Code Switch

We have a vision of justice as blind, impartial, and fair — but in reality, the law often fails those who need it most. This hour, TED speakers explore radical ways to change the legal system. Guests include lawyer and social justice advocate Robin Steinberg, animal rights lawyer Steven Wise, political activist Brett Hennig, and lawyer and social entrepreneur Vivek Maru.

This week, we're handing the mic over to transracial adoptees. They told us what they think is missing from mainstream narratives about adoption, and how being an adoptee is an identity unto itself.

Kenia solo tiene memorias felices de su niñez. Vivía con su mamá, su hermana mayor y su tía en un pequeño apartamento en Manhattan, Nueva York, y era la consentida de la familia: todas la cuidaban y le mostraban su cariño. Pero unos eventos inesperados cambiaron su vida drásticamente, revelando un lado completamente desconocido de una de las personas que más amaba. Kenia pasaría toda su vida tratando de entender quién era realmente esta persona, y todo lo que significó para ella.

For thousands of years, we've searched to answer the question: Who are we? Today, science has brought us closer than ever to the answer. This hour, TED speakers share ideas on what makes us ... us. In a brand new interview, neuroscientist Anil Seth explores how our brains construct our conscious reality--everything we perceive, from objects to emotions. Other guests from the original 2016 episode include biochemist Sam Sternberg, psychologist Steven Pinker, and humorist Ze Frank.

Decades before Christine Blasey-Ford testified before lawmakers, the country had another reckoning with sexual misconduct set against the backdrop of a Supreme Court nomination. This week: what we have — and haven't — learned in the years since the Anita Hill hearings about identity politics, sexual harassment and power.

Coihueco, en el centro de Chile, es un pueblo aislado, campesino, y hasta hace pocos años, nunca pasaba nada fuera de lo normal. Se vivía de una forma tradicional, sin sobresaltos. Pero en el 2016, llegó Rodlin Etienne. Era el primer haitiano en Coihueco; el primero de muchos.

Cities are symbols of hope and opportunity. But today, overcrowding and gentrification are hurting their most vulnerable residents. This hour, TED speakers explore how we can build more humane cities. Guests include architects Liz Ogbu and Vishaan Chakrabarti, writer OluTimehin Adegbeye, former Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry, and journalist Drew Philp.

The reckoning that is reshaping Hollywood is finally making its way to the critic's perch. Bilal Qureshi joins us to talk about exciting movies coming this fall, and who gets to judge.

¿Cómo se toma una decisión de vida o muerte? Un jurado puertorriqueño se enfrenta a la pena capital.

Original broadcast date: February 10, 2017. We expect a lot of our doctors, but they don't always have the best tools to treat us. This episode, TED speakers explore new ways to think about disease, diagnosis, and the delicate art of healing. Guests include filmmaker Jennifer Brea, anesthesiologist Elliot Krane, law professor Dorothy Roberts, and cardiologist Paula Johnson.