Do you think Hollywood needs to change? How about your own industry? It's difficult to get decision makers to step outside of the tried-and-true and attempt something new. In this episode, host Chris Duffy sits down with Franklin Leonard -- founder and CEO of the Black List, a company that elevates great screenplays and the writers who create th...

We don't know about you, but we are fans of weekends. And social security. And health insurance. And the end of child labor! And all of these workplace protections exist because of the advocacy of labor unions. In this episode, political scientist Margaret Levi shares the long history of organizing labor and explains how unions create equality a...

Why do so many of us wait until a new calendar year to start setting our goals? For today's guest, the author Gretchen Rubin, "there really is no magic to January 1st" -- and the best time to start a healthy habit is just, well, now. Rubin is a podcaster and the author of several New York Times bestsellers, including "Better Than Before: What I ...

ALOK doesn't quite get the term multihyphenate — but how else to describe the internationally acclaimed author, poet, comedian and public speaker? From exploring belonging and the human condition, to fighting to degender the fashion and beauty industries, ALOK is tapping into their creativity constantly. Today, they share their approach to the c...

The phrase "comparison is the thief of joy" might be the kind of cliché that makes you roll your eyes — and yet, it's an idea that is, scientifically, pretty accurate. In today's episode, psychologist Laurie Santos — a Yale professor and host of "The Happiness Lab" podcast — discusses some of the surprising evidence behind what does and doesn't ...

Art can move us in deep, meaningful ways. A beautiful song, a good book or a great film can change our perspectives and attitudes toward ideas, and sometimes people. Where does that magic come from -- and how can we channel it when we're creating? JR is an artist famed for his enormous black-and-white portraits that tell stories and adorn surfac...

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 for...

Humans have always been captivated by beauty, and for almost as long, we've been marketed products and new technologies to help us achieve certain beauty standards. Elise Hu is a journalist and the author of "Flawless: Lessons in looks and culture from the K-beauty industry." In this episode, she shares the fascinating insights she's learned fro...

Most of us get that climate change is a global problem we need to solve, fast. But that can feel incredibly overwhelming when most of us don't even know where to start. Bill McKibben is an environmentalist, author, and journalist who has written extensively about climate change and global warming with a refreshing lightheartedness and frank outl...

Have you ever recalled a story only to have someone point out "that's not how it went"? Well, what happens when what we misrepresent are our historical narratives? David Ikard is a professor of African American and Diaspora Studies at Vanderbilt University. In this episode of How to Be a Better Human, another podcast from the TED Audio Collectiv...

We often forget that our bodies and minds are fundamentally connected. But so much of our day-to-day lives are influenced by the state of our bodies. The mind-body connection is at the heart of the work of this week’s guest, Prentis Hemphill. Prentis is a therapist, somatics teacher, author, and the founder of The Embodiment Institute. Prentis j...

For some of us it's easy to lose ourselves in our work. But a lack of boundaries between your personal and work life is something mental wellness educator Gloria Chan Packer would warn you about twice. In conversation with host Chris Duffy, she speaks about the perils of gaining your sense of self-worth from your job, discusses her experience wi...

When was the last time something you watched struck you? Award-winning theater director Lear deBessonet is deeply passionate about spectacle – and thinks you should be too. She shares the unexpected connections, wonder, and creativity that come from finding the unusual, notable, or entertaining; in common everyday experiences — and why you shoul...

There’s a saying about two things that are inevitable in this world, and Alua Arthur wants to help you think about one of them with less fear. No, she’s not a tax professional – she’s a death doula, a person who supports dying people and their loved ones. A former lawyer, Alua shares what we can all learn when we purposefully think about the end...

Whether it’s grades and test scores, cushy jobs or big salaries, our ideas of “success” tend to be incredibly narrow and often start incredibly early. Julie Lythcott-Haims is a New York Times bestselling author and former Dean of Freshmen at Stanford, and she is dedicated to helping people reconsider what really makes a happy, “successful” adult...

