We have to stop destroying our future | Al Gore

Lighting up the TED stage, Nobel laureate Al Gore takes stock of the current state of climate progress and calls attention to institutions that have failed to honor their promises by continuing to pour money into polluting sectors. He explains how the..

The workplace, redefined by women of color | Deepa Purushothaman

Corporate inclusion visionary Deepa Purushothaman shares how women of color can advocate for themselves in workplace settings where they are undervalued, discriminated against and overlooked -- and how companies can foster working cultures that..

The case for a 4-day work week | Juliet Schor

The traditional approach to work needs a redesign, says economist Juliet Schor. She's leading four-day work week trials in countries like the US and Ireland, and the results so far have been overwhelmingly positive: from increased employer and..

The crime-fighting power of cross-border investigative journalism | Bektour Iskender

Organized crime operates across national borders -- to keep up, investigative journalists need to do the same. TED Fellow Bektour Iskender gives the inside scoop on his efforts to unveil secret, insidious operations in his home country of Kyrgyzstan,..

A creator-led internet, built on blockchain | Adam Mosseri

As digital assets like cryptocurrency and NFTs become more mainstream, design thinker and head of Instagram Adam Mosseri believes that creators are uniquely positioned to benefit. These blockchain-enabled technologies could remove the need for a..

How to discover your authentic self -- at any age | Bevy Smith

In a talk packed with wry wisdom, pop culture queen Bevy Smith shares hard-earned lessons about authenticity, confidence, mature success and why, if you put in the work, "life gets greater later."

A bold plan for transforming access to the US social safety net | Amanda Renteria

Digital public servant Amanda Renteria has seen that the millions of people who rely on government welfare services are often discouraged from seeking them out, frustrated and discouraged by long lines and unnecessarily complicated processes. At Code..

How the James Webb Space Telescope will unfold the universe | John C. Mather

The James Webb Space Telescope is a miracle of modern science and engineering. With a 21-foot, gold-coated mirror protected by a sunshield that's the size of a tennis court, it's the world's most powerful telescope and humanity's latest attempt to..

How ancient Arctic carbon threatens everyone on the planet | Sue Natali

What happens to the rest of the planet if climate change melts what's left of Arctic permafrost? Shedding light on this overlooked threat, arctic geologist Sue Natali reveals the true danger of heating up the iciest place on the planet: releasing..

The most powerful untapped resource in health care | Edith Elliott and Shahed Alam

Whether we're rushing a child to the emergency room after a fall or making chicken soup for a feverish spouse, love inspires us to act when a family member gets sick. Global health activists Edith Elliott and Shahed Alam believe we can harness this..

Mental health care that disrupts cycles of violence | Celina de Sola

In Latin American countries like El Salvador, where local changemaker Celina de Sola lives, homicide rates are alarmingly high due to a vicious cycle of violence where people don't have an opportunity to heal from individual and collective trauma...

A transparent, easy way for smallholder farmers to save | Anushka Ratnayake

A safe space to save money is life-changing -- especially for the 60 million smallholder farmers in West Africa (the majority being women) who often live on less than two dollars a day. Poverty fighter Anushka Ratnayake introduces her non-profit..

An election redesign to restore trust in US democracy | Tiana Epps-Johnson

Election infrastructure in the United States is crumbling, says technologist Tiana Epps-Johnson, and, even worse, election officials are increasingly being attacked simply for doing their jobs. How can the country rebuild trust in its local and..

Why Indigenous forest guardianship is crucial to climate action | Nonette Royo

Indigenous communities have looked after their ancestral forests for millennia, cultivating immense amounts of knowledge on how to protect, nourish and heal these vital environments. Today, 470 million Indigenous people care for and manage 80 percent..

A safe pathway to resettlement for migrants and refugees | Becca Heller

"Human migration is both inevitable and growing. What are we as a global community doing to address it?" asks human rights lawyer Becca Heller, who believes that every refugee and migrant deserves a safe pathway to resettlement. Through her work with..

We can make COVID-19 the last pandemic | Bill Gates

Building a pandemic-free future won't be easy, but Bill Gates believes that we have the tools and strategies to make it possible -- now we just have to fund them. In this forward-looking talk, he proposes a multi-specialty Global Epidemic Response and..

A future worth getting excited about | Elon Musk

What's on Elon Musk's mind? In conversation with head of TED Chris Anderson, Musk details how the radical new innovations he's working on -- Tesla's intelligent humanoid robot Optimus, SpaceX's otherworldly Starship and Neuralink's brain-machine..

