TED Radio Hour

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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.<br><br><em>Get more brainy miscellany with TED Radio Hour+. Your subscription supports the show and unlocks a sponsor-free feed. Learn more at plus.npr.org/ted</em>

  • 49 minutes 38 seconds
    What can you control in this chaotic world?
    When it feels like the world is on fire, it's hard to know what's in your control and what's out of your hands. This hour, TED speakers explain ways you can reclaim your agency. Guests include financial advisor Matt Pitcher, sociologist Anindya Kundu, journalist Jennifer Wallace and design thinking professor Bill Burnett.

    TED Radio Hour+ subscribers now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and a behind the scenes look with our producers. A Plus subscription also lets you listen to regular episodes (like this one!) without sponsors. Sign-up at: plus.npr.org/ted

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    23 January 2026, 8:00 am
  • 49 minutes 38 seconds
    What we — and AI — can learn from nature's intelligence
    Artificial intelligence is powerful, but what about natural intelligence? This hour, TED speakers explore the intrinsic genius in animal language, insect behavior, plant anatomy and our immune system. Guests include neuroscientist Greg Gage, computational neuroscientist Frances Chance, social psychoneuroimmunologist Keely Muscatell and environmental researcher Karen Bakker. We want to dedicate this episode to Bakker who passed away in August 2023, only a few months after giving her TED Talk. Her research and legacy continue to inspire. 

    Original broadcast date: March 8, 2024

    TED Radio Hour+ subscribers now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and a behind the scenes look with our producers. A Plus subscription also lets you listen to regular episodes (like this one!) without sponsors. Sign-up at plus.npr.org/ted.

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    16 January 2026, 8:00 am
  • 49 minutes 39 seconds
    The secrets in your baby's genes
    Genomics researcher Dr. Robert Green explains how sequencing babies’ DNA can reveal hidden health risks. This hour we explore where the benefits end and the ethical dilemmas begin.

    Guests include Dr. Robert Green, bioethicist and pediatrician Dr. Lainie Friedman Ross and genetic counselor Bethany Zettler.

    TED Radio Hour+ subscribers now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and a behind the scenes look with our producers. A Plus subscription also lets you listen to regular episodes (like this one!) without sponsors. Sign-up at plus.npr.org/ted.

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    9 January 2026, 8:00 am
  • 49 minutes 39 seconds
    Navigating uncertainty
    In unpredictable times, how can we stay calm, grounded, and on course? This hour, TED speakers lead us through uncertainty. Guests include former medical clown Matt Wilson, psychologist Jamil Zaki, writer and filmmaker Hrund Gunnsteinsdóttir and human rights activist Yifat Susskind.

    (Original broadcast date: January 10, 2025)

    TED Radio Hour+ subscribers now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and a behind the scenes look with our producers. A Plus subscription also lets you listen to regular episodes (like this one!) without sponsors. Sign-up at: plus.npr.org/ted

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    2 January 2026, 8:00 am
  • 51 minutes 5 seconds
    Who counts as a significant other?
    Finding "the one" can seem like life's ultimate goal—but should it be? This hour, TED speakers expand the definition of life partnership, whether it's with a friend, a spouse, a pet, or no one at all.

    Guest include journalist Rhaina Cohen, marriage and family therapist Stephanie Yates-Anyabwile, social psychologist Bella DePaulo and photographer Elias Weiss Friedman of "The Dogist."

    Original broadcast date: February 7, 2025

    TED Radio Hour+ subscribers now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and a behind the scenes look with our producers. A Plus subscription also lets you listen to regular episodes (like this one!) without sponsors. Sign-up at plus.npr.org/ted.


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    26 December 2025, 8:00 am
  • 51 minutes 5 seconds
    Who is really shaping the future of AI?
    What will AI look like in 2026? Is the hype a bubble or a tech revolution that will transform everything? This episode, the global politics shaping the future of AI and what it means for you. Guests include tech entrepreneur Alvin Wang Graylin, NPR tech reporter John Ruwitch, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman in conversation with TED's Chris Anderson.

    TED Radio Hour+ subscribers now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and a behind the scenes look with our producers. A Plus subscription also lets you listen to regular episodes (like this one!) without sponsors. Sign-up at: plus.npr.org/ted

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    19 December 2025, 8:00 am
  • 51 minutes 23 seconds
    Soundtracks of our lives
    From our favorite songs to our own voices, we're surrounded by sound all day. But how does all this noise affect our emotions and behavior? This hour, TED speakers explore how sound shapes our lives. Guests include musician and professor of songwriting Scarlet Keys, AI CEO Pierre Barreau, voice expert Rebecca Kleinberger and musician Snow Raven.


    (Original Broadcast Date: February 21, 2025)


    TED Radio Hour+ subscribers now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and a behind the scenes look with our producers. A Plus subscription also lets you listen to regular episodes (like this one!) without sponsors. Sign-up at plus.npr.org/ted.

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    12 December 2025, 8:00 am
  • 14 minutes 20 seconds
    Remembering a maestro through 'New World Symphony'
    Before his passing, conductor Robert Franz guided us through the first movement of Dvorák's "New World Symphony" using his four essential tools for listening—rhythm, melody, texture and visuals. As the year comes to a close, Manoush Zomorodi shares one of her favorite TED Radio Hour+ episodes.

    Robert Franz was also featured in episode, "How we experience time."

    To hear more bonus content like this and to support NPR and public radio, sign up for TED Radio Hour+ at plus.npr.org/ted

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    10 December 2025, 8:00 am
  • 51 minutes 51 seconds
    Finding your bliss
    It's been a long, complicated year. This hour, TED speakers share ideas to help you get grounded, back on track, and even edge toward something like bliss.

    TED Radio Hour+ subscribers now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and a behind the scenes look with our producers. A Plus subscription also lets you listen to regular episodes (like this one!) without sponsors. Sign-up at plus.npr.org/ted.

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    5 December 2025, 8:00 am
  • 49 minutes 39 seconds
    Decoding nature’s hidden patterns
    We can’t protect what we don’t understand. From decoding wolf howls to making sense of millions of citizen-science sightings, we explore the tools helping researchers understand the wild in new ways.

    TED Radio Hour+ subscribers now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and a behind the scenes look with our producers. A Plus subscription also lets you listen to regular episodes (like this one!) without sponsors. Sign-up at plus.npr.org/ted.

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    28 November 2025, 8:00 am
  • 49 minutes 37 seconds
    How to repair your most important relationships
    It's never too late to make things right—even when cracks form within our relationships with our families, our environment...or the inevitable. This hour, TED speakers offer healing solutions.

    TED Radio Hour+ subscribers now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and a behind the scenes look with our producers. A Plus subscription also lets you listen to regular episodes (like this one!) without sponsors. Sign-up at plus.npr.org/ted.

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    21 November 2025, 8:00 am
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