TED Radio Hour
By
The TED Radio Hour is a narrative journey through fascinating ideas, astonishing inventions, fresh approaches to old problems, and new ways to think and create.
Episodes
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Wind energy can be unpredictable. AI can help
Sims Witherspoon is a researcher using AI to fight climate change. She says AI can help solve the biggest problem with renewables like wind and solar: their unpredictable nature.
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Sex ed is awkward. But it doesn't have to be
Talking about sex can make many of us feel uncomfortable. Sex and relationship counselor Erin Chen shares her secret to normalizing "the talk."
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Stop judging yourself and embrace your cringe
Journalist Melissa Dahl went on a mission, researching the nature of "cringe." She hoped to free herself from awkward moments. Instead, she learned from them.
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Anne Lamott reflects on life, death, and 'learning to endure the beams of love'
Anne Lamott has always been honest about the messiest parts of her life, from addiction to parenthood. Now, in her 20th book, she reflects on the beautiful—and complicated—realities of love.
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What happens when Black women start walking en masse?
Black women are dying from preventable, obesity-related diseases, more than any other group in the U.S. GirlTrek co-founder Vanessa Garrison is asking Black women to take one immediate step: to walk.
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What are animals saying to each other? AI can help us eavesdrop
From a bat's shrill speech to a peacock's mating call, environmental researcher Karen Bakker studied the sounds of nature. She wrote extensively on how AI can help translate these conversations.
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Plants don't have brains — but they sure act smart
Plants "eat" bugs, avoid predators and even count. Neuroscientist Greg Gage shows that even without a nervous system, plant behavior can be remarkably sophisticated.
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How moving back to the South could give Black Americans' vote more power
Black Americans' political interests are often overlooked at both state and federal levels. To give Black voters more power, writer Charles M. Blow has a bold proposal: a mass migration to the South.
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Instead of chasing happiness, build deeper meaning into your life
Author Emily Esfahani Smith researched psychology, neuroscience and philosophy to understand what makes us happy. She says we should build meaningful lives rather than follow the whims of happiness.
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Want to live to 100? Here are the 'Blue Zone' principles you should follow
Dan Buettner is an expert on 'Blue Zones' — places around the world where the environment may facilitate longer lives. He shares how we can carry the principles of Blue Zones into our own lives.
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All democracies are fragile—here are the early signs of civil war at home and abroad
Based on her work for a CIA task force aimed at predicting civil wars, political scientist Barbara F. Walter examines the rise in extremism and threats to democracies around the globe and at home.
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The rise of populism and the crisis of liberal democracy
Democracy is being challenged around the world. Political scientist Yascha Mounk says that to fight for democracy, we need to take a hard look at why so many nations are electing populist leaders.