TED Talks Daily

tid182612tid This is episode one of a seven-part series airing this week on TED Talks Daily, where author and podcaster Manoush Zomorodi — and the seven speakers she curated for TED2026 — explore how you can live a healthier life in our high-tech era. Can a five-minute walk change how you feel all day? Exercise scientist Keith Diaz shows how your body is built for the kind of movement that modern life has quietly erased — and suggests something refreshingly doable: making time for small doses of movement sprinkled throughout the day, as a way to boost your brain and body. And stick around after his talk for a deep dive conversation with Manoush into the ideas he shared on stage and beyond. 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.

Manoush Zomorodi, host of TED Radio Hour, takes over as guest host ofTED Talks Daily this week to answer a timely question: What does it mean to be human right now, as technology reshapes everything around us? She brings together seven thinkers — scientists, doctors, parents, an artist — to wrestle with how we stay connected to ourselves, and our bodies, in a world that keeps pulling us away. First up, Manoush is joined by Elise Hu to dig into the ideas that are going to be explored this week. They discuss her new book, Body Electric, which explores the hidden health costs of our sedentary lifestyle, and what we can all be doing to reverse the damages. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When was your last unforgettable trip? Travel industry expert Suresh Subudhi believes joyful moments of connection are the reason we explore the world — but with vacation hotspots overrun and locals pushed to the brink, tourists have become unwelcome guests. Proposing a new way to use technology to stop loving our favorite destinations to death, he shows what travel could look like if we got it right. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Black history in the US is rich, profound -- and at risk of being lost forever, if not for the monumental efforts of Julieanna L. Richardson. As the founder of The HistoryMakers -- the largest national archive of African American video-oral history -- Richardson shares some of the unknown and incredible legacies of Black America, highlighting the importance of documenting and preserving the past for future generations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

AI education researcher Randi Williams has spent years studying how kids interact with technology and toys, and what she's found should make every parent stop and think. She reveals how, as tech companies embed AI inside toys, children are forming strong emotional bonds with machines. Explore what this means for their development — and why a playful fix might start with teaching kids to break the things they love. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You're using your computer wrong, says comedian Alan Resnick. In an absurdist talk, he offers a simple solution to data leaking from your desktop (and desk's top). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is it possible for taking action on climate change to make you feel happy? Behavioral scientist Jiaying Zhao believes that's the only way we'll create lasting, sustainable change. From treat meals to feng shui fridges, she offers eight life hacks to lower your carbon emissions while increasing your joy and fulfillment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The internet was created to connect us, yet many people feel more alone than ever. Reddit cofounder and CEO Steve Huffman explores how social media rewards performance over participation — and offers a timely case for an internet built like a city, with thriving online "neighborhoods" that make space for real human connection. Ready to find your community? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Imagine if one day, your quiet neighborhood came alive with a steady hum… and it never went away? All throughout the United States, data centers are popping up next door and in your backyards. These buildings guzzle millions of water, cause noise pollution, and are raising homeowners’ utility bills. In this first episode of a four-part miniseries, Sherrell interviews environmental health scientist Dr. Jacoby Wilson on what happens when data centers infiltrate a neighborhood. They discuss why data centers disproportionately undermine working class communities and how Dr. Wilson is working developing ordinances to better regulate data centers and holding planning commissions accountable. Talk featured How to build an equitable and just climate future | Peggy Shepard Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Silvana Konermann and the team at Arc Institute are trying to crack one of science's most difficult problems: why complex diseases like Alzheimer's and cancer remain so stubbornly unsolvable, even as research advances. Her solution is a universal “virtual cell” — an AI model trained on a billion biological experiments that can read the language of human cells, predict what's going wrong and reveal how to fix it. In conversation with TED’s Chris Anderson, Konermann explores how this work could fundamentally change the way we discover drugs and treat disease. (This ambitious idea is part of The Audacious Project, TED’s initiative to inspire and fund global change.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if the secret to a happy relationship isn’t following the rules, but rewriting them? In this refreshing talk, couples therapist Stephanie R. Yates-Anyabwile explores why letting go of traditional societal expectations of romantic relationships — like sharing the same routines or even, in some cases, living together — can help couples embrace their individuality, reduce conflict and build stronger, more fulfilling connections. This episode originally aired in 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Can conflict actually bring you and your partner closer? It depends on how you fight, say Julie and John Gottman, the world's leading relationship scientists. They share why the way couples fight can predict the future of their relationships — and show how anybody can transform conflict into an opportunity for deeper connection and understanding. This episode originally aired in 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sex is as much mental as it is physical -- and imagination is the most powerful tool we have to expand our personal agency and capacity for pleasure, says sexual wellness storyteller Gina Gutierrez. The founder of audio-erotica company Dipsea, Gutierrez creates immersive audio stories designed to open up space to explore your desires and fantasies on your terms. She shares some tips to inspire your sexual imagination and bring joy, confidence and empowerment into your life. This episode originally aired in 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Love is a tool for revolutionary change and a path toward inclusivity and understanding for the LGBTQ+ community. Married activists Tiq and Kim Katrin have imagined their marriage -- as a transgender man and cis woman -- a model of possibility for people of every kind. With infectious joy, Tiq and Kim question our misconceptions about who they might be and offer a vision of an inclusive, challenging love that grows day by day. This episode originally aired in 2016. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We tend to consider romantic partners and family ties to be our most important relationships, but deep friendships can be just as meaningful. In a perspective-shifting talk, author Rhaina Cohen introduces us to the people unsettling norms by choosing a friend as a life partner — and shows why we're all better off recognizing there's more than one kind of significant other. This episode originally aired in 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

14-year-old student Miles Wu is obsessed with origami, transforming everyday scraps of paper into unexpected creations. In a joyful talk, he explores the ancient art form — from making Christmas ornaments and pigeons to folding patterns that can hold 10,000 times their weight — and shows all the possibilities hiding inside a single piece of paper. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Community Notes on X started with a wild idea: Instead of tech companies deciding what's true, what if you let people fact-check each other? Jay Baxter and Keith Coleman, who helped build the crowdsourced system adding context to misleading posts, discuss how the program reduces viral misinformation — and why people across the political spectrum trust it. In conversation with TED guest curator Audrey Tang, they discuss how their "surprising agreement" algorithm could reveal the common ground that quietly exists across a polarized internet. (Followed by a note from TED guest curators Divya Siddarth and Audrey Tang) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Passion doesn't drive work — fascination does, says venture capitalist and author Bill Gurley. Drawing on years of research into the lives of high achievers, he shows why obsessive, lifelong learning is the real engine of career excellence. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2009, marine biologist Sylvia Earle stood on the TED stage and made a wish: to build a global network of "Hope Spots" and protect the ocean before it's too late. Seventeen years later, she's back to report on what's happened since — and the picture is both more urgent and more hopeful than you might expect. From 100,000 fur seals saved from near-extinction to coral reefs rebuilt clam by clam, Earle says we already know exactly what needs to be done; the only thing left is to find the will to do it. (Following her talk, Elise Hu, host of TED Talks Daily, interviews Earle on how she uses AI to gather data on the ocean and what she saw in a one-person submarine surfacing off the coast of Hawaii during a storm.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In celebration of Pride Month, we’re revisiting conversations with accomplished LGBTQ+ guests—Carol Leifer, Paul Tazewell, Sonya Passi, Leisha Hailey, and Kate Moennig—about the journeys that led them to fulfilling professional lives and the influences that shaped who they are today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.