Explore every episode of the podcast The TED Interview
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How to solve the world’s biggest problems with Natalie Cargill | 23 May 2024 | 00:40:34 | |
To get a free copy of the Infectious Generosity book, visit ted.com/generosity | |||
| How much happiness can 2 million USD buy? with Elizabeth Dunn | 16 May 2024 | 00:51:52 | |
To get a free copy of the Infectious Generosity book, visit ted.com/generosity | |||
| New season coming March 21: Infectious Generosity | 14 Mar 2024 | 00:05:38 | |
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. | |||
| Robin Steinberg’s passionate quest to reform cash bail | 20 Nov 2018 | 00:39:14 | |
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 | |||
| Steven Pinker argues that our pessimism about today's world is profoundly wrong | 13 Nov 2018 | 00:56:00 | |
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.
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| Dalia Mogahed on Islam in the world today | 06 Nov 2018 | 00:52:23 | |
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 | |||
| Sam Harris on using reason to build our morality | 30 Oct 2018 | 01:02:24 | |
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 | |||
| David Deutsch on the infinite reach of knowledge | 23 Oct 2018 | 00:59:46 | |
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. | |||
| Elizabeth Gilbert shows up for ... everything | 16 Oct 2018 | 00:58:49 | |
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 | |||
| Coming Soon: The TED Interview | 25 Sep 2018 | 00:01:53 | |
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. | |||
| Frances Frei's three pillars of leadership | 08 Jun 2023 | 01:00:18 | |
A professor at Harvard Business School and expert in work culture, Frei goes into companies like WeWork and Uber with the goal of turning toxic environments into healthy, inclusive spaces. She shares why authenticity, logic, and empathy are the most vital skills an employee can have — and how the measure of a true leader can be seen not just in their presence, but in their absence, too. | |||
| Introducing Good Sport | 08 Feb 2023 | 00:03:34 | |
This week on The TED Interview 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. | |||
| Our Predictions for 2023 | After Hours | 04 Jan 2023 | 00:45:44 | |
Curious about 2023? Youngme, Mihir and Felix from the podcast After Hours are back with their celebrated predictions episode. Who will acquire Spotify? Will Twitter implode? What’s the trend in inflation and energy prices? Who will top the music charts? Space travel for all? Listen in as the hosts outguess each other what the new year will bring. After Hours is another podcast in the TED Audio Collective. If you'd like to hear more, follow the show now wherever you're listening to this. | |||
| The music of David Byrne’s mind | 17 Nov 2022 | 00:39:21 | |
David Byrne views life through many lenses. He’s a musician, author, filmmaker, curator, conservationist, digital music theorist, bicycle advocate, visual artist... the list goes on. But through his many trajectories – from co-founding the acclaimed band Talking Heads to his later solo career, moving into theater and beyond, David is always trying to capture the indescribable. In this episode, he shares how he meshes art, technology, and point of view to tell one-of-a-kind stories, move audiences, and invoke all of us to create masterpieces of our own. David’s latest experiential theater project “Theater of the Mind” is running now through December 18 at York Street Yards in Denver, Colorado. | |||
| The hidden gifts of visual thinking with Temple Grandin | 10 Nov 2022 | 00:31:37 | |
When she was just 18, scientist, industrial designer, animal behaviorist, and autism activist Temple Grandin created one of her most well-known inventions: the hug machine. Inspired by the squeeze chute–a device that holds and soothes cattle before they’re handled–Temple designed a device for her and other hypersensitive people who want to experience being held without overstimulation. In this episode, Temple talks about her long, multifaceted career, and how her neurodivergent mind and its gift for identifying patterns and thinking visually has helped her pioneer groundbreaking research. She also explains how all kinds of brains can contribute to creating knowledge, and shares how neurodiversity is a strength across many disciplines. Temple’s latest book, “Visual Thinking: The Hidden Gifts of People Who Think in Pictures, Patterns, and Abstractions,” is out now. | |||
| Inciting joy with Ross Gay | 03 Nov 2022 | 00:32:56 | |
