
Do you really need 8 hours of sleep every night? | Jen Gunter
When you can't sleep, you're desperate for help. And there's a booming industry waiting to tell you all the ways a lack of sleep can ruin your health -- and to sell you fancy gadgets to help you finally doze off. Shedding light on this flawed doomsday messaging, Dr. Jen Gunter explains why you shouldn't lose sleep over sleep -- and what to do instead. (For more on how your body works, tune in to her podcast, Body Stuff with Dr. Jen Gunter, from the TED Audio Collective.)
14 Nov 20223min

A colorful case for outside-the-box thinking on identity | Olivia Vinckier
Have you ever been forced to limit your identity to a single box on an application, survey or census questionnaire? For many, it is a futile and overall outdated exercise, especially for those with multiracial and multi-ethnic backgrounds. Olivia Vinckier makes the case for recognizing and accepting, rather than limiting, the growing reality that identity is multifaceted, ever-expanding -- and more colorful than you think.
11 Nov 20220s

The global opportunity to accelerate Africa's sustainable future | Vanessa Nakate
Climate justice activist Vanessa Nakate sits down with former president of Ireland Mary Robinson for an enlightening, intergenerational conversation about the state of the climate crisis. Nakate paints a picture of life in her home country of Uganda -- which faces prolonged droughts, landslides and flooding stemming from climate change -- and clarifies the need for energy-rich, high-emitting nations to provide climate finance for Africa and accelerate the continent's sustainable future. "We cannot solve the problems that are happening right now with the very system that created them," Nakate says. "We need something new."
10 Nov 202225min

How global virtual communities can help kids achieve their dreams | Matthew Garcia
How do we make historically exclusive fields like classical music, fine arts or academic research more accessible to everyone? Education equalizer and violist Matthew Garcia thinks one way to remove barriers is to create free, virtual education programs that connect talented young minds to the resources they need to thrive in their future careers. Learn more about the power of virtual nonprofits to overcome geographic borders and deliver opportunity -- and how you can help every kid reach their dreams.
9 Nov 20228min

The future of machines that move like animals | Robert Katzschmann
Imagine a boat that propels by moving its "tail" from side to side, just like a fish. That's the kind of machine that TED Fellow Robert Katzschmann's lab builds: soft-bodied robots that imitate natural movements with artificial, silent muscles. He lays out his vision for machines that take on mesmerizing new forms, made of softer and more lifelike materials -- and capable of discovering unknown parts of the world.
8 Nov 20227min

5 lessons on building an emissions-free city | Heidi Sørensen
Confronting climate change makes for better cities and a better quality of life, says Heidi Sørensen, director of the climate agency for the city of Oslo, Norway. From construction sites without noise pollution to fully electric transportation, she details the exciting green transition happening in her city. The Norwegian capital's ambitious goal of reducing 95 percent of its carbon emissions by 2030 is driven by a unique policy approach: a world-first carbon budget, which works side by side with the financial budget and clearly states what needs to be done, by whom and when for the city to reach its climate goals. She shares five crucial lessons Oslo has learned along the way to creating a better city for everyone -- and what it could mean for the rest of the world.
7 Nov 202215min

Is there a role for carbon credits in the transition to a fair, net-zero future? | TED Countdown
In June 2022, TED's climate initiative, Countdown, launched its Dilemma Series: events designed to look at some of the "knots" in the climate change space, where diverging positions have stalled progress and solidified into an inability to collaborate across differences. The event focused on the question: Is there a role for carbon credits in the transition to a fair, net-zero future? Through TED Talks and conversations featuring scientists, CEOs, activists, politicians, artists, frontline community leaders, investors and more, this film offers a 360-degree view of carbon credits -- a contentious subject that prompted some discomfort, disagreement and, ultimately, a renewed sense of possibility. It's an invitation to listen deeply, keep an open mind and get a little wiser on a complex topic. (Featuring, in order of appearance: Tamara Toles O'Laughlin, John Kilani, Nat Keohane, Julio Friedmann, Donnel Baird, Nili Gilbert, Al Gore, Inés Yábar, James Dyke, Tom Rivett-Carnac, Lindsay Levin, David Biello, Gilles Dufrasne, Kavita Prakash-Mani, Susan Chomba, Gabrielle Walker, Derik Broekhoff, Annette Nazareth)
4 Nov 202236min

A moral blueprint for reimagining capitalism | Manish Bhardwaj
We know capitalism exacerbates injustice and inequality worldwide. So how can we fix it? Professor and social entrepreneur Manish Bhardwaj thinks we need to integrate "moral clarity" -- which he defines as "doing the right thing because it is right, and not from fear of sanction or in expectation of reward" -- into society at a foundational level. In this practical talk, he explains how to use the language of moral clarity as a compass for organizations, communities and our personal lives -- and how it could help create a more just world.
3 Nov 202214min