Ukraine's fight to keep educating its children | Zoya Lytvyn

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has destroyed so much -- including hundreds of schools, where the country's children were forging their futures -- but it has not stopped Ukrainians from pursuing knowledge and curiosity. In a deeply moving talk,..

The breakthrough science of mRNA medicine | Melissa J. Moore

The secret behind medicines that use messenger RNA (or mRNA) is that they "teach" our bodies how to fight diseases on their own, leading to groundbreaking treatments for COVID-19 and, potentially one day, cancer, the flu and other ailments that have..

An Olympic champion's unwavering advocacy for mothers in sports | Allyson Felix

Getting pregnant as a track and field athlete is often called the "kiss of death" -- a sign your athletic career will soon end. Olympic champion, entrepreneur and proud mother Allyson Felix thinks it shouldn't be that way. She tells the story of..

Stand with Ukraine in the fight against evil | Garry Kasparov

Ukraine is on the front line of a war between freedom and tyranny, says chess grandmaster and human rights advocate Garry Kasparov. In this blistering call to action, he traces Vladimir Putin's rise to power and details his own path from chess world..

How to heal a divided world | Michèle Lamont

How do we define worth in society, and who gets status? Sociologist Michele Lamont studies these questions and investigates ways to broaden the circle of recognition and fight the harm of social stigmatization. She lays out the steps needed to make..

Elon Musk talks Twitter, Tesla and how his brain works -- live at TED2022 | Elon Musk

In this unedited conversation with head of TED Chris Anderson, Elon Musk digs into the recent news around his bid to purchase Twitter and gets honest about the biggest regret of his career, how his brain works, the future he envisions for the world..

The real reason you feel "so busy" (and what to do about it) | Dorie Clark

Are you actually busy, or do you just feel busy? The answer matters because it could change how you move through your daily life. Leadership expert Dorie Clark shares the three reasons people fall into an endless loop of feeling constantly busy, and..

The restorative power of medical tattoos | Becky Barker

Tattoos can transform and empower people, with some seeking them out to reconnect with their bodies due to scarring, physical abnormalities or the aftermath of a procedure or illness. Paramedical tattooist Becky Barker shares the art and craft of..

My long walk across India for women's freedom | Srishti Bakshi

There are 600 million women in India -- yet they are rarely seen outdoors after sunset because of safety concerns like harassment and catcalls. On a mission to create safer public spaces, women's rights advocate Srishti Bakshi talks about how she..

The likability dilemma for women leaders | Robin Hauser

When women lead, bias often follows. Documentarian Robin Hauser dives into the dilemma between competence and likeability faced by women leaders, detangling the unconscious beliefs and gendered thinking that distort what it means to be a good leader.

The future of the food ecosystem -- and the power of your plate | Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli

Many people across the world don't have access to healthy food -- while in other places tons of food go to waste. Social entrepreneur Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli thinks we can take bold steps to fix this problem. She lays out what it would take to build a..

How great leaders innovate -- responsibly | Ken Chenault

In times of uncertainty, leaders have a responsibility to inspire hope. Sharing hard-won wisdom, business leader Ken Chenault talks about what it takes to enact positive, enduring change -- and why it's more important than ever to invest in..

NFTs, the metaverse and the future of digital art | Elizabeth Strickler

In need of a brief yet illuminating lesson on the internet's obsession with NFTs? Elizabeth Strickler breaks down the acronym and explains the fundamentals of non-fungible tokens, sharing how these digital assets are changing the landscape for artists..

Why people and AI make good business partners | Shervin Khodabandeh

What happens when the data-driven capabilities of AI are combined with human creativity and ingenuity? Shining a light on the opportunities this futuristic collaboration could bring to the workplace, AI expert Shervin Khodabandeh shares how to..

A new economic model for protecting tropical forests  | Nat Keohane

To solve the climate crisis, we need to make tropical forests worth more alive than dead, says environmental economist Nat Keohane. Highlighting the urgent need to stop deforestation and the carbon pollution it brings, he details the work of the LEAF..

Why all melodies should be free for musicians to use | Damien Riehl

Evoke a familiar tune in a song and get slapped with a lawsuit ... it's a tale almost as old as copyright itself. Lawyer and technologist Damien Riehl digs into why "owning" a melody is a ludicrous legal assertion and composes a radical solution for..

Goats, blockchain and the future of money | Fariel Salahuddin

What if smallholder farmers could use their produce and livestock to pay for goods and services? TED Fellow and alternative currency enthusiast Fariel Salahuddin is working to make this a reality in places including rural Pakistan, where basic..