Nearly every day for a year, American poet Ross Gay sat down and wrote about something that delighted him–from carrying a small tomato plant through an airport to playing a pickup basketball game.The result was his first nonfiction book, “The Book of Delights”, a collection of essays beloved by both critics and fans. These days, Ross is in pursuit of understanding another transcendent human emotion: joy. The author shares what his practice of seeking delight has taught him about life, writing and language, and why he thinks poetry is the best coach for philosophy, mindfulness and gratitude. | |||
| Randall Munroe answers your wildest questions | 27 Oct 2022 | 00:33:34 | |
How many soulmates do you think people have? What if you tried to funnel all the water from Niagara falls through a straw? Do you think it’s possible? if you sold the whole planet for scrap–what parts would be most valuable? You might think these absurd questions are unanswerable, or even pointless, but these are the kind of questions Randall Munroe can’t stop thinking about. Randall is the bestselling author of the books “What If” and “What If 2” which provide serious, scientific answers to absurd questions. He’s also the Hugo-award winning cartoonist behind the popular xkcd webcomics. In this episode, Randall talks through the most intriguing scenarios from his new volume, and shares why absurdist thought experiments actually help us understand the world–and each other–a bit better. | |||
| A future without pandemics? with Mark Smolinski | 20 Oct 2022 | 00:33:20 | |
In 2011, when medical doctor and epidemiologist Mark Smolinski was working as a science advisor for the blockbuster film “Contagion,” the film ran a campaign that asked communities: “What are you gonna do to prepare for the next pandemic?” A decade later, as the president of Ending Pandemics–a social venture that aims to predict, detect, and prevent disease outbreaks on our planet– Mark is still thinking about how we can rid the world of pandemic disease. In this episode, Mark shares why we use big data to track disease, explains how our interconnected ecosystems shape public health, talks about why ending pandemics is an achievable goal, and argues that local communities are the ones who can lead the way in understanding–and preventing–the spread of illness. | |||
| Atul Gawande on why American healthcare desperately needs innovation | 13 Oct 2022 | 00:46:05 | |
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, life expectancy in the United States was 79. Today it’s 76. When compared to other countries like the UK and Japan, where life expectancy is above 80, it’s clear that the U.S. has a lot of work to do. Today on The TED Interview, surgeon, writer, and the Assistant Administrator for Global Health as USAID. Atul Gawande talks about the obstacles the U.S. is facing and how investment in key areas like healthcare innovation, geriatric medicine, and accessible health education, could help Americans live longer, healthier, and more fulfilling lives. | |||
| Exercising your generosity like a muscle with John M. Sweeney | 09 May 2024 | 00:30:21 | |
To get a free copy of the Infectious Generosity book, visit ted.com/generosity | |||
| Linda Villarosa on the hidden toll of racism on health | 06 Oct 2022 | 00:39:55 | |
When Linda Villarosa was the health editor of Essence Magazine, she says she had a one-track mind. A former college athlete, Linda grew up, like many of us, thinking about health on an individual level. But after reporting on environmental justice, the AIDS crisis, and black mother and infant mortality rates, Linda has uncovered just how much culture and public health infrastructure impact life expectancy – specifically for black Americans. Her 2018 cover story on “Why America's Black Mothers and Babies Are in a Life-or-Death Crisis" was a finalist for a National Magazine Award. In today’s episode, she highlights how structural racism impacts community health and talks about why she’s still optimistic about combating health disparities in the country and across the globe. | |||
| Can AI make healthcare human again? with Eric Topol | 29 Sep 2022 | 00:45:56 | |
Eric Topol is a leading health expert whose writing and explainers about Covid-19 have helped people better understand the complexities of the global pandemic. As a doctor, author, and one of the most cited researchers in medicine, Eric has dedicated his time to thinking about the human genome and how digital tools like artificial intelligence can help us individualize and improve medicine. In this episode, he shares his thoughts why he believes healthcare and the doctor-patient relationship feel broken, and how AI can revolutionize–and save–the future of medicine. | |||
| Ed Yong on how animal senses reveal the world around us | 22 Sep 2022 | 00:43:27 | |
