TED Talks Daily

Anxiety helps keep us alive. But how can you tell when it crosses the line from survival instinct to serious problem? For the more than 30 percent of Americans who will experience an anxiety disorder, stigma around mental health problems makes it hard to find out. Dr. Jen Gunter breaks down where those stigmas originated, the science behind our brain's threat-detection system, what makes it malfunction and the most effective ways of treating it.

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Can we, as adults, grow new neurons? Neuroscientist Sandrine Thuret says that we can, and she offers research and practical advice on how we can help our brains better perform neurogenesis—improving mood, increasing memory formation and preventing the decline associated with aging along the way.

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It's obvious that knowing more than one language can make certain things easier -- like traveling or watching movies without subtitles. But are there other advantages to having a bilingual (or multilingual) brain? Educator Mia Nacamulli details the three types of bilingual brains and shows how knowing more than one language keeps your brain healthy, complex and actively engaged. (Directed by TED-Ed, narrated by Pen-Pen Chen)

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Elise Hu, host of TED Talk Daily, sits down with designer Debbie Millman to share advice on stepping into the unknown, paving a new career path and exploring something you've never done before.

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What's the most transformative thing that you can do for your brain today? Exercise! says neuroscientist Wendy Suzuki. Get inspired to go to the gym as Suzuki discusses the science of how working out boosts your mood and memory -- and protects your brain against neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.

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Plastic is everywhere. We know we should cut down on it where we can, but is plastic ever the answer? In this episode of TED Climate, a whole world of plastic you never knew about. Starting with: which bag is best -- paper, plastic or cotton? The answer might surprise you. Host Dan Kwartler breaks down the pros and cons of each bag and which you should carry on your next shopping trip. Then we follow the journey of three different plastic bottles after you throw them away, shedding light on the dangers these disposables present to the world. Plus, three things you can do to put a cap on our plastic problem.

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In a staggering display of creativity and community, theater director Amir Nizar Zuabi introduces "The Walk": a theatrical journey following a nine-year-old refugee girl named Amal (represented by a giant, lifelike puppet) as she makes her way from Turkey to England. Zuabi shares the bold vision behind this cultural odyssey aimed at spreading hope and celebrating the refugee experience -- and joins us live from Turkey as Amal passes through a village.

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The pandemic spurred an unprecedented reclamation of urban space, ushering in a seemingly bygone era of pedestrian pastimes, as cars were sidelined in favor of citizens. Highlighting examples from across the United States, environmental designer Kevin J. Krizek reflects on how temporary shifts -- like transforming streets into places for dining, recreation and community -- can become permanent fixtures that make for more livable and sustainable cities.

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China has pledged to be carbon neutral by 2060 -- and its citizens are helping industries across the country reach that goal. Environmentalist Ma Jun introduces the Blue Map, an app that empowers people to report pollution violations in their communities and track real-time environmental data. The map holds emitters accountable and helps companies along the global supply chain make informed sourcing and procurement decisions. Hear how the app uses the power of transparency to motivate more than 14,000 factories (so far) to clean up.

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African artifacts shown in museums worldwide are often not borrowed, but stolen -- and TED Fellow Jim Chuchu is on a mission to get them back. Learn the sordid history behind how many of the collections in the West came to be, Chuchu’s extensive work tracking and restoring Kenya’s cultural heritage and what these efforts can mean for the wider African continent. An urgent call for institutions to reconsider the morality of the objects they “own” and their significance to the communities from which they were taken.

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