

TED Radio Hour
NPR
Exploring the biggest questions of our time with the help of the world's greatest thinkers. Host Manoush Zomorodi inspires us to learn more about the world, our communities, and most importantly, ourselves.Get more brainy miscellany with TED Radio Hour+. Your subscription supports the show and unlocks a sponsor-free feed. Learn more at plus.npr.org/ted
Episodes
Mentioned books

32 snips
Mar 8, 2024 • 50min
Natural Intelligence: What we and AI can learn from nature
Discover the genius of natural intelligence with topics ranging from the carnivorous Venus Fly Trap to the problem-solving skills of African dung beetles. Explore the resilience and sensitivity of plants, the intelligence in nature displayed by slime molds and crows, and how AI can learn from dragonflies. Learn about the influence of cytokines on mood, the brain-immune system connection, and decoding animal communication with AI and bioacoustics.

25 snips
Mar 1, 2024 • 50min
Memory And The Brain
Neuroscientist Lisa Genova discusses memory lapses, brain functions, and the crucial role of memory in daily life. Explore memory creation, retention processes, and the portrayal of neurological diseases in novels. Learn about Alzheimer's disease, prevention, genetic testing, and the shared humanity in facing neurological conditions.

4 snips
Feb 23, 2024 • 50min
Retracing Their Steps
Exploring the hidden history of slave dwellings, resilience of enslaved people, ancestral roots, and embracing the legacy of descendants. The push for resurgent black power in the South and the importance of acknowledging and preserving ancestral traditions.

9 snips
Feb 16, 2024 • 50min
Heartache
Cardiologist, law professor, pediatric nurse, and climate activist discuss heartache and ways to mend broken hearts. Topics include the impact of emotions on heart health, importance of difficult conversations in relationships, and battling grief as a nurse.

4 snips
Feb 9, 2024 • 51min
Doppelgangers
Guests include author Naomi Klein reflecting on the impact of mistaken identity, aerospace engineer Karen Willcox discussing the potential of digital twins, planetary scientist Sarah T. Stewart explaining the unique relationship between Earth and Moon, and psychologist Nancy Segal sharing insights on the similarities between unrelated twins.

13 snips
Feb 2, 2024 • 50min
What Leadership Looks Like
Leadership is explored through the perspectives of executive coach Patrice Gordon, organizational psychologist Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, former First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon, and educator Shabana Basij-Rasikh. Topics include reverse mentoring, redefining leadership, lessons from losing, reimagining success beyond GDP, changing landscape of leadership, and education and resilience in Afghanistan.

26 snips
Jan 26, 2024 • 51min
Brain Hacks
Legal scholar Nita Farahany shares a heartbreaking experience, and guests explore topics such as rewriting traumatic memories, protecting privacy in the era of neurotechnology, the erosion of cognitive liberty, building a new type of personal computer, brain hacks and brain organoids, and living with epilepsy.

Jan 19, 2024 • 50min
Take Care
Dementia care, navigating the American health insurance system, reflections on transracial adoption, and creating a home-like environment for individuals with dementia are the most interesting topics discussed in this podcast featuring Yvonne van Amerongen, Diana Adams, Sara Jones, and Bill Bernat.

43 snips
Jan 12, 2024 • 51min
Flip the Script
Time management expert Laura Vanderkam, non-profit CEO Aisha Nyandoro, environmental data scientist Hannah Ritchie, and writer Emily Esfahani Smith talk about managing time, balancing work and personal life, finding time for what matters, financial planning, shifting perspectives on climate change and sustainability, achieving sustainability, decline in CO2 emissions, and the power of finding fulfillment in life.

21 snips
Jan 10, 2024 • 1h 5min
Ten Percent Happier with Dan Harris: How to Start A Meditation Practice
Jon Kabat-Zinn, meditation expert, joins Dan Harris on the Ten Percent Happier podcast to discuss practical tips for starting a meditation practice and being more mindful in day-to-day life. They explore the benefits of meditating in bed upon waking up, the significance of posture in meditation, treating meditation as a way of being, the core practice of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, discovering deep motivation, and the power of awareness and mindfulness in breaking free from limited knowledge.