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TED Talks Daily

Every weekday, TED Talks Daily brings you the latest talks in audio. Join host and journalist Elise Hu for thought-provoking ideas on every subject imaginable — from Artificial Intelligence to Zoology, and everything in between — given by the world's leading thinkers and creators. With TED Talks Daily, find some space in your day to change your perspectives, ignite your curiosity, and learn something new.

When is a pandemic over? | Alex Rosenthal

TED Talks Daily

  • 1.7K views
  • over 3 years ago
  • 06:55

Consider the following scenario: a highly infectious, sometimes deadly respiratory virus infects humans for the first time. It spreads rapidly worldwide, and the WHO declares a pandemic. The death toll starts to rise and everyone is asking the same question: when will the pandemic end? Alex Rosenthal details the three main strategies governments can use to contain and end a pandemic. [Directed by Visorama, narrated by Jack Cutmore-Scott, music by Bamm Bamm Wolfgang].

What silence can teach you about sound | Dallas Taylor

TED Talks Daily

  • 1.7K views
  • over 3 years ago
  • 11:22

What can you hear in silence? In this exploration of sound, host of the podcast "Twenty Thousand Hertz" Dallas Taylor tells the story of arguably the most debated musical composition in recent history -- composer John Cage's iconic piece 4'33" -- and invites you to take notice of the soundscape around you. Watch to the end to experience a performance of 4'33''.

3 questions to ask yourself about US citizenship | Jose Antonio Vargas

TED Talks Daily

  • 1.4K views
  • over 3 years ago
  • 09:22

At age 16, journalist and filmmaker Jose Antonio Vargas found out he was in the United States illegally. Since then, he's been thinking deeply about immigration and what it means to be a US citizen -- whether it's by birth, law or otherwise. In this powerful talk, Vargas calls for a shift in how we think about citizenship and encourages us all to reconsider our personal histories by answering three questions: Where did you come from? How did you get here? Who paid?

Let's scan the whole planet with LiDAR | Chris Fisher

TED Talks Daily

  • 980 views
  • over 3 years ago
  • 14:13

We have archives of films, newspapers, even seeds -- what if we could make one for the entire surface of the earth? Drawing on his experience mapping an ancient city in the Honduran jungle, archaeologist Chris Fisher makes the case for scanning the whole planet with LiDAR -- a technology that uses lasers shot from an airplane to map the ground -- in order to preserve our cultural and ecological heritage.

How every movie trailer gets made | Twenty Thousand Hertz

TED Talks Daily

  • 1.4K views
  • over 3 years ago
  • 22:22

"In a world" -- our world -- movie trailers have undergone a massive evolution. The booming voice-of-God narration of the '80s and '90s has been silenced in favor of boojes and bwaas. In this episode of Twenty Thousand Hertz, host and sound design expert Dallas Taylor is joined by guests who share the history of trailers and a hilarious takedown of the sounds and dialogue that are common in the modern trailer style. You'll never be able to watch a blockbuster trailer the same way again. Twenty Thousand Hertz, a podcast revealing the stories behind the world's most recognizable and interesting sounds, is a new member of the TED family of podcasts. Listen or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

The difference between healthy and unhealthy love | Katie Hood

TED Talks Daily

  • 4.4K views
  • over 3 years ago
  • 11:51

In a talk about understanding and practicing the art of healthy relationships, Katie Hood reveals the five signs you might be in an unhealthy relationship -- with a romantic partner, a friend, a family member -- and shares the things you can do every day to love with respect, kindness and joy. "While love is an instinct and an emotion, the ability to love better is a skill we can all build and improve on over time," she says.

The secrets of learning a new language | Lýdia Machová

TED Talks Daily

  • 2.3K views
  • over 3 years ago
  • 11:56

Want to learn a new language but feel daunted or unsure where to begin? You don't need some special talent or a "language gene," says Lýdia Machová. In an upbeat, inspiring talk, she reveals the secrets of polyglots (people who speak multiple languages) and shares four principles to help unlock your own hidden language talent -- and have fun while doing it.

How to raise a black son in America | Clint Smith

TED Talks Daily

  • 5.9K views
  • over 3 years ago
  • 06:11

As kids, we all get advice from parents and teachers that seems strange, even confusing. This was crystallized one night for a young Clint Smith, who was playing with water guns in a dark parking lot with his white friends. In a heartfelt piece, the poet paints the scene of his father's furious and fearful response.

How to overcome our biases? Walk boldly toward them | Vernā Myers

TED Talks Daily

  • 3.7K views
  • over 3 years ago
  • 18:45

Our biases can be dangerous, even deadly — as we've seen in the cases of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and Eric Garner, in Staten Island, New York. Diversity advocate Vernā Myers looks closely at some of the subconscious attitudes we hold toward out-groups. She makes a plea to all people: Acknowledge your biases. Then move toward, not away from, the groups that make you uncomfortable. In a funny, impassioned, important talk, she shows us how.

How shocking events can spark positive change | Naomi Klein

TED Talks Daily

  • 1K views
  • over 3 years ago
  • 16:43

Things are pretty shocking out there right now -- record-breaking storms, deadly terror attacks, thousands of migrants disappearing beneath the waves and openly supremacist movements rising. Are we responding with the urgency that these overlapping crises demand from us? Journalist and activist Naomi Klein studies how governments use large-scale shocks to push societies backward. She shares a few propositions from "The Leap" -- a manifesto she wrote alongside indigenous elders, climate change activists, union leaders and others from different backgrounds -- which envisions a world after we've already made the transition to a clean economy and a much fairer society. "The shocking events that fill us with dread today can transform us, and they can transform the world for the better," Klein says. "But first we need to picture the world that we're fighting for. And we have to dream it up together."

