Buried

Are deception and secrecy categorically wrong? Or can they be a necessary means to an end? This hour, TED speakers share stories of going undercover to explore unknown territory, and find the truth. Guests include poet and activist Theo E.J. Wilson, journalist Jamie Bartlett, counter-terrorism expert Mubin Shaikh, and educator Shabana Basij-Rasikh.

Avielle Richman was one of the children killed in the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012. She was six years old. Her parents, Jeremy Richman and Jennifer Hensel, recorded this remembrance for StoryCorps.

A father speaks with the school shooter who killed his son.

The brain can seem as mysterious as a distant galaxy, but scientists are starting to map and manipulate its many regions. In this hour, TED speakers take us on a trip through the human brain. Guests include neuroanatomist Jill Bolte-Taylor, neuroscientists Suzana Herculano-Houzel and Nancy Kanwisher, cognitive neuroscientist Rebecca Saxe, and philosopher David Chalmers. (Original broadcast date: February 20, 2015)

In this podcast, we look back on the early days of the AIDS epidemic, when little was known about the disease including just how far-reaching and destructive it would become.

Sometimes, being truthful can be uncomfortable — even risky. But can radical honesty and openness change things for the better? This hour, TED speakers take transparency all the way to its limit. Guests include business writer David Burkus, entrepreneur Ray Dalio, journalist Trevor Timm, and hospital-patient liaison Leilani Schweitzer.

Brandy and Brian remember what they can about their mother, Carey Mae Parker , and how her disappearance shaped their childhoods and the adults they became.

The current opioid epidemic has been called the deadliest drug crisis in American history. In this episode, we listen to people who come from some of the hardest hit areas of the country.

Once invisible details of our lives can now be tracked and turned into data. Will this make life easier or more complicated? This hour, TED speakers imagine how Big Data will reshape our world. Guests include tech journalist Kenneth Cukier, scientist Riccardo Sabatini, data analyst Susan Etlinger, and astronomer Andrew Connolly. (Original broadcast date: September 9, 2016)

Sometimes, the best solutions to complex problems are simple. But simple doesn't always mean easy. This hour, TED speakers describe the innovation and hard work that goes into achieving simplicity. Guests include designer Mileha Soneji, chef Sam Kass, sleep researcher Wendy Troxel, public health advocate Myriam Sidibe, and engineer Amos Winter.