"The minister of loneliness" | Sarah Kay
Host Elise Hugh introduces poet Sarah Kay, who performs a spoken word piece about loneliness, connection, and curiosity. Kay begins with a real statistic about suicide and COVID-19 in Japan and the creation of a government role called the "minister of loneliness." She then imagines, in poetic detail, what such a minister might do to reweave social bonds, from buddy systems and intergenerational contact to shared art, hotlines, and his own shy crush that keeps listeners engaged with life.
The thrill of not knowing all the answers | Harini Bhat
On TED Talks Daily, scientist and storyteller Harini Bhatt describes how embracing not knowing transformed her from a self-described "wannabe know-it-all" into the creator of the YouTube channel Today I Learned Science. She shares how following her curiosity about the Teotihuacan pyramids led to her first viral video and a mission to translate rigorous scientific research into captivating stories for everyone. Through striking examples-from a brain turned to glass, to new ideas about the origins of life, to watching an embryo implant in real time-she argues that science belongs to anyone willing to stay gloriously curious and keep asking why.
What Happens When You Turn 20
Stephen Dubner first reads the new foreword to the 20th anniversary edition of the book Freakonomics, reflecting on his long partnership with economist Steve Levitt, the unexpected success of their work, and how the world and their own lives have changed over two decades. He then has a live onstage conversation with PBS NewsHour host Jeff Bennett at Sixth and I in Washington, D.C., discussing journalism, data, incentives, curiosity without cynicism, the evolution of Freakonomics Radio, the role of government data and politics, and how to think more clearly in an age of noise, misinformation, and emerging technologies like AI. Audience questions prompt Dubner to talk about riskier findings, career choices, updating past research, decency, and the future of technology and investing.
My journey to thank all the people responsible for my morning coffee | A.J. Jacobs (re-release)
Author A.J. Jacobs describes how his tendency to focus on negatives led him to experiment with gratitude by thanking all the people involved in making his daily cup of coffee. What began as a family mealtime ritual evolved into a global quest to thank more than a thousand people along the coffee supply chain, yielding five key lessons about attention, savoring, invisible work, behavioral change, and global interconnectedness. He argues that genuine gratitude not only improves personal well-being but also inspires concrete action to help others, such as supporting access to safe water.
How to build your confidence - and spark it in others | Brittany Packnett Cunningham (re-release)
Host Elise Hu introduces a 2019 TED Talk by educator and activist Brittany Packnett Cunningham on the nature and power of confidence. Drawing on stories from her childhood, her classroom, women rangers in Kenya, and her own career, Brittany argues that confidence is a critical engine for turning ideas into action and pursuing justice. She outlines three elements that "crack the code" of what she calls revolutionary confidence: permission, community, and curiosity.
The art of reading minds | Oz Pearlman
Host Elise Hu introduces mentalist Oz Perlman, who explains that he does not read minds but reads people by carefully observing behavior and patterns. Through live demonstrations with audience members, he shows how mentalism relies on psychology, attention, and structured guessing, and then teaches a practical technique-"listen, repeat, reply"-to help people remember names and build better connections. He closes by discussing risk, confidence, and belief, culminating in empowering an audience member to apparently read another person's mind on stage.
TED Talks Daily Book Club: Why change is so scary - and how to unlock its potential | Maya Shankar (re-release)
Host Elise Hu introduces a live virtual book club around Oliver Berkman's book "Meditations for Mortals" and frames a replay of cognitive scientist Maya Shankar's 2023 TED talk about navigating unexpected change. In her talk, Shankar shares her own story of losing her dream of becoming a concert violinist, along with the experiences of others, to illustrate how change can be frightening because of uncertainty and loss but can also expand our capabilities, values, and identities. She offers three guiding questions to reframe disruptive events and describes how she is using them in her own current struggle with pregnancy losses and uncertainty about becoming a mother.
A Question-Asker Becomes a Question-Answerer
In this feed-drop conversation from Design Matters, Stephen J. Dubner talks with Debbie Millman about his life, from a turbulent religious upbringing and early encouragement from a beloved teacher to his time in a rock band and eventual career as a writer and podcaster. They explore how inhabiting two faith traditions shaped his views on identity and belief, the power of curiosity, the making and impact of Freakonomics, his struggles with hero worship and anonymity, and his evolving thinking on creativity, confidence, and the human side of economics.
Can AI make us more human? A social psychologist and a business leader answer | Heidi Grant and Barry Cooper
Host Elise Hu introduces a conversation from the TED Intersections series in which social psychologist Heidi Grant and business leader Barry Cooper discuss how AI can support human learning, decision-making, and connection. They explore the importance of a growth mindset in a rapidly changing AI-driven workplace, how AI can transform feedback and training, and the emerging skill of prompt engineering. They also reflect on AI's role in personal habits, social media, and creative content, and where human empathy and shared experience will remain essential.
(#3) Elise's Top Ten: If I should have a daughter ... | Sarah Kay
Host Elise Hu introduces a special rebroadcast of Sarah Kay's 2011 TED performance as part of her "Top 10 TED Talks" playlist, highlighting the spoken word poem "If I Should Have a Daughter." In the talk, Sarah performs two poems and reflects on how spoken word poetry helps her and her students make sense of the world, move from self-doubt to self-expression, and build genuine connection. She shares her own journey into spoken word, her teaching practice with Project Voice, and stories like that of her student Charlotte to illustrate the power of vulnerability and personal storytelling.