Philosopher Meghan Sullivan says during tough times, ancient wisdom can serve as a guide. From politics to religion to AI, she poses big questions to help you find out what the good life means today.

TED Radio Hour+ subscribers now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and a behind the scenes look with our producers. A Plus subscription also lets you listen to regular episodes (like this one!) without sponsors. Sign-up at: plus.npr.org/ted

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

Every day, we make countless choices—but are these decisions guided by desire or design? This hour, TED speakers on what shapes the food we eat, how we power our homes, and how we communicate. Guests include food systems expert Sarah Lake, infrastructure engineer Deb Chachra, cross-cultural psychologist Michele Gelfand, urban planner Jeff Speck, and Tempe resident Ignacio Delgadillo. Original broadcast date: May 2, 2025

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

The time has come for humanity to make a choice: Will we build AI to replace humans or enhance them? This hour, the "humanistic AI" philosophy, a test case, and a glimpse into the future of work.

Guests include Siri co-creator Tom Gruber, CENTURY Tech CEO Priya Lakhani and Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev.

TED Radio Hour+ listeners now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and deeper conversations with Manoush. By signing up for Plus, you directly support our work and public media, so all your episodes (like this one!) come to you without sponsor breaks. Learn more at plus.npr.org/ted.

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

Emotions sometimes feel overwhelming and debilitating — but science-backed tools can help us wrangle them. This hour, neuroscientist Ethan Kross shares research from his Emotion and Self-Control Lab. Original air date: March 7, 2025.

TED Radio Hour+ listeners now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and deeper conversations with Manoush. By signing up for Plus, you directly support our work and public media, so all your episodes (like this one!) come to you without sponsor breaks. Learn more at plus.npr.org/ted.


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

Do you see images in your mind? Do you have an inner monologue? Do you have memories you swear are real? Our minds have tremendous variation. This hour, insights on how our brains construct reality. Guests include the editorial director of TED-Ed animations Alex Rosenthal, psychologist John Wixted and love coach Francesca Hogi.

This episode of TED Radio Hour was produced by Katie Monteleone, James Delahoussaye and Matthew Cloutier. It was edited by Sanaz Meshkinpour and Manoush Zomorodi.

Our production staff at NPR also includes Harsha Nahata, Rachel Faulkner White, Fiona Geiran and Phoebe Lett. Our executive producer is Irene Noguchi. Our audio engineers were Damian Herring and Zo van Ginhhoven.


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

“Marty Supreme” stars Timothée Chalamet as a young, brash table tennis player in the 1950s trying to hustle his way to a world championship. One of the characters standing in Marty’s way is played by frequent guest, Pico Iyer, a TED speaker and travel writer who’d never acted before. In this bonus episode, Iyer shares how a TED talk unexpectedly landed him the role and reflects on how this simple game can teach us to play with someone, not just against them.

This bonus episode was released early on TED Radio Hour+. Listeners there get access to regular bonus episodes (like this one) as well as all of our episodes, sponsor-free. That’s because with Plus, you directly support our work and public radio. You can join at plus.npr.org/ted.

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

Can otters be city dwellers? Are aliens real? Do we have to experience misery to understand happiness? On this episode, we investigate how strange bedfellows can lead to radical realizations. Guests include evolutionary biologist Philip Johns, astrophysicist Avi Loeb and author Laurel Braitman.

Original air date: March 21, 2025

TED Radio Hour+ subscribers now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and a behind the scenes look with our producers. A Plus subscription also lets you listen to regular episodes (like this one!) without sponsors. Sign-up at plus.npr.org/ted.

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

Negotiations are a part of life, but too often they end up in an ugly confrontation or stalemate. This hour, TED speakers share ideas on navigating conflicts with more clarity and less fear. Guests include mediator and law professor Alex Carter and linguist Magdalena Hoeller.

TED Radio Hour+ subscribers now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and a behind the scenes look with our producers. A Plus subscription also lets you listen to regular episodes (like this one!) without sponsors. Sign-up at plus.npr.org/ted.

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

MLK Jr., Malcolm X and James Baldwin are household names, but what about their mothers? This hour, author Anna Malaika Tubbs explores how these three women shaped American history. Original air date: February 27, 2026.

TED Radio Hour+ subscribers now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and a behind the scenes look with our producers. A Plus subscription also lets you listen to regular episodes (like this one!) without sponsors. Sign-up at plus.npr.org/ted.


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

Is tech rewiring childhood or exposing what’s already broken? Jonathan Haidt, Catherine Price, and a Gen Z advocate debate social media bans, attention and what “fun” looks like off-screen. Guests include social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, youth online safety activist Maximilian Milovidov and author Catherine Price.

TED Radio Hour+ subscribers now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and a behind the scenes look with our producers. A Plus subscription also lets you listen to regular episodes (like this one!) without sponsors. Sign-up at plus.npr.org/ted.

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