TED Tech

What if our infrastructure could repair itself? with Mark Miodownik and Congrui Jin

What if we live in a world where infrastructure maintenance is regenerative? Roads, bridges, and buildings won’t have to rely on taxes or tolls to finance repair, but are constructed with materials capable for self-repair? In this episode, Sherrell is sharing two talks on how two engineers are rethinking ways to design infrastructure that’s greener and more sustainable. Talks featured The brilliance of bridges and roads that repair themselves | Mark Miodownik What if cracks in concrete could fix themselves? | Congrui Jin Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast [https://attend.ted.com/podcast] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

The probe on a mission to touch the Sun | Nour E. Rawafi (re-release)

From its life-sustaining energy to its explosive geomagnetic storms, the Sun has many mysteries, says astrophysicist Nour E. Rawafi. He sheds light on NASA's latest endeavor to better understand our fiery neighbor and its impact on the future of society: sending the cutting-edge Parker Solar Probe deep into the Sun's atmosphere in humanity's closest-ever approach to a star. This episode originally aired in 2025. Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast [https://attend.ted.com/podcast] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

AI is changing how we talk and think. How can we stop it? with Adam Aleksic and Advait Sarkar

Algorithms and AI don’t show us reality, but that doesn’t stop people from treating ChatGPT and online bots as our personalized therapists, travel planners, and editors. In this episode, Sherrell is sharing two talks on how AI is changing the way we’re influenced. From shaping our language to becoming “middle managers of our own thoughts,” these speakers ask what happens when we offload critical thinking to a machine. Talks featured Why are people starting to sound like ChatGPT? | Adam Aleksic How to stop AI from killing your critical thinking | Advait Sarkar Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast [https://attend.ted.com/podcast] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

How satellite imagery is helping stop deforestation with Tasso Azevedo and Anna Rothschild

From local parks to the Amazon rainforest, trees provide shade and shelters for humans, animals, insects, and many other living creatures. They’re the lungs of our planets, but they’re being threatened by deforestation. In this episode, Sherrell is sharing two talks on what happens if the entire Amazon rainforest disappears… and how one land reformer is using satellite imagery to hold tree cutters accountable. Talk featured Is the Amazon Rainforest disappearing? | Anna Rothschild How to see (and stop) deforestation from space | Tasso Azevedo Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast [https://attend.ted.com/podcast] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

How to stop doomscrolling — and what to do instead? (w/ Katherine Cross) | from How to Be a Better Human

Is it effective to engage with politics on social media — and what does it take to make actual change? Katherine Cross is a researcher on online harassment and the author of Log Off: Why Posting and Politics (Almost) Never Mix. She shares why she believes social media is “anti-political” and how virtual engagement will not achieve the necessary political work for us. Katherine and Chris also discuss the limitations of short-form content in conveying decades of geopolitical strife, why our lives would be better off without social media, and the guardrails platforms could utilize to help users engage with posts critically and to slow down viral misinformation. Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast [https://attend.ted.com/podcast] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.