Like any animal, humans understand the world through our senses. But unlike other creatures, we can't detect magnetic fields with our bodies, or the flow of water from a fish swimming hundreds of feet in the distance. But Ed Yong wants us to really imagine what it would be like to perceive the world in these ways. In this episode, the Pulitzer winning science writer shares the unique ways that other living species get information about the world–from the melodic data-loaded songs of treehoppers and cicadas, to the olfactory brilliance of an average dog. Listen in for a glimpse at the beautiful animal narratives that lie beyond our restrained worldview that Ed writes about in his new book "An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal The Hidden Realms Around Us", which is out now. | |||
| Mark Cuban doesn’t believe in following your passions | ReThinking w/ Adam Grant | 15 Sep 2022 | 00:44:52 | |
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/RTWAG1 | |||
| Pete Souza, Reagan and Obama’s White House Photographer | Design Matters | 08 Sep 2022 | 00:38:29 | |
Pete Souza has taken some iconic photographs. A former Chief Official White House Photographer for both U.S. Presidents Ronald Reagan AND Barack Obama, Pete’s career has taken him from teaching basic photography in Kansas to taking pictures for National Geographic, Life Magazine, and other dream outlets. In this episode, he talks about carrying out a vision for a project, how he built his unique path in the field, and why he sticks to the old adage that a picture is worth a thousand words. This is an episode of Design Matters with Debbie Millman, another podcast from the TED Audio Collective. For more conversations on how incredibly creative people design their careers and lives, follow Design Matters wherever you’re listening to this. | |||
| A brain implant that turns your thoughts into text | Tom Oxley | TED Tech | 01 Sep 2022 | 00:17:48 | |
"What if you could control 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. This is an episode of TED Tech. Stay tuned after the talk to hear host Sherrell Dorsey talk about the promise and potential of technology when it comes to serving one of humanity's greatest needs: connection. For more ideas on the intersection of tech and humanity, follow TED Tech wherever you're listening to this. " | |||
| How do we fix the restaurant tipping system? with Saru Jayaraman | 25 Aug 2022 | 00:42:24 | |
How often do you go back and forth over how much to tip at the end of a meal? Depending on the state, in the U.S. that choice could be the difference between a livable income or financial mayhem for the workers who served and prepared your meal. But why do consumers have such power–and why are labor wages so tied to tips? Saru Jayaraman is a lawyer, activist and President of One Fair Wage. She is organizing a national movement of restaurant workers, employers and consumers in one of the most important labor battles in the country–one that aims to end subminimum wage and tip-based labor. Listen as she talks about the stakes of minimum wage legislation, the surprising history of this unfair practice, and how the pandemic has changed the labor landscape–for better and worse. | |||
| Michael Schur on every moral question ever | 18 Aug 2022 | 00:49:17 | |
Michael Scott, Leslie Knope, Detective Jake Peralta–television producer and writer Michael Schur has created some of TV’s most beloved sitcom characters on shows like The Office, Parks and Recreation, and The Good Place. Still, his shows and his philosophy are not just about laughs. Today on The TED Interview, Michael Schur talks about the craft of writing the TV comedy, why he is obsessed with philosophy and ethics, and what he’s learned from both the fictional and the real workplace about how humans behave, grow, and love. Michael’s New York Times-bestselling book “How to Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question” is out now. | |||
| Aaron Bastani is thinking about automated luxury…communism? | 11 Aug 2022 | 00:44:28 | |
With such rampant inequality across the globe, it’s difficult to imagine that in the near future, society could be a place of abundance where everyone has education, healthcare, or housing. But for journalist Aaron Bastani, this improved state of affairs is not off limits; in fact, he believes that, with technology, a better world could be closer than we think. In this episode, Aaron speaks to how and why we should leverage the technological revolution to confront the global challenges of the 21st century. You can read more of his ideas in his much-discussed book Fully Automated Luxury Communism. | |||
| Juliet Schor wants a four-day work week | 04 Aug 2022 | 00:37:25 | |
Before labor unions fought for them, society didn’t have weekends as we know them. In the 13th century, the average male peasants in the UK only worked 135 days a year. In a post-pandemic and increasingly virtual world, what is the future of labor? Juliet Schor is an economist and sociologist whose research focuses on work and consumer society. In this episode, she shares her thoughts on modern working practices and how her current research on the four-day work week could help address society’s major problems–from burnout at work, to the effects of work on the climate crisis. Juliet also highlights the fascinating ways we have and might continue to reconfigure business in the 21st century, especially as it pertains to the dynamic–and at times predatory–sharing economy. | |||
