TED Radio Hour

By NPRSociety & Culture Science Social Sciences Technology

Ranking
2nd
on Social Sciences
Favorites
81,049
Followers
Typical duration
50 min
per episode
If it hooks
51%
finish an episode

Based on Podcast App listening data

TED Radio Hour episodes

October 30 Can curiosity save the wild?
How do we inspire people to care about wild animals without disrupting their lives? This hour, two surprising approaches to getting to know wildlife — and rethinking what it means to protect it.

Guests include conservationist Maya Higa and computational linguist Jeffery Reed.

Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy
50 min
October 23 How we experience time
Why does one hour drag by, but a year can pass in a flash? And how does our relationship with time influence our behavior? This hour, TED speakers share ideas on making the most of the time we have.

Guests include artist Katie Paterson, cognitive neuroscientist Irena Arslanova, the late music director Robert Franz and the late psychologist Philip Zimbardo.

Original broadcast date: May 16, 2025

Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy
50 min
October 16 Have we forgotten how to play?
Play is how we evolved to learn, solve problems, and navigate the world. So why do we treat it as optional? This hour, the science of play — and what happens when we don’t get enough of it.

Guests include psychology researcher Peter Gray, sailor and social activist Tracy Edwards and photographer Stefen Chow.

Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy
50 min
October 09 The shocking power of tiny things
You don't need to be big and boisterous to pack a punch. This hour, TED speakers explore the surprising strength of all things minuscule and fleeting. Guests include microbiologist Anne Madden, cognitive scientist Lera Boroditsky, former educator YeYoon Kim and former industrial engineer and Zen Buddhist monk Bart Weetjens.

Original broadcast date: February 24, 2023.

Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy
50 min
October 02 The women missing from music
Women have been writing music for centuries. Why do we know so few of them today? This hour, TED speakers explore the role of women in music history and how we can remember their contributions. Guests include opera singer and activist Gabriella Di Laccio and Nadya Tolokonnikova, a Russian artist and founder of Pussy Riot.

Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy
50 min
September 25 Life can be so awkward. Here's how to embrace the embarrassing
Forgetting a name, a poorly executed hug, the 7th grade — awkwardness is part of our lives whether we like it or not. But what if we put the embarrassment aside and embraced our awkward selves? Guests include social scientist Ty Tashiro, cartoonist Liana Finck, journalist Melissa Dahl and sex and relationship counselor Erin Chen.

Original broadcast date: April 19, 2024.

Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy
50 min
September 18 Big mysteries explained through your senses
Our senses help us navigate everyday life. But can they also reveal what lies beyond our perception? This hour, TED speakers explore the hidden world through the senses. Guests include astronomer Mark Whittle, chemosensory researcher Paule Joseph and artist Yiyun Kang.

Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy
51 min
September 11 What this musician’s identity crisis teaches us about navigating change
Since childhood, Joshua Roman's life revolved around the cello. But when long COVID forced him to set his cello aside, he had to rethink his approach to life, faith and music.

Original broadcast date: September 26, 2025.

Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy
51 min
September 04 Less guilt, more joy: A new chapter for climate action
Climate action usually means sacrifice: eat less meat, buy less, drive less. What if there's another approach? Researcher Elizabeth Dunn shares climate hacks that help the planet AND make us happier.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy
51 min
August 28 The day the dinosaurs died
What happened in the days, even hours, after an asteroid set off the fifth extinction? A New Jersey quarry, and site of a new museum founded by paleontologist Ken Lacovara, sheds light on the mystery.

Original broadcast date: August 16, 2024

Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy
51 min

About TED Radio Hour

From the publisher's feed

Exploring the biggest questions of our time with the help of the world's greatest thinkers. Host Manoush Zomorodi inspires us to learn more about the world, our communities, and most importantly,…