAIS-transcripts  

"To see and understand the countryside is a crucial part of moving towards a more livable future for everyone," says coder, artist and organizer Xiaowei R. Wang. They've observed that some of the most careful, thoughtful innovation is happening in the world's rural communities, like Chinese chicken farmers using biometrics tracking and blockchain to improve supply chain transparency. In this talk, they advocate for a new perspective on the countryside: not as places lacking in tech or digital media literacy but as centers of humble innovation that emphasize community and sustainability.

What if robots could build and optimize themselves -- with little to no help from humans? Computer scientist Emma Hart is working on a new technology that could make "artificial evolution" possible. She explains how the three ingredients of biological evolution can be replicated digitally to build robots that can self-assemble and adapt to any environment -- from the rocky terrain of other planets to the darkest depths of the ocean -- potentially ushering in a new generation of exploration.

For smallholder farmers in India, agriculture has long been an unreliable source of income -- crops that flourish one season can fail the next, thanks to heat, pests and disease. But climate risk is now making the profession nearly impossible. TED Fellow Sathya Raghu Mokkapati is determined to change that with "greenhouse-in-a-box": a small, low-cost, easy-to-build structure aimed at helping farmers weather sizzling summers, increase monthly revenues and grow more food with less water.