TED Radio Hour

Stories ignite our imagination, let us leap over cultural walls and cross the barriers of time. Stories affirm who we are, and allow us to experience the similarities between ourselves and others, real or imagined. Stories help us make meaning of our lives. In this hour, TED speakers talk with Guy Raz about the art of storytelling, and how good stories have the power to transform our perceptions of the world. Novelist Tracy Chevalier explains how she discovers a compelling story from inside a painting. Graphic designer Chip Kidd creates “visual haikus” — book covers that, in a single image, tell the story inside. Writer Chimamanda Adichie warns that if we hear only a single story about another person, we risk a critical misunderstanding. And filmmaker Andrew Stanton says good storytelling is starting at the end and working back to the beginning.

Here's a preview of our next episode, available Friday, June 7.

Memory is malleable, dynamic and elusive. When we tap into our memories, where is the line between fact and fiction? How does our memory play tricks on us, and how can we train it to be more accurate? In this hour, TED speakers discuss how a nimble memory can improve your life, and how a frail memory might ruin someone else's. Forensic psychologist Scott Fraser argues that in a criminal trial, even close-up eyewitnesses can create "memories" they may not have seen. Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman explains how our experiences and our memories perceive happiness differently. Writer Joshua Foer shows how anyone can achieve amazing feats of memory, including him.

You can give away almost anything — your time, money, food, your ideas. Giving helps define who we are and helps us connect with others. And thanks to the internet and a rise in social consciousness, there’s been a seismic shift not only in what we’re giving, but how. In this hour, stories from TED speakers who are “giving it away” in new and surprising ways, and the things that happen in return. Firefighter Mark Bezos tells a story of an act of heroism that didn't go as expected, but ended up teaching him an important lesson. Gardner Ron Finley wants to help make his community in South Central LA more healthy, by letting people take fruit and vegetables from his roadside gardens. Activist Dan Pallotta calls out the double standard that drives our broken relationship to charities. And musician Amanda Palmer tells us how she developed a more trusting relationship with her fans by not charging for her music.

Musician Amanda Palmer told host Guy Raz it took months for her TED Talk to take shape. We couldn't fit this part of their conversation in the final cut of our new episode, "Giving It Away", so we've included it here. Plus, Amanda performs her "Ukulele Anthem" at TED. 

Here's a preview of our next episode, available Friday, May 17.

Learning is an integral part of human nature. But why do we — as adults — assume learning must be taught, tested, and reinforced? Why do we put so much effort in making kids think and act like us? In this hour, TED speakers explore the different ways babies and children learn on their own — from the womb, to the playground, to the web. Education researcher Sugata Mitra explains how he brought self-supervised access to the web for children in India’s slums and villages — with results that have made him rethink teaching. Science writer Annie Murphy Paul discusses how fetuses begin taking cues from the outside world while still in the womb. Developmental psychologist Alison Gopnik argues that like scientists, babies and young children follow a sophisticated systematic process of exploration when they play. Veteran teacher Rita Pierson says children need relationships and human connection in order to be inspired to learn. Sugata Mitra returns later in the episode to talk about his vision to build a school in a cloud where children drive a new kind of self-organized classroom.

Here's a preview of our next episode, available Friday, May 3.

On this episode we'll try to seduce you with new ideas about beauty. Philosopher Denis Dutton and psychologist Nancy Etcoff take us back in time to the primordial reasons why we all share a common taste for beauty. Fashion model Cameron Russell walks us down the runway of beauty's perilous side. Civic leader Bill Strickland transforms inner city youth by adorning arts education centers with beauty of every shape and form. And designer Richard Seymour believes we do not recognize beauty until we know the story behind it.

Violence and brutality are grim realities of life. So why are some people violent, and others aren’t? Are some of us born that way, or can anyone be pushed into committing acts of cruelty? What would it take for an ordinary person to become violent? In this hour, TED speakers explore the sinister side of human nature, and whether we’re all capable of violence. Psychologist Philip Zimbardo tells the story of his notorious Stanford Prison experiment and how easy it is for people to turn violent. Also, neuroscientist Jim Fallon uncovers the wiring of a psychopathic killer. Writer Leslie Morgan Steiner tells the harrowing story of her abusive relationship, and shares why victims of domestic violence often don’t leave. Also, psychology professor Steven Pinker charts the whole of human history, and says we are living in the most peaceful time in our existence.

Here's a preview of our next episode, "Violence".

We try so hard to be perfect, to never make mistakes and to avoid failure at all costs. But mistakes happen. And when they do, how do we deal with being wrong? In this episode, TED speakers look at those darker moments in our lives, and consider why sometimes we need to make mistakes and face them head on. Dr. Brian Goldman tells a profound story about the first big mistake he made in the ER, and questions medicine's culture of denial. Professor Brené Brown explains how important it is to confront shame. Also, jazz composer Stefon Harris argues that a lot of our actions are seen as mistakes only because we don't react to them appropriately. Plus, Margaret Heffernan, the former CEO of five businesses, tells the story of two unexpected collaborators, and how good disagreement is central to progress.

Here's a preview of our next episode, "Don't Be So Sure".

We’ve been promised a future where robots will be our friends, and technology will make life’s daily chores as easy as flipping a switch. But are we ready for how those innovations will change us as humans? In this episode, TED speakers consider the promises and perils of our relationship with technology. Psychologist Sherry Turkle looks at how devices and online personas are redefining human connection. Robotics engineer Cynthia Breazeal talks about building robots that teach, learn, and play. Research Scientist Andrew McAfee examines how technology affects the labor market, today and in the future. Physician and writer Abraham Verghese describes our strange new world where patients are data points, and calls for a return to the traditional physical exam.

Gazing up at the night sky is simultaneously humbling and utterly thrilling. This hour, we’ll hear from TED speakers who share an infectious sense of wonder and curiosity about our place in the universe and what lies beyond our skies. Phil Plait breaks down how we can defend Earth from an asteroid. Also, Jill Tarter of the SETI Institute explains why it’s crucial for humans here on earth to continue searching for sentient beings in the cosmos. Plus: Physicist Brian Greene unravels the strange tale of dark matter and why our universe may be one of many in the “multiverse.”