TED Talks Daily

Lawyers are advocates for their clients -- and, in court, they're usually the ones who do the talking. Should that always be the case? In an effort to shift this power dynamic, TED Fellow and legal aid activist Lam Ho shares how lawyers can create space for people to tell their own stories in the courtroom, making them active participants in the legal process and producing surprisingly positive re...

Indigenous wisdom can help solve the planetary crises that colonialism started, says lawyer Jennifer "Jing" Corpuz. Her ancestors, the Kankanaey-Igorot people of the Philippines, are known for creating the Banaue Rice Terraces: centuries-old irrigated mountain terraces that illustrate the magic of humanity living in harmony with nature. Corpuz shares five values that have guided her people as they...

By mastering the Eskista, an ancient Ethiopian dance, TED Fellow Melaku Belay survived a childhood on the streets and became a voice for his country. He shares how traditional dances can connect the wisdom of the past to the energy of the future -- and, after the talk, delivers a thrilling performance of Eskista accompanied by a free-jazz ensemble. (In Amharic with consecutive English translation...

Global consumer strategist Aparna Bharadwaj shares a fascinating glimpse at under-the-radar affinities that transcend cultures and borders -- from the way people snack in China and Saudi Arabia to how people shop for clothes in the US and Russia. "There are patterns where you least expect them," she says -- and paying attention to them just might bring the world a little bit closer. Hosted on Acas...

Millennials and Gen Z will inherit 30 trillion dollars of wealth in the coming decades, and what they do with their money will have an incredible impact on the future of the planet, says impact investor Miguel Goncalves. He makes a case for ESG investing -- or putting money in funds that weigh environmental and social factors -- and proposes a societal shift towards a more sustainable and equitabl...

What does inclusive leadership look like? Artist and TED Fellow Constance Hockaday shares how the captain of a trans-Atlantic community raft taught her how to voice her hopes and desires, inspiring a vision of possibility for the future. Hockaday calls for mentors everywhere to step up and invites aspiring leaders to answer one crucial question in order to unlock their agency and power. Hosted on...

Several crises are set to define the next century -- but journalist Aaron Bastani believes we have the technological ability to meet our biggest challenges and create unprecedented levels of prosperity for all. He shows how we could get there by ditching capitalism as the world's economic operating system and adopting "universal basic services," where governments would freely provide life essentia...

Farming is the worst thing humanity has ever done to the planet, says journalist George Monbiot. What's more: the global food system could be heading toward collapse. Detailing the technological solutions we need to radically reshape food production -- from lab-grown, protein-rich foods to crops that don't require plowing -- Monbiot shares a future-focused vision of how humanity could feed itself...

Depending on your lot in life, you may see the status quo as a result of unearned privilege or a simple reflection of merit. Backed by statistics and personal stories, lawyer Mariam Veiszadeh offers a much-needed perspective check on the quasi-equality touted in business today, calling for real change in workplace diversity and inclusion that routs out biases rather than replicating them. Hosted o...

For anyone who believes poetry is stuffy or elitist, Amanda Gorman -- the youngest inaugural poet in US history -- has some characteristically well-chosen words. Poetry is for everyone, she says, and at its core it's all about connection and collaboration. In this fierce talk and performance, she explains why poetry is inherently political, pays homage to her honorary ancestors and stresses the va...

Right now, hundreds of thousands of people are "stuck" in the US criminal justice system. They've completed all of their requirements for release, but nobody knows it because the system is run on old databases that don't talk to each other. TED Fellow Clementine Jacoby describes how we can fix it -- bringing thousands of people home, reducing costs and improving public safety along the way. Hosted...

When human rights advocate Manu Peni returned to Papua New Guinea from abroad, he built a home for himself using modern techniques -- and promptly learned a harsh lesson on how the newest ideas aren't always the best ideas. Peni calls for us all to rethink who we consider experts, particularly when it comes to building in the face of climate change, showing how Indigenous wisdom must work in harmo...

