TED Radio Hour

Every 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 we communicate.

The 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 the future of work. Guests include Siri co-creator Tom Gruber, CENTURY Tech CEO Priya Lakhani and Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev.

Emotions sometimes feel overwhelming and debilitating — but science-backed tools can help us wrangle them. This hour, neuroscientist Ethan Kross shares research from his Emotion and Self-Control Lab. Original air date: March 7, 2025.

Do 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 brains construct reality.

“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 Marty’s way is played by frequent guest, Pico Iyer, a TED speaker and travel writer who’d never acted before.

Can 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 realizations. Guests include evolutionary biologist Philip Johns, astrophysicist Avi Loeb and author Laurel Braitman.

Negotiations 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 and less fear. Guests include mediator and law professor Alex Carter and linguist Magdalena Hoeller.

MLK 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 history. Original air date: February 27, 2026.

Is 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 off-screen.

What'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 portrait photographer David Suh, social psychologist Dolly Chugh, journalist Elise Hu and science writer Anil Ananthaswamy.

How 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 dialogue over hate. Guests include peace activists Aqeela Sherrills, Aziz Abu Sarah and Maoz Inon.

From 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 even recreate our past.

When 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.

Artificial intelligence is powerful, but what about natural intelligence? This hour, TED speakers explore the intrinsic genius in animal language, insect behavior, plant anatomy and our immune system.

Genomics 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 begin. Guests include Dr. Robert Green, bioethicist and pediatrician Dr.

In 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, psychologist Jamil Zaki, writer and filmmaker Hrund Gunnsteinsdóttir and human rights activist Yifat Susskind.

Finding "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 pet, or no one at all.

What 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 means for you.

From 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 sound shapes our lives.

Before 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, texture and visuals. As the year comes to a close, Manoush Zomorodi shares one of her favorite TED Radio Hour+ episodes.

It's been a long, complicated year. This hour, TED speakers share ideas to help you get grounded, back on track, and even edge toward something like bliss. TED Radio Hour+ subscribers now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and a behind the scenes look with our producers.

We can’t protect what we don’t understand. From decoding wolf howls to making sense of millions of citizen-science sightings, we explore the tools helping researchers understand the wild in new ways.

It's never too late to make things right—even when cracks form within our relationships with our families, our environment...or the inevitable. This hour, TED speakers offer healing solutions.

Online linguist Adam Aleksic explains how he goes viral decoding internet slang. Plus, why making a living online means working for “the algorithm,” in part 2 of our creator economy series.

The 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, art and what we value.