Ted Talks Daily

There's a saying that comedy is tragedy plus time. Perhaps that's why some of our biggest problems feel easiest to manage with a dose of humor. Comedian, journalist and actor Roy Wood Jr. has spent his career finding the silly in the serious and using this tactic to influence real change. Listen in to learn how you can tap into the powers of humor in your own life. (This conversation, hosted by comedian Chris Duffy, was part of an exclusive TED Membership event. TED Membership is the best way to support and engage with the big ideas you love from TED. To learn more, visit ted.com/membership.)

US Congresswoman Lucy McBath has made it her mission to seek bipartisan solutions for gun safety, leading the way in sponsoring so-called “red flag” laws that prevent gun violence and mass shootings. In a searing and timely talk, she shares the personal story that led her to this work — and a message for why comprehensive, common-sense gun legislation in the US is more urgent than ever.

Using paychecks, perks and carefully worded mission statements plastered on posters, companies are on a never-ending quest to find what drives morale at work. An underappreciated solution lies in the answer to one simple question, says management researcher David Burkus. With notable examples backed by decades of success, he presents a clear path to inspiring your team — and finding your purpose at work.

When technologist Luis von Ahn was building the popular language-learning platform Duolingo, he faced a big problem: Could an app designed to teach you something ever compete with addictive platforms like Instagram and TikTok? He explains how Duolingo harnesses the psychological techniques of social media and mobile games to get you excited to learn — all while spreading access to education across the world.

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 twice about. Gloria speaks about the perils of gaining your sense of self-worth from your job, discusses her experience with burnout and stress and shares empowering insights on how to shift our perspectives to create – and maintain – a healthy distance. This is an episode of the podcast How to Be a Better Human, another podcast from the TED Audio Collective. Listen to How to Be a Better Human wherever you are listening to this. For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts

Rice is the world's largest food source — and it's also a massive emitter of methane gas, a key contributor to climate change. Fifth-generation rice farmer Jim Whitaker and his daughter, farmer and conservationist Jessica Whitaker Allen, are working to slash rice's environmental impacts with innovative, sustainable farming practices. They share how they're keeping their family farm in Arkansas profitable while also spreading green farming practices to their neighbors — and, eventually, the rest of the world. "If you take care of the planet, it will take care of you," says Whitaker Allen.

How do we defend people's freedom and dignity against authoritarianism, when the "law of war" doesn't seem to apply anymore? In the face of the Russian occupation of Ukraine, human rights lawyer and Nobel laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk considers this question every day. Exposing the failures of the international system of peace and security, she highlights the capabilities of ordinary people during extraordinary times — and urges us all to take an active position in the struggle for freedom. (This talk contains graphic descriptions.)

Writer Annie Rauwerda makes a habit of getting lost among the seemingly endless digital archives of Wikipedia, discovering fake towns, promiscuous tortoises, 19th-century fangirls and so much more. An avid editor of the crowd-sourced platform, she speaks to the joys of exploring niche and humorous subjects, accidentally learning just for fun — and broadening your horizons along the way.

Cancel culture launched a reckoning that was long overdue — but that doesn't mean it's getting everything right. Filmmaker and actor Sarah Jones slips in and out of various characters as she shares her personal experience with cancel culture and suggests a better way to hold others — and ourselves — to account.

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 worries that not posting is costing him opportunities and a bigger audience. It's a problem that Anne and Frances have faced too. Together, they talk about the art and mindset of self-promotion and the ways YOU can rethink your online presence so it feels more aligned with what you stand for. Transcripts for Fixable are available at go.ted.com/fixablescripts.

In the long term, shutting down a coal mine means cleaner air and a healthier environment — but in the short term, it can devastate a community or family that relied on the mine's paychecks to make ends meet. Environmental justice advocate Payton M. Wilkins thinks we can protect both workers and the planet with an age-old solution: unions. He digs into the economic fallout of ditching fossil fuels and shows why unions are well-positioned to push the transition to clean energy and green jobs.

For people living in poverty, a guaranteed income can mean finally having the space to dream of a comfortable life. Sharing the stories of single moms who participated in a first-of-its-kind program that offered them $1,000 per month with no strings attached, poverty disrupter Aisha Nyandoro calls for us to redefine what it means to be wealthy — putting aside lavish vacations and fancy cars in favor of paid bills and a well-fed family — and to listen when people tell us what they need.

From exoskeletons and robotic arms to the mass adoption of remote work, economist Piyachart Phiromswad explores what seniors need to overcome the physical, mental and societal barriers to employment, a necessary shift in our rapidly aging world. Learn more about how these tools could empower elderly workers and better the world — for everyone.

Dasha Navalnaya is the daughter of Alexey Navalny, the politician and leader of the Russian opposition to Vladimir Putin. Sharing the story of her father's poisoning, persecution and current imprisonment, she details what it was like growing up under the watchful eye of government surveillance as her father led a decade-long investigation into the corruption of Putin's regime — and shows why paying attention to what happens in Russia matters to everyone, everywhere.

How is the US going to reach net zero by 2050? That's the question Asmeret Asefaw Berhe, director of the Office of Science for the US Department of Energy, is urgently trying to answer. She shares the thinking behind what her team is calling "Energy Earthshots" — projects designed to accelerate innovation in the fight against climate change, from nature-based solutions in the soil to the creation of brand-new technologies – and calls for innovative, equitable policies backed by science.

Meetings often drain our joy and sap our focus-–and meeting overload kills productivity. So why do we have so many of them– and is a better world possible? Adam investigates the science of improving meetings and explores how workplaces are fighting meeting bloat. Available transcripts for WorkLife can be found at go.ted.com/WLtranscripts

The Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023 stunned the world. In this timely conversation, political scientist Ian Bremmer explains the historical context of the conflict, how Israel might respond and what it means for Jews, Palestinians and the world at large. Listen in for analysis of the unprecedented events, how the US may factor into the global response and how to find reliable information amid the breathless media coverage and the fog of war. (This interview, hosted by TED's head of curation Helen Walters, was recorded on October 9, 2023.)

Journalist and podcast host Krista Tippett has spent a career interviewing some of the world's most brilliant people. All these conversations have left her with wisdom on the art of living and what it means to be human right now. Listen along as she offers three practices to help you make sense of the world around you and bring your fullest, most joyful self to it.

Resumes are a mainstay of the job application process -- despite little to no evidence that they actually help job-seekers or employers get what they want. So why are we still so preoccupied with them? HR leader Nicos Marcou dives into the absurdity of these one-page documents (or can they be two pages?) and offers different ways for companies to think about hiring qualified candidates.

Our culture is obsessed with happiness, but what if there's a more fulfilling path? Happiness comes and goes, says writer Emily Esfahani Smith, but having meaning in life -- serving something beyond yourself and developing the best within you -- gives you something to hold onto. Learn more about the difference between being happy and having meaning as Esfahani Smith offers four pillars of a meaningful life.