TED Talks Daily

"You don't predict the future -- you imagine the future," says sci-fi writer Charlie Jane Anders. In a talk that's part dream, part research-based extrapolation, she takes us on a wild, speculative tour of the delights and challenges the future may hold -- and shows how dreaming up weird, futuristic possibilities empowers us to construct a better tomorrow. This episode originally aired October 14, 2022. For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch. Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links: TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou TEDSports: ted.com/sports TEDAI Vienna: ted.com/ai-vienna Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The rapidly evolving field of protein design is revealing solutions to some of the world’s greatest problems, whether it's blocking a virus, breaking down a pollutant or creating brand-new materials. In conversation with TED’s Whitney Pennington Rodgers, biochemist David Baker explores his team’s Nobel Prize-winning work using AI to design new proteins with functions never before seen in nature — achieving breakthroughs that have fundamentally changed the future of science. (This conversation was part of an exclusive TED Membership event. TED Membership is the best way to support and engage with the big ideas you love from TED. To learn more, visit ted.com/membership.) For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch. Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links: TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou TEDSports: ted.com/sports TEDAI Vienna: ted.com/ai-vienna Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this urgent talk, political scientist Heni Ozi Cukier analyzes the social, economic, political and military conditions that preceded the last two world wars, revealing how historical patterns and today’s geopolitical shifts may be pointing us in a dangerously familiar direction. Connecting past and present, he challenges us to recognize the warning signs — and act before it’s too late. For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch. Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links: TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou TEDSports: ted.com/sports TEDAI Vienna: ted.com/ai-vienna Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As a film and television director, Barry Sonnenfeld had millions of dollars riding on his ability to get his cast and crew to play along — and much of what he learned along the way applies to everyday life. Here, he shares nine bits of wisdom and whimsy gleaned from 40 years in entertainment. So the next time you encounter a screaming bully, you too will know what to do. For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch. Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links: TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou TEDSports: ted.com/sports TEDAI Vienna: ted.com/ai-vienna Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Impact investor and Acumen CEO Jacqueline Novogratz unveils a bold vision to bring off-grid solar electricity to 700 million people still living in darkness, transforming lives while slashing emissions. She asks a thought-provoking question: What if this generation could be remembered for finally bringing electricity — and dignity — to everyone on the planet? For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch. Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links: TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou TEDSports: ted.com/sports TEDAI Vienna: ted.com/ai-vienna Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What can you hear in silence? In this exploration of sound, host of the podcast "Twenty Thousand Hertz" Dallas Taylor tells the story of arguably the most debated musical composition in recent history -- composer John Cage's iconic piece 4'33" -- and invites you to take notice of the soundscape around you. Watch to the end to experience a performance of 4'33". This episode originally aired on August 12, 2020. For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch. Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links: TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou TEDSports: ted.com/sports TEDAI Vienna: ted.com/ai-vienna Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What would it look like if we took friendship as seriously as we take romance? Rhaina Cohen, author of the book The Other Significant Others: Reimagine Life with Friendship at the Center, talks to Chris about the value of platonic relationships. They get into everything from offloading expectations from a romantic partner onto a friend can help improve relationships to how to cope with the loss of a friend to what to do when politics divide friendships. If you want to develop your friendships, Rhaina has tons of practical tips and advice. This episode originally aired on May 19, 2025. For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch. Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links: TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou TEDSports: ted.com/sports TEDAI Vienna: ted.com/ai-vienna Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With his art, photographer Platon seeks to strip away assumptions and leave viewers with a window into his subject's character, filling our eyes with wonder and curiosity. Sharing extraordinary stories of what it's like to photograph some of the world's most prominent figures -- from Michelle Obama and Pussy Riot to Vladimir Putin and Muhammad Ali -- Platon captures the disarming power of empathy and human connection. For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch. Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links: TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou TEDSports: ted.com/sports TEDAI Vienna: ted.com/ai-vienna Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Could a robot ever be funny? In a sharp standup act, comedian Jena Friedman lambasts the mad dash to develop AI and offers a surprising take on why it will never replace comedians. (Contains mature content.) For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch. Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links: TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou TEDSports: ted.com/sports TEDAI Vienna: ted.com/ai-vienna Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You’ve probably had a bad boss, but you might not realize how easy it is to become one. Leadership experts Jamie Woolf and Christopher Bell unpack “power blindness” — how authority can warp your perspective — and share smart, practical ways to break the cycle of toxic bosses for good. Want to help shape TED's shows going forward? Fill out our survey! For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch. Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links: TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou TEDSports: ted.com/sports TEDAI Vienna: ted.com/ai-vienna Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a talk that's by turns heartbreaking and hilarious, writer and podcaster Nora McInerny shares her hard-earned wisdom about life and death. Her candid approach to something that will, let's face it, affect us all, is as liberating as it is gut-wrenching. Most powerfully, she encourages us to shift how we approach grief. "A grieving person is going to laugh again and smile again," she says. "They're going to move forward. But that doesn't mean that they've moved on." This episode originally aired on December 25, 2019. Want to help shape TED's shows going forward? Fill out our survey! For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch. Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links: TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou TEDSports: ted.com/sports TEDAI Vienna: ted.com/ai-vienna Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The US political system is broken — and the solution might be in the palm of your hands, says political strategist Bradley Tusk. Drawing on his deep experience with lobbying and marketing, he makes the case for allowing Americans to vote on their phones, explaining how it can be done safely and securely. Learn why mobile voting could be the best way to increase voter turnout, reduce political extremism and save our broken democracy. Want to help shape TED's shows going forward? Fill out our survey! For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch. Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links: TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou TEDSports: ted.com/sports TEDAI Vienna: ted.com/ai-vienna Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Middle East is a climate hotspot, with many parts of the region set to experience an increase in temperature by five to eight degrees Celsius by the end of the century. Palestinian peace activist Nada Majdalani discusses how the climate crisis could actually instigate a movement towards peace, unveiling the "Peace Triangle" initiative — a visionary plan to transform conflicts in the Middle East through shared water and energy projects. Drawing on her experience in cross-border environmental collaboration, she offers a glimpse of how economic interdependence between Israelis, Palestinians and Jordanians could lead to peace. Want to help shape TED's shows going forward? Fill out our survey! For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch. Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links: TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Barcelona is a city that can’t be separated from its art–you might picture Gaudí architecture, Picasso paintings, or flamenco and jazz spilling onto the streets and into the night. But there’s another art scene that’s breaking into the mainstream from the margins–led by the city’s street vendors, known as manteros. Listen to how this group of people, often immigrants without legal protections or rights to work in Spain, fought to form a union to gain the voice they needed, and ended up creating a global and people-centered fashion-label that highlights human rights in the process. This episode originally aired July 28, 2022. Want to help shape TED's shows going forward? Fill out our survey! For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch. Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links: TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With levity and profound insight, artist Maira Kalman reflects on life, death, dinner parties, not knowing the right answers, the joys of eating a hot dog from a street vendor and more. This talk, interwoven with her delightful paintings, is itself an artwork that seems to hold the entirety of life in all its absurd glory. This episode originally aired Dec 6, 2023. Want to help shape TED's shows going forward? Fill out our survey! For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch. Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links: TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Remember that gut-clenching fear of speaking up in class? Organizational psychologist Rafael Chiuzi reveals how that same feeling shows up in the workplace, limiting productivity and the free exchange of ideas. Backed by decades of research and hands-on consulting, he unpacks the science of psychological safety — and shares three actionable steps to build teams where curiosity thrives and courage replaces fear. Want to help shape TED's shows going forward? Fill out our survey! For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch. Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links: TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a conversation about visionary leadership, M-PESA CEO Sitoyo Lopokoiyit speaks with impact investor and Acumen CEO Jacqueline Novogratz about how he grew a nascent mobile payment service into Africa’s largest fintech platform — which now handles nearly 60 percent of Kenya's GDP and more than a billion dollars in daily transactions. They draw on insights from both of their careers to explore how trust, innovation and moral imagination can unlock opportunity in overlooked places. Want to help shape TED’s shows going forward? Fill out our survey! Learn more about TED Next at ted.com/futureyou For the Idea Search application, go to ted.com/ideasearch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Poet Safiya Sinclair performs "Marigolds: A Letter to Wonder," an original poem she created for TED that explores memory, beauty and the fragility of life. After the poem, she talks with TED's Helen Walters about her writing process — and what it feels like when the creative muse strikes. Want to help shape TED’s shows going forward? Fill out our survey! Learn more about TED Next at ted.com/futureyou For the Idea Search application, go to ted.com/ideasearch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Exhausted from carrying water up a hill to keep her small farm in Kenya thriving, Josephine Waweru received an unexpected call that offered a nearly unbelievable solution. She shares how one simple device allowed her crops (and her dreams) to flourish — and offers a glimmer of hope in the face of growing climate uncertainty. Want to help shape TED’s shows going forward? Fill out our survey! Learn more about TED Next at ted.com/futureyou For the Idea Search application, go to ted.com/ideasearch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a moment that stunned the world in 2019, the famed Notre-Dame in Paris went up in flames, threatening the future of the centuries-old Gothic treasure. Philippe Villeneuve, the chief architect of the cathedral’s restoration, recounts the collective effort to bring the building back to life while honoring its history. Listen for a story of craftsmanship, devotion and innovation — and learn how more than 2,000 hands worked to return this landmark to the world. Want to help shape TED’s shows going forward? Fill out our survey! Learn more about TED Next at ted.com/futureyou For the Idea Search application, go to ted.com/ideasearch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.