Was 2017 really the "the worst ever," as some would have us believe? Cognitive psychologist and linguist Steven Pinker shares data that shows: actually, it was one of the best overall. At TED2018, Chris sat down with Steven to take a closer look at the data that suggest the world is improving, and to unpack why so many people find this idea so challenging. To find out more about TED, please visit TED.com.


Find the transcript at:  go.ted.com/interviewpinker

Steven Pinker argues that our pessimism about today's world is profoundly wrong

To get a free copy of the Infectious Generosity book, visit ted.com/generosity 

Sit down with Head of TED Chris Anderson as he interviews  leading thinkers and creators from around the world. The TED Interview is a space for guests to further delve into their groundbreaking work, give us a peek into how they discover and explore fascinating ideas, and, in some cases, even defend their thinking. This season, we’re looking at Infectious Generosity.

Generosity is at the heart of being human. It's how we've co-operated, innovated and grown as a civilization. Following Chris’s book of the same name, this podcast will dive into the idea that through the power of the internet, small acts of thoughtfulness spread to change lives at a scale never experienced before. Welcome to your front-row seat to great conversations with the world’s brightest minds.

And in the spirit of the Infectious Generosity, listeners can receive a free copy of Chris’s book in e-book or audio format. Just visit ted.com/generosity and fill out the short form to receive yours.

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To get a free copy of the Infectious Generosity book, visit ted.com/generosityWhat if the world’s biggest problems could be solved with just some simple math? Natalie Cargill, the founder of strategic giving consultancy Longview Philanthropy, works on finding funding for the most impactful solutions to global issues. In an exciting chat, Natalie and Chris talk about the numbers on what it takes to solve extreme poverty, how to prevent the next pandemic and what kind of money it takes to mitigate other risks to our planet. Transcripts for The TED Interview are available at: go.ted.com/TTIscripts

How to solve the world’s biggest problems with Natalie Cargill

To get a free copy of the Infectious Generosity book, visit ted.com/generosity   How much happiness could be gained if more people had access to wealth? Does the relationship between spending money and happiness change when people are in different economic classes? And if chosen randomly, what would YOU do with $10,000? These are questions that Elizabeth Dunn, a social psychologist and professor, posed in a recent study. She researches how people can optimize time, money and technology to maximize their own happiness. In December 2020, TED teamped up with Elizabeth’s researchers to distribute $10,000 to each of 200 random recipients in seven countries to understand how the use of this cash would contribute to their happiness. The end result was fascinating — and at this live event at the TED2024 conference in Vancouver, Elizabeth and Chris dive into the findings.Transcripts for The TED Interview are available at: go.ted.com/TTIscripts

How much happiness can 2 million USD buy? with Elizabeth Dunn

To get a free copy of the Infectious Generosity book, visit ted.com/generosity   When John M. Sweeney first read about the old Italian tradition of “café sospeso”, he didn’t know he’d create a viral movement. The simple and powerful idea originates in the working-class cafés of Naples, where generous Neapolitans who could afford to do so would buy two coffees — but consume only one, leaving the other for a less fortunate person to claim. Chris chats with John about why he took this concept from an exploratory Facebook page to the Suspended Coffees movement that now has more than 2,000 participating cafes worldwide. They talk about the profound power of random acts of kindness, the beauty of gifting economies and how the philosophy of generosity can change an entire community – and the world at large.Transcripts for The TED Interview are available at: go.ted.com/TTIscripts

Exercising your generosity like a muscle with John M. Sweeney

To get a free copy of the Infectious Generosity book, visit ted.com/generosity

Hamdi Ulukaya, the founder of Chobani (a company with expected valuation in the billions of USD) claims to be an “anti-CEO” of sorts. That’s because he cares about one thing more than profit — people. Chris asks Hamdi about how he uses his business to make the world better for both employees and customers, the difference between profit and true wealth, and what we can do, in and outside of business, to combat global inequality.

Transcripts for The TED Interview are available at: go.ted.com/TTIscripts

Why true success goes beyond profit with Chobani founder Hamdi Ulukaya

To get a free copy of the Infectious Generosity book, visit ted.com/generosity William MacAskill is a moral philosopher and the cofounder of the Effective Altruism Movement, a school of thought that tries to answer the question: How can we do as much good as possible? Chris and Will talk about how to use evidence to figure out how to help solve the world’s most pressing problems efficiently. Then, they discuss why focusing our efforts on some issues over others is both a compelling philosophical question — and a complex project to scale up.Transcripts for The TED Interview are available at: go.ted.com/TTIscripts

Steven Pinker argues that our pessimism about today's world is profoundly wrong

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