TED Talks Daily

In a blistering talk, Nobel Laureate Al Gore looks at the two main obstacles to climate solutions and gives his view of how we might actually solve the environmental crisis in time. You won't want to miss his searing indictment of fossil fuel companies for walking back their climate commitments -- and his call for a global rethink of the roles of polluting industries in politics and finance. Hoste...

The city of Port Talbot in South Wales is known for a few things: a steel mill, a proudly working class population and a passionate commitment to the arts that produced Hollywood superstars Richard Burton and Anthony Hopkins. In this sweet, personal talk, actor Michael Sheen shares how he was also able to take advantage of all the city had to offer, why he's worried that a change in approach to ar...

Climate action is speeding up -- and we each have the power to push that transformation forward. As the head of the UNFCCC, the UN's entity supporting the global response to climate change, Simon Stiell points to clear social and technological signals that show we're at the tipping points of a green revolution -- and invites us all to apply our unique skills to defending the planet against the cat...

Experiential artist Lucas Rizzotto was going through a tough breakup, so he did what anyone would do: he built a personal time machine. In a playful talk, he shares how his free-ranging experimentation led to various delightful, unexpected innovations that are changing how people think about the relationship between technology and art. "Technology gives us the tools, but art shows us the way," he...

As a neurodivergent child going to school far from home, Misan Harriman found solace in the internet -- "an endless library of the extraordinary," as he calls it. In this powerful talk, he shares his journey as a self-taught photographer of extraordinary range, from covering the greatest civil rights movements of our lifetimes to becoming the first Black man to shoot a cover for British Vogue. A r...

What if we could use waste to create resilient and sustainable buildings? Bringing out the beauty of the dirt beneath our feet, climate-responsive architect Vinu Daniel shares how he and his team are giving local and discarded materials (think: mud, plastic and used tires) a second life by using them to create dreamlike homes, schools and other public spaces. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy...

When does vision loss become blindness? Writer, audio producer and editor Andrew Leland explains how his gradual loss of vision revealed a paradoxical truth about blindness -- and shows why it might have implications for how all of us see the world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sharing the inside scoop on how the world's largest food company aims to reach net zero by 2050, Nestlé North America CEO Steve Presley joins TED's Lindsay Levin to discuss the progress they've made so far and where they're investing for sustainability. A big focus will be regenerative agriculture -- producing food in a way that helps the planet instead of harming it -- by working with farmers and...

What if we could harness the power and value of all that we discard? Circular economy builder Garry Cooper presents a compelling vision for transforming cities into sustainable, circular economies, citing real-world examples of how repurposing materials from buildings to office furniture can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, create jobs and foster economic growth. A hopeful reminder o...

It's 1999, and sixteen years after its original release, a new Star Wars is finally coming. Fans have been camping out in front of theaters across the country just to be the first to see it. The beloved intergalactic saga is set to debut a slew of brand new characters, one of whom is a revolutionary CGI creation named Jar Jar Binks. Whispers begin to spread about big changes coming to the galaxy f...

2023 Audacious Project grantee Wanjira Mathai is at the forefront of re-greening the planet. Through the forest restoration initiative Restore Local, she's working to help both Africa's people and its landscapes flourish. Learn more about how her team invests in local restoration projects across the continent -- including a tree-growing movement that aims to revitalize 100 million hectares of Afri...

Climate justice is taking center stage -- geopolitically, socially and morally. In a contagiously courageous conversation, Member of Parliament in the UK David Lammy and Tennessee state representative Justin J. Pearson discuss how brave leadership can shepherd global movements and uplift historically marginalized communities in the face of humanity's greatest challenge: climate change. "We must ha...

Megafires, or fires that burn more than 100,000 acres, are becoming more frequent worldwide, wreaking havoc on landscapes and communities -- and fire experts say the problem is only going to get worse. George T. Whitesides is focused on fighting these devastating natural disasters through innovative technologies and intentional changes to how we build communities. He presents three emerging soluti...

Opinions about remote work are plentiful and conflicting -- but what does the research say? Organizational design expert Mark Mortensen identifies the challenges of navigating the hybrid work debate and shares three conversation topics every workplace should explore as people change the way they show up on the job. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If we're going to solve the climate crisis, we need to talk about supply chains, says biodiversity champion and 2023 Audacious grantee Nicole Rycroft. Her organization, Canopy, partners with key industry leaders to overhaul their base materials in favor of more sustainable alternatives. Learn more about how they're shifting production of everything from T-shirts to the Harry Potter book series out...

How can cities become resilient to the shocks of climate change? As a leading force behind Detroit's ongoing revitalization, Anika Goss spends a lot of time thinking about this question. Connecting the city's industrial past to its sustainable future, she explores the link between climate vulnerability and economic inequity, offering a vision for responding to both challenges at once. Hosted on Ac...

What's it like keeping the lights on during war? Ukrainian energy executive Maxim Timchenko shares how his company has diversified Ukraine's power structures to survive Russian attacks, highlighting the resilience of renewable energy. Hear more about Ukraine's present-day challenges, how it's become a testing ground in the global fight against climate change and the transformative path towards sus...

Decision theorist Eliezer Yudkowsky has a simple message: superintelligent AI could probably kill us all. So the question becomes: Is it possible to build powerful artificial minds that are obedient, even benevolent? In a fiery talk, Yudkowsky explores why we need to act immediately to ensure smarter-than-human AI systems don't lead to our extinction. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for mor...

Lethal drones with facial recognition, armed robots, autonomous fighter jets: we're at the dawn of a new age of AI-powered warfare, says technologist Alexandr Wang. He explores why data will be the secret weapon in this uncharted landscape and emphasizes the need to consider national security when developing new tech -- or potentially face all-out AI warfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy...

Education activist and 2023 Audacious Project grantee Angeline Murimirwa knows the power of educating girls, especially in places where they may not have easy access to schooling. But she says that's not enough. In an inspiring talk, she clarifies why a support network around girls -- from the moment they enter the classroom to years after they graduate -- makes a radical difference for their live...

We tend to think of evolution as a slow, gradual process playing out over millions of years. But evolutionary biologist Shane Campbell-Staton says nature is now changing at breakneck speed to keep up with the world humanity has built. From tuskless elephants who escape poachers to wolves living in the radioactive Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, Campbell-Staton unpacks how life is rapidly adapting in sur...

Humans have always been captivated by beauty, and for almost as long, we've been marketed products and new technologies to help us achieve certain beauty standards. Elise Hu is a journalist and the author of "Flawless: Lessons in looks and culture from the K-beauty industry." In this episode, she shares the fascinating insights she's learned from years of studying the $10 billion K-beauty industry...

If a diverse workforce makes a better company, why don’t more businesses hire internationally? Innovation and migration strategist Johann Daniel Harnoss details the advantage of global talent and how to best build the systems and culture to welcome immigrants to your staff. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tapping into the transformational power of costume, concept artist Machine Dazzle takes us on a maximalist journey through art, history and fashion. From a jaw-droppingly intricate '60s bouffant ensemble to a 24-hour show of extravagant outfits, Dazzle shares pieces that channel unrealized dreams, urging us all to fully embrace the beautiful complexity of being ourselves. Hosted on Acast. See acas...

How can we move past society's inclination to box people in with binary thinking and labels? Social work professor Jioji Ravulo believes we need to embrace multiplicity, exploring how Indigenous perspectives can help create more welcoming, collective communities for everyone. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.