TED Radio Hour
by NPR
Latest episode
Escaping the modern world and your noisy mind
Escaping the modern world and your noisy mind
About this podcast
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.
Support public media by joining NPR+ at plus.npr.org. You’ll get perks for over 25 NPR podcasts, including sponsor-free listening for TED Radio Hour.
Episodes
The newest 50 of 300 episodes
- Escaping the modern world and your noisy mind · 50 minHow do you find the courage to leave the world you know and make your way to a completely different reality? This episode, TED speakers share ideas about escape and renewal…
- Can curiosity save the wild? · 50 minHow do we inspire people to care about wild animals without disrupting their lives? This hour, two surprising approaches to getting to know wildlife — and rethinking what it…
- How we experience time · 50 minWhy does one hour drag by, but a year can pass in a flash? And how does our relationship with time influence our behavior? This hour, TED speakers share ideas on making the most…
- Have we forgotten how to play? · 50 minPlay is how we evolved to learn, solve problems, and navigate the world. So why do we treat it as optional? This hour, the science of play — and what happens when we don’t get…
- The shocking power of tiny things · 50 minYou don't need to be big and boisterous to pack a punch. This hour, TED speakers explore the surprising strength of all things minuscule and fleeting. Guests include…
- The women missing from music · 50 minWomen have been writing music for centuries. Why do we know so few of them today? This hour, TED speakers explore the role of women in music history and how we can remember their…
- Life can be so awkward. Here's how to embrace the embarrassing · 50 minForgetting a name, a poorly executed hug, the 7th grade — awkwardness is part of our lives whether we like it or not. But what if we put the embarrassment aside and embraced our…
- Big mysteries explained through your senses · 50 minOur senses help us navigate everyday life. But can they also reveal what lies beyond our perception? This hour, TED speakers explore the hidden world through the senses. Guests…
- What this musician’s identity crisis teaches us about navigating change · 50 minSince childhood, Joshua Roman's life revolved around the cello. But when long COVID forced him to set his cello aside, he had to rethink his approach to life, faith and music…
- Less guilt, more joy: A new chapter for climate action · 50 minClimate action usually means sacrifice: eat less meat, buy less, drive less. What if there's another approach? Researcher Elizabeth Dunn shares climate hacks that help the planet…
- The day the dinosaurs died · 50 minWhat happened in the days, even hours, after an asteroid set off the fifth extinction? A New Jersey quarry, and site of a new museum founded by paleontologist Ken Lacovara, sheds…
- How the creator economy is making you talk like the internet · 50 minOnline linguist Adam Aleksic explains how he goes viral decoding internet slang, plus why making a living online means working for 'the algorithm.' It's part 2 of our creator…
- The price of creativity · 50 minThe words "content creator" may make you roll your eyes. But in part 1 of our series, Kickstarter co-founder Yancey Strickler explains how the creator economy is changing work…
- Trusting medicine in an age of doubt · 50 minMedicine keeps advancing. Trust is falling behind. This hour, TED speakers explore why the future of healthcare depends not only on innovation, but also on listening, humility…
- Addiction, motherhood and Jesus with writer Anne Lamott · 50 minWriter Anne Lamott has gained a cult following through shockingly honest prose on love, death, faith, writing and more. This hour, her wisdom from a career spanning 21 books and…
- Rethinking addiction in the age of Ozempic · 50 minGLP-1s could be a breakthrough in addiction treatment. But is medicine alone enough to treat such a complicated disease? This hour, TED speakers explore modern science and old…
- Searching for paradise · 50 minWe often view paradise as a place of safety, beauty, tranquility. It’s an ideal we long for but one we can rarely find. This hour, TED speakers search for utopia and come to…
- Tracking what your body needs · 50 minOur bodies are always sending signals ... but are we listening? This hour, TED speakers explore new ways to track and understand our health — from cutting-edge technology to…
- The state of fashion · 50 minWhether you love fashion or hate it, we all have to get dressed in the morning, and the industry affects us in complex ways. This hour, the outrageous, environmental and seedy…
- Are we using screens as a scapegoat for teen mental health? · 50 minFor years, we’ve heard that social media is fueling a teen mental health crisis. But the evidence is more complicated. Developmental psychologist Candice Odgers unpacks what the…
- Sports psychology for everyday life · 50 minThe thrill of victory, the agony of defeat — sports cliches are everywhere. But what does it actually take to think like a winner? This hour, TED speakers explore the psychology…
- How predictions took over our lives · 50 minFrom betting apps to AI models, prediction has become big business. This hour, why we're so drawn to certainty, and what happens when we mistake forecasts for facts. Guests…
- The case for merging human bodies with machines · 50 minFrom robot helpers to smart body parts, the line between human and machine is blurring. This hour, TED speakers design tech that enhances us without diminishing our humanity…
- Beyond the manosphere: Supporting boys and men in the real world · 51 minThe debate about masculinity has reached a fever pitch. But Richard Reeves says we must move past the culture wars and look at the facts. This hour, a thoughtful approach to…
