TED Radio Hour

By NPR

What's TED Radio Hour about?

Guy Raz explores the emotions, insights, and discoveries that make us human. The TED Radio Hour is a narrative journey through fascinating ideas, astonishing inventions, fresh approaches to old problems, and new ways to think and create.

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Anthropomorphic

08.16.2019

Do animals grieve? Do they have language or consciousness? For a long time, scientists resisted the urge to look for human qualities in animals. This hour, TED speakers explore how that is changing. Guests include biological anthropologist Barbara King, dolphin ...

TED Radio Hour episodes:

08.16.2019 Anthropomorphic Do animals grieve? Do they have language or consciousness? For a long time, scientists resisted the urge to look for human qualities in animals. This hour, TED speakers explore how that is changing. Guests include biological anthropologist Barbara King, dolphin ...
08.09.2019 Press Play Original broadcast date: March 27, 2015. In this episode, TED speakers describe how all forms of amusement — from tossing a ball to video games — can make us smarter, saner and more collaborative. Guests include neuroscientist Jeff Mogil, comedian ...
08.02.2019 How To Be Better Self-help advice is filled with quick fixes on "living your best life." But there are no shortcuts. This hour, TED speakers search for meaningful ways to reduce stress, gain confidence, and connect. Guests include conflict mediator Priya Parker, activist Brittany ...
07.26.2019 Dialogue And Exchange Original broadcast date: October 27, 2017. We're living in a time of intense ideological division, and it often feels impossible to bridge the gap. But can we afford not to? This hour, TED speakers explore how to communicate across the ...
07.19.2019 Simple Solutions Original broadcast date: November 17, 2017. 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 ...
07.12.2019 Digital Manipulation Technology has reshaped our lives in amazing ways. But at what cost? This hour, TED speakers reveal how what we see, read, believe — even how we vote — can be manipulated by the technology we use. Guests include journalist ...
07.05.2019 7 Deadly Sins Original broadcast date: February 6, 2016. Sinful behavior is human, and nearly impossible to avoid. In this hour, TED speakers talk about the guilty pleasure of behaving badly and the challenge of confronting sin — and avoiding it. Guests include ...
06.28.2019 How We Love Original broadcast date: April 25, 2014. Love is instinctive and essential, but what is it that brings certain people together? In this hour, TED speakers examine the mystery of connection and relationships. Guests include writers Amy Webb and Jeff Kluger, ...
06.21.2019 Moving Forward When the life you've built slips out of your grasp, you're often told it's best to move on. But is that true? Instead of forgetting the past, TED speakers describe how we can move forward with it. Guests include writers ...
06.14.2019 Future Consequences Original broadcast date: September 15, 2017. From data collection to gene editing to AI, what we once considered science fiction is now becoming reality. This hour, TED speakers explore the future consequences of our present actions.Guests include designer Anab Jain, ...
06.07.2019 Climate Crisis There's no greater threat to humanity than climate change. What can we do to stop the worst consequences? This hour, TED speakers explore how we can save our planet and whether we can do it in time. Guests include climate ...
05.31.2019 Prevention Original broadcast date: July 21, 2017. We often know how to plan for the future, but find it hard to take the necessary steps. This hour, TED speakers challenge the inevitable and explore what to do today to prepare ourselves ...
05.24.2019 Setbacks Failure can feel lonely and final. But can we learn from failure, even reframe it, to feel more like a temporary setback? This hour, TED speakers on changing a crushing defeat into a stepping stone. Guests include entrepreneur Leticia Gasca, ...
05.17.2019 Going Undercover Original broadcast date: December 15, 2017. 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 ...
05.10.2019 Jumpstarting Creativity Our greatest breakthroughs and triumphs have one thing in common: creativity. But how do you ignite it? And how do you rekindle it? This hour, TED speakers explore ideas on jumpstarting creativity. Guests include economist Tim Harford, producer Helen Marriage, ...
05.03.2019 Becoming Wise Original broadcast date: June 10, 2016. We usually get wiser with age, but that doesn't mean we have to grow up to wise up. This hour, TED speakers explore what it means to find wisdom at every stage of life. ...
04.26.2019 Keeping Secrets Who should get to keep secrets, and who should demand to know them? In this hour, TED speakers talk about the damage secrets can do, and the shifting roles we play when we keep, or share them. In a special ...
