What can acting reveal about the mystery of consciousness? Actor and producer Yara Shahidi and cognitive neuroscientist Anil Seth unpack the surprising ways that portraying different characters can reveal insights about our authentic selves — even if we're not actually performing onstage or onscreen. Explore the intersection of consciousness and identity and discover how our brains and bodies work in tandem to form our understanding of ourselves. (This conversation is part of “TED Intersections,” a series featuring thought-provoking conversations between experts navigating the ideas shaping our world.)Want to help shape TED's shows going forward? Fill out our survey!For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch.Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links:TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many of the jobs that keep the world running — like cleaning bathrooms, picking up trash, caring for the elderly — pay so poorly that workers can barely make ends meet. Nonprofit leader Zeynep Ton is intent on changing that, showing why everyone wins when companies pay their people livable wages and offer opportunities for growth.Want to help shape TED's shows going forward? Fill out our survey!For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch.Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links:TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Drawing on her research into the science of play, evolutionary biologist Carole K. Hooven delves into how testosterone impacts the body and brain, interacting with culture to create differences in human behavior — starting with why boys tend to prefer rougher play than girls.Want to help shape TED's shows going forward? Fill out our survey!For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch.Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links:TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you find yourself when you belong to two seemingly opposing cultures? Embracing the paradoxes of dual identity, creative disruptor Farhad Mohit explores how being both Iranian and American allows him to navigate the tension between independence and interdependence, progress and presence — and to live fully in the here and now.Want to help shape TED's shows going forward? Fill out our survey!For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch.Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links:TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When we avoid feeling awkward, we often miss an opportunity for growth, says workplace performance expert Henna Pryor. She shares tips on embracing discomfort for the sake of self-betterment and shows how pushing past the "cringe chasm" — the gap between how we perceive ourselves and how others see us — can open up chances to get ahead at work and in life.Want to help shape TED's shows going forward? Fill out our survey!For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch.Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links:TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The basic infrastructure that controls plumbing, electricity and more is vital to your individual agency, says engineering professor Deb Chachra. She offers a crash course on how these systems connect to shape our lives — and suggests some key improvements for providing long-term, sustainable energy to everyone.Want to help shape TED's shows going forward? Fill out our survey!For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch.Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links:TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Elise as she interviews TED speakers about their latest books and delves deep into their ideas.Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt's latest book, “The Anxious Generation,” is shaping cultural conversations -- and sparking fierce debates. The #1 NYT best seller investigates the mental health crisis among young people, and argues the cause is clear: a smartphone-based childhood, amplified by overprotective parenting. Informed by Jonathan's work, there is an international movement to limit cellphones in schools and families. But is that the right path forward? And if it is, how do you shift something so socially entrenched? Join Elise, Jonathan and TED Members for a lively exploration of these questions and more. This live conversation was recorded as part of the TED membership program. TED Members are invited to attend our live recordings and participate in Q&As with authors. To join in on the fun, sign up at go.ted.com/membership.Want to help shape TED's shows going forward? Fill out our survey!For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch.Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links:TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who gets to be an entrepreneur? Saamra Mekuria-Grillo says the image we most commonly see — a guy in a hoodie — is a limiting representation of entrepreneurial success. She highlights the importance of young Black people seeing entrepreneurship as a possibility for themselves and explains the key to making the field more inclusive.Want to help shape TED's shows going forward? Fill out our survey!For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch.Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links:TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Small Indigenous communities make up only five percent of the world's population, but they defend 80 percent of the biodiversity that remains on Earth, says war reporter Anjan Sundaram. He paints a picture of Mexico's embattled ecological frontlines, where invisible heroes are fighting corporations and cartels alike to save our planet's last natural ecosystems.Want to help shape TED's shows going forward? Fill out our survey!For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch.Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links:TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Africa's smallholder farmers feed millions of people and uplift economies, yet they often lack the basic resources needed to thrive, says agricultural scientist and policymaker Agnes Kalibata. She outlines how to empower these farmers with better tools, climate resilience strategies and market access — so they can continue to nourish humanity while caring for the planet.Want to help shape TED's shows going forward? Fill out our survey!For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch.Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links:TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"I'm not a pacifist, but in the end, war is the greatest human rights abuse and does not make the world safer," says Gabrielle Rifkind, director of the Oxford Process, an organization dedicated to ending armed conflict. She shares how inclusive negotiating strategies can prevent war from breaking out or stop an ongoing conflict — and shows what we can do to make peace real for all.Want to help shape TED's shows going forward? Fill out our survey!For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch.Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links:TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Malaria is a disease as old as humankind, yet we may be closer than ever to eliminating it, says medical entomologist Abdoulaye Diabaté. He explains the potential of "gene drive" technology — which aims to disrupt mosquito reproduction as a means of halting malaria transmission in Africa — and shows how his team is partnering with local communities to solve this public health challenge.Want to help shape TED's shows going forward? Fill out our survey!For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch.Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links:TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You can't just "find" motivation, says scientist Ayelet Fishbach — you have to learn how to motivate yourself. She shares a handful of tips backed by 20 years of motivation research, offering surprisingly simple wisdom on how to optimize your goals, set yourself up for success and avoid the tempting calls of procrastination.Want to help shape TED's shows going forward? Fill out our survey!For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch.Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links:TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou 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 How to Be a Better Human, a podcast hosted by comedian Chris Duffy about the big ideas and small ways we can improve our lives.We all have habits -- the good and not-so good kind. But can we use them to our advantage? In this week’s episode, Chris is joined by James Clear, entrepreneur and author of #1 New York Times bestseller, “Atomic Habits”, for a conversation about the power of habitual behavior. They discuss the science of habit formation, how to understand the forces that motivate you, and why the sum of many little habits can add up to a better life. For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts     Get more How to Be a Better Human wherever you get your podcasts.Want to help shape TED's shows going forward? Fill out our survey!For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch.Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links:TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The clean energy transition has a major blind spot, says energy equity expert Sheila Ngozi Oparaocha: it ignores millions of people without access to energy. Highlighting grassroots women's organizations leading the charge towards universal access, she makes a powerful call to prioritize gender equality in energy policies — and to create a sustainable future where no one is left in the dark.Want to help shape TED's shows going forward? Fill out our survey!For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch.Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links:TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jay Bailey says so many ideas never see the light of day because entrepreneurship has a problem of belonging. He shares how a chance encounter kicked off his own journey to becoming an entrepreneur and advocate for Black-owned businesses — and shows how anyone can unlock untapped potential.Want to help shape TED's shows going forward? Fill out our survey!For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch.Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links:TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Conflict is the biggest barrier to tackling climate change, says youth advocate Victor Ochen. Having seen firsthand how war undermined Uganda's economic and environmental potential, he explains the need to address the shared root causes of conflict and climate issues — starting by empowering African youth.Want to help shape TED's shows going forward? Fill out our survey!For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch.Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links:TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're nearly halfway through the 2020s, dubbed the most decisive decade for action on climate change. Where exactly do things stand? Climate impact scholar Johan Rockström offers the most up-to-date scientific assessment of the state of the planet and explains what must be done to preserve Earth's resilience to human pressure.Want to help shape TED's shows going forward? Fill out our survey!For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch.Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links:TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What do you do when you're feeling stressed or anxious? Psychologist Andrew Miki explains how many of the coping mechanisms that help us feel better in the moment — like procrastinating, overusing our smartphones or endlessly scrolling social media — actually leave us feeling more depleted over time. He shows how you can break these habits in order to build up resilience and improve your self-confidence.Want to help shape TED's shows going forward? Fill out our survey!For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch.Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links:TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Multimedia show director Willie Williams has helped redefine live entertainment in collaboration with artists ranging from David Bowie to The Rolling Stones. He gives a behind-the-scenes look at his recent epic undertaking — designing and directing the rock band U2’s 40-night residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas, a blend of cutting-edge technology and imaginative visual storytelling — and shares what it takes to create unforgettable experiences that foster connection.Want to help shape TED's shows going forward? Fill out our survey!For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch.Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links:TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.