TED Talks Daily

By TEDSociety & Culture

Ranking
31st
on Society & Culture
Favorites
67,529
Followers
Typical duration
14 min
per episode
If it hooks
55%
finish an episode

Based on Podcast App listening data

TED Talks Daily episodes

July 04 Why democracy requires renewal | Michael Dimock
Pew Research Center president Michael Dimock has spent years listening to what Americans think — and what they're telling him right now is pretty dark. But buried in the data is something revealing: people are ready for bold democratic reform that the country hasn't seen in decades. He explores how America's founders didn't create a finished system of government but rather launched an ongoing project that requires each generation to renew, adapt and reimagine democracy. The survey says Americans are ready to do the work.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
17 min
July 03 The path to mathematical superintelligence | Tudor Achim
Generative AI hallucinates, creating a truth problem that science can't afford. Computer scientist Tudor Achim thinks a 400-year-old idea holds the fix: Leibniz's dream of a logical framework where errors are simply impossible. Learn about his idea for mathematical superintelligence that would ground AI in formal verification, turning unreliable chatbots into rigorous partners for scientific discovery.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
16 min
July 02 An immersive record of what the LA fires left behind | Nonny de la Peña
Arriving in the devastated neighborhoods of Los Angeles after the 2025 Southern California wildfires, journalist Nonny de la Peña started scanning the remains — what firefighters called “Nuketown.” Beneath the rubble, her team uncovered a surprising range of things that had survived. From a shockingly undamaged car to family heirlooms in a safety deposit box, see how her team found the story by stepping inside it.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
13 min
July 01 Why countries should measure dreams and ambitions (just like GDP) | Lance Katigbak
What do you want to be when you grow up? It's a universal question — and yet at some point, people stop asking you. Drawing on a nationwide survey across the Philippines, consumer researcher Lance Katigbak makes the case that countries should keep track of their citizens' ambitions and aspirations. His radical proposal: What if governments didn't just track GDP but also started measuring dreams?
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
12 min
June 30 How play boosts your creativity and resilience | Katina Bajaj
When was the last time you just ... played? Creative health scientist Katina Bajaj thinks adults are in a "play deprivation crisis," where we've replaced our fun-loving human nature with optimization and efficiency. She makes the case that play isn't a reward for productivity but rather a survival skill — and invites you to rediscover the freedom of not knowing where something will end up.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
15 min
June 29 You know this song (but the orchestra doesn't) | Jacob Collier and VSO School of Music Orchestra
Jacob Collier walks onstage to conduct an orchestra ... but none of the musicians know what song they're about to play. In a joyful experiment in live music-making, Collier pieces together an iconic song with the VSO School of Music Orchestra (and a little help from the audience in the TED Theater). Turns out, all you need is some improvisational magic.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
17 min
June 28 The unexpected wonders of my son's short life | James G. Robinson | Your Body on Tech
When James G. Robinson's son Nadav was born with a rare heart defect, he feared the worst. What he didn't anticipate were the moments of unexpected wonder. In this profound talk, Robinson traces five years of impossible medical odds, a genetic discovery so strange it felt like fate ... and how grateful he is to have experienced it all. His story is a vivid reminder of what it means to be human — an inexplicable gift, however fleeting.

And stick around after his talk for a deep dive conversation with our guest host for the week, author and podcaster Manoush Zomorodi, into the ideas he shared on stage and beyond.

This is the last episode in a seven-part series airing this week on TED Talks Daily, where Manoush — and the seven speakers she curated for TED2026 — explore how you can live a healthier life in our high-tech era.

To hear more from Manoush, listen to TED Radio Hour wherever you get your podcasts. Check out her new book, Body Electric, to learn more about the hidden health costs of the digital age.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
51 min
June 27 The case for making art in a crisis | Yiyun Kang | Your Body on Tech
We have more data than any generation in history, yet reality has never felt harder to grasp. Artist Yiyun Kang is on a mission to translate the invisible crises of our time — from vanishing fresh water and collapsing ecosystems to the black box of AI — into physical experiences that people can feel. Art isn’t a luxury, she says. It’s essential to understanding and acting on our biggest problems.

And stick around after her talk for a deep dive conversation with our guest host for the week, author and podcaster Manoush Zomorodi, into the ideas she shared on stage and beyond.

This is episode six of a seven-part series airing this week on TED Talks Daily, where Manoush — and the seven speakers she curated for TED2026 — explore how you can live a healthier life in our high-tech era.

To hear more from Manoush, listen to TED Radio Hour wherever you get your podcasts. Check out her new book, Body Electric, to learn more about the hidden health costs of the digital age
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
43 min
June 26 Can Ozempic end addiction? | Dhruv Khullar | Your Body on Tech
What if GLP-1s like Ozempic could do more than just tip the scales? Physician Dhruv Khullar traces the winding path of the "moderation molecule" — from a discovery in Gila monster saliva to a potential diabetes medication and addiction treatment — and how they could quiet the relentless noise of craving. The most surprising effects of GLP-1s may not be in the gut, but in the brain. And stick around after his talk for a deep dive conversation with our guest host for the week, author and podcaster Manoush Zomorodi, into the ideas he shared on stage and beyond.

This is episode five of a seven-part series airing this week on TED Talks Daily, where Manoush — and the seven speakers she curated for TED2026 — explore how you can live a healthier life in our high-tech era.

To hear more from Manoush, listen to TED Radio Hour wherever you get your podcasts. Check out her new book, Body Electric, to learn more about the hidden health costs of the digital age.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
46 min
June 25 Why I’m obsessed with health wearables (and you should be too) | Michael Snyder | Your Body on Tech
Genome researcher Michael Snyder believes health wearables, such as smart watches and glucose monitors, can transform medicine, shifting from reactive to predictive. (In fact, he's such a big fan of these devices that he wears eight of them every single day.) From spotting an illness days before symptoms appear to helping prevent the onset of diabetes, learn why the future of health care may be on your wrist. And stick around after his talk for a deep dive conversation with our guest host for the week, author and podcaster Manoush Zomorodi, into the ideas he shared on stage and beyond.

This is episode four of a seven-part series airing this week on TED Talks Daily, where Manoush — and the seven speakers she curated for TED2026 — explore how you can live a healthier life in our high-tech era.

To hear more from Manoush, listen to TED Radio Hour wherever you get your podcasts. Check out her new book, Body Electric, to learn more about the hidden health costs of the digital age.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
49 min

About TED Talks Daily

From the publisher's feed

Want TED Talks on the go? Everyday, this feed brings you our latest talks in audio format. Hear thought-provoking ideas on every subject imaginable – from Artificial Intelligence to Zoology, and…