- What we'll eat on a warmer planet · 50 minFrom the farm, to the lab, to our tables, what we eat and how it's grown is changing. Agriculture contributes to global warming and is being transformed by it. This hour, a…
- How to feel alive in an exhausting world · 50 minWhy do some of us feel so tired, while others seem to have endless energy? This hour, host Manoush Zomorodi explores what science is revealing about stress, breathing, cellular…
- How to mend a broken heart · 50 minWhen stress, fear or sadness weigh on us, our hearts can suffer — even break. But there are ways to mend our broken hearts. This hour, TED speakers share stories and ideas about…
- How to be a "Super Ager" (it's not your genes) · 50 minFrom peptides and protein, to sleep hygiene and vaccines, what actually helps you age well? Physician Eric Topol breaks down the science — and the myths — of longevity and…
- Can we preserve knowledge … forever? · 50 minInformation feels more accessible than ever, but the ways we store data are surprisingly fragile. Can we save anything forever? This hour, TED speakers explore preserving our…
- Using ancient philosophy to cope with your modern problems · 50 minPhilosopher Meghan Sullivan says during tough times, ancient wisdom can serve as a guide. From politics to religion to AI, she poses big questions to help you find out what the…
- The hidden forces shaping your choices · 50 minEvery day, we make countless choices—but are these decisions guided by desire or design? This hour, TED speakers on what shapes the food we eat, how we power our homes, and how…
- Could AI help us, not replace us? · 50 minThe time has come for humanity to make a choice: Will we build AI to replace humans or enhance them? This hour, the "humanistic AI" philosophy, a test case, and a glimpse into…
- A neuroscientist's guide to managing our emotions · 50 minEmotions sometimes feel overwhelming and debilitating — but science-backed tools can help us wrangle them. This hour, neuroscientist Ethan Kross shares research from his Emotion…
- How does your brain perceive the world? · 50 minDo you see images in your mind? Do you have an inner monologue? Do you have memories you swear are real? Our minds have tremendous variation. This hour, insights on how our…
- The TED talk that put writer Pico Iyer in “Marty Supreme” · 15 min“Marty Supreme” stars Timothée Chalamet as a young, brash table tennis player in the 1950s trying to hustle his way to a world championship. One of the characters standing in…
- Curious stories of coexistence · 50 minCan otters be city dwellers? Are aliens real? Do we have to experience misery to understand happiness? On this episode, we investigate how strange bedfellows can lead to radical…
- Getting what you want: A guide to negotiating · 50 minNegotiations are a part of life, but too often they end up in an ugly confrontation or stalemate. This hour, TED speakers share ideas on navigating conflicts with more clarity…
- Three mothers who shaped American history · 50 minMLK Jr., Malcolm X and James Baldwin are household names, but what about their mothers? This hour, author Anna Malaika Tubbs explores how these three women shaped American…
- Did social media break a generation — or just change it? · 50 minIs tech rewiring childhood or exposing what’s already broken? Jonathan Haidt, Catherine Price, and a Gen Z advocate debate social media bans, attention and what “fun” looks like…
- How you see yourself · 50 minWhat's the image you present to the world? And do you see yourself the same way? This hour, TED speakers add new dimensions to the idea of self perception. Guests include…
- How to talk about peace · 50 minHow do you rebuild trust after bloodshed? This hour, a closer look at two unlikely truces: LA gang leaders who negotiated peace and activists in the Middle East who chose…
- The future of our memories · 50 minFrom creating “synthetic” memories to reviving ruined monuments, tech no longer simply stores the past — it can enhance it. This hour, we explore new ways to capture, share and…
- What can you control in this chaotic world? · 50 minWhen it feels like the world is on fire, it's hard to know what's in your control and what's out of your hands. This hour, TED speakers explain ways you can reclaim your agency…
- What we — and AI — can learn from nature's intelligence · 50 minArtificial intelligence is powerful, but what about natural intelligence? This hour, TED speakers explore the intrinsic genius in animal language, insect behavior, plant anatomy…
- The secrets in your baby's genes · 50 minGenomics researcher Dr. Robert Green explains how sequencing babies’ DNA can reveal hidden health risks. This hour we explore where the benefits end and the ethical dilemmas…
- Navigating uncertainty · 50 minIn unpredictable times, how can we stay calm, grounded, and on course? This hour, TED speakers lead us through uncertainty. Guests include former medical clown Matt Wilson…
- Who counts as a significant other? · 51 minFinding "the one" can seem like life's ultimate goal—but should it be? This hour, TED speakers expand the definition of life partnership, whether it's with a friend, a spouse, a…
- Who is really shaping the future of AI? · 51 minWhat will AI look like in 2026? Is the hype a bubble or a tech revolution that will transform everything? This episode, the global politics shaping the future of AI and what it…
- Soundtracks of our lives · 51 minFrom our favorite songs to our own voices, we're surrounded by sound all day. But how does all this noise affect our emotions and behavior? This hour, TED speakers explore how…
- Remembering a maestro through 'New World Symphony' · 14 minBefore his passing, conductor Robert Franz guided us through the first movement of Dvorák's "New World Symphony" using his four essential tools for listening—rhythm, melody…