04.19.2019 Failure Is An Option Original broadcast date: July 29, 2016. Failure can be devastating, but it can also make us stronger and smarter. This week, TED speakers explore how failure clears the way for success, in our everyday work, and our innermost lives. Guests ...
04.12.2019 Changing The World What does it take to change the world for the better? This hour, TED speakers explore ideas on activism—what motivates it, why it matters, and how each of us can make a difference. Guests include civil rights activist Ruby Sales, ...
04.05.2019 How Things Spread Original broadcast date: March 4, 2016. What makes an idea, a brand, or a behavior catch fire? This hour, TED speakers explore the mysteries behind the many things we spread: laughter and sadness, imagination, viruses and viral ideas. Guests include ...
03.29.2019 Confronting Racism Racism isn't always obvious, but it can be found almost everywhere. This hour, TED speakers explore the effects of everyday and systemic racism in America—and how we can work to defeat it. Guests include authors Brittney Cooper and Monique Morris, ...
03.22.2019 Shifting Time Original broadcast date: June 19, 2015. We live our lives by the calendar and the clock, but time is also an abstraction, even an illusion. In this hour, TED speakers explore how our sense of time changes depending on who ...
03.15.2019 Don't Fear Math Why do many of us hate, even fear math? Why are we convinced we're bad at it? This hour, TED speakers explore the myths we tell ourselves and how changing our approach can unlock the beauty of math. Guests include ...
03.08.2019 Hardwired Original broadcast date: August 25, 2017. How much of who we are is biology? How much is learned? And how much can we change? This hour, TED speakers on how genes and experience collaborate — and compete — to make ...
03.01.2019 Luck, Fortune, And Chance What makes someone lucky? Can luck be controlled, is it random, or is it based on something else entirely? This hour, TED speakers explore ideas about why some people seem so much luckier than others. Guests include former professional poker ...
02.22.2019 A Better You (Original broadcast date: June 16, 2017.) Many of us are lured by the promise of self-improvement, but find it hard to follow through. In our 100th episode, TED speakers reveal ways to discover our better selves. TED speakers include entrepreneur ...
02.15.2019 Bias And Perception How does bias distort our thinking, our listening, our beliefs... and even our search results? How can we fight it? This hour, TED speakers explore ideas about the unconscious biases that shape us. Guests include writer and broadcaster Yassmin Abdel-Magied, ...
02.08.2019 Finite Original broadcast date: July 17, 2015. In a world with limited resources, can we find ways to salvage what's disappearing? Can we innovate our way out of a finite landscape? This hour, TED speakers explore ideas about living with less. ...
02.01.2019 Gender, Power, and Fairness The Me Too movement has changed the way we think and talk about gender discrimination. This hour, TED speakers explore how the conversation has moved beyond a hashtag, and where we go from here. Guests include Me Too movement founder ...
01.25.2019 Wired For Altruism (Original broadcast date: May 26, 2017). Helping others feels good, but why do some go farther than others? This hour, TED speakers explore ideas about altruism — what motivates us to be altruistic, what limits us and do we ever ...
01.18.2019 Approaching With Kindness We often forget to say the words "thank you." But can those two words change how you — and those around you — look at the world? This hour, TED speakers on the power of gratitude and appreciation. Guests include ...
01.11.2019 Forgiveness Original broadcast date: May 12, 2017. When loss, violence, or betrayal test our willingness to forgive — how do we do it anyway? This hour, TED speakers explore the challenges and benefits of forgiving others — and ourselves. Guests include ...
01.04.2019 Extrasensory Original broadcast date: March 7, 2014. In this hour, TED speakers question whether we can experience the world more deeply by not only extending our senses — but going beyond them. Guests include artist Neil Harbisson, engineer Todd Kuiken, speech ...
12.28.2018 Transformation Are we simply the sum of our experiences? Or can we choose our own path? In this hour, TED speakers share stories of undergoing remarkable transformations despite extraordinary challenges. In a special updated interview, biophysicist Hugh Herr explains that in ...
12.21.2018 The Next Frontier Colonizing Mars or more distant planets seems like science fiction. But becoming a spacefaring species may be in our near future. This hour, TED speakers on living beyond Earth--and whether we should. Guests include NASA Chief Scientist James Green, science ...
