Before entering the world of financial journalism, Gillian Tett was a cultural anthropologist who studied how the past influences our present thoughts and behaviors. In an entertaining talk, she shows how you can use an anthropological outlook to see the world with fresh eyes and welcome new and different cultural truths into your life.

These days, almost all of us feel pressed for time. Leadership expert Dorie Clark shares three hidden reasons people fall into an endless loop of feeling constantly busy, and invites you to question what really motivates how you spend your time.

We can all play a role in the climate movement by tapping into our skills, resources and networks in ways that bring us satisfaction, says climate leader Ayana Elizabeth Johnson. She suggests drawing a Venn diagram to map these questions: What are you good at? What is the work that needs doing? And what brings you joy? Where your answers intersect is where you should put your climate action effort. “Averting climate catastrophe: this is the work of our lifetimes,” Johnson says.

Nobody really knows how much it would cost to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. Yet historian Yuval Noah Harari’s analysis, based on the work of scientists and economists, indicates that humanity might avert catastrophe by investing the equivalent of just two percent of global GDP into climate solutions. He makes the case that preventing ecological cataclysm will not require the major global disruptions many fear and explains that we already have the resources we need -- it’s just a matter of shifting our priorities.

In the multitude of metaverses that exist there are infinite possibilities for inclusivity and creativity. Inviting us to craft our own digital universes, Minecraft's game director Agnes Larsson shares how the experience of building and sharing metaverses can foster dialogue, friendship and trust -- pointing to the meaningful impact virtual worlds can have on the real world.

Social entrepreneur Bernhard Kowatsch shares real-life examples of how a business approach focused on accelerating tech (like a blockchain-supported way to bring food to refugees or a machine that fortifies flour at small mills in Africa) can help make an impact on big, seemingly intractable problems. "Innovation and technology can create so much good in the world, and together we can solve the world's biggest challenges," he says.

“If we can unlock the full potential of our cities, we can minimize the price the planet pays for hosting us in our growing numbers,” says Marvin Rees, the Mayor of Bristol, UK, who understands deeply how cities can help (or hurt) the environment. Rees notes that while sustainable infrastructure already exists in many parts of the world -- like electric buses in Colombia and freshwater reserves in Singapore -- major investments could make similar innovations more far-reaching and successful. He highlights the pivotal role of city mayors in advocating for a “worldwide network of efficient decarbonized cities” that will bring the world closer to its climate goals.

In times of uncertainty, leaders have a responsibility to inspire hope. Sharing hard-won wisdom, business leader Ken Chenault talks about what it takes to enact positive, enduring change -- and why it's more important than ever to invest in responsible innovation that uplifts people and centers equality and fairness. (This conversation was hosted by TED current affairs curator Whitney Pennington Rodgers.)

To solve the climate crisis, we need to make tropical forests worth more alive than dead, says environmental economist Nat Keohane. Highlighting the urgent need to stop deforestation and the carbon pollution it brings, he details the work of the LEAF Coalition -- a first-of-its-kind public-private partnership that’s channeling one billion dollars into protecting tropical forests -- and shares three building blocks for a robust market for forest carbon that enables economies to thrive while protecting natural resources.

“To see and understand the countryside is a crucial part of moving towards a more livable future for everyone,” says coder, artist and organizer Xiaowei R. Wang. They’ve observed that some of the most careful, thoughtful innovation is happening in the world’s rural communities, like Chinese chicken farmers using biometrics tracking and blockchain to improve supply chain transparency. In this talk, they advocate for a new perspective on the countryside: not as places lacking in tech or digital media literacy but as centers of humble innovation that emphasize community and sustainability.