On a list of the least funny topics imaginable, the global refugee crisis, border disputes and questions of citizenship are probably close to the top. And yet comedian Maeve Higgins has spent her career finding ways to make jokes about (and make sense of) the ways we draw lines across the globe. She's a stand-up comedian and writer who speaks fr...

As a standup comedian and the host of the TED podcast How to Be a Better Human, Chris Duffy knows how to be engaging in front of a microphone. However, he feels awkward about posting on social media -- yet also worries that not posting is costing him opportunities and a bigger audience. It's a problem that hosts Anne Morriss and Frances Frei hav...

There's an irony behind the latest efforts to extend human life: It's no picnic to be an old person in a youth-oriented society. Older people can become isolated, lacking meaningful work and low on funds. In this intriguing talk, Jared Diamond looks at how many different societies treat their elders -- some better, some worse -- and suggests we ...

We already live among robots: tools and machines like dishwashers and thermostats so integrated into our lives that we'd never think to call them that. What will a future with even more robots look like? Social scientist Leila Takayama shares some unique challenges of designing for human-robot interactions -- and how experimenting with robotic f...

How do we stand before the pain and promise of the world and keep hope and courage alive? Journalist and podcast host Krista Tippett has spent a career interviewing some of the world's wisest people in search of answers to that question. Listen along as she offers three practices to help you make sense of what it means to be human right now — an...

As human beings, we get used to "the way things are" really fast. But for designers, the way things are is an opportunity ... Could things be better? How? In this funny, breezy talk, the man behind the iPod and the Nest thermostat shares some of his tips for noticing -- and driving -- change.

What's a proven way to lower your energy costs? Would you believe: learning what your neighbor pays. Alex Laskey shows how a quirk of human behavior can make us all better, wiser energy users, with lower bills to prove it.

How often does technology interrupt us from what we really mean to be doing? At work and at play, we spend a startling amount of time distracted by pings and pop-ups -- instead of helping us spend our time well, it often feels like our tech is stealing it away from us. Design thinker Tristan Harris offers thoughtful new ideas for technology that...

We'd all like to believe we're self-aware, but in reality, the facts point to a more sobering truth. Organizational psychologist Tasha Eurich has spent the last 4 years researching what it truly means to be self-aware, and in the process, has made a surprising discovery about human perception. In this illuminating talk, Eurich dissects common mi...

For a genuine conversation, consider talking to a robot; the less humanized, the better. Consumer researcher Anne Scherer shares her findings on why some machines get us to open up better than actual people, revealing fascinating insights about human nature that could lead to more honest interactions in our day-to-day lives.

If we hope to one day leave Earth and explore the universe, our bodies are going to have to get a lot better at surviving the harsh conditions of space. Using synthetic biology, Lisa Nip hopes to harness special powers from microbes on Earth -- such as the ability to withstand radiation -- to make humans more fit for exploring space. "We're appr...

If you ever struggle to make decisions, here's a talk for you. Cognitive scientist Tom Griffiths shows how we can apply the logic of computers to untangle tricky human problems, sharing three practical strategies for making better decisions -- on everything from finding a home to choosing which restaurant to go to tonight.

AI could propel the biggest transformation in the history of medicine, says physician-scientist Eric Topol. He explains how sophisticated AI models can interpret medical images as well or better than human experts can — and, beyond that, even pick up things that human eyes can't see. Learn all the ways AI is poised to make a difference for both ...

When it comes to climate solutions, "now is better than new, and time is more important than tech," says scientist Jonathan Foley. He presents a six-part framework to more efficiently address climate change, from better aligning capital with carbon to utilizing affordable solutions that are ready to go now. Learn more about what the data says to...

Ever wished you could stop procrastinating and just be as efficient as a machine? Since you're a human, that's not going to happen -- but that's OK, says entrepreneur Dan Shipper. Here's how you can use awareness, observation and experimentation to clear your own way to getting more done.