TED Talks Daily

Why have we not yet found proof of alien life? According to astrophysicist Avi Loeb, we simply haven't dedicated the proper resources. Diving into unidentified phenomena such as the Oumuamua asteroid, he explores his scientific search for extraterrestrial technology, envisioning a future where a higher interstellar intelligence helps us improve life here on Earth. Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Each Sunday, TED shares an episode of another podcast we think you'll love, handpicked for you… by us. Today we're sharing a special episode of Far Flung with Saleem Reshamwala. Harnessing the creativity of a megalopolis isn't easy, but Mexico City shows us how it's done. Follow a real-life superhero who dons a luchador mask and cape to protect his fellow residents from speeding cars, learn how citizens are hacking their way to a better public transport system, and see what it takes to crowd-source a constitution from a city with 21 million minds.  Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Farm labor is hot, backbreaking and dangerous work. To protect workers from extreme heat and workplace exploitation, farmworker Gerardo Reyes Chávez has teamed up with farm manager Jon Esformes for a unique partnership. Learn how their collaborative model is keeping farmworkers safe and creating a blueprint for more modern, humane working conditions for the world's laborers. Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How does language shape our politics? Journalist Isaac Saul explores how subtle word choices can inhibit productive dialogue about significant issues — and shows how small (but important) changes can help us all have better conversations with people who think differently than us. Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"You can write a song and you can not tell the truth, but your song will suck," says pop star Kesha. So what's the secret to making a great pop song? She explains the special alchemy of her own hits like "TiK ToK" and "Praying" and gives a stunning debut performance of her new song, "Cathedral." (Note: This talk contains mature language.) Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To transition to clean energy and green technology like electric cars, the world needs massive amounts of essential minerals. Environmental peacemaker Saleem Ali explains the conflicts already arising between countries rushing to mine and extract these precious minerals — and shows how the world can find a way to cooperate rather than fight resource wars. Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“While language models may help generate new ideas, they cannot attack the hard part of science, which is simulating the necessary physics,” says AI professor Anima Anandkumar. She explains how her team developed neural operators — AI trained on the finest details of the real world — to bridge this gap, sharing recent projects ranging from improved weather forecasting to cutting-edge medical device design that demonstrate the power of AI with universal physical understanding. Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Life is an endless sushi conveyor belt of things that are going to test you and teach you at the same time," says writer Laurel Braitman. Exploring the relationship between bravery and fear, she shares hard-won wisdom on love, loss, self-forgiveness and how to embrace the full spectrum of human emotions. Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the past 20 years StoryCorps has been traveling the country gathering the stories and wisdom of ordinary Americans and archiving them at the Library of Congress. StoryCorps founder Dave Isay — winner of the 2015 TED Prize — has created an unprecedented document of the dreams and fears that touch us all. In an interview with Elise, Dave shares about a new project, One Small Step, which aims to help reduce toxic polarization – one conversation at a time.  Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Restaurateur Will Guidara's life changed when he decided to serve a two-dollar hot dog in his fancy four-star restaurant, creating a personalized experience for some out-of-town customers craving authentic New York City street food. The move earned such a positive reaction that Guidara began pursuing this kind of "unreasonable hospitality" full-time, seeking out ways to create extraordinary experiences and give people more than they could ever possibly expect. In this funny and heartwarming talk, he shares three steps to crafting truly memorable moments centered in human connection – no matter what business you're in. Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.