12.14.2018 Courage (Original broadcast date: December 12, 2014) What does it mean to be courageous? Is it an automatic response or a conscious choice? This hour, TED speakers examine the nature of courage and what it takes to risk everything to do ...
12.07.2018 Circular We're told if the economy is growing, and if we keep producing, that's a good thing. But at what cost? This hour, TED speakers explore circular systems that regenerate and re-use what we already have. Guests include economist Kate Raworth, ...
11.30.2018 Misconceptions Original broadcast date: November 15, 2013. What if truths we believe in are completely wrong? In this hour, TED speakers move beyond conventional wisdom to reveal complex realities about what we think we know to be true. Guests include writers ...
11.23.2018 Speaking Up Original broadcast date: April 7, 2017. Whether it's asking for a raise or asking for equality, speaking up can be risky — even dangerous. This hour, TED speakers share ideas and stories about taking the crucial step to say something. ...
11.16.2018 Where Joy Hides When we focus so much on achievement and success, it's easy to lose sight of joy. This hour, TED speakers search for joy in unexpected places, and explain why it's crucial to a fulfilling life. Speakers include inventor Simone Giertz, ...
11.09.2018 Quiet Original broadcast date: November 21, 2014. In this episode, we explore ways to find quiet in our busy lives. How can we step back and make time to reflect in an increasingly distracted and hurried world? Guests include environmentalist John ...
11.02.2018 Unintended Consequences Human innovation has transformed the way we live, often for the better. But as our technologies grow more powerful, so do their consequences. This hour, TED speakers explore technology's dark side. Guests include writer and artist James Bridle, historians Yuval ...
10.26.2018 Painfully Funny Original broadcast date: March 24, 2017. Humans have a capacity to laugh even in the hardest of times. This hour, TED speakers describe how they use humor as a weapon and a shield, to ward off doubt, discrimination, and even ...
10.19.2018 The Food We Eat Original broadcast date: November 17, 2016. Food is more than nourishment. It's a source of pleasure — and guilt — and an agent of change. This episode, TED speakers explore our deep connection to food, and where it's headed. Guests ...
10.12.2018 Hacking The Law We have a vision of justice as blind, impartial, and fair — but in reality, the law often fails those who need it most. This hour, TED speakers explore radical ways to change the legal system. Guests include lawyer and ...
10.05.2018 What Makes Us ... Us For thousands of years, we've searched to answer the question: Who are we? Today, science has brought us closer than ever to the answer. This hour, TED speakers share ideas on what makes us ... us. In a brand new ...
09.28.2018 Building Humane Cities Cities are symbols of hope and opportunity. But today, overcrowding and gentrification are hurting their most vulnerable residents. This hour, TED speakers explore how we can build more humane cities. Guests include architects Liz Ogbu and Vishaan Chakrabarti, writer OluTimehin ...
09.21.2018 Getting Better Original broadcast date: February 10, 2017. We expect a lot of our doctors, but they don't always have the best tools to treat us. This episode, TED speakers explore new ways to think about disease, diagnosis, and the delicate art ...
09.14.2018 Decisions Decisions Decisions Original broadcast date: March 10, 2017. Whether you're choosing spaghetti sauce or a life partner, making decisions can be paralyzing. This hour, TED speakers explore how we make the choices we make, and how we learn to live with them. ...
09.07.2018 Dying Well Is there a way to talk about death candidly, without fear ... and even with humor? How can we best prepare for it with those we love? This hour, TED speakers explore the beauty of life ... and death. Guests ...

Older episodes

TED Radio Hour

What's TED Radio Hour about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

TED Radio Hour episodes:

Anthropomorphic

Press Play

How To Be Better

Dialogue And Exchange

Simple Solutions

Digital Manipulation

7 Deadly Sins

How We Love

Moving Forward

Future Consequences

Climate Crisis

Prevention

Setbacks

Going Undercover

Jumpstarting Creativity

Becoming Wise

Keeping Secrets

Failure Is An Option

Changing The World

How Things Spread

Confronting Racism

Shifting Time

Don't Fear Math

Hardwired

Luck, Fortune, And Chance

A Better You

Bias And Perception

Finite

Gender, Power, and Fairness

Wired For Altruism

Approaching With Kindness

Forgiveness

Extrasensory

Transformation

The Next Frontier

Courage

Circular

Misconceptions

Speaking Up

Where Joy Hides

Quiet

Unintended Consequences

Painfully Funny

The Food We Eat

Hacking The Law

What Makes Us ... Us

Building Humane Cities

Getting Better

Decisions Decisions Decisions

Dying Well

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