TED Talks Daily

In this new season of The TED Interview, conversations with people who make a case for ... optimism. Not some blind, hopeful feeling, but the conviction that somewhere out there are solutions that, given the right attention and resources, can guide us out of the dark place we're in. For the first episode: artificial intelligence. Will innovation in AI drastically improve our lives, or destroy humanity as we know it? Head of TED Chris Anderson sits down with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who makes a case for AI's potential to make the future better for all of us -- and explains how his company is leading that charge with an unusual new business model. Listen and subscribe to The TED Interview and more podcasts from the TED Audio Collective wherever you're listening to this.

Which sounds more urgent: "global warming" or "pollution blanket overheating planet"? In this actionable talk, communications strategist John Marshall explains why we need to rethink how we talk about climate change -- and offers small but mighty language adjustments to get people to more intuitively understand and care about this existential threat.

Have you ever misplaced something you were just holding? Completely blanked on a famous actor's name? Walked into a room and immediately forgot why? Neuroscientist Lisa Genova digs into two types of memory failures we regularly experience -- and reassures us that forgetting is totally normal. Stay tuned for a conversation with TED science curator David Biello, where Genova describes the difference between common moments of forgetting and possible signs of Alzheimer's, debunks a widespread myth about brain capacity and shares what you can do to keep your brain healthy and your memory sharp. (This virtual conversation was part of an exclusive TED Membership event. Visit ted.com/membership to become a TED Member.)

Biotech entrepreneur Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw shares lessons learned from the global effort to develop COVID-19 vaccines: namely, the power of collaboration and the importance of equitable access to health care. Learn more about the innovative partnerships that helped create the vaccines -- and how India became a crucial player in the supply chain delivering millions of doses to the world. (This virtual conversation, hosted by TED technology curator Simone Ross, was recorded March 2021.)

Animals are communicating -- but what are they saying? And can we talk back? Marine biologist David Gruber introduces Project CETI: a team of scientists, linguists and AI specialists hoping to decode sperm whale language. Using noninvasive robots and a machine-learning algorithm to collect and analyze millions of sperm whale vocalizations known as coda, the team aims to demystify the communication structures and dialects of these majestic creatures -- and possibly even crack the interspecies communication code. (This ambitious plan is a part of the Audacious Project, TED's initiative to inspire and fund global change.)

All new products must pass through the "valley of death" before they reach the market. Many never make it out, and sometimes that's OK -- if they don't work, don't fill a need or for any number of reasons. One of the fields where this problem is most pressing is zero-carbon technologies. Why is it vulnerable to this trap, and can we change it? Explore how to break the cycle of the funding gap. [Written by Elizabeth Cox and George Zaidan, directed by Lisa LaBracio, narrated by Jack Cutmore-Scott]

Everyone's career will hit some turbulence at some point. Instead of pushing harder against the headwinds, we're sometimes better off tilting our rudder and charting a new course. In this episode, host Adam Grant speaks with people who have taken unusual steps to battle uncertainty, rethought their approach to finding and landing a job and reached out for help in unexpected places -- as well as an expert on recessions who forecasts the future by looking to the past. Listen and subscribe to WorkLife with Adam Grant and more podcasts from the TED Audio Collective wherever you're listening to this.

Companies in the US spend billions of dollars each year on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, but subtle (and not so subtle) workplace biases often cost these initiatives -- and the people they're meant to help -- big time by undermining their goals. DEI expert Joan C. Williams identifies five common patterns of bias that cause these programs to fail -- and offers a data-driven approach to pinpoint where things go wrong and how to make progress instead.

How does an astronaut prepare physically and mentally to launch into space? NASA astronaut Megan McArthur, who traveled to the International Space Station in April 2021 as part of the SpaceX Crew-2 mission, shares stellar life lessons on how to cultivate the resolve to do incredible things through preparation -- and a dash of bravery. A rare glimpse at what it takes to literally shoot for the stars. (This virtual conversation, hosted by TEDWomen curator Pat Mitchell, was recorded in November 2020.)

Business in Africa is booming -- but international companies are missing out, says emerging markets expert Nomava Zanazo. Rushing in without knowing their customers, businesses underestimate Africans and make costly assumptions about their diversity, preferences and buying power. Sharing the basics about what companies need to know to succeed on the continent, Zanazo debunks four myths and misunderstandings about Africa and its citizens -- and invites businesses from overseas to share in its wealth ... once they've done their research.