Saving lives with fewer dollars
The episode follows ALIMA's healthcare program in conflict-affected northern Cameroon after it abruptly loses $1.9 million in funding from USAID, forcing cuts to lifesaving services. It contrasts ALIMA's on-the-ground medical work with GiveWell's data-driven philanthropy, showing how GiveWell evaluates whether to fund the program despite limited and imperfect data. Ultimately, GiveWell decides to fully replace the lost USAID funding for one year, while the story highlights broader global cuts to aid and the resulting loss of both services and information about needs.
How to see (and stop) deforestation from space | Tasso Azevedo
Land reformer Tasso Azevedo describes how the MapBiomas Network turns decades of satellite imagery into detailed, legally robust land-use maps to expose and curb deforestation in Brazil and other tropical regions. By integrating high-resolution imagery, property registries, and protected area data, the project has dramatically increased enforcement against illegal deforestation, redirected finance away from destructive operations, and supported a wide range of environmental and social applications. The talk also highlights successful action against illegal gold mining and outlines plans to expand this collaborative mapping approach to cover most of the world's tropical forests.
Two US governors - a Democrat and a Republican - on why there's hope for democracy | Matt Meyer and J. Kevin Stitt
Democratic Governor of Delaware Matt Meyer and Republican Governor of Oklahoma J. Kevin Stitt interview each other on stage at TED Next 2025 about the health and future of American democracy. They discuss restoring trust in government through effective service delivery and federalism, navigating polarized information ecosystems, leveraging AI and apprenticeships in education, and preserving the American dream through integrity-driven, bipartisan leadership. The conversation emphasizes shared values, personal rapport, and practical reforms over partisan point-scoring.
#623 - Gary Sinise
Actor and musician Gary Sinise discusses his decades-long mission to support military service members, veterans, first responders, and their families through visits, performances, and the Gary Sinise Foundation. He explains how his experiences with Vietnam veterans, his role as Lieutenant Dan, and the post-9/11 wars led him into deep service work, including hospital visits, base tours, mental wellness initiatives, and programs for families of the fallen. Sinise also shares the story of his son Mac's rare cancer, profound faith, and musical legacy, and how Mac's compositions now support the foundation's work and help the family process their grief.
"Tom Freston"
The hosts talk with media executive Tom Freston about his unconventional path from advertising into years of travel across North Africa and Asia, building a clothing business in India and Afghanistan, and eventually helping launch MTV and other major cable brands. Freston recounts the creation and impact of MTV, the birth of Comedy Central, his tumultuous years leading Viacom under Sumner Redstone, early views on platforms like YouTube and MySpace, and his later work in philanthropy and Afghan media. The conversation also explores his philosophy on travel, risk-taking, and using media for social change, plus colorful anecdotes involving Jimmy Buffett, Bangkok sex clubs, and a desert music festival near Timbuktu.
Using Existing Drugs in New Ways to Treat & Cure Diseases of Brain & Body | Dr. David Fajgenbaum
Andrew Huberman interviews physician-scientist Dr. David Fagenbaum about how many existing FDA-approved drugs can be repurposed to effectively treat diseases beyond their original indications. Drawing on his near-fatal battle with Castleman disease and the work of his nonprofit Every Cure, Fagenbaum explains systemic blind spots in medicine, gives concrete examples of successful drug repurposing, and outlines how patients can better advocate for themselves and navigate disease-specific networks. They also discuss the role of AI in mapping drug-disease relationships at scale, the neuroscience of hope and tenacity, and how Fagenbaum's personal story shapes his mission to ensure that no one misses out on a helpful drug that already exists.
How to empower the next generation of pilots | Refilwe Ledwaba
Airline and helicopter pilot and educator Refilwe Ledwaba shares her journey from flight attendant to becoming the first Black woman helicopter pilot in South Africa, highlighting how a supportive instructor redesigned training around her background and learning needs. She explains how those experiences inspired her to found Girls Fly Africa, which prepares young people-especially girls from rural and traditional communities-for careers in aviation and aerospace through information, skills training, financial support, networks, and long‑term mentorship. In a follow‑up conversation, she and TED Fellows Program Director Lily Jameson Olds discuss systemic barriers for women in aviation, the importance of community and role models, and her vision of normalizing women's presence in high‑level aviation roles.
#2402 - Miranda Lambert
Joe Rogan speaks with a touring musician about hearing protection, life on the road, and the role of hobbies like mounted shooting, golf, archery, and pool in maintaining focus and mental balance. They discuss her animal rescue nonprofit work, experiences with allergies and moving between cities, and how the COVID shutdown changed her relationship to touring. The conversation also explores fate, early stage experiences, education, ADHD-like traits, impactful teachers, and the mental challenges of high-pressure performance and skill-based pursuits.
Bill Nye Takeover
Bill Nye guest hosts StarTalk with Chuck Nice to interview space policy expert Casey Dreyer about severe proposed cuts to NASA's budget, especially its science programs. They explain what NASA science includes, why Earth observation and planetary exploration matter, how Mars Sample Return could answer the question of life beyond Earth, and how politics, international competition, and commercial space intersect with long-term scientific goals. The episode closes with concrete ways listeners can advocate for NASA science through the Planetary Society.
Going viral taught me the internet is broken - but fixable | Deja Foxx
Host Elise Hu introduces a TED 2025 talk by activist and content creator Deja Fox, who recounts how a viral confrontation with her senator over access to birth control thrust her into the public eye as a teenager. She describes both the opportunities and harms that came with online fame, including coordinated harassment and the absence of effective platform protections. Fox then highlights girl- and women-led digital collectives and platforms that prioritize safety, privacy, respect, and user ownership, calling for a "girl internet" and inviting listeners to help build a more equitable digital future.
Craigslist: Craig Newmark - The Forrest Gump of the Internet
Guy Raz interviews Craigslist founder Craig Newmark about how a simple email list for San Francisco tech and arts events in 1995 evolved into one of the world's most-used online classified sites. Newmark describes his socially awkward childhood, early work in computer science and the internet, the organic growth and minimalist philosophy behind Craigslist, his decision to hand over leadership to CEO Jim Buckmaster, and his later-life focus on philanthropy in journalism, veterans' support, and animal rescue. They also discuss the disputed impact of Craigslist on newspaper classified revenue and Newmark's belief that he was largely lucky and in the right place at the right time.
How do you turn hope into action? A doctor and a public health expert answer | David Fajgenbaum and Celina de Sola
Host Elise Hu introduces a TED Intersections conversation between public health expert Selena De Sola and immunology researcher David Fagenbaum on how they turn hope into concrete action in their respective fields. Fagenbaum shares how surviving Castleman disease led him to repurpose existing drugs and build the nonprofit EveryCure, now using AI to match old medicines to new diseases, while De Sola explains how her organization, founded in El Salvador, works to create trauma-informed public systems across schools, healthcare, and law enforcement. Together they discuss holding hope and grief simultaneously, navigating setbacks, scaling systemic change, and the leadership, teamwork, and vision required to sustain impact.