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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Alzheimer's, memory, and how to keep our brains healthy as we age
The prospect of a neurological condition like Alzheimer's or ALS can be terrifying. But these illnesses affect us all. Neuroscientist and novelist Lisa Genova asks us to confront that reality head-on.
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Yaël Eisenstat: Why we need more friction on social media
Facebook profits from being frictionless, says Yaël Eisenstat. But without friction, misinformation can spread like wildfire. The solution, Yaël says, is to build more friction into social media.
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Jennifer Vail: How tribology can change the way you view the material world
Have you brushed your teeth today? Or gotten a shot recently? As tribologist Jennifer Vail explains, these mundane activities are among the many in our daily lives that are made possible by friction.
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Stewart Brand reflects on a lifetime of staying "hungry and foolish"
From hippie culture to the first personal computers, Stewart Brand has been key to some of the most groundbreaking movements of the last century. This hour, he reflects on his life and career.
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Allyson Felix: The precarious crossroad between motherhood and sports
Getting pregnant as a track and field athlete was called the "kiss of death." After becoming pregnant, Olympian Allyson Felix fought to change that by reforming her former sponsor's maternity policy.
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Ermias Kebreab: What do seaweed and cow burps have to do with climate change?
Each year, one cow can belch 220 pounds of the greenhouse gas methane. Animal scientist Ermias Kebreab experimented with alternative cow diets and found a surprising solution: seaweed.
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Jamie Beard: How can we tap into the vast power of geothermal energy?
Geothermal energy is a clean, renewable, nearly limitless energy source. Technologist Jamie Beard wants us to use more of it — and to do that, she's recruiting experts from the fossil fuel industry.
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Andrew Dent: How everyday materials can make innovative new products
Materials scientist Andrew Dent takes us on a tour of the "materials library" where companies can find existing materials to reuse in their products—from chewing gum, to fish scales, to cow manure.
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Gay Gordon-Byrne: Why do big manufacturers prevent you from repairing your own stuff?
Manufacturers intentionally make their products hard to fix. Right-to-repair advocate Gay Gordon-Byrne fights for laws to stop companies from monopolizing repairs and let people fix their own stuff.
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Anna Malaika Tubbs: The forgotten mothers of civil rights history
MLK Jr., Malcolm X and James Baldwin are household names, but what about their mothers? This hour, author Anna Malaika Tubbs explores how these three women shaped American history.
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Nicola Sturgeon: How can small countries have a global impact?
Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon shares ideas on leading Scotland, from her approach to climate change and wellness, to the challenges she's faced as a female leader.
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Shabana Basij-Rasikh: The ongoing fight to educate Afghan girls
In 2016, Shabana Basij-Rasikh created Afghanistan's School of Leadership for girls. When the Taliban took control in 2021, she helped her students flee and continued their education abroad.