Nurses represent the front line of health care -- from first breaths to last moments, and everything in between. But there's a vital place nurses are missing in action, says Ben Gran. He makes a compelling case for integrating their invaluable insights and experience into health tech innovation to help make care (and the process of providing it) better for generations to come. Hosted on Acast. See...

The happiest and healthiest people are those who have warm connections with others, says psychiatrist Robert Waldinger, who leads the Harvard Study of Adult Development -- one of the longest-running studies of adult life ever conducted. Exploring the crucial link between social bonds and quality of life, he shares wisdom and insights into how to identify and strengthen the relationships that impac...

What are the planets outside our solar system like? Astrophysicist and TED Fellow Jessie Christiansen has helped find thousands of them (and counting), and the variety is more wonderful and wild than you might imagine. She shares details on the trends emerging from the data -- including the intriguing possibility of "super-Earths" -- and what the discovery of exoplanets means for existential quest...

If we want to better understand the environment and combat climate change, we need to look deep underground, where diverse microscopic fungal networks mingle with tree roots to form symbiotic partnerships, says microbiologist Colin Averill. As we learn more about which of these fungi are most beneficial to forest health, we can reintroduce them into the soil -- potentially enhancing the growth and...

Architecture can't ignore the realities of climate change. For time-tested solutions that perform under extreme conditions, designer Alyssa-Amor Gibbons says we should look to traditional buildings. Taking us to her home of Barbados, where the hurricane season is unforgiving and freak storms are becoming more frequent, Gibbons points to the brilliance of endemic designs that are built to work with...

Why do so many of us wait until a new calendar year to start setting our goals? For today's guest, the author Gretchen Rubin, "there really is no magic to January 1st" -- and the best time to start a healthy habit is just, well, now. Rubin is a podcaster and the author of several New York Times bestsellers, including "Better Than Before: What I Learned About Making and Breaking Habits -- to Sleep...

To close out the year on TED Talks Daily, we wanted to leave you with something special. It's an immersive sound journey through the history of Earth, as told by ecologist and author Stephan Harding. He's had a massive influence on the climate movement and has inspired global leaders to shift their perspective to a Gaian view of life, which respects both the living and nonliving elements of Earth....

For someone who doesn't believe in goal-setting, Emmanuel Acho is highly accomplished. He's a former NFL linebacker, an Emmy-winning TV sports analyst, and the New York Times bestselling author of "Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man" – and hosts a video series and podcast of the same name. Emmanuel shares why he is "anti-goals", how he consistently achieves greatness without pursuing suc...

Your money habits reveal a lot about you: your hopes, fears, dreams and other deep personal truths you may not even be aware of, says accountant Robert A. Belle. He shares how taking stock of your transaction history can unlock surprisingly valuable insights about what drives you to spend (and save) -- and provides practical tips on how to perform an "emotional audit" of your expenses. Join our ho...

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...

This episode is part of the TED Talks Daily end-of-year wrap-up. As 2022 draws to a close, we're sharing some of the most perspective-expanding ideas from the TED Audio Collective to give you a sense of the bigger picture, help you better understand the trends of the past year and get ready for the one ahead. In this episode of After Hours, hosts Youngme, Mihir and Felix share what they loved abou...

A little bit of playtime can have big benefits for a child's developing brain, like a superfood -- but adult participation is a crucial ingredient for best results. Early-education leader Jesse Ilhardt makes the case for you to put down the phone, pick up the make-believe tea cup (or that blanket-superhero cape) and take the time to experiment with imagination during kids' most formative learning...

A lack of infrastructure in parts of Africa has made unregulated, gas-powered motorcycle taxis widespread -- a system that gets people where they need to be, but heavily pollutes the air and excludes drivers from the formal economy. TED Fellow and entrepreneur Adetayo Bamiduro offers his vision for a cleaner, more equitable future, where an electric motorcycle service helps green Africa's transpor...