| Why true success goes beyond profit with Chobani founder Hamdi Ulukaya | 02 May 2024 | 00:38:08 | |
To get a free copy of the Infectious Generosity book, visit ted.com/generosity Hamdi Ulukaya, the founder of Chobani (a company with expected valuation in the billions of USD) claims to be an “anti-CEO” of sorts. That’s because he cares about one thing more than profit — people. Chris asks Hamdi about how he uses his business to make the world better for both employees and customers, the difference between profit and true wealth, and what we can do, in and outside of business, to combat global inequality. Transcripts for The TED Interview are available at: go.ted.com/TTIscripts | |||
| DeepMind's Demis Hassabis on the future of AI | 28 Jul 2022 | 00:48:48 | |
Demis Hassabis is one of tech's most brilliant minds. A chess-playing child prodigy turned researcher and founder of headline-making AI company DeepMind, Demis is thinking through some of the most revolutionary—and in some cases controversial—uses of artificial intelligence. From the development of computer program AlphaGo, which beat out world champions in the board game Go, to making leaps in the research of how proteins fold, Demis is at the helm of the next generation of groundbreaking technology. In this episode, he gives a peek into some of the questions that his top-level projects are asking, talks about how gaming, creativity, and intelligence inform his approach to tech, and muses on where AI is headed next. | |||
| Jennifer Egan on storytelling in a data-hooked world | 21 Jul 2022 | 00:45:11 | |
Jennifer Egan is a journalist and writer whose novel “A Visit from the Goon Squad” won both the 2011 Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction. Using a unique format—including a whole chapter told through Powerpoint—Egan nimbly explores the mystery and complexity of human life in the digital age. Her newest book, “The Candy House,” poses similar questions around technology, memory, and authenticity. In this episode, the author talks candidly about her creative process, considers the role of the novelist in an increasingly tech-driven world, and makes an argument for why the long-lasting art of fiction has the power to shift and even alter our consciousness. | |||
| Garry Kasparov on chess, technology and democracy | 14 Jul 2022 | 00:41:31 | |
Garry Kasparov is one of the greatest chess players of all time. He was one of the youngest world champions ever, and had a 20-year streak as the world’s top-rated player. But even though he is known as a champion, he is also particularly famous for losing—against Deep Blue. After the IBM computer beat Kasparov, the Azerbaijan native spent much of his career thinking about games, computers, artificial intelligence, and how to beat our fears regarding technology. Now he’s turned his attention to finding a fear-fighting strategy with far higher stakes: the preservation of freedom and democracy. Kasparov has become one of Vladimir Putin’s most vocal critics in recent years. Earlier this year, he opened the TED conference with a stirring call to action in support of Ukraine. In this episode, he looks back on his outstanding career, his advocacy and political activism, and shares his latest thinking on the Ukraine war. | |||
| Chanda Prescod-Weinstein connects history to the stars | 07 Jul 2022 | 00:47:24 | |
The way Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, a theoretical physicist, sees it, Harriet Tubman is the Great American Astronomer. Using the North Star, with no formal training, Harriet Tubman led hundreds of enslaved people to freedom. Chanda is a night sky expert, too. She’s studying the intersections of astrophysics, particle physics, and cosmology, and she’s a leading thinker in understanding dark matter—the invisible particles some postulate could account for most of the matter in the universe. In this episode, Chanda shares how she uses science and the stars not just to uncover how amazing our universe is, but to understand and celebrate humanity’s shared histories—and struggles. Chanda’s latest book, “The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey into Dark Matter, Spacetime, and Dreams Deferred” is out now. | |||
| How to predict the future with Jane McGonigal | 30 Jun 2022 | 00:42:43 | |
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. Jane’s new book, Imaginable: How to See the Future Coming and Feel Ready for Anything―Even Things That Seem Impossible Today is available now. | |||
| Steven Johnson wants to know how enlightenment happens | 23 Jun 2022 | 00:54:31 | |