The secret soundtrack of the sea | TEDx SHORTS

TED Talks Daily

  • 960 views
  • over 3 years ago
  • 08:03

Marine biologist, fish ecologist and self-confessed ocean optimist Steve Simpson explains the intricate sounds that exist in our oceans -- and why listening to this soundtrack can help us protect it. This talk was filmed at TEDxExeter. All TEDx events are organized independently by volunteers in the spirit of TED's mission of ideas worth spreading. With TED's podcast TEDx SHORTS, start each day with short, eye-opening ideas from some of the world's greatest TEDx speakers. Listen or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

The fight for civil rights and freedom | John Lewis and Bryan Stevenson

TED Talks Daily

  • 2.2K views
  • almost 4 years ago
  • 24:06

Civil rights leader and longtime US congressman John Lewis spent his life fighting for freedom and justice for everyone. In this illuminating conversation with lawyer and activist Bryan Stevenson, Lewis discusses the essential importance of voting, shares encouraging words of wisdom for the generation of young people currently organizing in the struggle for racial justice and tells moving stories from his decades of making "good trouble" -- at the Freedom Rides, March on Washington and in the halls of Congress. "When you see something that's not right or fair or just, you have to say something," Lewis says. "You have to do something." (This conversation is part of the TED Legacy Project. Recorded November 19, 2019)

Can light stop the coronavirus? | David Brenner

TED Talks Daily

  • 840 views
  • almost 4 years ago
  • 20:24

Far-UVC light is a type of ultraviolet light that kills microbes and viruses and, crucially, seems to be safe to use around humans. Radiation scientist David Brenner describes how we could use this light to stop the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, in hospitals, nursing homes, trains and other public indoor spaces -- paving the way for a potentially game-changing tool in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. (This virtual conversation, hosted by TED science curator David Biello, was recorded July 7, 2020.)

Give yourself permission to be creative | Ethan Hawke

TED Talks Daily

  • 5.3K views
  • almost 4 years ago
  • 09:30

Reflecting on moments that shaped his life, actor Ethan Hawke examines how courageous expression promotes healing and connection with one another -- and invites you to discover your own unabashed creativity. "There is no path till you walk it," he says.

How love can help repair social inequality | Chloé Valdary

TED Talks Daily

  • 1.7K views
  • almost 4 years ago
  • 18:38

What does Kendrick Lamar have in common with Disney's "Moana"? They recognize our common humanity and show us how to love ourselves and one another, says writer and educator Chloé Valdary. She shares how she uses pop culture to help people develop resilience and advance social change -- and explains why cultivating love is the key to connection, healing and moving forward together. (This virtual conversation, hosted by TED business curator Corey Hajim, was recorded June 30, 2020.)

A call to end the media coverage mass shooters want | Tom Teves

TED Talks Daily

  • 880 views
  • almost 4 years ago
  • 15:31

On July 20, 2012, a mass shooting in a movie theater of Aurora, Colorado left the town, and its nation, reeling. To many -- including Tom Teves, who lost his son in the tragedy -- the news coverage that followed focused on all the wrong things. Why did the reporting overwhelmingly fixate on the shooter rather than the lives of the victims or the heroic efforts of first responders? With urgency and measure, Teves calls for responsible media attention that acts in the interest of the public (instead of profit) by revoking what shooters want most: infamy.

Activism, changemakers and hope for the future | Malala Yousafzai

TED Talks Daily

  • 1.4K views
  • almost 4 years ago
  • 26:19

Education activist (and recent Oxford graduate) Malala Yousafzai reflects on the defining moments of her life, how she balances passion with personhood and where the world finds itself during the COVID-19 crisis. With humor and humility, she shares her dreams of seeing social progress in her lifetime, explains why girls education advocacy must not relent during the pandemic and champions youth activists worldwide leading the fight for a fairer future for all. (This virtual conversation, hosted by TED's current affairs curator Whitney Pennington Rodgers, was recorded July 8, 2020.)

Want a more just world? Be an unlikely ally | Nita Mosby Tyler

TED Talks Daily

  • 1.3K views
  • almost 4 years ago
  • 11:26

A more equal world starts with you. Citing a formative moment from her own life, equity advocate Nita Mosby Tyler highlights why showing up and fighting for others who face injustices beyond your own lived experience leads to a fairer, more just future for all.

What if you could help decide how the government spends public funds? | Shari Davis

TED Talks Daily

  • 1.7K views
  • almost 4 years ago
  • 12:07

What if you could help decide how the government spends public funds in your community? That's the idea behind participatory budgeting, a process that brings local residents and governments together to develop concrete solutions to real problems close to home. In this inspiring call to action, community leader Shari Davis shows how participatory budgeting can strengthen democracy, transform neighborhoods and cities -- and give everyone a seat at the table. "We've got to open the doors to city halls and schools so wide that people can't help but walk in," she says.

The invisible life hidden beneath Antarctica's ice | Ariel Waldman

TED Talks Daily

  • 990 views
  • almost 4 years ago
  • 07:31

In this tour of the microscopic world, explorer and artist Ariel Waldman introduces the charismatic creatures lurking beneath Antarctica's massive ice sheet, the largest on earth. From "cuddly" water bears to geometric algae made of glass, Waldman shows how this seemingly barren landmass is actually a polar oasis of life -- if we just know where to look.