How to Be a Better Human

Christian Cooper, science writer and host of “Extraordinary Birder With Christian Cooper”, discusses the pleasures of birding, the importance of inclusion in nature, and how anyone can connect with the awe and wonder of the world. He shares a powerful anecdote about correcting a professional birder's identification and earning their mentorship. Christian also provides a valuable birding tip on using binoculars for bird watching.

Shankar Vedantam, science writer and creator/host of the podcast 'Hidden Brain', shares his fascination with the human experience and the concept of the Hidden Brain. He explores the unknowability of our future selves and discusses the importance of actively reflecting on personal growth and making choices that align with our values.

Dr. Becky Kennedy, Millennial Parenting Whisperer, shares insights on how to raise confident and resilient kids. She also discusses relationship-mending skills for adults. Topics include repair in parenting, the changing nature of memory, separating core identity from behaviors, and the power of active listening and validation.

Andrew Leland shares his experience transitioning into blindness and the lessons it taught him about life and change. He discusses the culture of blindness and disability, finding joy in accessibility, and the importance of acceptance. The podcast also explores topics like identity, writing, ableism, and the marginalized identity of disability.

American political scientist Margaret Levi discusses the history and importance of labor unions in creating workplace protections, equality, and worker rights. She emphasizes the need for a revival of the labor movement and expresses optimism about today's young workforce. The episode explores the decline in union rates, obstacles faced by workers, and the power of labor unions in empowering workers and shaping the narrative.

Therapist and bestselling author Lori Gottlieb explains how changing our personal narrative can lead to happiness. She discusses the stages of change, the importance of relationships, and finding a good therapist. Through her experiences, she emphasizes the power of being aware of our personal narrative and being willing to edit our story.

Aparna Nancherla, comedian and author of Unreliable Narrator, talks about impostor syndrome and shares strategies for dealing with it like creating a resume of failures and using made-up words. She also discusses the distortion of popular terms and how she found success in comedy on her own terms.

What if you could tell your co-workers what you really think of them? At one of the world’s most successful hedge funds, everyone is rated and ranked constantly – in front of everyone. They’ve figured out how to embrace negative feedback, and they swear it’s essential to their success. Adam Grant shows how you can learn to take criticism well – and get better at dishing it out.This is an episode of WorkLife with Adam Grant, another podcast in the TED Audio Collective. WorkLife's sixth season comes out September 19th. To listen to more WorkLife with Adam Grant now find and follow WorkLife wherever you're listening to this. Find the transcript for this episode at go.ted.com/worklifecriticismFor the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscriptsWant to help shape TED’s shows going forward? Fill out our survey here! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Redemption of Jar Jar Binks is a new show from the TED Audio Collective, hosted by Dylan Marron. It’s 1999, and sixteen years after its original release, a new Star Wars is finally coming. Fans have been camping out in front of theaters across the country just to be the first to see it. The beloved intergalactic saga is set to debut a slew of brand new characters, one of whom is a revolutionary CGI creation named Jar Jar Binks. Whispers begin to spread about big changes coming to the galaxy far, far away – and not everyone’s happy about it. Listen to The Redemption of Jar Jar Binks wherever you get your podcasts. Transcripts for The Redemption of Jar Jar Binks are available at go.ted.com/jarjarFor the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscriptsWant to help shape TED’s shows going forward? Fill out our survey here! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is an episode from a podcast we think you'll love. It's called How To! and it's from Slate Podcasts.Earlier this year, our listener, Rell, nearly failed a promotion. Not because she was unprepared or unqualified, but because she didn’t maintain enough eye contact with the interviewers. Rell’s eye hasn’t been fully receiving information since she was born, a condition that’s outwardly visible and known colloquially as a “lazy eye.” It’s beginning to affect her self-confidence and is this “ugly thing [she] can’t let go of.” On this episode of How To!, host Carvell Wallace brings on Sarah Ruhl, an award-winning playwright and author who wrote about her experience with Bell’s palsy in her recent book, "Smile: The Story of a Face." Sarah has some wonderful advice for letting go of your inner rage, making interactions with strangers less painful, and even finding people who light up your mirror neurons. If you liked this episode you can find more of Slate’s How To! podcast wherever you get your podcasts.For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscriptsWant to help shape TED’s shows going forward? Fill out our survey here! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.