Podcast · 191 episodes
TED Radio Hour
by NPR · English
Exploring the biggest questions of our time with the help of the world's greatest thinkers. Host Manoush Zomorodi inspires us to learn more about the world, our communities, and most importantly, ourselves. Support public media by joining NPR+ at plus.npr.org. You’ll get perks for over 25 NPR podcasts, including sponsor-free listening for TED Radio Hour.
Latest episodes
Life can be so awkward. Here's how to embrace the embarrassingHow to cope with social awkwardness and embarrassment—by understanding what causes it, reframing it as useful, and using openness/permission to connect.25 Sep 2026 · 50 min
Big mysteries explained through your sensesHow human senses (hearing, smell, and sight) can make “invisible” phenomena understandable—starting with translating early-universe sound waves into music, then using smell as an early health warning…18 Sep 2026 · 50 min
Less guilt, more joy: A new chapter for climate actionHow to do climate action without guilt or burnout by focusing on “high-impact” behaviors that also increase happiness; argues doom-and-gloom messaging backfires and that individual choices can matter…4 Sep 2026 · 50 min
All episodes
Life can be so awkward. Here's how to embrace the embarrassingHow to cope with social awkwardness and embarrassment—by understanding what causes it, reframing it as useful, and using openness/permission to connect.25 Sep 2026 · 50 min · 13 chapters
Big mysteries explained through your sensesHow human senses (hearing, smell, and sight) can make “invisible” phenomena understandable—starting with translating early-universe sound waves into music, then using smell as an early health warning…18 Sep 2026 · 50 min · 18 chapters
Less guilt, more joy: A new chapter for climate actionHow to do climate action without guilt or burnout by focusing on “high-impact” behaviors that also increase happiness; argues doom-and-gloom messaging backfires and that individual choices can matter…4 Sep 2026 · 50 min · 25 chapters
The day the dinosaurs diedA visit to the Edelman Fossil Park and Museum in Mantua Township, New Jersey, explaining how a dry quarry preserves the “extinction layer” from 66 million years ago and what it reveals about the…28 Aug 2026 · 50 min · 19 chapters
Trusting medicine in an age of doubtThe episode “Trusting medicine in an age of doubt” (TED Radio Hour) argues that medicine has real limits, and that mistrust often comes from communication failures rather than ignorance.7 Aug 2026 · 50 min · 27 chapters
Addiction, motherhood and Jesus with writer Anne LamottAnne Lamott discusses “bird by bird” writing, addiction recovery, motherhood/single parenting, faith and grace, and how to release loved ones—plus grief and death—drawing from her books Bird by Bird…31 Jul 2026 · 50 min · 20 chapters
Rethinking addiction in the age of OzempicAddiction and moderation in the “Ozempic era,” focusing on GLP-1 drugs (semaglutide) as possible “desire dampeners,” plus limits, stigma, and the role of empathy and lived experience.24 Jul 2026 · 50 min · 19 chapters
Tracking what your body needsHow to “track what the body needs,” focusing on (1) health harms from sedentary time and movement breaks, and (2) wearable/biometric monitoring for preventive care, plus (3) a caution that wellness…10 Jul 2026 · 50 min · 29 chapters
The state of fashion“The state of fashion” explores how style choices (minimalism vs maximalism), online shopping/returns, and the fashion industry’s labor and environmental costs shape what we wear and why.3 Jul 2026 · 50 min · 23 chapters
Are we using screens as a scapegoat for teen mental health?Whether screens and social media are being used as a scapegoat for teen mental health, and why bans (phones in schools, under-16 social media bans) may not address root causes.26 Jun 2026 · 50 min · 23 chapters
Sports psychology for everyday lifeThe psychology of winning—how athletes (and everyday people) handle pressure, avoid “paralysis by analysis,” and keep striving after near-misses; plus why audiences care about sports, especially…19 Jun 2026 · 50 min · 18 chapters
How predictions took over our livesThe episode examines how prediction—through sports betting, prediction markets, and AI—has become a way to “play” the future, changing behavior, attention, and power.12 Jun 2026 · 50 min · 18 chapters
The case for merging human bodies with machines“Augmenting Humans” argues that future tech should merge with bodies and everyday life in ways that feel safe, legible, and even fun—covering robot movement, bionic prosthetics, smart artificial…5 Jun 2026 · 50 min · 18 chapters
Beyond the manosphere: Supporting boys and men in the real worldThe episode argues that boys and young men are struggling, but that the “manosphere” and “toxic masculinity” framing often misdiagnose the problem and worsen it.29 May 2026 · 51 min · 23 chapters
How to feel alive in an exhausting worldThe TED Radio Hour episode “How to feel alive in an exhausting world” argues that modern life causes “exhaustion” through too much screen time, prolonged sitting, and dysfunctional breathing—damaging…15 May 2026 · 50 min · 22 chapters
How to mend a broken heartHeartache and grief can have real physical effects, including broken-heart syndrome (Takotsubo cardiomyopathy), and the episode explores ways to “mend” emotional pain—through medical recognition,…8 May 2026 · 50 min · 20 chapters
How to be a "Super Ager" (it's not your genes)How to live long and well by becoming a “super-ager” (80+ with no major age-related diseases), arguing it’s driven more by immune health, lifestyle, and prevention than genes or “anti-aging” hype.1 May 2026 · 50 min · 22 chapters
Can we preserve knowledge … forever?Whether knowledge can be preserved “forever,” and how to keep digital, cultural, and even physical records from disappearing due to obsolescence, legal limits, climate change, and data decay.24 Apr 2026 · 50 min · 24 chapters
Using ancient philosophy to cope with your modern problemsHow ancient Greek philosophy (Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, virtue ethics) can help people cope with modern upheaval—COVID, wars, and technology—by expanding moral imagination, training habits for…17 Apr 2026 · 50 min · 22 chapters
The hidden forces shaping your choicesHidden forces shaping everyday choices—especially how marketing, infrastructure, culture, and city design steer behavior (with a focus on meat consumption, energy/infrastructure resilience, social…10 Apr 2026 · 50 min · 21 chapters
Could AI help us, not replace us?The episode argues for “humanistic AI”—AI designed to augment and collaborate with people rather than automate them out of work or exploit them.3 Apr 2026 · 50 min · 20 chapters
A neuroscientist's guide to managing our emotionsManaging emotions using a “brain as instrument” approach—emotions are useful when in the right proportions, but can overwhelm decisions when triggered too intensely/long.27 Mar 2026 · 50 min · 20 chapters
How does your brain perceive the world?Explores significant questions of our time through insights from world-class thinkers, aiming to encourage learning about the world, our communities, and ourselves.20 Mar 2026 · 50 min · 16 chapters
The TED talk that put writer Pico Iyer in “Marty Supreme”This episode features Pico Iyer, a travel writer and TED speaker, who shares his journey of being cast in the film "Marty Supreme," starring Timothée Chalamet.18 Mar 2026 · 15 min · 5 chapters