The local guardians protecting African lions | Resson Kantai Duff

Conservation efforts in Africa have typically been led by "parachute conservationists" -- outsiders who drop in thinking they have all the answers, hire locals to implement them and then disappear. But conservationist Resson Kantai Duff has a better..

The deep sea's medicinal secrets | Sam Afoullouss

Under the sea, untold wonders await in the form of untapped medicinal potential. Chemist Sam Afoullouss dives into the science behind natural remedies, explaining why the ocean's great (and still largely unexplored) biodiversity is ideal for deriving..

The funding gap in start-up investing | Temie Giwa-Tubosun

"It is time to close the funding gap for Black female-led start-ups the world over," says entrepreneur Temie Giwa-Tubosun, whose company LifeBank delivers life-saving medical supplies to remote areas in Africa. Today, LifeBank operates successfully..

How webtoons are changing movies and TV | Hyeonmi Kim

Pop culture is changing thanks to a different kind of storytelling, says digital strategist Hyeonmi Kim. They're called webtoons: comic-like illustrations published in short segments and meant to be read on a smartphone in five to 10 minutes. Kim..

War in Ukraine -- and what it means for the world order | Ian Bremmer

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has created previously unthinkable changes in geopolitics, seemingly overnight. In this vital conversation, political analyst Ian Bremmer takes a closer look at the global implications of the war, including NATO and the..

We could kickstart life on another planet. Should we? | Betül Kaçar

"Life makes our planet an incredibly exotic place compared to the rest of the known universe," says astrobiologist Betül Kaçar, whose research uses statistics and mathematical models to simulate ancient environments and gather insights into the..

How to stop banks from investing in dirty energy | Lucie Pinson

Money is pollution's biggest driving force -- particularly, the cash invested in dirty energy projects, says financial responsibility campaigner Lucie Pinson. She shares a three-pronged approach to stop banks from funding fossil fuel companies,..

The power of purpose in business | Ashley M. Grice

What's a company's purpose? It's not the same as mission or vision, which change when leadership changes. Strategist Ashley M. Grice explains the power of purpose to push boundaries of innovation and bring clarity to every aspect of an organization,..

The rhythm and rhyme of memory, solitude and community | Rosanne Cash

"Music can unlock a frozen memory that melts into the seeds of our creativity," says musician Rosanne Cash. Reflecting on the power of memory, solitude and community, she performs "The Sunken Lands" and "Particle And Wave" and meditates on some of..

The African swamp protecting Earth's environment | Vera Songwe

The peatlands of Africa's Congo Basin are a vast expanse of swamp and greenery that act as one of the world's most effective carbon sinks -- and they're under threat of environmental destruction. Economist Vera Songwe explains how putting a price on..

The critical role of Black mothers -- and how to support all moms | Anna Malaika Tubbs

Throughout US history, the stories of influential Black mothers have been purposefully obscured -- at a high cost to us all. Sociologist Anna Malaika Tubbs unmasks the lies and designs behind this strategic erasure and highlights the scientific,..

The 100 tampons NASA (almost) sent to space -- and other absurd songs | Marcia Belsky

Performing two original songs, stand-up comedian, writer and musician Marcia Belsky shares comical commentary on some peculiar aspects of our culture -- from Instagram-stalking your crush to fending off mansplainers on social media -- and lampoons..

The war in Ukraine could change everything | Yuval Noah Harari

Concerned about the war Ukraine? You're not alone. Historian Yuval Noah Harari provides important context on the Russian invasion, including Ukraine's long history of resistance, the specter of nuclear war and his view of why, even if Putin wins all..

Climate change isn't a distant threat -- it's our reality | Selina Neirok Leem

Every year, ocean levels rise and high tides flood the low-lying Marshall Islands in the Pacific, destroying homes, salinating water supplies and disrupting livelihoods. In a stirring poem and talk, youth climate warrior Selina Neirok Leem explains..

What it's like to be a war refugee | Zarlasht Halaimzai

Living under the constant threat of violence has a lasting effect -- even after you escape from danger, says writer and refugee advocate Zarlasht Halaimzai. One of the millions of people worldwide who have been forcibly displaced by conflict,..

3 ways your company's data can jump-start climate action | Massimo Russo

From helping build smart cities to supporting the sustainable energy sector, the possibilities of big data are endless. But many companies are still wary of sharing data that could expose them to risk and diminish their competitive advantage. What if..