The TED Interview – Details, episodes & analysis

To get a free copy of the Infectious Generosity book, visit ted.com/generosity

What if the world’s biggest problems could be solved with just some simple math? Natalie Cargill, the founder of strategic giving consultancy Longview Philanthropy, works on finding funding for the most impactful solutions to global issues. In an exciting chat, Natalie and Chris talk about the numbers on what it takes to solve extreme poverty, how to prevent the next pandemic and what kind of money it takes to mitigate other risks to our planet.

Transcripts for The TED Interview are available at: go.ted.com/TTIscripts

To get a free copy of the Infectious Generosity book, visit ted.com/generosity   

How much happiness could be gained if more people had access to wealth? Does the relationship between spending money and happiness change when people are in different economic classes? And if chosen randomly, what would YOU do with $10,000? These are questions that Elizabeth Dunn, a social psychologist and professor, posed in a recent study. She researches how people can optimize time, money and technology to maximize their own happiness. In December 2020, TED teamped up with Elizabeth’s researchers to distribute $10,000 to each of 200 random recipients in seven countries to understand how the use of this cash would contribute to their happiness. The end result was fascinating — and at this live event at the TED2024 conference in Vancouver, Elizabeth and Chris dive into the findings.

Transcripts for The TED Interview are available at: go.ted.com/TTIscripts

The TED Interview is back for a special season. Chris Anderson, Head of TED, returns as host to investigate the ultimate idea worth spreading: Infectious Generosity. Inspired by Chris’s book of the same name, this season will explore how even small acts of kindness have the potential to spread and impact millions – and ultimately build a more hopeful future for all. Listen in as amazing people and great thinkers share how they aim to change lives at a scale never experienced before.

And in the spirit of infectious generosity, listeners can receive a free copy of Chris’s book in e-book or audio format. Just visit ted.com/generosity and fill out the short form to receive yours.

Tune in next week for the first episode of this new season.

On any given night, 450,000 people in the United States stay in jail without having been convicted of any crime. Most of them are there because they don't have enough money to pay bail. Exasperated at what she saw as a systemic design flaw that primarily affects poor and marginalized people, public defense lawyer Robin Steinberg came up with a plan to fix things. As she explains in this sparky conversation with Chris, that idea is about as bold as they get.

Find the transcript at: go.ted.com/interviewsteinberg

Was 2017 really the "the worst ever," as some would have us believe? Cognitive psychologist and linguist Steven Pinker shares data that shows: actually, it was one of the best overall. At TED2018, Chris sat down with Steven to take a closer look at the data that suggest the world is improving, and to unpack why so many people find this idea so challenging. To find out more about TED, please visit TED.com.

Find the transcript at:  go.ted.com/interviewpinker

Just after 9/11, Dalia Mogahed asked: what do 1.8 billion Muslims really think? In a grand research project with Gallup, she interviewed more than 50,000 Muslims about their lives, their dreams, and the state of their religion. Today, she continues her research on Muslims as the director of research at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding. In this intimate conversation with Chris, she opens up about her own faith and shares what she believes are the most common misconceptions of the world’s second-biggest religion. To find out more about TED, please visit TED.com.

Find the transcript at: go.ted.com/interviewmogahed

Many philosophers draw a hard line between the worlds of facts and values, but not Sam Harris. In this thought-provoking conversation with Chris, he makes the case that reason can indeed answer moral questions, and then explores the many controversies that emerge from that claim. Moral superiority? Cultural superiority? How about moral progress? Chris and Sam dig in to discuss the right ways to think about defining right from wrong, and reason’s role in it all. To find out more about TED, please visit TED.com.

Find the transcript at: go.ted.com/interviewharris

It can be easy to believe that humans are insignificant. We’re specks of dust on a random planet in a vast universe. Less powerful than elephants. Fewer than ants. But David Deutsch believes that’s all beside the point, because humans possess one unique skill: attaining knowledge. David Deutsch – Oxford professor, father of quantum computing, recluse – convinced Chris years ago to take over leadership of TED with his ideas about knowledge. In this mind-bending conversation, the two dive into his theory that the potential reach of knowledge is infinite. They explore how knowledge first developed, why it sets us apart and what all of these heady concepts really mean for our present and future. To find out more about TED, please visit TED.com.

Find the transcript at: go.ted.com/interviewdeutsch

As a writer, Elizabeth Gilbert is notorious for placing her heart squarely on her sleeve. Her best-selling memoir, “Eat, Pray, Love,” was a sensation precisely because of her eloquent, open-hearted descriptions of fear, divorce and wanting everything life had to offer. When she spoke at TED back in 2009, she charmed the audience with her frank descriptions of what happened after the book became a runaway success and her lyrical ideas of the nature of creativity. Nearly ten years later, in this extraordinarily intimate conversation with Chris, she shares why openness, transparency and creativity are still central to her philosophy of life – even when faced with moments of desperation and personal tragedy. To find out more about TED, please visit TED.com.

Find the transcript at: go.ted.com/interviewgilbert

Deep dives into great minds. Season one of this interview series hosted by TED's Chris Anderson launches October 16th, featuring conversations with beloved TED speakers such as author Liz Gilbert, philosopher Sam Harris, Islam scholar Dalia Mogahed, educator Sir Ken Robinson and many more. To find out more about TED, please visit TED.com.