Ted Talks Daily

The metaverse could be our key to making real progress in the fight against climate change, says engineer Cedrik Neike. Examining how AI-powered modeling eliminates the trial and error of wasteful industries, he explores how this emerging technology is already improving everything from the gigafactories that churn out electric car batteries to the fuel efficiency of your home. Learn more about how these "digital twins" are transforming the world — and not a moment too soon.

As the cofounder of Google DeepMind, Shane Legg is driving one of the greatest transformations in history: the development of artificial general intelligence (AGI). He envisions a system with human-like intelligence that would be exponentially smarter than today's AI, with limitless possibilities and applications. In conversation with head of TED Chris Anderson, Legg explores the evolution of AGI, what the world might look like when it arrives — and how to ensure it's built safely and ethically.

Legendary conductor Benjamin Zander explains his view on the difference between "positive thinking" and "possibility" (one's a fraud; the other's the real thing, he says) and intersperses delightful stories from a lifetime in music with a sing-along to Beethoven's Symphony No. 9.

Do you ever feel extra forgetful? Stress could be the culprit. In a fascinating talk about how your memory works, neuropsychologist Nicole Byers shares the science behind how stress drains your brain's resources, making it harder to remember things and easier to make mistakes. But fear not: she also shares a simple solution to recharge your brain and get your memory back on track.

Competition is a core part of human nature, and it can drive us to extraordinary feats. But when it goes wrong, the results can be devastating. Poker champion and science communicator Liv Boeree introduces us to "Moloch's trap" — the dark force of game theory driving many of humanity's biggest social problems, which is now threatening to derail the AI industry.

Generative AI is poised to transform the workplace, but we still need human brains for new ideas, says marketing expert Jessica Apotheker. She explores how marketers can find their niche in the world of AI based on their preference for data or creativity, offering a pragmatic and hopeful look at the future of business.

With levity and profound insight, artist Maira Kalman reflects on life, death, dinner parties, not knowing the right answers, the joys of eating a hot dog from a street vendor and more. This talk, interwoven with her delightful paintings, is itself an artwork that seems to hold the entirety of life in all its absurd glory.

Clearing tropical forests isn't just dangerous to the natural world — it's also a threat to human health and wellbeing, says physician Neil Vora. Tracing how environmental devastation led to deadly epidemics like Ebola, he presents three ways deforestation unleashes disease and calls on each of us to help preserve the delicate ecological balance we depend upon.

South Africa transitioned to democracy in the 1990s with a visionary constitution, but the promises of that constitution are largely unfulfilled to this day. Public leader Lindiwe Mazibuko explores how poor leadership failed to deliver a better life for the country's citizens — and shares her mission to cultivate a new generation of ethical leaders who can revitalize democracy in South Africa and beyond.

Tackling climate change costs a lot of money — and the financial sector is key to getting that money flowing. In a wide-ranging conversation, sustainable investment leaders Nili Gilbert and David Blood discuss where progress is being made on climate solutions, where capital still needs to move faster and why this is an unprecedented opportunity for sustainable growth.

Your immune system is more socially aware than you think, says social neuroscientist and psychology professor Keely Muscatell. Investigating the interconnectedness of your mood and your inflammatory system, she offers an evolutionary reason as to why being sick may make you feel depressed — and vice versa.

We can produce abundant, sustainable and cheap energy — for everyone, says physicist Julio Friedmann. He explores the infrastructure, innovation and investment needed to supply energy to 10 billion people, offering case studies from Chile's refurbished supply chain, built in partnership with Japan, to Namibia's budding clean hydrogen production, inviting us to envision a greener, more equitably powered world.

Photosynthesis is one of the most important processes on the planet, helping produce the food we eat and the air we breathe. Crop scientist Steve Long thinks it could be more efficient — and he's intent on giving it a boost. He shows how hacking photosynthesis could help feed the world all while reducing climate change.

Covering global war stories can be hard and thankless — but it's critical work if the rest of us are to understand what's really going on in the world. For nearly two decades, journalist Jane Ferguson has reported on hostilities across Africa and the Middle East, and she's witnessed firsthand the changing face of her profession. Via stories of her own experiences at the heart of complex conflicts, she shares fascinating details of how she and other female colleagues have changed the way that news is captured, shared — and understood.

Social progress in the United States often seems to take two steps forward and one step back, with hard-fought civil rights wins countered by a seemingly inevitable backlash. In this spirited talk, writer Charles M. Blow makes the case that history, inverted, suggests a potential path forward. It's an unapologetically provocative proposal that Blow thinks just might spark a real shift toward equality in the US.

When a psychologist who studies well-being ends up with a brain tumor, what happens when she puts her own research into practice? Christina Costa goes beyond the "fight" narrative of cancer — or any formidable personal journey — to highlight the brain benefits of an empowering alternative to fostering resilience in the face of unexpected challenges: gratitude.

Does confidence equal competence? Not quite. In a talk that will make you better aware of yourself, experimental psychologist Robin Kramer delves into the Dunning-Kruger effect — which argues that those who are least capable often overestimate their skills the most — and explores just how good you are at judging your own abilities.

Are you actually bored, or is something else going on? Educator Kevin H. Gary shares three practical takeaways to deal with the doldrums, so you can take control of your attention, figure out which feelings to trust and name the real problem.

Just weeks before the management shakeup at OpenAI rocked Silicon Valley and made international news, the company's cofounder and chief scientist Ilya Sutskever explored the transformative potential of artificial general intelligence (AGI), highlighting how it could surpass human intelligence and profoundly transform every aspect of life. Hear his take on the promises and perils of AGI — and his optimistic case for how unprecedented collaboration will ensure its safe and beneficial development.

US President Joe Biden and President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping recently met in San Francisco. It was the first time Xi had visited the US in six years — and the first time the two leaders had met in person in a year. Geopolitical expert Ian Bremmer explains the implications of the meeting, sharing context and insight on areas where the pair agree -- and flagging key areas where tensions might yet arise. (This conversation with TED's Helen Walters was recorded on November 20, 2023.)