It’s official, the TED Interview has a new host! In Chris’s last episode as head of the show, he interviews his successor, bestselling science and technology author Steven Johnson. Two self-described intellectual soulmates, Chris and Steven take a deep dive in discussing where ideas come from, how optimism benefits creative ideation, the complex and even controversial process of discovery, and the beauty of what they call the “adjacent possible.” | |||
| Unlocking the mysteries of our brain | David Eagleman | 16 Jun 2022 | 00:57:19 | |
The way that our brain perceives the world is profoundly informed by our senses–so what would happen if we could heighten them—or even create a whole NEW sense? In one of his last episodes as host of the show, Chris Anderson kicks off our series on the future of intelligence by interviewing neuroscientist and author David Eagleman. They’ll decode the mysteries of the brain, consider consciousness and what it means to be human, and dig deep into David’s ground-breaking research on how wearable technology can bypass sensory impairment, translating sound into patterns of vibration for the deaf and hard of hearing. | |||
| What’s on Elon Musk’s mind? | 15 Apr 2022 | 01:06:52 | |
What will it take to build a future worth being excited about? Elon Musk believes we already have the tools that will help us create one, but we must take bold action to get there. In conversation with head of TED Chris Anderson, Musk details how the radical new innovations he’s working on—Tesla’s intelligent humanoid robot Optimus, SpaceX’s otherworldly Starship and Neuralink’s brain-machine interfaces—could help maximize the lifespan of humanity and create a world where goods and services are abundant and accessible for all.
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| The limitless potential of human knowledge | David Deutsch | 26 Jun 2021 | 01:03:39 | |
In an ever expanding world, it can be easy to think of our lives as insignificant. But according to David Deutsch, we all possess one skill that gives each of us infinite reach: our ability to attain knowledge. In the final episode of this season dedicated to making a case for optimism, Chris revisits his interview with the father of quantum computing to explore how knowledge first developed, how it sets us apart and how we can use it to shape a more hopeful future. | |||
| The science and ethics of rewriting our DNA | Jennifer Doudna | 17 Jun 2021 | 00:46:07 | |
Biochemist Jennifer Doudna won the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for pioneering CRISPR, a revolutionary biotech tool that can edit DNA with unprecedented precision and ease. But how exactly does CRISPR work, and what consequences may arise from altering our internal makeup? She talks to Chris about the remarkable effects CRISPR can have on our lives--from eradicating genetic diseases to slowing the climate crisis--as well as the ethical and moral questions we must grapple with when it comes to changing who we are. Can’t get enough TED? Become a member for access to exclusive events, global conversations, and more. Join now: go.ted.com/podmembers | |||
| How to use your time and money for good — as effectively as possible — with Will MacAskill | 25 Apr 2024 | 00:46:24 | |
To get a free copy of the Infectious Generosity book, visit ted.com/generosity William MacAskill is a moral philosopher and the cofounder of the Effective Altruism Movement, a school of thought that tries to answer the question: How can we do as much good as possible? Chris and Will talk about how to use evidence to figure out how to help solve the world’s most pressing problems efficiently. Then, they discuss why focusing our efforts on some issues over others is both a compelling philosophical question — and a complex project to scale up. Transcripts for The TED Interview are available at: go.ted.com/TTIscripts | |||
| Can planting trees really stop climate change? | Thomas Crowther | 10 Jun 2021 | 00:47:38 | |
From governments to airlines to your favorite eco-friendly clothing brand, tree-planting campaigns are everywhere. Reforesting the planet has become one of the quickest, easiest and most ubiquitous ways to reduce our carbon footprint...but is it actually helping to stop climate change? Ecologist Thomas Crowther speaks with Chris about how planting trees can actually hurt the environment -- unless it's done right. In which case, it can be a pivotal solution in our efforts to end the climate crisis. Can’t get enough TED? Become a member for access to exclusive events, global conversations, and more. Join now: go.ted.com/podmembers | |||
| Bonus: How to give a killer speech | How To! | 08 Jun 2021 | 00:29:44 | |
We all have to give a presentation at some point in our lives—on a stage, in a conference room, and, these days, on Zoom. So what makes a good speech? In this episode from How To! science writer David Epstein turns the microphone on Chris to find the answer. Chris breaks down some of the most famous talks of all time and solves an unusual challenge from a 6th-grader named Lucy: can he help her prepare for the biggest speech of her young life? This is an episode of How To!, a podcast from Slate. For more episodes, find it wherever you're listening to this. | |||
| The end of our 50-year stagnation | Tyler Cowen | 03 Jun 2021 | 00:58:19 | |
Some believe our world has changed at a rapid pace in recent decades. From the rise of the internet to the proliferation of startups spinning out inventions, it can certainly seem that way. In this episode, though, economist Tyler Cowen argues that none of this has really transformed the ways we live over the last 50 years. But he contends that now that's changing, as new breakthroughs in science and medicine push us out of the so-called "Great Stagnation" into a new era of meaningful innovation. Can’t get enough TED? Become a member for access to exclusive events, global conversations, and more. Join now: go.ted.com/podmembers | |||
| How to turn grit into a lifelong habit | Angela Duckworth | 27 May 2021 | 01:00:04 | |
What does it take to persevere and succeed, not just in our careers but in all aspects of our lives? For psychologist Angela Duckworth, the answer can be summed up in one concept: grit. She explains the ingredients in grit and the experiences that make one person persist where another gives up — and offers concrete steps to instill grit early in life and sustain it. Can’t get enough TED? Become a member for access to exclusive events, global conversations, and more. Join now: go.ted.com/podmembers | |||
| What it really takes to make change | Jacqueline Novogratz | 20 May 2021 | 01:00:02 | |
From the strikes that transformed the world's view on climate change to the marches that demanded equity and justice for Black lives, there has been a new awakening of people passionate about creating change. As founder and CEO of Acumen, Jacqueline Novogratz decided early on to dedicate her life's work to doing just that. In this episode, Chris talks to Jacqueline (who he also happens to be married to) about the wisdom she gained from abandoning a lucrative career as a banker to start a nonprofit dedicated to eradicating global poverty, and the moral imagination -- and difficult tradeoffs -- she believes are necessary to make a transformative impact on the world. Can’t get enough TED? Become a member for access to exclusive events, global conversations and more. Join now: go.ted.com/podmembers | |||
| How youth gave climate the urgency it needed | Xiye Bastida | 13 May 2021 | 00:44:44 | |
Before the pandemic struck, young people everywhere abandoned their classrooms and took to the streets. Xiye Bastida was a driving force among these youth climate activists in the U.S. Xiye grew up in Mexico, moved to New York at 13 and started organizing school walk-outs to demand a future unruined by climate change. That movement led to one of the biggest global marches the world has ever seen. In this conversation, Chris and Xiye explore how a group of young people shifted the cultural zeitgeist for a problem that is often seen as too vast, and too entrenched, to overcome. Can’t get enough TED? Become a member for access to exclusive events, global conversations and more. Join now: go.ted.com/podmembers. | |||
| Work is never going back to normal | Simon Sinek | 06 May 2021 | 00:46:26 | |
Work as we knew it is undergoing seismic shifts as the pandemic in the U.S. wanes. As some businesses reopen, even people lucky enough to work from home face big questions. What lessons do we take from this past year? How should we lead? How should we talk to each other? How should we even relate to work? Chris turns to Simon Sinek, a thinker and writer on leadership, for some candid guidance in this moment of reinvention. This conversation was recorded in front of a live virtual audience of TED Members. To join us for future recordings, access to exclusive events, global conversations, and more, visit go.ted.com/podmembers | |||
| How COVID vaccines are revolutionizing medicine | Adrian Hill | 22 Apr 2021 | 01:06:41 | |
This past year, scientists racing to stop the novel coronavirus delivered vaccines at a pace and scale the world has never seen before. Adrian Hill, director of Oxford University's vaccine research institute, recounts how he and his team developed the AstraZeneca vaccine. He explains why the challenges were as much about logistics as science, and predicts how the rapid creation of all COVID vaccines could change the pace of medical progress—even in realms beyond vaccines. This episode was recorded on March 8, 2021. Can’t get enough TED? Become a member for access to exclusive events, global conversations, and more. Join now: go.ted.com/podmembers | |||